I got my first short scale! Duo Sonic Mex

KrauserII · Post by **KrauserII** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:04 pm

Hi there, I'm new and yesterday I got this guitar (the pickguard has been changed)

but it needs several works... could you help me?

1 The scale is 22'7 and strings are 0.9, I played with 0.11 so I will probably have to regulate the tuss rod, how to do that? Should I disassemble the neck? like you know the truss rod is not ouside like stratocaster...

2 Don't know why the pick up on the neck is higher than the one on the bridge

It shouldn't be the contrary?

And the volume of one pick is crazy!, I mean higher and the another one very low...

3 The potentiometer are wrong, the volume is on the place of the tone and vice versa... however....one of them is not well fixed, It still work but you can keep rotate indefinitely ...

4 When I plug the guitar in the amp It starts a noise like VVVZZRR (that's not feedback..) and It stops when I touch the guitar... it starts again if I take off my hand... what is that?

5 Is it possible change the bridge? I'd like have a tremolo.

Also if I would change the pick up (no clue in what pu now It has), which pick up do you reccomend?, I like play Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and blues mainly.

Thanks (ps my first language is not English, sorry for that)

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:26 pm

KrauserII wrote:1 The scale is 22'7 and strings are 0.9, I played with 0.11 so I will probably have to regulate the tuss rod, how to do that? Should I disassemble the neck? like you know the truss rod is not ouside like stratocaster...

try it with gauge 11 strings first, but there's a good chance the truss rod won't need adjusted.

KrauserII wrote:2 Don't know why the pick up on the neck is higher than the one on the bridge It shouldn't be the contrary?

And the volume of one pick is crazy!, I mean higher and the another one very low...

are there height adjustment screws on the pickups? if so just lower the neck PU to suit your tastes.

KrauserII wrote:3 The potentiometer are wrong, the volume is on the place of the tone and vice versa... however....one of them is not well fixed, It still work but you can keep rotate indefinitely ...

sounds like you might want to replace these.

KrauserII wrote:4 When I plug the guitar in the amp It starts a noise like VVVZZRR (that's not feedback..) and It stops when I touch the guitar... it starts again if I take off my hand... what is that?

sounds like a grounding issue, check for any loose connections first.

KrauserII wrote:5 Is it possible change the bridge? I'd like have a tremolo.

you'd have to cut into the guitar body to do that. could be messy.

endsjustifymeans · Post by **endsjustifymeans** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:46 pm

I had on of these, everything said above is spot on. Guitar fetish makes a surface mount trem that may be usable for you.

kypdurron · Post by **kypdurron** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:11 pm

KrauserII wrote:
1 The scale is 22'7 and strings are 0.9, I played with 0.11 so I will probably have to regulate the tuss rod, how to do that? Should I disassemble the neck? like you know the truss rod is not ouside like stratocaster...

Gotta love that pickguard ... This reminds me of the GDR, which nowadays is sexy

if you feel you want to adjust the truss rod, I don't know if the neck must be taken off on a Mexi Duo. I can reach that srew on some of my guitars without disassembling anything, sometimes you have to remove the pickguard, sometimes you have to loosen the neck (no need to take it off completely). But first try if it is necessary at all, as Stewart said.

I don't know if Pickups need changing ... if you want a fatter, slightly overwound Strat tone, there are many options on the market ... basically everything that is labeled "hot for start" or so ...

willlin · Post by **willlin** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:40 pm

I have the MIM squier duo which I think is identical. You can adjust the truss rod from the headstock end. No neck removal required.

Edit, just looking at your pic I may be wrong about them being the same. Sorry my bad.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:39 am

i have no idea what was on mine when i got it....but when i put my finger on a string it sharped so it must have been below a 10. i play 13's on all my guitars and have never needed to touch the truss rod on any of them, including the duo sonic

KrauserII · Post by **KrauserII** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:51 am

robroe wrote:i have no idea what was on mine when i got it....but when i put my finger on a string it sharped so it must have been below a 10. i play 13's on all my guitars and have never needed to touch the truss rod on any of them, including the duo sonic

oh ok, I'll give a shot, so about the pick up I don't really need change them, just wondering what kind the guitar got.

Is it possible change the bridge? I'd like have a tremolo.

I'll probably give up, don't wanna bother the body

Do you if a Mustang's bridge is compatible instead?

sounds like a grounding issue, check for any loose connections first.

yes, I will ... and any of you guys have ever do that?

http://www.guitarmigi.it/_Tips/Schermatura.html

I dunno how say in English ... in Italian is shermatura (may be shielding?)

Thank you guys

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:43 am

From what yove described it sounds like the electronics haven't been installed properly. If you are familiar with basic soldering I would recommend replacing the potentiometers and makesure that it is grounded well and you can also shield the inside cavaties with copper or alluminum tape to reduce noise aswell.

Also
Welcome to shortscale! Your English is very good aswell. There's loads of helpful people here that enjoy helping others with little problems like these

edit - a mustang bridge will also require routing the body a bit. Another thing that might be an issue is that the mustang is a 24" scale and is a bit longer than your duo and may cause some intonation issues

kypdurron · Post by **kypdurron** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 1:05 pm

Don't want to be offensive in any way, but I personally would, if someone asked me how to change the height of the pickups, not give that person the advice to install a trem onto a guitar like this one. I wouldnt advise that to me, too. I'd be afraid I drill the holes at a wrong place.

Of course it is possible; But even with a surface mount trem you would need to modify the bridge in one or another way (the springs would have to run somewhere, and I don'd think It'd be clever to let them run through the existing bridge holes). A Mustang bridge also requires to drill additional holes. Let me hijack Portugalwillie's pic of his Mustang. These 2 holes and 2 routes don't exist on a Duo Sonic. You'd need the holes for the bridge and then either the trem routes or a tailpice in a Gibson sort of way. Or, just the bridge holes and a Vibrola style trem as mentioned before.

Dig that guitar as it is and strengthen your fingers for vibrato ... or use the "neck vibrato"

Post by **dots** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:29 pm

welcome to the board, krauser! how did you find us?

KrauserII · Post by **KrauserII** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:16 am

Tomorrow I'm going to buy new strings and I'm checking the electronics.
About the bridge, It's not a big deal .. if no one tremolo can fit It .. doesn't matter I'm happy with that

(I have already a floyd)

welcome to the board, krauser! how did you find us?

Google

.... seriously .. I was searching information about Musicmaster and Duo Sonic and in Italian there is not much ... then I found this community... that is perfect, me too .. I like Fender short scales.

KrauserII · Post by **KrauserII** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:23 pm

I changed the string to 0.11 and the necks still fine but I notice a scratch

Should I be worried .. I mean It is fixable?

I got my first short scale! Duo Sonic Mex

I got my first short scale! Duo Sonic Mex

Re: I got my first short scale! Duo Sonic Mex

Re: I got my first short scale! Duo Sonic Mex