'93 MIM Duo-Sonic Spec questions

s2murray · Post by **s2murray** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:59 pm

Hi everyone, new to the forum here so bare with me.

I've had a '93 MIM Duo Sonic since I bought it new off the shelf in '93 and recently dusted it off and decided it's time for some changes.

1) what is the diameter of the holes for the tuners? 10mm? and will the Grover mini rotomatics fit without reboring?

2) Anyone got any leads on 1/4" saddles that aren't too pricey and won't kill me on shipping costs? (I'm Canadian)

I'll post before and after pics of this simple project once I buy the parts I need. Thanks in advance!

s2

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:39 pm

step one, remove tuner
step two, measure hole
presto!
as far as the bridge goes...
1/4" saddle? im perplexed as you what you actually mean by this.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:20 pm

I replaced the existing saddles with cheap Wilkinson Compensated Tele saddles. Work just fine. I did find that i got the best intonation by leaving the centre saddle as a barrel and not compensated.

s2murray · Post by **s2murray** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:22 pm

Hey now, no need to be patronizing! Geez!

First off I am just looking for a few answers before I start taking it apart (so I can keep playing it)

Second, the saddles are the most common ones found on any Dou Sonic/Music Master and aren't THAT perplexing. I just looking for a set of 1/4" compensated saddle that are a little better quality than the stock ones. The most common replacement saddles are usually made for Teles and are almost all 5/16" diameter which would allow me to put change for a dollar under my strings. SO... I need the smaller, 1/4" ones and I don't want to pay a fortune for them.

Just asking... geez.

s2murray · Post by **s2murray** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:24 pm

Thanks Dave. I will look into these.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:44 pm

oh, im sorry, did i offend you. sometimes i come off as a dick.
generally any question you can figure out for yourself, well, its just dumb question. thats just my opinion tho.
you didn't specify the bridge saddle bit so i was wondering what you were getting at with it.
have you got any files/rasps? i would suggest filing the saddles yourself. you should be able to get a general idea of where the best possible place for intonation would be. it would be the cheapest way to go about it. and you would have the satisfaction of doing a job well done all by yourself. and since its a 93 mexi fender i wouldn't be too concerned with "ruining" the value of the instrument.

s2murray · Post by **s2murray** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:52 pm

Ya, I could file them myself but they are just stock garbage as it is and would like something a little easier to deal with (and nicer looking). Maybe I could get the bigger ones and file them down on the underside so they won't bottom out on the bridge.

I'm not worried about the value of the thing at all. It was cheap when I bought and sells for the same price today. More sentimental than anything, I just figured I'd swap out some hardware so it's a little more playable for my daughter.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:54 pm

s2murray wrote:Thanks Dave. I will look into these.

No worries. I honestly don't know anything about the diameter of them, in fact i remember a post by someone asking the kind of specifics you mentioned and insisting that you couldn't get the wilkis to fit. Strangely enough I had done so the night before. I can say with 100% certainty that I have an un-shimmed neck and superlatively low and slinky action using the wilkis. I genuinely don't think you'd have a problem with any tele saddles out there, unless they are HUGE. The wilkis are cheap and reliable and do the job.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:02 pm

Just snapped this pic to show my set up with them:

[/img]

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:11 pm

What kind of tuners came on the 93s? Were they kluson copies (slot head) or through post?

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:13 pm

if i remember correctly they were kinda cheapo post thru stylee. but im not 100% on that. altho im failry certain they were not the typical kluson slot head stylee

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:16 pm

Ah well shit, can't narrow it down then. I haven't been able to find the spec for those guys in the googles. You're probably going to have to take them out and measure.

s2murray · Post by **s2murray** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:24 pm

Dave wrote:Just snapped this pic to show my set up with them:

[/img]

Awesome. I think I'll give them a try. They are easier to find that's for sure.

BillClay · Post by **BillClay** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 12:33 am

Just chiming in to say the stock tuners are in fact shit.

so1om · Post by **so1om** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:41 am

I have a red 93 that i bought new. The tuners are surprsingly cheap.. and i mean cheap as in -mid 1970s no name asian imports.

I left the guitar stock and it really is a great guitar. I can see where tuners and compensated saddles will really sweeten it up.

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer. Maybe pull just one tuner, make your measurements and get it back on there to play.

Good luck!

s2murray · Post by **s2murray** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:59 pm

so1om wrote:I have a red 93 that i bought new. The tuners are surprsingly cheap.. and i mean cheap as in -mid 1970s no name asian imports.

I left the guitar stock and it really is a great guitar. I can see where tuners and compensated saddles will really sweeten it up.

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer. Maybe pull just one tuner, make your measurements and get it back on there to play.

Good luck!

Yes, exactly, it's a great little player but needs some love. I'll take'er apart tonight and get the measurements I need and post them here for reference. I haven't really played it for 3 or 4 years until about two weeks ago. I can't get over just how small that thing really is. I have being playing a Gibson Tennessean for the last decade and I'm used to ginormous frets!

JOBO · Post by **JOBO** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 8:55 am

My Duosonic had the same issue, I swapped the bridge for a Musicmaster one (quite easy to find), and changed tuners too. Put a Lace sensor gold on the neck position. Brilliant result. Only issue is intonation on low E string, which is quite sensitive.

MattK · Post by **MattK** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 11:16 am

Dave wrote:Just snapped this pic to show my set up with them:

That looks weird to me - the saddle on the left gives a shorter string length to the low E, than the A, which is the opposite of the usual arrangement for proper intonation - the thicker string needs the saddle slightly further back. That's what compensation is designed for in the first place.
Not only that, but the biggest error is usually between the D and the G string, if you are using a plain (non-wound) G. The D saddle needs to be a long way forward, the G needs to be a long way back because it is much thicker than the core of the D. But your setup has a straight saddle there, making both the same length.
In my opinion you have the low and the middle saddles switched. The straight saddle would probably be fine with the low strings (dropping the E down a bit for fretboard curvature adds length to the string), but using a wound D with a plain G really needs the compensation I'm seeing in the left saddle.