C18 Q1 Cabronita Mustang - Cooderstang! Progress!

paulnb57

Thank you!

Jalapeno

Awesome !!!!  (Love the neckplate)

Roland

Where did you get the neck plate done?

paulnb57

@Roland from ebay....cheap they aint!   link


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Personalised-Custom-Engraved-Guitar-Neck-Plate-Standard-Size-Your-Words-Gift-Son/321847341571?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=510790249790&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Roland

Looks nice. 

paulnb57

So, this is how it used to was......
I wasn't ever really happy with the scratchplate, the bridge pckup wans't my cup o tea, the selector switch and lack of a tone control bothered me.....
http://i.imgur.com/Tu6VOK4.jpg

So I removed the old scratchplate, then cut a suitably sized recatangle of scratchplate to suit, sandwiched them together and copied though the lower mointing screw holes. Then using flat rather than dome headed screws fixed the rectangle to the guitar top, the flat jeaded screws would allow a router base not to snag......
Chucked up a 1/4 diameter bottom bearinged router bit, took a deep breath and went  for it, running the bit through the pickup cavities and the neck pocket, it went really well, I surprised myself, a lot!
Note the old scratchplate taped on so the router doesnt tilt....

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

I then removed the new one, placed the old one on top and traced round the lower curve, which was then cut out with a combination of tools and the bevel was scraped with my best veg prep knife, I kept fitting, removing and filing to get the fit right against the control plate.
I also drilled a clearance hole for the selector switch on the lower horn...

Reassembled with a different bridge pickup, a Creamery P90 size humbucker, cream covers and switch tip, I have cream Jazz knobs somewhere in the bombsite that is the back bedroom....
I think it looks much better, now I need to rewire......

http://i.imgur.com/leV6ZOa.jpg

Sesh

Looks even better now.

WezV

I still think you need to do the duck

paulnb57

WezV said:

I still think you need to do the duck

You might be right, I've learned loads and now have more confidence to give it another go...

paulnb57

Its fair to say I've never really been happy with how this joker turned out, so changes are afoot, it went back to being twin soapbar P90’s, but it just doesn't make me want to play it....
So, a I’m planning a Coodercaster inspired build, I regretted dismantling my previous attempt and have now sold most of the parts, but I still have a Mojo Lap Steel pickup cluttering the parts cupboard, just begging to be used, a message to seller “earpilanz” on ebay saw a Plain Mustang scratchplate drop through the letterbox, and an email chat with Marc at Mojo resulted in an order for a soapbar size Goldtop wound to Teisco spec (Cooder apparently used a Teisco in the Coodercaster)
Rothco and Frost are producing a “Cooder Mustang” decal for the headstock to replace the Cabronita one currently there.
Next week the pink one is away for three days on a sewing retreat, so I'm hoping to crack on then, I just need an hour in the garden to rout through the new scratchplate using the P90 rout in the body as a template, Ill secure the scatchplate with a few normal woodscrews which should mean the heads are below the plate surface, so not interfering with router travel.....
The eagle eyed amongst you will notice Ive moved the bridge forward and if I shorten the intonation springs the saddles will just go back far enough to intonate...much more pleasing to the eye....
A few holes will need to be plotted and drilled to clear the polepice screws from the rear of the lap pickup.....all will become clearer next week.
In the meantime, mockup photos.......photos later Imjur isnt working on th’iPad.....
Biggest issue to progress is a 17 week old English Bull Terrier puppy (Ruby) that takes up a huge amount of time and loves to “help” good news is she loves the garden....
Stay tuned....

paulnb57

Cooderstang mockup

https://i.imgur.com/KU5XTwg.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4Pxruzw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YILuDeX.jpg

My new little helper Ruby


https://i.imgur.com/UgBcgPe.jpg

DrBob

Looks much , much better already 

paulnb57

So, I managed to get an hour on this joker yesterday, fitted the scratch plate with flush, countersunk screws, drilled a pilot hole into the pickup cavity and used the pickup cavity as a template to rout the pickup hole in the scratch plate, it tool me longer to clean up scratch plate shavings than to rout!
It came out well, considering I clenched everything and held my breath!.....

I removed the bridge saddles, cut a long intonation spring into thirds and reassembled, with the saddles further back on the plate, so I could move the plate forward to its correct position, but it looked all wrong, so I returned it to how it was and had a think....then stole the neck from my Squier Bullet Mustang for a mock up....result! Cue a wanted ad for a neck......
Next saw the application of masking tape to the scratchplate to mark out the position of the Lap Steel pickup and associated relief holes...thats as far as I got......Ill get it finished with the robbed neck, then when a Bullet Mustang neck becomes available Ill apply the new decal to that and finish it off.......
So yet another spec change - the Cooderstang will now be standard scale at 24inches.....

https://i.imgur.com/rQmSuIu.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cP8BER2.jpg

downbytheriver

This is now potentially my dream. Sorry, should read your post properly! Looking forward to the finished article 

paulnb57

downbytheriver said:

This is now potentially my dream. Sorry, should read your post properly! Looking forward to the finished article 

Thanks!

paulnb57

There is a neck in the mail! Hurrah! ...I now need to progress the rest so it is ready for it, it will have a Soapbar P90 at the neck until the Mojo Goldfoil arrives.....

paulnb57

Progress has been made..
I assembled the whole thing with the Lap pickup mounted on top of the scratchplate, but the strings fouled on the pickup, I tried a neck shim and raising the bridge saddles, but that didn't really work (a bit of a botch really) so made the decision to cut a pickup baseplate size hole in the scratch plate, which was easier than expected and worked well....the Cooderstang is now as far as I can get before a few parts arrive. neck should be here by the weekend and I had to order couple of pots....things left to do
Remove decal and apply new to the replacement neck and lacquer
Fit neck 
Wire it all up
Set it up.....

Anyroadup photos......

https://i.imgur.com/t4Dawtl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/f6EioM5.jpg