C18 Q1 Cabronita Mustang - Cooderstang! Progress!

paulnb57

Challenge doesn't officially start until the 1st Jan, but I thought Id set out my proposed, "What Satan didn't  bring me" entry.
Folk on here don't seem to like Mustangs, but I'll post progress anyway....
Some may have noticed that I modded a Blue Squier Mustang a while back, then followed that up by recycling a Squier Bullet Mustang neck onto a Guitarbuild Swamp Ash body, in Orange, I like them both very much and in the process of faffing realised that the neck pocket on a Mustang is the same size as a regular 25.5" scale neck, with that, the seeds of an idea germinated...

Fender produce a 2xP90 Mustang thatI like the idea of, so that got thrown into the mix too..

I found a P90 Mustang body from a suppplier in the US but it had Tele controls, the description on ebay suggested it was customisable, so I messaged and a bit of chat decided body spec.
So the proposed spec is as follows, it may change a bit....

1 piece Swamp Ash Mustang body routed for neck socket and 2xP90's, no control cavily or bridge posts (Arrived a couple of days ago) this allows me to decide control layout and bridge placement.

Allparts Strat neck from son and heir, it arrived Wudtoned and reliced, wearing locking tuners, Rosewood board, proper baseball bat profile, I have already modded the profile to deep vee, much nicer (for me) still an inch front to back,Headstock will be sprayed in Cellulose the same colour as the body. Rothco and Frost took care of a decal.

Bridge will be Fender Toronado modded to three Tele saddles and top loader..

Controls not sure yet, but probably on a chrome Mustang plate, which has only three holes, so would be Vol, Selector, jack, the plate option keeps the Mustang vibe and just a volume, no tone, fits the Cabronita vibe too...

Pickguard will be modified from a standard jobby to a small Cab style

Pickups are Iron Gear Soapbar P90's, they may get changed later......

Colour will be Sea Foam Green, actually as close as I could, mixed at the auto paint supplier, from computer images, which vary emormously....

TTony

Welcome!!

paulnb57

Thanks Tony! I've been collecting parts for this for a while, then once I knew the Challenge was imminent hung back a bit, headstock is already painted, decaled and lacquered....

paulnb57

Headstock is painted, decal applied and lacquered, locking tuners refitted along with a Fender round string tree......
http://i.imgur.com/0k7SdnA.jpg

Body in masking tape with notes to self! Really don't want to cock this up!
http://i.imgur.com/lBBQ83A.jpg

AustrianJohn

That's a lovely piece of ash - are you sure you want to cover it in paint?

paulnb57

I know what you mean @AustrianJohn ;.....nothing is set in stone, I could soon strip the finish off the headstock..........was it yourself that did a natural finish on a Mustang some time back?
If I do paint it, it will be my usual, no primer or sealer, let the paint sink into the grain, as I did on my White Strat and Orange Mustang...

simonbeckwith

Looking forward to this one buh! Do well!

paulnb57

simonbeckwith said:

Looking forward to this one buh! Do well!

Thanks @simonbeckwith its your old Fat Strat neck!

simonbeckwith

Excellent to see it being put to good use!

paulnb57

Did a bit more today, marking the neck screw holes on the body...
I ordered the body without the neck screw holes drilled in case it didn't match up with the neck, gut feeling it probably would have....

First I found a screw that was a loose fit in the existing neck holes and cut the head off so that when screwed in (missing) head first, a small amount of the point o fthe screw is exposed.

http://i.imgur.com/lXyrUM2.jpg

Now locate the neck into the body and press down over the area where the tip of the screw protrudes, this will leave a small mark in the wood.

http://i.imgur.com/6LcEB4T.jpg

Now take the neck plate you will ise, or at least one the same size and locating over the marked point, straighten it ip by eye and spot through the plate holes to mark the location of the reaiming three holes

http://i.imgur.com/UFHzIfR.jpg

I'm a big fan of the humble Bradawl, really useful for marking where to drill, the wood equivalent of a centrepunch..

http://i.imgur.com/hDIQyP0.jpg

All marked out and ready for drilling tomorrow, when Ms nb57 is at work and I can sneak the drill press into the warm on the breakfast bar!....


Not worthy of a photo I used the Bradawl to spot through the P90 pickup height adjustment screw holes and same for the control plate and the bridge, they will also be drilled tomorrow.....

A set of Forstner bits in the mail to drill the control cavity.

I like to do as much fitting drilling etc as possible before paint

simonbeckwith

And as much on the breakfast bar too lol!

paulnb57

Deffo! Shame I can't spray paint in the kitchen!

simonbeckwith

Very true!

paulnb57

Scratchplate dropped through the letterbox, so it got a dose of modding, a couple of holes need drilling..close of play, control plate and scratchplate are fitted....bridge fitted with just one screw, need to double check scale length, although there is a shedload of adjustment on the new intonation adjustment screws on the modded Toronado bridge...

http://i.imgur.com/xJC18CW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MKautbI.jpg

simonbeckwith

With that much adjustment in the saddle screws, you could probably get away with it being really wrong and still make it work! Looking good dude!

paulnb57

I think you are the only other person watching this!
The standard screws were too short when I did the Bridge mod to the Orange Mustang, so I ordered longer screws, lots of them!
With the amount of adjustment available on this build, I could probably use a Standard 24" scale neck if I dont like the 25.5"......

simonbeckwith

Awesome! I'm contemplating a pedal build but can't make up my mind what to build! 

victorludorum

It looks good mate. The only thing that bothers me is the scratchplate/control plate combo. If it was me i would cut that scratch plate down a bit, remove the control plate and go for the traditional double knob cab look.

Jalapeno

paulnb57 said:

I think you are the only other person watching this!

I'm lurking too .....

Roland

These build threads get loads of views

paulnb57

Jalapeno said:

paulnb57 said:

I think you are the only other person watching this!

I'm lurking too .....

Roland said:

These build threads get loads of views

I was joking!