ShortScale.org

Ha ha, and now it's the end of October. Over the last couple of months I've ordered some maple veneers for the cut/shut headstock, dry fitted the neck to the body to see where I can put the bridge (rather than draw it out, try it in situ), reshaped the back of the headstock a bit, then realised I need it flat to glue the veneers, then bought a used belt sander, waited for new sanding belts and just now, fitted one and brought the headstock down thin enough for the too-thick veneers to work properly. I'm now wondering if I should add a little to the lower curve to bring it out to a fuller Mustang / VI type shape, but I worry if I did then I would be another six months figuring it out.
So now I need to do some finish sanding on the headstock, glue and trim the veneers, and then start actually placing and lining things up. Also bought some decent-looking Chinese made Mustang pickups; I already had some good ones but wanted to have an option for a third one. Now I'm thinking I need a neck and a tailpiece for the vintage Mustang body I have kicking around too. Never ends ...

I've shamed myself into progress. Realising I wouldn't be able to see the outlines if I glued front and back veneers at once, I chose one for the back, sanded things smoother, applied some Titebond Red and clamped, and clamped and clamped until I couldn't squeeze anything more out.

Good progress, looking forward to the next update.

Back veneer glued, so it was time to trim it, drill the tuner holes thru, and set up the front veneer. Used a multitool which was mostly good but a little variable in its effect! and then I realised I needed to put a rebate in to the curved part of the headstock so the veneer glued up flat. Anyway now it's back to glue and clamps ...

progress (slow but steady)

(tailpiece plate is just taped on in the right location, but the neck is drilled and attached now!)

Turned out real nice with the veneer

Great work so far.

Thanks guys, a few ugly seams here and there but I'm hoping it will give it the necessary strength. Really happy with the transition on the back though, I was channeling the spirit of Tadeo Gomez for a few minutes there.

It's been a big day, I am SO EXCITED.
Tuner screws:

Marking out the tailpiece:

A few shallow holes for the hardtail screws and spring anchor points (no springs for now):

Tailpiece is ON and it's time for thimbles:

Thimble holes (freehand, YIKES):

Good thimble:

Very slightly tilted thimble:

WE HAVE BRIDGE:

(mounted backwards for more setback to intonate the lower strings)
MORE TO COME ...

Then it was time to break out the d'Addario Bass VI strings I bought 12 years ago (yes March 2010). Some minor issues stringing up, and that neck has not had strings on in 12 years, so it's all settling in. BUT THE MUSTANG VI EXISTS NOW. I got a chill when I had it set up and tried playing it. It's just plain great - the neck is narrow and round, the strings are tightly spaced like the original VIs, and it plays SO WELL. Still some buzzes and the bridge is cranked pretty high, so there's work to do, but it's everything I hoped for!




(Mustang Bass ferrules on the back! I guess a badge of honour.)

Neck settled down and I was able to get some relief by loosening the truss rod a turn and a half. That let me lower the bridge to a sane height, I'm still tossing up whether to sand the heel down a touch because it sits high in the body. Now working out pickups etc so I can design a pickguard, I doubt a standard Mustang one would fit (but ... ?).
Debating whether to try for a matching headstock.

Playing with pickguard cutouts I have realised that the Mustang guitar plate I have isn't right for the bass config, it needs to be a little wider. After some searching around I realised the Mustang Bass plate is a rare beast as an aftermarket part, so I've ordered a cheap Marauder control plate but it's going to take a month or so. Sigh. For now I think I will set up the pickups and use the plate I have.

Looking awesome. Love the pickguard.

the single Mustang bass pickup version looks best

Yeah of the three, I agree, but they were just test fits of the standard MB and Mustang pickguards to see what's what. I'm going to mix in a little VI upper contour, and there will be 2 pickups, but the Marauder plate is going to take a while and the design will have to wait a little longer.

My vote's for bachelor #3, with slightly relocated switches

That's my thinking, but with a wider control plate running into the back edge (parallel to the pickup angle?), and a modified VI upper contour. I've got a sheet of "aged pearloid" ready to go, but no experience cutting or bevelling guards!

Well it's only been ... *FIVE MONTHS* since my last update. I wanted a better control plate, Mustang Bass parts are $$$$ but I found an eBay listing for a "Marauder" plate cheap. Took a couple of months to arrive, then work got busy, life etc. This weekend it was time to resume. Transferred the electronics to the new plate, checked the control rout, too small of course.

Had a shot at the curved end with a 25mm spade bit, not quite big enough so hey, 32mm it is.

That went well but I couldn't take it very deep or the central spike would come out the back (this is why I need Forstner bits I guess). Hogged it out with some 10mm dowel drill:

then cleaned it up (not shown). Et voilà, bass has controls now.

Pickguard revisited. The Mustang Bass guard expects a wider plate it seems (I thought the Marauder plate might be the same). Not a problem when your guard is made of paper.


I thought I'd be clever and slope the back edge to match the pickup angle, but to me the result looked bad:

Taped the old back edge on at the right spot for the edge of the control plate and I think this will probably be the way to go.

Next step is to scan the hacked up paper one and use it as a guide to rework the template file. When I have the energy I will drop a pickup into the existing MB rout and see how it sounds, before tackling the routs for the new pickup positions.

Pickguard template scanned, PDF redrawn in Illustrator: