Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

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Artemy
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Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by Artemy » Fri Jan 27, 2023 5:09 pm

Came up with this design a while ago (I'm not a builder, just been thinking about custom body design)

There are 3 well-known offset Fender guitars: Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Mustang.

Jaguar is basically short-scale Jazzmaster (among other shings of course), but there is no "long-scale Mustang".

Main differences: (as seen on that "JM vs Jag" red-blue comparison picture):
  • Neck pocket further from bridge, for ST/JM neck
  • Upper "horn"'s bottom area moved closer towards neck (blends at 16th fret, like on ST/JM)
  • Vibrato/bridge repositioned for intonation
  • Plastic pickguard without metal cover
  • Strat-style knobs
The idea was to find differences between JM and Jag, and create "long-scale Mustang" (like Jazzmaster).

Image
3 Pickups like on a Strat (couldn't come up with anything better), but with on-off-phase switches on each (series-off-parallel for the middle one? is it even possible)
Questions:
  1. Does the headstock look proportional? It was bigger on all Fender offsets, but Strat necks are easier to find.
  2. Would it likely sound like Strat (so there's no point in making it beside looks) or something else?
  3. Which wood should I choose in case I'd ask someone to make a body for me? Poplar/basswood or alder
  4. Was it already done before?

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JSett
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Re: Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by JSett » Fri Jan 27, 2023 5:32 pm

Looks like a mashup of Mustang and Cyclone. I think it'll sound a lot like a Strat with Strat pickups and positioning. I'd personally forego the middle pickup and have the bridge one a touch further from the bridge itself like a Mustang so it's not quite so bright (but I also don't often see the point in a middle pickup so take that with a pinch of salt.

Headstock needs to be bigger IMHO too, but that's personal taste.
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Re: Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by Artemy » Fri Jan 27, 2023 5:43 pm

Thsnk you for your reply!
johnnysomersett wrote:
Fri Jan 27, 2023 5:32 pm
Looks like a mashup of Mustang and Cyclone.
Checked some videos with this guitar – it's nice sounding, but I don't like when there's a hole in the headstock (for truss rod).
Also that pickguard from non-offset guitars (old duo-sonic) looks slightly off to me.
johnnysomersett wrote:
Fri Jan 27, 2023 5:32 pm
I think it'll sound a lot like a Strat with Strat pickups and positioning.
Aren't Mustang pickups similar to Strat ones, but with lower output?
Neck pickup is in same spot.
johnnysomersett wrote:
Fri Jan 27, 2023 5:32 pm
I'd personally forego the middle pickup and have the bridge one a touch further from the bridge itself like a Mustang so it's not quite so bright (but I also don't often see the point in a middle pickup so take that with a pinch of salt.
I decided to move it only because Jazzmaster's bridge pickup polepieces seem to be at same distance when compared to Jaguar.
I do own a Strat, and use middle pickup a lot, thought it might work too.

Will think about the pickup options, thanks
johnnysomersett wrote:
Fri Jan 27, 2023 5:32 pm
Headstock needs to be bigger IMHO too, but that's personal taste.
Like CBS Strat? Or that'd be too big?
Image

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Re: Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by JSett » Fri Jan 27, 2023 6:00 pm

Mustang pickups are basically Strat ones but with flat poles to fit under the cover. On a Mustang the bridge pickup is further forward, which mitigates some of the insane brightness of a Strat.

As for the headstock, either the CBS or a Jaguar size one would be my opinion as the best looking...but I think that regardless. Early Strat sized headstocks looks a little feeble to my eyes on any guitar (including a Strat)
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Re: Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by efiug » Fri Jan 27, 2023 6:37 pm

i think the CBS headstock is fine yeah, would still sound similar to a strat probably but with all the switching options and different vibrato its probably still worthwhile to try out.

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Re: Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by CROSS_guitars » Fri Jan 27, 2023 6:39 pm

I would make the control plate area "hug" the tremolo plate more. That's the only bit that looks weird to me.

And maybe rework the upper horn cutaway. bring it in slightly. Make the bit where it meets the neck pocket less chunky.

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Re: Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by JVG » Fri Jan 27, 2023 6:50 pm

I suggest a Jaguar headstock would be well proportioned here.

It will sound similar to a Strat, except the Mustang bridge will give it a slightly different sound.

It’s a good design, you should get it done :)

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Re: Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by dbishopbliss » Mon Jan 30, 2023 12:51 pm

Yet another... are there others?

I just started working out my full-scale mustang build this weekend. I think I'm going "parallel universe" with my build. The plan is to use P90 pickups with a tune-o-matic bridge stop-tail bridge. And the body will probably be Limba/Korina - just because I have a slab already.

First thing I did was download a plan for the body and printed it out scaled up by 6% (25.5 / 24 = 1.0625). You can see the non-scaled versus scaled printouts for comparison.
Image

And here is the scaled version compared to my Jazzmaster.
Image

But since the neck pocket was also scaled up I printed out a non-scaled version and taped it in place. After doing that I placed the neck I'm going to use (MightyMite Strat-style neck) and measured to determine the bridge placement. Ends up my calculations are very close as you can see. Maybe if I could scale the printout out 6.25% it would have been exact.
Image

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Re: Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by Artemy » Mon Jan 30, 2023 2:42 pm

Haven't thought about this approach. You're basically scaling the whole guitar body, correct?
Fender Japan CHAMP series comes to mind, but their idea was the opposite.

It might preserve the way this specific body shape affects the guitar sound, I think.
Compared to my method which is guaranteed to introduce sonic differences because of changed locations of the key elements of the construction.

I haven't done that in my concept because first I found this picture:
Image
And then it made me wonder how "blue" design would look, if "red" one would have been Mustang. That was the idea.
are there others
It's one of these things you just can't believe you were first to come up with. Your reply confirms this -- these others include (but possibly aren't limited to) your design.

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Re: Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by Nudger » Tue Jan 31, 2023 4:35 am

Artemy wrote:
Fri Jan 27, 2023 5:09 pm

[*]Would it likely sound like Strat (so there's no point in making it beside looks) or something else?
Done a duo 25.5
But my strat with mustang vibrato may have more relevence to above question as you are essentially making a 25.5 guitar with Mustang Vibrato.

Both have exact same neck pup (entwistle AS57) "Except I pushed slugs flat in duo. Same pots/caps.
a/b neck pups
Not a massive difference in sound but the duo sounds slightly louder/rounder/fuller, which for me is more pleasing.

Other factors to consider..
Vibrato
Pup angle
Maple
My guess is that somehing is lost with the must/vib and staytrem bridge.
Image
Im guessing that a mustang being "similar" to duo sonic, It will feel perfectly balanced with 25.5 neck, as mine does.

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Re: Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by dbishopbliss » Tue Jan 31, 2023 5:51 am

Artemy wrote:
Mon Jan 30, 2023 2:42 pm
Haven't thought about this approach. You're basically scaling the whole guitar body, correct?
Yes
Artemy wrote:
Mon Jan 30, 2023 2:42 pm
It's one of these things you just can't believe you were first to come up with. Your reply confirms this -- these others include (but possibly aren't limited to) your design.
There is one other guy on this board that made a full-scale mustang (that I know of). He used a standard sized mustang body and moved the bridge - sort of like the difference between the Jaguar and Jazzmaster.

As I mentioned above, I'm going to scale the whole guitar for something different - but I like different. I believe this is what Fano did with the MG6.

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Re: Yet another "full-scale Mustang" concept (advice needed)

Post by DrQuasar » Tue Jan 31, 2023 10:09 am

There have been several full-scale mustangs over the years. Some sized up the body, some just moved the bridge. Mine was done on the cheap. I just moved the bridge and used a strat neck/hard tail strat bridge and humbuckers.

I think someone had developed a conversion plate as well but I can't recall every seeing someone use it.

Edit: Found one. Pretty cool too.

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