78 Mustang... to the bandsaw or not?

Painting? Routing? Set-up tips? Or just straight-up making a guitar from scratch? Post here, and post pics!

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78 Mustang... to the bandsaw or not?

Post by rps-10 »

Hello, first post and all that.. but straight in the deep end with pics a project plus a good chance of upsetting a few purists :wink:

Back in 2002 I won a Mustang body off ebay, it came with a few bits, a re-issue pickguard, 2 pickup covers and the original chrome bridge cups. I've always wanted a Fender Mustang, ever since I worked out what those groovey customised guitars Adrian Belew used to use.

I ordered some hardware to make the body complete and was thinking about getting a neck made up by someone like USACG.

But luckily enough the seller had the neck listed a few weeks later along with some other vintage bits in his listings. 1966 bridge, some old Fender "F" tuners and a re issue trem.


Stuck it all together and came up with this...

Image


I already knew the body had been repaired as it was mentioned in the ebay listing, but hadn't really noticed what was fundamentally wrong with it.

Spotted it yet??
:lol:


Top half was repaired from what looks like a Strat template!
Bottom corner looks like it was smashed off as well, but that has been put back on.

Now I've just dragged the guitar back out of the attic, it's been up there for about 7 years. I've given up messing about with cars and turning my attention back to guitars and this Mustang is first on the list to fix.

Just wondering whether to leave as is, aa an unusual oddity or get it on the bandsaw and back to it's correct shape. :?:

Serial:
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Rear view:
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F tuners:
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1966 bridge:
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Bottom repair, front:
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Back fractures:
Image

Neck pocket is way too wide, used match sticks for now:
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Cardboard template from other Mustang:
Image

The Neck had been varish/laquered over by a previous owner and after being up the attic for a few years now, has devleoped a crakled glaze effect:
Image
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Thom
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Post by Thom »

Do it! Would be nice to see it back to shape...looks quite strange as is.
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Post by paul_ »

Wow, that's nuts.
Aug wrote:which one of you bastards sent me an ebay question asking if you can get teh kurdtz with that 64 mustang? :x
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Post by stewart »

chop it up.
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Post by Bacchus »

Nah, man leave it as it is. Or refinish it to cover up the joins and get a blocked and bound neck some more chrome and switches, then annoy other people as they try to work out what it is. Pretend it's some sort of Marauderustang or a prototype or something.
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Post by gaybear »

kinda looks cool, in a happy accident sorta way
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Post by George »

LEAVE IT LEAVE IT LEAVE IT!!!!

I love it already. This is the guitar the Jagstang could have been.

I say sort the pocket out, give it a nice refin and have done. Could be a great looking thing.

Also, the bottom corner of the new half looks more offset and angular than a Strat
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Post by DGNR8 »

If it's stable and you like it, keep it. If not, sell and replace (or repair).
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Post by paul_ »

GeorgeF wrote:This is the guitar the Jagstang could have been.
A reshaped Mustang is all the JS ever got to be in the first place, I like to think it could have been more than half a strat stuck to a broken one.

The bottom looks more angular and offsetty than a strat because the strat part has been reshaped to match the size of the Stang body.
Aug wrote:which one of you bastards sent me an ebay question asking if you can get teh kurdtz with that 64 mustang? :x
robertOG wrote:fran & paul are some of the original gangstas of the JS days when you'd have to say "phuck"
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Post by Dave »

ooooh I like that body shape! Hmmm I think it looks cool as is to be honest. if you're desperate for a mustang I'd just go get one in one piece. Projects rarely work out cost effective compared to buying stock unless you luck out on the good will of friends. Also if you don't have any experience with wood working it might be an onerous task to replace the top bit.

the long top horn gives a Jazz bass kind of look. Always thought that was a cool shape for a guitar. Didn't John Squier have a jaguar like that?

Ah here 'tis

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Post by crofty »

fix it.
sick as pie.
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Post by rps-10 »

A mixed reaction :D to be expected I guess.

I'm still undecided about getting that top horn back in shape but one thing I am going to do in the next week or so is swap out the pickups.
I put Kent Armstrong pickups in there, both supposed to be "hot" single coils but only one turned out hot.. so I will be replacing them with some hot rail/single sized humbuckers.

as for a "refin".. I'm from the EVH school of guitar finishing and will be looking to see what is in the back of the shed to see what's left over from other projects.
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Post by cooter »

I think I would buy another body and ebay that one.
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Post by wwrrss »

LEAVE IT ALONE!

If anything, just refinish it!
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Post by rps-10 »

cooterfinger wrote:I think I would buy another body and ebay that one.
I kind of did that once and ended up with a 22" scale neck and flat body. I split them and sold them on ages ago. However the body did give me my cardboard template.

If I was to buy another body I'd want one with contours rather than being dead flat.

Plus I'm trying to keep this body and neck together, as they came out of the factory together.
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Post by cooter »

rps-10 wrote:
cooterfinger wrote:I think I would buy another body and ebay that one.
I kind of did that once and ended up with a 22" scale neck and flat body. I split them and sold them on ages ago. However the body did give me my cardboard template.

If I was to buy another body I'd want one with contours rather than being dead flat.

Plus I'm trying to keep this body and neck together, as they came out of the factory together.
Cool. Then I think I would refinish it the way it is. No one will have one like it. 8)
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Post by Dave »

just varnish it! orrrrrr daphne blue!
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Post by brandon. »

I say keep it!
(but if you really want to, recut it)
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Post by stewart »

just goes to show you the awful taste some people on here have. it looks utter balls with that top half.

it looks like the horn was cut out by hand with a padsaw.
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Post by hotrodperlmutter »

so wait, this guitar is supposedly vintage or something? or you know it was made by some jaggoff in his garage... because i refuse to believe that this used to be an actual mustang.

bustang.
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