Mustang restoration with vintage parts

[HH1978]

I found this nice slab Mustang body. Seems to be original red finish on poplar (I think, from the grain and color) :





I don't know how to date the body. It's pre-69, as it is slab. Not sure about the finish. It could be nitro, it has checked throughout, but I'm not used to solid color nitro, and the checking is quite different than on my metallics or sunbursts. If it is nitro, it should be pre-68 if I'm not mistaking. Also, the string ground is a piece of string that runs from the bridge timble to the control cavity, if it is significant to date.




There are marks in the neck pocket, but not really readable. Also, I wonder why someone put a sandpaper shim in there.



I sourced a pre-67 (pat pend) tremolo and a beaten up heavily yellowed guard to match the wear on the guitar (and also because it was cheap).



The neck will be a '66 I bought from fellow member Will (picture is from him, as the neck is on its way), F-tuners from Will also :



I don't intend to put vintage pots and switch as I don't think it really makes a difference (I'll use some NOS ceramic tone cap I have at home, though).
And as for the pickups, I'll wind them myself and see how it sounds. Could put some vintage one day, but I don't have the funds now.

So it's missing a control plate (will try to find one that match the trem's patina), bridge, knobs, tremolo arm, and shielding.

[raphaël]

Oh God...
This one will look so great!!!!!
I love how deep the red is, I love the patina of the trem and the pickguard...and the neck is so

Actually I love everything about that "soon to be" Mustang

[spacecadet]

Should be nitro. My 66 looks exactly like that but doesn't have quite as much wear through to the body. Same checking pattern, though. Think that's just the topcoat reacting against the fullerplast. Fender switched to full poly in 68.

No signs that's a refin, looks original to me. That's the Mustang red...

Sandpaper shim is kind of funny.

[will]

I saw the picture and thought "the mail works pretty fast!"

[HH1978]

I saw the picture and thought "the mail works pretty fast!"

I wish it did work that fast, but the neck is already in Amsterdam, so it should be in Belgium by monday. Depending on the customs clearance process, I should receive it by end of the week, or early next week, which is actually not bad at all

Should be nitro. My 66 looks exactly like that but doesn't have quite as much wear through to the body. Same checking pattern, though. Think that's just the topcoat reacting against the fullerplast. Fender switched to full poly in 68.

No signs that's a refin, looks original to me. That's the Mustang red...

It was sold as a '65-'66 body, so that makes sense

[HH1978]

The neck is waiting for me at the post office, I'll pick it up tomorrow.
In the meantime, I sourced a vintage bridge from Andrewaward, and a vintage control plate, as well as new switchraft 3 positions slide switches.

So I made the wiring today, and mounted a neck I had home to test. I have a grounding issue that I can't explain.
There's a loud buzz in any position, that gets less loud when I touch the bridge or the tuners. I checked for continuity from the jack ground to every metallic piece, including the shielding plates, everything looks fine.
The hot signal is also a bit weak, especially on the bridge pickup.

[HH1978]

I've been progressing slowly on this one, but it is now assembled.
It still miss a string tree (I'll have to fill the hole and redrill as it is too large), and a trem arm.
The pickguard is so shrunken that it is impossible to fit covers. I filed the pickup holes, but the height adjustment screws head get stuck in the covers, so for now I don't use covers.

Specs for now :
1965-66 body
1966 neck
1966 F tuners
Vintage Pat pend trem unit
1966 bridge
Homewound strat pickups
CTS 250k pots
Classic Mustang wiring

[will]

The neck made it all the way from Paris, Tennessee to Brussels, Belgium!

[PJazzmaster]

niiiiiice!

[mcjt]

that is FANTASTIC!
congrats!
are you gonna keep that guard? it is so fucked up it's almost useless.

[HH1978]

Thanks!

The neck made it all the way from Paris, Tennessee to Brussels, Belgium!

Yes, and it was rather fast! Thanks Will, great neck!

are you gonna keep that guard? it is so fucked up it's almost useless.

Not sure yet. The pickups I put in the guitars are staggered, so they don't fit in the covers anyway ; but I think I'll end up winding a Mustang set, so I will probably change the guard when I do so.

[PorkyPrimeCut]

If I were you I'd spend decent money on a vintage guard in better condition. I appreciate the way you want it to match the heavy wear of the body but, in my opinion, that guard is a little too far gone! I mean, what the fuck? Did someone rip it of a previous body or something?

[HH1978]

Haha I don't know...
It was cheap for sure. I'll probably get a decent vintage one if I can find one at a decent price.

[raphaël]

Oh my...she is so cool looking !!!!
I love that guard too...

How does she play ??

[mcjt]

$69.99?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201586556150

Haha I don't know...
It was cheap for sure. I'll probably get a decent vintage one if I can find one at a decent price.