Bratocaster

George · Post by **George** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 5:36 pm

For the past week I've been collaborating with the venerable AddamInsane who's making the body and pickguard for a guitar I've wanted to build for over 3 years. (see: http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtop ... highlight=)

The basic idea was a Mustang body, Strat scale and pickups, Jazzy Trem.

However, going through the design with Adam it's ending up more bronco than Mustang - hence the name, and looks all the better for it.

- Bronco body (poplar)/pickguard
- Strat scale and pickups
- Jazzmaster trem (not pictured)

The working colour scheme is fiesta red and a black or mint guard. The black guard gives it a nice Hagstrom/Burns feel I think.

Some pics sent by Adam...

Fine work I'm sure you'll agree.

Dead excited about this. I won't really get to work on it for assembly, soldering and set up for some time while Adam's working on it but will update every now and again as it progresses to keep a record.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:05 pm

cool shit. i think a mustang guard and chrome plate would look nicer, but that's just my preference.

George · Post by **George** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:14 pm

stewart wrote:cool shit. i think a mustang guard and chrome plate would look nicer, but that's just my preference.

Getting the extended Mustang pickguard to join up with the control plate was awkward - would have been ugly. Plus the 3 knobs fit better on a Bronco (3rd being a rotary swtich).

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:25 pm

ah yeah, forgot about the longer scale. extended mustang guards look wonky.

also, that mockup picture from the builder is HYUUGE.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:15 am

Exciting guitar. Should be interesting to hear the Strat pickup tones with the Jazzy bridge assembly treatment. Is the rotary switch going to be doing the typical 5-way Strat job?
I actually prefer the idea of a Bronco pickguard on it, should turn more heads than something that would make it look like a modified duo or stang reissue.

George · Post by **George** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 6:36 am

paul_ wrote:Exciting guitar. Should be interesting to hear the Strat pickup tones with the Jazzy bridge assembly treatment. Is the rotary switch going to be doing the typical 5-way Strat job?
I actually prefer the idea of a Bronco pickguard on it, should turn more heads than something that would make it look like a modified duo or stang reissue.

Yeah the Bronco pickguard looks great! Forgot to mention, it'll have the CP style adjust-o-matic bridge for a bit more thump and sustain, so less of the classic plinkiness. The rotary will be 6 way but no series or out of phase tricks (all 5 strat plus bridge and neck), have had them on various guitars and never use them.

UlricvonCatalyst · Post by **UlricvonCatalyst** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 10:12 am

I have an old Japanese Strat with amazing-sounding pickups I was going to cannibalise and re-purpose onto a Mustangy body one day. I'm calling mine the Trio-Sonic.

George · Post by **George** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 5:53 pm

First piece arrives.

JohnnyTheBoy · Post by **JohnnyTheBoy** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:29 pm

Looking good Mr George!...i recon bronco guards are the shizzle!..
heres my attempt!...ive got 2 projects on the go...necks are a knightmare to build....

George · Post by **George** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 7:02 pm

Is that a table top or something? Looks awesome with the control plate mixed in. Good luck with it!

JohnnyTheBoy · Post by **JohnnyTheBoy** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:14 am

George wrote:Is that a table top or something? Looks awesome with the control plate mixed in. Good luck with it!

Yeh tis a piece of beechblock work surface my dad-inlaw found in a skip..perfect size weight and thickness, so I thought it rude not to use it

Just waiting on a conversion-neck build for it...the first piece I used had fookin word worm, which I didn't find till I'd shaped the back of the neck

Yours should sound rather jangly and bright with the jazz trem and strat pups...fabadoo!!

George · Post by **George** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:40 pm

So the neck, pickups and other hardware are coming from this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320922089020? ... 500wt_1413

I have a 50s CV strat and love it, so building a 60s version into this project will make it familiar yet different. Perfect spec neck, and nice pickups. Body and other bits will be sold on to recoup funds.

The classic player bridge and trem assembly has also arrived. A lot wider and softer feeling than a Gibbo TOM. Same string spacing as a Squier which is a win.

We also hit a design stump and I'm almost smug at the ingenuity. We have a 1.5" body but need a 1.375" trem cavity, otherwise it won't work. Leaving a 1/8" cavity floor of that size is pretty dangerous so the route will be 1.25" with an extra .125" where the point of contact of trem base and collet hit the body. That way it'll function as if it were the right depth...

► Show Spoiler

I use the term "we" as if I'm actually building, but really Adam is just dealing with my hair brain ideas

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:08 pm

I want to build something similar to this but a mustang vibrato/bridge (cus i have a spare) and a jagstang offset to the mustang shape. I like the idea of three pickups too. Reminds me a lot of the Sonic Youth white mustang with a blue pickguard. Also a bronco pickguard. I don't know if you like the idea but at the top of the bronco pickguard above the neck I'm gonna put a phase switch in.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:09 pm

JohnnyTheBoy wrote:Looking good Mr George!...i recon bronco guards are the shizzle!..
heres my attempt!...ive got 2 projects on the go...necks are a knightmare to build....

What's with the control plate? What's the square cutout for?

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:12 pm

Sorry. Not to spam your build but something like this is what I am thinking...

Mustang Offset 2.0 DONE by punkacc9, on Flickr

George · Post by **George** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:25 pm

Nice. I dunno, I've had phase and parallel switches in various guitars and never end up using them.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:29 pm

George wrote:Nice. I dunno, I've had phase and parallel switches in various guitars and never end up using them.

Use it as a coil split

It's out of the way in that position too.

George · Post by **George** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:34 pm

There's nothing to split though?

JohnnyTheBoy · Post by **JohnnyTheBoy** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:42 pm

Punkacc9 wrote:
JohnnyTheBoy wrote:Looking good Mr George!...i recon bronco guards are the shizzle!..
heres my attempt!...ive got 2 projects on the go...necks are a knightmare to build....

What's with the control plate? What's the square cutout for?

It came offa eBay like that, with a KILLSWITCH...

So I'm gonna use it and abuse it....

Yellow jagstanger looks cool....

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:43 pm

Yeah.. I don't think I put to much thought in that one haha.. Well what are you using to decide which pickup? Im gonna use a toggle for the bridge and neck Pickup and then use the phase switch as an on and off for the middle pickup. Then I don't know how to use the third position.