1977 Bronco Project

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

Moderated By: mods

User avatar
cooter
.
.
Posts: 1257
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Contact:

1977 Bronco Project

Post by cooter »

Just bought this butchered Bronco body to fix up. The body will need a lot of work but the bridge looks complete except for
the trem arm. I may ebay the black pickguard and go with a 3 ply white instead but I haven't decided for sure yet. A black
pickguard really seems to narrow down your color choices. I'll work out a game plan for repairing the body once it arrives.
It's shipping from the left coast so it'll probably be a week before I get it in my grubby little hands.
► Show Spoiler
Last edited by cooter on Wed Jun 01, 2011 3:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Smells like Rock n' Roll
User avatar
deltaboy72076
.
.
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 9:11 am
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas

Post by deltaboy72076 »

What year is that? I would definately go with the white guard like you said. I had a 70ish red bronco when i was a teenager. Begged my mother for it! It was at a pawn shop and i think she paid like 75 bucks for it. That was back when you couldn't give them away! Sadly i let it get away. What you gonna do for a neck?
2000 MIM Fender Strat Black
1965 Fender MusicMaster II
Blackstar HT1R Tube Amp
User avatar
cooter
.
.
Posts: 1257
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Contact:

Post by cooter »

It's a '77. A white pickguard would open it up to a lot more color choices but I want to see what the wood looks like under the paint. I think some of the late 70's broncos had ash bodies.
I'll be looking for a neck I guess. Actually, I'll be looking for two bronco necks. I have a loaded '74 bronco body as well.
Smells like Rock n' Roll
User avatar
Sparky
.
.
Posts: 662
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 4:03 pm
Location: Hartford, CT

Post by Sparky »

Walnut stain, black guard, black pup cover. Indluge in the 70s :D
User avatar
taylornutt
.
.
Posts: 4908
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:04 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Post by taylornutt »

cooterfinger wrote:It's a '77. A white pickguard would open it up to a lot more color choices but I want to see what the wood looks like under the paint. I think some of the late 70's broncos had ash bodies.
I'll be looking for a neck I guess. Actually, I'll be looking for two bronco necks. I have a loaded '74 bronco body as well.
So Jealous that you have 2 Broncos. What did you give for the White one if you don't mind me asking? There was a loaded Bronco body on eBay for $359, which is a little high, but you can hardly ever find a complete bridge assembly for a Bronco unless it comes with the body.

If you have trouble finding a Bronco neck, you might find a 70's Musicmaster neck for cheap.
J Mascis Jazzmaster | AVRI Jaguar | Tuxedo-stang |Fender Toronado GT |
Squier FSR Sparkle Jaguar | Squier CV Mustang |1971 Fender Bronco| Baja Telecaster |
User avatar
cooter
.
.
Posts: 1257
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Contact:

Post by cooter »

taylornutt wrote:So Jealous that you have 2 Broncos. What did you give for the White one if you don't mind me asking? There was a loaded Bronco body on eBay for $359, which is a little high, but you can hardly ever find a complete bridge assembly for a Bronco unless it comes with the body.
You're gonna hate me when I tell you I paid $75 for it. Two halfs still doesn't make a whole Bronco though. But now I have a complete trem. Well, minus the trem bar.

I can make you a Bronco body when you get ready for one. I've already made the body and pickguard templates.
Finding the trem is 90% of the job.
Smells like Rock n' Roll
User avatar
taylornutt
.
.
Posts: 4908
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:04 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Post by taylornutt »

cooterfinger wrote:
taylornutt wrote:So Jealous that you have 2 Broncos. What did you give for the White one if you don't mind me asking? There was a loaded Bronco body on eBay for $359, which is a little high, but you can hardly ever find a complete bridge assembly for a Bronco unless it comes with the body.
You're gonna hate me when I tell you I paid $75 for it. Two halfs still doesn't make a whole Bronco though. But now I have a complete trem. Well, minus the trem bar.

I can make you a Bronco body when you get ready for one. I've already made the body and pickguard templates.
Finding the trem is 90% of the job.
I can't hate you because fo the awesome bro deal on the Musicmaster body and pickguard. $75 is amazing for just the trim or the body, but for both that is amazing. I have the base plate and spring for a Bronco trem, but it will take a long time before I find the other pieces.

White on white bronco with a black pickup cover would be really hot. If you ever offload more bronco stuff in the future, hopefully I will have some money to help take it off your hands :D
J Mascis Jazzmaster | AVRI Jaguar | Tuxedo-stang |Fender Toronado GT |
Squier FSR Sparkle Jaguar | Squier CV Mustang |1971 Fender Bronco| Baja Telecaster |
User avatar
cooter
.
.
Posts: 1257
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Contact:

Post by cooter »

Well, Got the bronco body in the mail yesterday. First step was removing the 12 cans of krylon plus what was left of the original black finish underneath.
I'll see if I can stop the bleeding on those routes this weekend.
► Show Spoiler
Last edited by cooter on Wed Jun 01, 2011 3:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Smells like Rock n' Roll
User avatar
taylornutt
.
.
Posts: 4908
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:04 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Post by taylornutt »

I noticed the pickguard doesn't fit. Is this bronco more Duo-sonic style with the metal plate and mustang style guard to cover the gap? Since the previous owner added the neck pup, you might have to use a Mustang pickguard.
J Mascis Jazzmaster | AVRI Jaguar | Tuxedo-stang |Fender Toronado GT |
Squier FSR Sparkle Jaguar | Squier CV Mustang |1971 Fender Bronco| Baja Telecaster |
User avatar
cooter
.
.
Posts: 1257
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Contact:

Post by cooter »

Pretty sure that's the original pickguard. The genius that routed it made the mustang style switching route too wide to be covered by the pickguard. Looks as though they used a dremel or trained termites.
I've got a plan to fill the pickup routes and redo them properly. I've got lots of poplar scrapes lying around. May still go with a two pickup setup but with a toggle switch on the lower bout.
Last edited by cooter on Sun May 29, 2011 1:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Smells like Rock n' Roll
User avatar
DGNR8
.
.
Posts: 4220
Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 2:51 am
Location: DC Area

Post by DGNR8 »

I think he used fast dry-humping to get routs like that. When I saw that for sale and SOLD on Reranch I knew where it must have gone!
Yell Like Hell
User avatar
cooter
.
.
Posts: 1257
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Contact:

Post by cooter »

Cleaned up the existing routes.
► Show Spoiler
Then I made a template from a piece of scape so I could trace out an outline on to a piece of poplar.
► Show Spoiler
Cut the shape out of a a piece of poplar and glued it in. Now I jut have to wait for everything to dry then sand it down flush and re-route.
► Show Spoiler
Last edited by cooter on Wed Jun 01, 2011 3:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Smells like Rock n' Roll
User avatar
deltaboy72076
.
.
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 9:11 am
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas

Post by deltaboy72076 »

That's a nice job on filling those routes!!! It's gonna turn out nice!! Can't wait to see it!
2000 MIM Fender Strat Black
1965 Fender MusicMaster II
Blackstar HT1R Tube Amp
User avatar
hotrodperlmutter
crescent fresh
Posts: 16665
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:29 pm
Location: Overland Park, KS, USA

Post by hotrodperlmutter »

looking great, coot!
dots wrote:fuck that guy in his bunkhole.
User avatar
taylornutt
.
.
Posts: 4908
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:04 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Post by taylornutt »

Nice job. Now you don't have to work around the bad routes and can do what you want.
J Mascis Jazzmaster | AVRI Jaguar | Tuxedo-stang |Fender Toronado GT |
Squier FSR Sparkle Jaguar | Squier CV Mustang |1971 Fender Bronco| Baja Telecaster |
Mo Law-ka
strictly roots
Posts: 3105
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:14 pm
Location: a series of tubes

Post by Mo Law-ka »

taylornutt wrote:Nice job. Now you don't have to work around the bad routes and can do what you want.
Image
jcyphe wrote: Mo is the most sensible person in this thread.
icey wrote:and thats for the hatters (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
User avatar
Billy3000
.
.
Posts: 3033
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 3:16 am
Location: Atlanta

Post by Billy3000 »

Dude that looks awesome! That's the best route filling job I've seen!
User avatar
cooter
.
.
Posts: 1257
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Contact:

Post by cooter »

Billy3000 wrote:Dude that looks awesome! That's the best route filling job I've seen!
Thanks!
Your Bronco thread has been on my greatest hits list for a long time.
Maybe I can do this one justice.
Smells like Rock n' Roll
User avatar
cooter
.
.
Posts: 1257
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:42 pm
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Contact:

Post by cooter »

Update:

Plugged holes and redrilled trem posts for threaded inserts.

Image

Things get much uglier before they get better. There was some mutilation in the control route as well so I cleaned up the sides and glued in some more poplar scraps.

Image

Here's were I'm at as of now. I need to route a channel from the neck pickup to the switch route. Get some paint remover for the trem route and the neck pocket. Do some finish sanding and spray everything with sealer before primer coats.

Image
Smells like Rock n' Roll
User avatar
seb_ennis
.
.
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 11:18 pm
Location: Sydney, AUS

Post by seb_ennis »

I'm in love with this thread. I love my Broncos, this makes me want to make my own! Well done.