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Post by lpf3 on Jun 24, 2008 17:59:37 GMT -5
Hey guys , I've been makin' some progress........... Here's some pic's I drilled the bridge & body for string-thru ferrules... [img src=" ![]() i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm43/lpf3guitars/100_0554.jpg"]  [/img]. The clear 'guard is so I can orient the pups & actually have them land in a hole  [img src=" ![]() i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm43/lpf3guitars/100_0554.jpg"]  [/img] Also my first shielding job , lucky it's not wallpaper ;D The pup routs are goofy lookin' , at this point I hadn't decided if I wanted them straight or angled - this shape accomodates both . That's all for now - more to come  -lpf3 |
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Post by lpf3 on Jan 4, 2009 18:45:01 GMT -5
Well, I've finished my Squier '51 ( for now ). Here's some before & after shots ... Before ....  And after...  I routed for the mid pup , & shifted the neck pup a little closer to the neck . For the pickguard I used the original to make this template -  And then the new guard out of a tortoise blank . I bought the Ian Rich control plate ( see " About right " on our links page - quick, friendly service & a good quality plate ) I had to rout out the control cavity a little to accomodate a push/pull pot & a 5-way switch , a template for this came with the plate . So far , the wiring is like a stock strat , except for series/parallell switching on the bridge pup ; which is a GFS Vintage 59 ( nice pickup ). The neck & mid pups are stock Fenders that came in a loaded strat 'guard that I bought last spring . I used the "no holes "pup covers that I got from Has sound -also on our links page , also good friendly service . I've also routed an additional cavity under the upper left bout of the pickguard for future ( slide ? ) switches . Really the only thing I'd like to add is a bridge on switch , but I've been so strapped for time lately, that that will have to wait . I made a bone nut for it & when I cut the slots I fudged the outer E strings just a shade closer to the edge . Not close enough to fall off but , it made the spacing a little more comfortable , like that of a wider neck . That's about it . It plays & sounds like a strat , but it"s got a "cheezy " 60's ish look ( that I think is hip. )   -lpf3 |
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Post by cynical1 on Jan 4, 2009 19:22:48 GMT -5
lpf3 -
Very nice little modification. I like the tortoise shell pickguard and the angled single coils.
What angle did you use on the neck and middle pickup? I'll have to do that on both of my projects to match my humbuckers.
When you get a chance some sound samples would be interesting.
And I wouldn't call it cheezy...more late night smokey room...
Happy Trails
Cynical One
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Post by newey on Jan 4, 2009 21:51:17 GMT -5
lpf3- A very sweet job! Sunburst and Tortoise shell is a classic look! Well, since it's a " '51 ", you've a least updated it a decade . . . |
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Post by lpf3 on Jan 6, 2009 19:47:08 GMT -5
Thanks ,guys -
Yeah , that does have a ring to it ...I'l take it .
Actually , cyn , I don't know the angle & I couldn't use the existing 'guard as my new pups are bigger than the stock one . So , I cut just the top 1/4 or so off an old pickup cover for a guide . I attached the neck & strung it up , then slipped the pup cover under the strings until the holes lined up with the strings - then traced the outline of the cover with a sharpie . Then positioned the routing template ( one of the clear plastic ones from Stew-Mac ) over my outline & routed away . I also sqinted my eyes ,held my breath & bit my tongue just so ...... ;D
FWIW - I found the Stew-Mac template a little too big & sloppy for my pups , I had to "pad " it in with masking tape to snug it up a little .
newey , the older I get it gets easier & easier to forget forgive ten years ;D
-lpf3
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Post by cynical1 on Jan 6, 2009 21:10:52 GMT -5
lpf3 -
Yeah, I'm probably going to have to do mine the same way...string it, eyeball it and hope it works...
On project #1 I just have to angle the neck pickup...on #2 I have to do both neck and middle.
I found the StewMac template perfect for the pickups I have. The original routings in project #1 were too small and the StewMac template makes them fit perfectly.
Again, very nice job.
Happy Trails
Cynical One
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Post by ux4484 on Jan 7, 2009 10:52:20 GMT -5
lpf3, Sorry I missed this when I came back yesterday, but it wasn't in the last 15 posts...  Nice job. You took a lot more time and effort than I did. I'm amazed you did all that work and kept the original bridge. I was thisfar from drilling my guitar fetish bridge for string through to get enough tension on the strings as the strings were almost fully level in the saddles to the point that they'd tink off with one strong chord sometimes. I put the original bridge back after a few weeks with the GF bridge. Once the nut was replaced, the original bridge was not as bad as I had thought (though I still have the low E jacked almost fully back). I like the look you chose, but I personally didn't like the over-the-bridge pup treatment of the '51 scratchplate (even on the original basses). Yours definitely has a '60's vibe. Looks like you replaced the string trees as well. A nice looking (and economical) mod. The guitar was very playable out of the box, my playability improved most from the filing of the fret ends (sharp) and the new nut. I found sound-wise, what I was missing most was the tone control, which is just about perfect now. What would you say made the biggest difference in yours in both sound and playability? |
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Post by lpf3 on Jan 9, 2009 16:14:23 GMT -5
ux - me too , sorry about the late response For the bridge , I had the exact opposite problem ; mine was too far away & I was afraid the intonation screws would be too short . I ended up moving it forward enough & it still covered the original holes . On the Squier 51 forum a few of them are installing 3 brass saddles in the stock bridge ( they're calling it the "bubba mod" ) & I saw somewhere online where someone was selling " 1/2 tray " bridges which were just that - a tele ashtray bridge cut in 1/2 , which looked pretty cool . As for the pickguard , I kinda agonized over mine at first . I thought it was ugly & only bought the guitar because I love the way it plays . I got some construction paper & drew up ( & cut out ) all kids of designs ,based on strats , thinlines , a jassmaster-ish one that looked promising .....before mine started to grow on me & I went with the uniqueness of it . Also ,when I bought it I didn't have any 3-pickup guitars , ( I have since bought a squier strat ) & knowing that I might have treated the 51 differently , but all's well that ends well . I wanted to try more electronics modding than I did but that control cavity is too tight for what I had in mind . Now the plan is that I'll do those things to the strat . The playability question - I think the string thru & bone nut boosted sustain - I like the strat style 5-way switching for convenience . The tone control - definitely . Not to mention the shielding made a big difference , but around here I guess that goes without saying  Mine also has sharp fret ends but I haven't gotten to that yet . Cheap or not this guitar fits me just right . I love the neck , the feel , the tone , & the unique vibe . definitely a keeper . -lpf3 |
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Post by newey on Jan 10, 2009 0:17:58 GMT -5
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Post by ux4484 on Jan 10, 2009 15:17:21 GMT -5
...you know, just a few days ago, they were even cheaper, mine was listed for 10.95, now it's up to $12 That's where I got mine, even last spring they were already marked down. I mean c'mon....how many do you need? I did think about getting a spare....for $12 it's hard to complain. hmmm.... I suppose I could route a middle pup and put a tele neck pup in I have laying around... more likely I'd drill the body and put in ferrules. there's already string though holes in the '51's bridge. |
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Post by lpf3 on Jan 10, 2009 17:49:18 GMT -5
Just messin' around I noticed that the polepieces on the tele & stock '51 neck pups are the same , line up nicely , however the plastic bobbin on the 51 is larger . One could , carefully , remove enough plastic ( with a dremel tool or the like ) and get a metal Tele cover on the 51 pup . That would be a cool matching look for not too much work . Ah , hindsight . ;D ...... I had an old RW/RP middle pup laying around & put it in the neck position of my Tele . That's the tone I've been lookin' for . Had I learned that sooner I would have left the 51 as a 2-pup guitar . That gives me an idea for another project ..... -lpf3
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Post by lpf3 on Apr 27, 2009 15:06:58 GMT -5
Here's some updated shots of a couple more switching mods I did to my '51..... I added these 2 slide switches, one is a series/parallel switch for the bridge HB, the other is a simple bridge on switch. I'd had it in mind to do this from the start of this project - it took me a while to work up the nerve to try & cut the switch holes & have 'em look nice and professional like... These are both real useful mods to me , especially the bridge on - I like the N + B setting with the bridge set to either series or parallel. [url  url] Another thing I changed is to use the cream pup covers ( with holes this time ). I liked the "clean" look of the no-holers, but because of the staggered polepieces the covers wouldn't seat all the way down. I couldn't get the pickups adjusted close enough to the strings ( with the cover in the way ) to get any tone out of 'em. Now I'm able to adjust them up where they belong & bring up the bridge pup to match & it sounds a whole bunch better ......guess I'll have to rethink my amp settings now url]  [/url] Now that it's done, I like the look of these covers better , too. -lpf3 |
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Mine also has sharp fret ends but I haven't gotten to that yet .