SS7: Pawn Shop Super-Sonic Project

wadeaminute · Post by **wadeaminute** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:07 am

This one took several months. I couldn't make up my mind with how to set up a seventh Super Sonic.
Here are the first six, again.

I bought just a Gun-Metal Flake (purple sparkle) Pawn Shop body, a neck, and a neck-plate from Stratosphere. I added original 1990s Squier Super Sonic tuners and the trem.

After much deliberation, I ended up going with a GFS Surf 90 to approximate having a Dynasonic pickup. A white pearl pickguard, tele knobs (volume and tone, 500k), and a momentary button. I'm proudest of the wiring scheme that I adapted: a 4-way tele switch with the following settings: straight-through, volume and tone, volume and Eldred Mod cocked-wah, and volume and Arlo mod cocked wah. I studied many similar wiring schematics and came up with one that works.

Had to route the body for the relocated 4-way switch and the strat jack (on the back). Made the pickguard with a template made by Joey (who borrowed an original SS pickguard from me over a year ago) and a Dremel tool (and some files).

Very pleased with this guitar. I like the new neck shape (quite thick compared to the Squiers), and it has a good overall weight of 7.3 lbs.

speedfish · Post by **speedfish** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 2:34 pm

Great job! I absolutely love where you placed the selector switch, it's where it should have been originally placed.

wadeaminute · Post by **wadeaminute** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 4:37 pm

speedfish wrote:Great job! I absolutely love where you placed the selector switch, it's where it should have been originally placed.

Thanks! It has taken me several SS re-builds to figure out where I like stuff to be. The selector switch location at the lower bout requires routing, but it is worth it. The first one that I modded this way was merely to be (somewhat accurate with my JR tribute SS.

And it turned out to be the best place for a switch. I may rework my silver one and my black one with the new switch locations, as the controls are too cramped now on these.

LizardKing · Post by **LizardKing** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:31 am

I am not trying to be offensive, but why do you love these SuperSonics so much?
Obviously there must be something about them that really stand out to you.
I see a strange body shape and non-standard neck screw mounts and wonder what is up with them.
Curious minds need to know!

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 1:22 am

He loves Super-Sonics the way that Ted Bundy and Ed Gein loved women.

wadeaminute · Post by **wadeaminute** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:37 am

LizardKing wrote:I am not trying to be offensive, but why do you love these SuperSonics so much?
Obviously there must be something about them that really stand out to you.
I see a strange body shape and non-standard neck screw mounts and wonder what is up with them.
Curious minds need to know!

I appreciate the question. No offense taken, and please don't take my response personally, because I am not referring to you specifically.
I have no feeling of obligation to the traditional. When folks complain that a new Fender release isn't an exact re-issue (of, say, a Jazzmaster), it always seems silly to me. Almost, autistic, in a Rain Man sort of way. Anybody can study the original specs and notice differences and then point them out. That's like a puzzle for children: Look at the two pictures, and notice the differences. (And I've been guilty of this in the past myself.)
Strange is subjective. Different, yes. It is a re-shaped, smaller, reverse Jaguar-ish body. Indeed, a non-standard neck-mounting set-up - but that is not necessarily bad.
Other guitars I own include a Gretsch White Penguin Billy Bo and a Gibson Moderne. So I like the odd ones. They fit with my personality, I suppose: I prefer the unusual to the traditional.
Probably the least interesting guitar I can think of would be a maple-board sunburst Strat. That is the most vanilla, traditional electric guitar that I can think of.
I like Super-Sonic's because they are different. They are upside-down. They are often sparkly. The neck on the originals are tiny (as in narrow), which is comfortable to me. The Japanese ones are of high quality. The body is small. I am 5' 6", and a Les Paul looks like a full-size guitar on me, and a Strat looks like a P-Bass on my small frame.
Perhaps the main reason after 15 years of owning them is that it is my guitar. They were rejected initially. They are orphans. But they work for me. Johnny Ramone found his guitar. Jack White was known for a long time for his Airline. Other than Omar, not too many folks have been seen with Super-Sonics. I actually like that they are unpopular. I am looking forward to the Pawn Shop Fender ones being blown out for $300. I could come up with ways of chopping up red and orange ones.
And it should be pointed out that I don't remotely think that they are perfect. I've modded all but one of them irreversibly.

wadeaminute · Post by **wadeaminute** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:39 am

theshadowofseattle wrote:He loves Super-Sonics the way that Ted Bundy and Ed Gein loved women.

I'm assuming that you feel that I've chopped up and killed these poor guitars, and that this is immoral? I should have left them stock? That wouldn't have been any fun at all.

jagsonic · Post by **jagsonic** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:13 am

Really like this one - and all your other supersonics!

btw, I like my supersonic (and my other odd guitars).

Rox · Post by **Rox** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:45 am

A new Supersonic just might be in my NGD future. I think they play more solid than the Squiers.

wadeaminute · Post by **wadeaminute** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:00 am

Comparing the Fender and the Squier, which I can do, I would say that the Squier has more advantages. The Squiers are less expensive, Japanese made, and have some nicer stock parts. The Fenders feel a bit cheap to me stock (especially the tuners and the trems). The thing I really like about the Fender (other than two of the three colours) is the neck shape. The Squier Super-Sonics have been my favourite necks for a long time, but the Fenders are a nice round, fat neck. I like both for different contradictory reasons.
With the Fenders, I like the Gun Metal Flake and the Orange Flake, but not so much the red Flake. The Gun Metal really does look like purple sparkle in the right light, which I like.
If I didn't have any, what would I get? Either a white Squier or a Gun Metal Fender, but I wouldn't leave them stock.

weeping_moon · Post by **weeping_moon** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:27 pm

wadeaminute wrote:Comparing the Fender and the Squier, which I can do, I would say that the Squier has more advantages. The Squiers are less expensive, Japanese made, and have some nicer stock parts. The Fenders feel a bit cheap to me stock (especially the tuners and the trems). The thing I really like about the Fender (other than two of the three colours) is the neck shape. The Squier Super-Sonics have been my favourite necks for a long time, but the Fenders are a nice round, fat neck. I like both for different contradictory reasons.
With the Fenders, I like the Gun Metal Flake and the Orange Flake, but not so much the red Flake. The Gun Metal really does look like purple sparkle in the right light, which I like.
If I didn't have any, what would I get? Either a white Squier or a Gun Metal Fender, but I wouldn't leave them stock.

I have to say i love mine in stock condition.
And the best thing was the humbuckers. Sound little like SD Jb to me, and i like the sound of that.
One thing is that i like the color dark gunmetal flake. And yes it look purple in some lights.

I dont wanna be rude but why put a strat output jack on the backside of the guitar?

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:40 pm

wadeaminute wrote:
theshadowofseattle wrote:He loves Super-Sonics the way that Ted Bundy and Ed Gein loved women.
I'm assuming that you feel that I've chopped up and killed these poor guitars, and that this is immoral? I should have left them stock? That wouldn't have been any fun at all.

They're your guitars, mang. YOU DO YOU, AND I RESPECT THAT. I love the monochrome black one. But I do feel like you enjoy the act of mutilating a pretty young Supersonic.

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:40 pm

wadeaminute wrote:
theshadowofseattle wrote:He loves Super-Sonics the way that Ted Bundy and Ed Gein loved women.
I'm assuming that you feel that I've chopped up and killed these poor guitars, and that this is immoral? I should have left them stock? That wouldn't have been any fun at all.

They're your guitars, mang. YOU DO YOU, AND I RESPECT THAT. I love the monochrome black one. But I do feel like you enjoy the act of mutilating a pretty young Supersonic.

brainfur · Post by **brainfur** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:04 pm

mini fishtank behind the bridge

wadeaminute · Post by **wadeaminute** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 5:24 pm

weeping_moon wrote: I have to say i love mine in stock condition.
And the best thing was the humbuckers. Sound little like SD Jb to me, and i like the sound of that.
One thing is that i like the color dark gunmetal flake. And yes it look purple in some lights.

I dont wanna be rude but why put a strat output jack on the backside of the guitar?

I must agree that the stock humbuckers are pretty good. I had set up this latest one with an original Squier bridge humbucker (as you can imagine, I have a bunch of leftover parts) straight to the jack, and it sounded great. I still have the entire original set of electronics mounted to the pickguard and control plate from the black one, so I could set one up stock if I wanted to. One of my white ones is stock, and I think that I'll leave it that way just to have one original.

Strat Jacks on the back - I actually really like Strat jacks, and I thought that it would be cool to have one mounted in such a way that the guitar cable went over the strap and directly into the back of the guitar. I find it stealth, and efficient, and odd (in the best way).

wadeaminute · Post by **wadeaminute** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 5:36 pm

brainfur wrote:mini fishtank behind the bridge

I'm not sure if, as a vegan, I could pull this off.

brainfur · Post by **brainfur** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 5:42 pm

wadeaminute wrote:
brainfur wrote:mini fishtank behind the bridge
I'm not sure if, as a vegan, I could pull this off.

just put a plastic fish in it like stripper heels !

weeping_moon · Post by **weeping_moon** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 5:58 pm

wadeaminute wrote:
weeping_moon wrote: I have to say i love mine in stock condition.
And the best thing was the humbuckers. Sound little like SD Jb to me, and i like the sound of that.
One thing is that i like the color dark gunmetal flake. And yes it look purple in some lights.

I dont wanna be rude but why put a strat output jack on the backside of the guitar?
I must agree that the stock humbuckers are pretty good. I had set up this latest one with an original Squier bridge humbucker (as you can imagine, I have a bunch of leftover parts) straight to the jack, and it sounded great. I still have the entire original set of electronics mounted to the pickguard and control plate from the black one, so I could set one up stock if I wanted to. One of my white ones is stock, and I think that I'll leave it that way just to have one original.

Strat Jacks on the back - I actually really like Strat jacks, and I thought that it would be cool to have one mounted in such a way that the guitar cable went over the strap and directly into the back of the guitar. I find it stealth, and efficient, and odd (in the best way).

I know your thinking. Make it easy and for your playing. But it looks ugly. Whats wrong with mustang, jaguar, jazzmaster jack anyway?

wadeaminute · Post by **wadeaminute** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 6:35 pm

I think that Stat jacks are elegant - it's subjective. Besides, it's hidden on the back, so no one sees it!

BearBoy · Post by **BearBoy** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 6:42 pm

weeping_moon wrote:I know your thinking. Make it easy and for your playing. But it looks ugly. Whats wrong with mustang, jaguar, jazzmaster jack anyway?

It's on the back? No-one's going to see it. I think it's a cool idea.