the '72 compstang is here!!!

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:02 pm

i picked this up from the parcel depot about an hour ago- a brief description then onto the pics. the background to it was mentioned in another thread, but it deserves a new one. basically, it was on ebay, and the listing info was rather ambiguous. no BIN, but the guy made it clear he was open to offers... to cut a long story short i made him an offer of Â£800 and he accepted, shipping being included in the price.

so, it's a '72 lake placid blue competition mustang, all original (no matching headstock-boo!). condition-wise it's excellent, there's a ding just behind the tailpiece, a few superficial surface scratches and that's really about it. the guard is majorly warped however, like it's been left lying in the sun or something, it's totally shrunken. i think if i can find a vintage one in good condition i'll replace it, it's the sort of thing that'll bug me.

in artificial light it has a definite green/turquoise tinge, but in flashlight it looks totally blue. i've not seen it in daylight obviously, it was dark when i got it home!

the neck feels about the same as my '76 in terms of chunkiness, feels pretty nice (although i think i've been somewhat spoiled by the 'fits like a glove' nature of the duo-sonic).

i haven't opened it up for a nosey inside yet, but on first inspection the bridge and tailpiece need set up properly, that'll probably be first on the agenda. second will be taking the SHITTY GAUGE 9 STRINGS OFF IT. shit, i just realised i haven't plugged it in yet either... the only amp i have here at the moment is buried underneath about 50 books, i'll have to dig it out before i can plug it in...

some crappy pics for now (my camera battery died before i'd finished) but i'll post more in better light as and when i can. i might even do a little demo of it when i get my proper amps back and i've got it playing a bit better. but for now, a taster:

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Reece · Post by **Reece** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:05 pm

i am going to rob you.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:14 pm

Congrats, it's a smasher!! It looks like your gamble paid off.

Post by **Mike** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:14 pm

That is fucking clean. Pickguard is the only downer, but it's a fucking beauty regardless.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:20 pm

Dinosauria wrote:Congrats, it's a smasher!! It looks like your gamble paid off.

yup. thank fuck for that!

Mike wrote:That is fucking clean. Pickguard is the only downer, but it's a fucking beauty regardless.

yeah, i'll get a better one off ebay. they tend to go for Â£30 or so.

after i've had my dinner i'll get it cracked open, and my camera should be charged by then too (although it's still dark and will be for the next 12 hours. gnn!).

stay tuned!

Skip · Post by **Skip** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:30 pm

thanks for the taste
give us a demo

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:39 pm

Sweet. I actually prefer non-matching headstocks.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:22 pm

HOLY FUCK!
that thing is HOT!
the guard is crazy tho!

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:29 pm

yeah, i was expecting a little warping but that's mental. there's a couple on ebay i'm keeping an eye on, hopefully i'll get a better one without too much trouble.

plugged it in, sounds fine apart from a crackly jack but that's easy fixed.

i'm about to go under the hood...

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:30 pm

In his lair, Dr Spangle is punching his palm. That's lovely, well done. Glad I could help*.

* except I didn't.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:31 pm

stewart wrote:yeah, i was expecting a little warping but that's mental.

Maybe there's a source of heat in the rout under the pickguard. BE CAREFUL STEWART.

Post by **Mike** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:32 pm

I think there is a little Kettle in there.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:35 pm

benecol wrote:In his lair, Dr Spangle is punching his palm. That's lovely, well done. Glad I could help*.

* except I didn't.

haha, my luck in getting this was unbelievable, even down to the frantic race across edinburgh to get to the depot before closing time. i was totally bus hopping (tramworks have paralysed the city centre) and running down back alleys, caught the bus i HAD to get with not a second to spare, collected it and sauntered along the 5 minute walk to my flat from the warehouse. i couldn't have made it up better if i was writing a 'feel-good' screenplay for a hugh grant film.

fuck spangle!

and the fact you were prepared to help is as good as helping, so thank you (and james) for being willing to do my donkey work for me.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:36 pm

benecol wrote:
stewart wrote:yeah, i was expecting a little warping but that's mental.
Maybe there's a source of heat in the rout under the pickguard. BE CAREFUL STEWART.

Mike wrote:I think there is a little Kettle in there.

shit... it's one of those stones from indiana jones and the temple of doom!

just kidding.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:42 pm

stewart wrote:and the fact you were prepared to help is as good as helping, so thank you (and james) for being willing to do my donkey work for me.

Fuck no worries. I'll have it the first weekend of each month.

Post by **Mike** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:43 pm

I get to fuck it up so it has to go to counselling when it's 46 and can't stop crying on Sundays.

James · Post by **James** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:49 pm

That looks great. I'm really interested to see what it looks like under the pickguard. How is the neck for wear?

Mo Law-ka · Post by **Mo Law-ka** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:38 pm

holy balls! that thing is beautiful!

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:48 pm

How is it that the body stayed in such amazing shape but the pickguard got so incredibly fucked?

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:17 pm

James wrote:That looks great. I'm really interested to see what it looks like under the pickguard. How is the neck for wear?

Billy3000 wrote:How is it that the body stayed in such amazing shape but the pickguard got so incredibly fucked?

the neck is hardly worn at all. the whole guitar looks like it's hardly been played. it's in better condition than my '76 by a mile.

i dunno about the guard- the only thing i can think of is that it's been exposed to the sun a lot. i'm not sure if that really affects it though? it just seems to have shrunk by a couple of mm all the way round.

there's a shitload of photos in this spoiler- some of them are a bit blurry, but it's difficult to take decent pics in this light. click for full size...

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