Got an old guitar of mine back - 25 1/2" scale Duosonic

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
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rexter
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Got an old guitar of mine back - 25 1/2" scale Duosonic

Post by rexter » Sat Sep 09, 2017 5:48 am

Gave this to a friend to pay a debt from our band days quite a few years ago. He gave me it back today which is supercool!

It started out as a MIM Duosonic reissue from back in the 90s - my first Fender guitar. All that really remains of that is the body though! A garage somewhere near Brighton sprayed it Seafoam Green for me. The original finish on it was totally unstrippable!

I took it to a "luthier" to drill new bridge holes, which are not in the right place (need moving forward) and looked like they were done with a handrill. Charged me a fair bit of cash for that privilege if I remember too... That was before I was comfortable doing stuff like that or knew people on this forum, so now I'm hoping to correct the issues! I think I put the Bigsby on, god knows why so far away from the bridge. That needs sorting if the Bigsby is to stay. And the Schaller roller bridge is for the chop too. Totally incorrect radius. I like the idea of using a Rutters bare bones tele bridge that's cut for Bigsby on this
but the badly drilled holes will need to be filled - if I refinished it again, I could also fill the Bigsby holes and move it to the right place. Part of me thinks just get a new body, but as that's the one original part, sentimentality makes me think keep it... The neck is a 1978 Musicmaster neck which is just a chunky little beauty, super dark rosewood. So nice to play. When this is set up right it will be a joy. Long time since I had a vintage neck in the house and its's lovely, even though not from the golden age.

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Last edited by rexter on Thu Dec 14, 2017 1:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

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kdanie
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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by kdanie » Sat Sep 09, 2017 7:00 am

Keep the body, fix the issues and ROCK it!!

ken
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rexter
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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by rexter » Sat Sep 09, 2017 7:34 am

I think you're right - changing the body might defeat the purpose!
Maybe just go back to an original musicmaster bridge with some nice intonated tele saddles..

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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by Deed_Poll » Sat Sep 09, 2017 7:49 am

Me likey!

Logical thing to do would be to use that Glendale bridge you have lying around, that's already chopped for strings BTB. Does it also have notched saddles?
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rexter
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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by rexter » Sat Sep 09, 2017 7:57 am

By my rough measurements this is the position the bridge should be in.

The Rutters bridge would actually look good on this I think, just seems like a very pricey bridge to use on this little misfit! Bigsby looks much better moved towards the bridge too I think.

A mustang bridge is a simple and effective option, but it looks kind of ugly. I would plug all the holes including the bridge ground wire and touch up with some Seafoam nitro, but nonetheless I think this needs a bridge with a bridge plate really.

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Mustang bridge :mellow:
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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by funkyeah! » Sun Sep 10, 2017 5:34 pm

Wait to place your bigsby until you've got bridge placement down! Just so you don't have some crazy steep string angle or strings rubbing on the back of the bridge. Sorry if you already thought of that.
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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by rexter » Mon Sep 11, 2017 11:15 am

So I went for the vintage Musicmaster (Duo Sonic II) bridge which I hope will work. A quick fix.
I figure that this guitar really needs a plate of metal on it around the bridge to look right! I'll put some Rutters or Gotoh Intune saddles on it, have those both lying around.
Then I can maybe keep the Bigsby and other bridge for another exciting build...

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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by Deed_Poll » Mon Sep 11, 2017 3:41 pm

rexter wrote: Then I can maybe keep the Bigsby and other bridge for another exciting build...
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? ;)
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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Mon Sep 11, 2017 4:13 pm

I'll be honest: I like the Bigsby at BOTH positions. The second position looks more balanced, but the first one where it's all the way towards the butt conjures images of a bass or JM, which I also really like. In either case, awesome guitar! Love the color with the pickups, etc.!
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The Dead Ranch Hands
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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by The Dead Ranch Hands » Mon Sep 11, 2017 7:03 pm

I'd keep the Bigsby where it's at if it were me. Cool guitar

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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by markblack77 » Mon Sep 18, 2017 12:11 pm

bigsby in the new position for me. you keeping the colour?

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rexter
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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by rexter » Mon Sep 18, 2017 12:51 pm

Deed_Poll wrote:
rexter wrote: Then I can maybe keep the Bigsby and other bridge for another exciting build...
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
You know it! :ph34r:

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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back. Change is going to come!

Post by rexter » Wed Dec 13, 2017 12:44 pm

Went off on a tangent on this one... there's a good chance people will think it's quite a boring tangent as i've taken away the vintage neck AND the Bigsby!

But... I was messing around and this maple neck just looked right with the seafoam> it was on my thinline tele previously (which now needs a rosewood neck :wacko: ) so thought what the hell... Intonates without issue with the vintage Duosonic/MM bridge and comp tele saddles. Sounds like a really good tele and plays gorgeously!

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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back - 25 1/2" scale Duosonic

Post by germsie » Tue Feb 20, 2018 12:22 pm

which comp tele saddles did you use my old musicmaster saddles are toast..

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Re: Got an old guitar of mine back - 25 1/2" scale Duosonic

Post by rexter » Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:45 pm

These ones are the Gotoh Intune ones. Looks like they sneakily copied Marc Rutters' excellent method of angling the notched grooves for intonation. They're not quite as good as his for dead on intonation, but very close. Definitely nicer than the ugly square ones too. I'd recommend them

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