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Boris Bubbanov
S'51 Mod God
USA
5229 Posts |
 Posted - 09/15/2007 : 22:54:25
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Yes, it is more Tele, and also just better all around with these quality single coil pickups.
I need to find a tele with no tone control at all and A/B it against this guitar, because tho more Tele it is still quite different than either of the Squier Teles I just did with the same exact model of pickups, from the same order.
Bubbanov
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martino
S'51 Modder
101 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2007 : 01:09:12
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[quote]Originally posted by Boris Bubbanov
I hope ya'll are ready for this:
Wow Boris you are on fire with these bridges
tele and 51 mods!
you should sell those hum to single converter plates no?
Nice look with the 2 single pickups / / !
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Boris Bubbanov
S'51 Mod God
USA
5229 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2007 : 12:10:10
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Somebody should make 'em, out of stainless, I'm down to two donor plates; I really would hate to mutilate any 3-hole Fender bridge plates, even the $ 9 ones. But the Nashville ones were scrap anyway.
Thanks for the compliments.
Bubbanov |
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Fiddlestick Fenderchick
S'51 Newbie
71 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2007 : 17:00:15
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I've modded my new '51 and am pleased. It's a Delonge underneath it all now, with a real U.S.A. Seymour Duncan Invader. It gets tapped on the push pull volume, and is a very loud, bright and clear, not distorted bridge pickup in the single mode. I would want one just for that, if I wanted a GREAT!!! single coil bridge anywhere, but had room for a humbucker. Seymour should make half-an-Invader in single size? I've added tone with an old ceramic .022 cap, on top of the new 500K stacked pot inbetween the 2 stock controls. It rolls back or attenuates treble to make jazzy mellow Benedetto or D'Angelico sounds. Seductive shimmering. I think I got a $10,000 guitar for $200! I can also jangle like a Gretsch or a Rickenbacker and kick axe like a Les Paul. PRS, more music to my ears. That's why we mod them, brothers.
Does anybody read long posts here, I would? I'm trying to keep this short for your comfort. So, I didn't want to change the bridge pickup, but I couldn't get the last control, or a rotary switch in 4 way, to obtain the Tele series sound. I wanted that HUGE, full, loud yet rich sound, and was deprived of it, because of no 4 way, and I refuse to cut the body of the guitar to install a blade switch on the aftermarket control plate. I could have done it on a toggle, but would lose space for my stacked pot, which as I said is new, it is a significant part of the mod. But the Invader gives the loud sound in parallel with the neck, so series wasn't needed. Just the Invader was needed. I hope that explains it.
Now with bridge pickup raised and uncovered, which I did right away when I got this thang, the neck WAS STILL LOUDER THAN THE INVADER!!! So, I've lowered it to match in decibels, but still have left the plastic on the pick guard with that sticker, until stage 2. Unfortunately, the ceramic neck pup got loud with the tone control, which is acting as a passive boost. Wouldn't you think the pickups were maxed out already, as stock, with no tone control? Nope, they were muffled somehow; I just felt they needed brightness, especially the neck. Adding a tone control makes the neck pup way too bright, and noisy. I checked for electrical faults, giving it more time and care than I did doing the mod. Circuits are fine, so I will have to change out the ceramic. It's going to become a pure white, simple-not-flashy looking blue Lace Sensor, for P-90 character, and silence I expect, not hum. That will finish it.
I had to use a chrome dome and the ring on the centre control, so I took my MOP tops off, re-installed the stock dome knobs and will not bother getting a pearloid guard, without my pretty MOP knobs. Keeping the simple one ply Buddy Holly look. Oh the lower ring is an awesome pickup blender, it's cool. Y'all need to make one. Tonal combinations, or that one word: sonority is endless. It's like having at least 4 Gibson Varitones. God, I love it. What a trip. Blenders also allow a pickup blend of frequencies or something within itself, with weirdness and variety that's different from capacitor tone, but kind of an EQ thing.
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Martin Butler
S'51 Newbie
USA
67 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2007 : 18:27:21
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Looks cool Bubba.  What's it sound like, Tele-ish?
Just got my 51 yesterday. XXX Mint w/ Ferraglide saddles for $116 w/ shipping, gotta love it! The action/intonation is nicely done. Not sure if it'll hold tuning, I haven't had time to give it a thorough workout yet.
A student brought his new Mexican Strat over yesterday and when I compared the feel of the neck, it did give me some perspective. As good a deal as the 51 is, the Strat's neck was in a much higher class. The finish was perfect, not thick and glossy at all, just smoother, less raw than the 51. I'd love to try a coat or two of lacquer on the neck but wiil wait until the honeymoon's over before I start choppin'. Also, the 51 "frets out" when bending strings up, like a Tele. That's OK, I'll most likely put a lipstick pup in front and use it for rhythym. The bridge pup sounds good for now. It'll take me a while until I'm familiar enough with it before I can be sure what changes to make.
One question, when the factory applies the finish, is it done before the frets are put on?
I'm concerned that spraying lacquer on the neck could make the frets feel weird.
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Martin Butler
S'51 Newbie
USA
67 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2007 : 18:34:03
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| oops, I missed a whole page when I replied, looking good Fiddlestick! |
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martino
S'51 Modder
101 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2007 : 19:21:05
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[quote]Originally posted by Boris Bubbanov
I hope ya'll are ready for this:
Wow Boris you are on fire with these bridges
tele and 51 mods!
you should sell those hum to single converter plates no?
Nice look with the 2 single pickups / / !
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Boris Bubbanov
S'51 Mod God
USA
5229 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2007 : 21:17:54
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Martin, when applying nitrocellulose lacquer to the neck, I try to use less on the fingerboard surface than on the rest of the neck, easy on the nut and heel as well, more of course on the disturbed areas around the headstock and its transition into the neck.
Especially when applying tinted lacquer, but in general as well, I take extreme pains to shoot the nitro at as close to a ninety degree angle to the fretboard and the frets, to lessen any excess 'frontrange' buildup around the frets themselves.
Once the nitro is really fully dried over the frets, it will begin to wear and flake away, and once these are really truly dried, with a vacuum handy, I'll remove more nitro. I gotta admit, sheepishly, nitro on the frets hasn't bothered me too much - I actually kinda go 'yeah' when I pick up and un-nitro'd one, not because of the fretboard, but because of the back of the neck. Surprising, eh?
Bubbanov |
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deepea
S'51 Guru
2774 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2007 : 21:50:36
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FF, looks great! Really did a nice job on that centre control.
For my taste, it's a bit crowded, but sounds like you love it!
Maybe a "half-an-Invader" would be a SD quarter-pounder?
I dunno. My only experience w/SDs is a first generation Hot-
Rails that a mate of mine sold to me back in the '90s. I
still have it, and MIGHT put it in the neck slot of an upcoming
'51 mod. Anyway, enough of my drivel. Can't wait for "stage
2" as you put it.
Oh, and love the "grassy knoll" pic. 
dp |
Edited by - deepea on 09/17/2007 01:40:25 |
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Martin Butler
S'51 Newbie
USA
67 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2007 : 22:56:10
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| Boris, what do you think of perhaps a light coat on just the back of the neck. I wonder if that might be enough to make the neck feel right. |
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Boris Bubbanov
S'51 Mod God
USA
5229 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2007 : 08:55:27
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That's the paradox, the grass is greener here no here effect here.
Play the nitro'd ones long enough, then the stock neck finish feels silky, not bad at all. The Franken-baby has a rosewood board in those slippery Elixir 10-46s on there, tint nitro and gloss nitro on the maple, and that combination sounds so good and I'm cleaning the moves so well, wonder if that isn't better. Or is it?
So, as for a thin layer of nitro, you might like it, you might not. I don't think I would do it again personally, except, I gotta have my Tadeo mod which must be refinned in that area and so why not tint as well, everywhere, and then that glossy top coat of nitro looks great and keeps the tint from being worn off quickly. Down the slippery slope you go, all or nothing.
Bubbanov
Nothing speeds up the glossing of the stock neck faster than some Meguiar's Paint Cleaner, followed by the Meguiar's Polish if you like.
Based on the dramatic change to the Tele Special body finish, and the neck on a poly MIM Nashville Tele. I will 'sacrifice' a 51 to that eventually, I just don't want the stuff on there if I intend to nitro the finish, same thing to a lesser extent with the oils of ones playing hands. |
Edited by - Boris Bubbanov on 09/17/2007 12:00:35 |
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TomHB
S'51 Guru
2106 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2007 : 10:19:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Martin Butler
Boris, what do you think of perhaps a light coat on just the back of the neck. I wonder if that might be enough to make the neck feel right.
If you play it for a few months, the back of the neck with gloss up just from the friction of your hand.
May save you a few bucks from the canned gloss coat.
Tom
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deepea
S'51 Guru
2774 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2007 : 14:03:06
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quote:
Originally posted by TomHB
quote:
Originally posted by Martin Butler
Boris, what do you think of perhaps a light coat on just the back of the neck. I wonder if that might be enough to make the neck feel right.
If you play it for a few months, the back of the neck with gloss up just from the friction of your hand.
May save you a few bucks from the canned gloss coat.
Tom
+1 to that Tom. My mahogany neck on my Hondo LP copy got sanded
down to the bare wood, and within a couple months, its was smooth and
glossy from just playing it. It's funny. I have a pic of me sanding it with
80 grit paper. 80 grit! |
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Martin Butler
S'51 Newbie
USA
67 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2007 : 20:27:59
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| Thanks guys, maybe I'll just research into the best polish/wax and buff that baby up a bit. I have a friend who likes to soak his necks in guitar polish and his guitars seem really nice, but I'm somehow leery of trying that. When I change strings, I'll try a really good coat of lemon oil on the neck (fret side). What about a car paste wax sort of thing for the back of the neck, anyone tried something like that? This way I wouldn't actually be altering the neck, just buffin' the hell out of it. |
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dmanlow
S'51 Modder
Canada
290 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2007 : 20:48:49
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quote:
Martin Butler
S'51 Newbie
USA
17 Posts
Posted - 09/17/2007 : 20:27:59
Thanks guys, maybe I'll just research into the best polish/wax and buff that baby up a bit. I have a friend who likes to soak his necks in guitar polish and his guitars seem really nice, but I'm somehow leery of trying that. When I change strings, I'll try a really good coat of lemon oil on the neck (fret side). What about a car paste wax sort of thing for the back of the neck, anyone tried something like that? This way I wouldn't actually be altering the neck, just buffin' the hell out of it.
Hi Martin,
I applied Turtle Wax on a '51 neck I just refinished with poly on the weekend it it makes for a pretty smooth neck. I'm not sure I'd make a habit out of it but it did the trick. Here is an alternative option you may want to try. When I use to play a lot of shows my hands would really sweat from the stage lights and sometimes would often feel all clammy on the neck. I use to carry around a bottle of talcum powder and would dose my hand with the powder to reduce any friction with the neck. I adopted the idea from my pool playing days. It's messy as hell but sure makes for a smooth neck. Maybe give it a try before you start going all crazy with the aerosal cans. |
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The **Show Your Modded '51** Thread...
