Thinking of trading in my SG Classic for a Mustang Reissue

luke · Post by **luke** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:04 am

Mike wrote:
Malik wrote:Agreed with Mike, but I'd like to bring extra light on the whole turning the bridge around thing. That's the single stupidest thing you can do with a Mustang. It's just not right.
Absolutely, I didn't even see that part.

For my next trick I'm going to fuck up the break angle over the bridge for buzztastic shit sounds!

I have no idea what put it into his head, looking at the bridge on my Jag-Stang (for sake of continuity, let's consider it a Mustang), if I was to do that right now the strings wouldn't actually touch the bridge, because I have both of them as low as possible currently.The size of my neck means to pull off that stupid stunt I'd need to remove the neck, give it a shim, bring up the bridge itself. I mean, what is the actual point? If the argument is that it's easier to string, I'll have to shoot myself to end the pain.

Armchair Bronco · Post by **Armchair Bronco** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:22 am

Hey, I reserve the right to imagine any kind of bizarre upgrades I want -- especially since I haven't even taken delivery of the guitar! The sky's the limit as far as I'm concerned. Don't forget: it's my guitar -- I paid for it!

Dude, half the fun of buying a lottery ticket is doing the mental math on my way back to my car ("Let's see: 16 million minus 40% for taxes = $9.6 million; half of that for a cash payout is $4.8 million") and then figuring out how I'd blow a cool million in the first month while I drive home. It's not like I really think I'm gonna win or anything -- but the 10-minute fantasy is fun while it lasts.

I've seen pictures of numbskulls doing sham-o-ramma "relic" jobs on Jaguar bodies by throwing them down rocky hillsides, then jumping on them like they were snowboards. I'm not planning anything like that. If I do take the knife to my '65 Mustang, I'll "measure twice and cut once", and it won't be a hackfest.

Sure: I'll bond with the stock hardware for a week or two, but based on first-hand experience playing other reissues *and* vintage Mustangs, I'm pretty sure that I'll want some more beef in the bridge. And this view is confirmed by at least 65%-70% of the User Reviews on Harmony-Central. All things considered, Mustangs have whimpy bridge pickups. Replacing the bridge pup doesn't bother me: I bought the guitar for its neck and 7.25" fretboard radius, not its single-coil pickups.

As for the trem, I will absolutely be locking down the stringer with bolts and locktite. This is non-negotiable. For people like me who either hate or don't use tremolos, this is a pretty standard mod. I'll try changing the strings once with the stringer in its normal position, but if it's as hard as I've read in more than one article, I'll flip it around and be done with it.

Post by **Mike** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:31 am

Armchair Bronco wrote:As for the trem, I will absolutely be locking down the stringer with bolts and locktite. This is non-negotiable. For people like me who either hate or don't use tremolos, this is a pretty standard mod. I'll try changing the strings once with the stringer in its normal position, but if it's as hard as I've read in more than one article, I'll flip it around and be done with it.

I hate and don't use tremelos, but the Trem on the 65RI holds tune fine. So it is unecessary.

luke · Post by **luke** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:31 am

Armchair Bronco wrote:And this view is confirmed by at least 65%-70% of the User Review on Harmony-Central.

The types of people who post Harmony-Central reviews are the same type of people who read and take into account Harmony-Central reviews. It's a vicious cycle. People read on there that Mustangs have weak bridge pickups, they replace their own bridge pickups without trying them out and they post on there that this mod is essential. All the credible Mustang owners exist on this forum, and none of them have posted a review like that, you can guarantee.

Armchair Bronco wrote:As for the trem, I will absolutely be locking down the stringer with bolts and locktite. This is non-negotiable. For people like me who either hate or don't use tremolos, this is a pretty standard mod. I'll try changing the strings once with the stringer in its normal position, but if it's as hard as I've read in more than one article, I'll flip it around and be done with it.

Changing the strings is hard? Are you kidding me? It's exactly the same as if the bridge was the other way round, except get this, you have to put the string in the other way, loop it underneath and then continue. What the numbskulls don't tell you on Harmony Central is that flipping your tailpiece around for laziness means the angle over the bridge is decreased, and so you lose all kinds of benefits, including tuning stability and sustain etc. But of course, they know better than I.

Again, people writing those reviews are sad-acts who thinks the world needs to know about their genius. There is a reason why nobody on Shortscale.org has done this mod to their guitar, and we are far more credible than these reviews and other nonsense.

Post by **Mike** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:32 am

Armchair Bronco wrote:this view is confirmed by at least 65%-70% of the User Reviews on Harmony-Central

Fuck off to Harmony Central then.

This view is confirmed by at least 65%-70% of Shortscale.

Armchair Bronco · Post by **Armchair Bronco** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:41 am

Who made you two the fuckin' ShortScale sheriffs?

Last time I looked, I'm free to buy what I want and do what I want to it. It's capitalism at its finest.

Oh, wait: the two of you are from Socialist England : home of "Red" Ken Livingstone. It figures that blokes whose leaders have just caved in to Sharia Law would start dictating to me what the fuck I can do with my own guitar in the privacy of my own home.

Save your "high and mighty" condescension for someone else.

Post by **Mike** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:48 am

Armchair Bronco wrote:Oh, wait: the two of you are from Socialist England

Oh Dear God this can't be true. What a prick you are.

Armchair Bronco · Post by **Armchair Bronco** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:58 am

Dude, you're the prick!

Seriously: you're free to disagree with my proposed mods, but I'm not the one who started the name calling. I lived in the UK for a year back in the mid '80's, during the height of the Thatcher administration, and I got to know elitists like you. Always freakin' convinced that you're superior to us "stupid Yanks".

It's a cultural failing, and you can't help it...so I guess I shouldn't give you a hard time. You're just a vicitim of European social engineering, nuttin' more.

A comment like the following would have been appropriate: "Hey, man, if it were me, I wouldn't be doing those mods, but it's your guitar, not mine." But you and your Peterborough pal went well beyond that in your feedback.

Anyway, I'm done with this tit-for-tat. My 'Stang is on its way, and I'm psyched. And when I decide to play it for the first time, I'll be sure to clear my song choice with you and your buddy before I start strumming, OK? I wouldn't want to offend anyone.

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:40 am

Armchair Bronco wrote:Seriously: you're free to disagree with my proposed mods, but I'm not the one who started the name calling. I lived in the UK for a year back in the mid '80's, during the height of the Thatcher administration, and I got to know elitists like you. Always freakin' convinced that you're superior to us "stupid Yanks".

You are an idiot.

There is absolutely no evidence than any of this is because you're american, it's because you're planning to "fix" problems with a guitar you don't even own yet. Buy it, play it them decide what you want to do.

Also Harmony Central reviews are full of dolts, most of whom apparently play "Jazz, Blues, Punk, Rock, Country" in any particiular order. Also, having just read the reviews, no-one mentioned changing the bridge pickup, just that the Mustang had a "unique" sound.

Post by **Mike** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:52 am

Armchair Bronco wrote:during the height of the Thatcher administration, and I got to know elitists like you. Always freakin' convinced that you're superior to us "stupid Yanks".

1. You can't have it both ways, am I a Thatcherite conservative or a Socialist? Those are polar opposites. Please keep your cross-eyed warped Political bollocks and latent racism out of this thread.
2. If you plan to modify a guitar before you play it, you are an easily led muppet with no opinion of his own. End of.
3. If you post about something on a public discussion forum (especially one dedicated to guitars such as the Mustang), you must be prepared for contradictory views from people with more knowledge than you on the subject.
4. I imagine you'll play some Nirvana, whatever.

Check out this video I made of the guitar I actually own and have played. I mention locking down the tremelo in it, but I haven't done so because I waited and experienced the guitar and it is not necessary.

[youtube][/youtube]

astro · Post by **astro** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:09 pm

I have to agree with those who say that there is no need to block the trem. I rarely use my tremolo, and never, not once, has it ever gone out of tune. Not even when I actually do use the trem. In fact, I think the Mustang trem is arguably the most stable trem design Fender has ever come up with. Just trust us, and try it before you mod it.

As far as humbuckers go, consider a single coil sized 'bucker. Even if you're not interested in maintaining the original look of the mustang, you'll save time and effort by not having to route the body and modifying the pickguard. And the guitar will retain its resale value.

Speaking of pickguards, the Warmoth guards only fit warmoth bodies, according to their website.

And lastly, keep in mind that Shortscalers are an exceptionally passionate bunch. Nobody here was trying to personally insult you. We often have heated debates here, harsh words are often spoken about opinions we don't agree with, but we all respect one another. Nobody had anything against you, just your silly choice of modifications. Taking these disagreements personally and insulting people for their country of origin, or other stereotypes was uncalled for. Just so you know, people who insist on making remarks based on bigotry get banned from here.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:25 pm

bloody hell, this thread turned 'car crash' all of a sudden.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:31 pm

MaMo · Post by **MaMo** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:48 pm

[quote="astro"]

As far as humbuckers go, consider a single coil sized 'bucker. Even if you're not interested in maintaining the original look of the mustang, you'll save time and effort by not having to route the body and modifying the pickguard. And the guitar will retain its resale value.
[quote]

Might I suggest a little 59'er? I've got one in my stang and I'm quite happy.

As far as needing to lock the trem, I think we can all agree that it really depends on the individual guitar. My mustang just couldn't quite hold tune until I threw some insulation tape on the bridge but if it would have been stable without it I would have left it alone (I almost never use a reverb handle, btw).

timhulio · Post by **timhulio** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:20 pm

Armchair Bronco wrote:Anyway, to quote a line from a song by The Butthole Surfers: "It's a funny thing about regret: it's always better to regret something you HAVE done than to regret something you HAVEN'T done."

... and son, if you see your mother today, be sure to tell her SATAN SATAN SATAN!