Mustang VI - digging for the bottom end

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 7:39 am

DOUBLE AWESOME!!!!

the neck pocket should be no big thang.

MattK · Post by **MattK** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 9:50 pm

OK guys - I need some design input. I decided that this should be a Mustang VI - not a Bass VI, not a Mustang Bass, not a Jaguar Bass - so it should be a VI version of the Mustang, just like the Bass VI is a VI version of the Jaguar.
So far I have the Mustang tail, a Jag bridge (some choice of sting placement), the 30" neck (thanks Rod!), a Jazz body, and some white button Kluson copies. I had thought of cutting off the lower horn VI style, but the more I look at it, the less I want to do that. So I thought of shortening both horns Mustang style:

I have one Jag pickup and want to buy two more - or I could use the junk Strat pickups I have, and give them Mustang style covers (Robroes?).
I just wanted some design input, as you can see the pickguard is giving me some grief. On this pic is the actual neck and body (correct placement of bridge) and a few bits from a Mustang photo, plus Jag pickups and switchplate, and a VI control plate.
One last, random thought - if this is a Mustang should I use 3-way pickup switches for phase?
Any thoughts / input welcomed.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 10:10 pm

i think that is a great idea being that you've got the trem in there, but other than that, i dunno if such a dramatic horn reshaping is going to get you the overall shape you desire. i don't think it's gotta be exactly like a jag or a stang. do your own shruken jazz bass styleee.

basically, if you do continue with the stang style, do a mustang base fashion with the elongated stang guard. wouldn't be hard to follow that line from the top to the bottom.

might look like this:

it's almost jagstang-ish, with the lower bout swept like a jag, and the top horn like a stang. i love it.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 11:52 pm

i reckon you'd get away with the original guard shape even with the mustang upper horn. a mustang bass-esque guard is going to have to be really elongated compared to the original, it might end up looking like some sort of mutant whale.

MattK · Post by **MattK** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 12:03 am

I have to say the long Stang guard is going to look pretty weird, there's something that puts me off, I am put off the Bass V for similar reasons.
I'll have to revisit my earlier guard design and Mustang / Jazz the bottom horn on that.
By the way, the colour ref is Daphne / mint with matching headstock:

Hm, looks like black pickups might be the best option after all.

MattK · Post by **MattK** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 12:46 am

I went back to the planning diagram and adapted some of it:

Thoughts?

tomin8r · Post by **tomin8r** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 2:03 am

I think this design ^ could be pulled off beautifully with a little work, I say go for it.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:02 am

who's to say you have to put all the pups on the guard? maybe to a shorter guard, and the bridge pup in the body, like the jazz bass.

MattK · Post by **MattK** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:04 am

Thanks dude. A long way to go yet, but the fun is the journey, right? I have to tell myself that.

(edit - thanks Rod, an interesting idea that!)

(edit 2 - GREAT idea, that!)

MattK · Post by **MattK** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:40 am

How are we lookin' now?

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 4:01 am

that is fucking awesome. so bad ass. i can't get over how good the offset with the super short top stang horn looks. with matching headstock! FUUUUUUUUUU

tomin8r · Post by **tomin8r** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 4:23 am

I definately agree with hotrod, that is a sexy lookin' machine!

MattK · Post by **MattK** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 4:28 am

The genius of Rod's suggestion is that I don't need to re-rout the control cavity, and I can use the J bass control plate I already have. It'll be fun trying to get a slanted pickup into the bare wood, I think I better rout that part last of all ...

rlm2112 · Post by **rlm2112** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 5:16 am

This is getting good now.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 2:00 pm

Looks miles better. I was going to suggest that last night but wasn't sure how you'd route for the pickup without the hole being visible... I suppose a non triangular pickup and a steady hand would do it.

MattK · Post by **MattK** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 8:37 pm

The J bass has one floating out there already, in fact even when I fill that and rout for the new one, I will run into the wire channel which has alreay been drilled. But it will take some working out, all right.

MattK · Post by **MattK** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 4:22 am

Quick question - are Mustang pickups the same as Strat pickups? If I bought a 3-way Strat set with closed black covers, would they be right for my VI? The real 1962 VI used Strat pickups, right?

MattK · Post by **MattK** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 4:47 am

OK - I have lengthened the upper horn (like they did to the Jag, to make the VI); fixed the pickguard a bit, and restored the neck heel to where it should be, thus moving the pickups as well.
I am liking this one.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 6:01 am

purrrrrrrrfect, great job!

James · Post by **James** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 3:04 pm

I was thinking you needed to go slightly longer on the upper horn, but not the current length long. Where you have it in that latest mock-up looks spot on to me.

The one thing I don't like about it now is the jag siwtch plate. It looks unnecessarily busy. But then when you have it for real and all the chrome looks similar it might remove some of that and make it look fine.