'51 Project - Updates

Wha.. double post.. darnit

OK, second time trying to post these. Its not done yet, I still need a pickguard and some more Gold Hardware..

Sorry for the crummy pics.. once I get some "Natural" light here in Oregon I'll take it outside.

Slej, where can I get some Paper for the Headstock logo?

That's looking super. The cream pearloid pickguard will be good, but so will a black one (the kind with the white middle stripe on the edge.) I've finally decided what I want to do with mine ... will post pics when I'm all done. Serious mojo!

I got the inkjet decal paper on ebay - some guy in Hawaii that sells single sheets (I bought two in case I messed up.) You can probably find it in your local craft store (like Michael's or something similar) but it's not cheap - $15 for 10 sheets at my local shop. I paid $3 with shipping I think. Anyway, even though it's inkjet paper, I couldn't get good black print, so I did it on my laser instead. Worked great, but feed it out the back (if you have that option) so you don't ruin the paper.

Yeah I have a Micheals right here in town. I'll check em out.

Yeah I think a cream/gold pearloid would go good with the P/U cover. I was even thinking a black bridge too with the control panel.

Work in progress... but I'm having fun with this. I'll get a recording up here soon.. this weekend.

D-

Looks very cool Dag.

Is the paint smooth to the touch or is it rough. The only reason I ask is that a rough finish might wear off real easy (due to increased friction) without numerous clearcoats on top of it smooth it out.

I love the gold hardwear by the way. HOT HOT HOT Can't tell from teh picture but you should try to get gold colored screws for the pick guard, or take some of the hammered metal paint you have spray a puddle of it on small piece of plate glass, add a bit of spray thinner and carefully paint the screw heads by hand with an artists brush. (just an idea)

Michael

Ah-ha :D Thanks Mikey,

Yeah I'm not quite done.. I'm getting a Gold Bridge, Gold Screws, Gold Tuners, Gold Knobs and Strap Pins for it.

I finally got the paint done and the pickups delivered and installed.

The paint has some texture, but there's almost 10 coats of clear on the thing. I took a brilo pad...(came with my sander) to each clear coat before I applied the next one. If it does wear faster.. that'll be ok, but theres plenty o clear on there. I got some Slinky Hybrids (10s) for it for when the new bridge comes. I'll destring it, take off the pickguard and buff it out real nice like... but it is still drying (smells like paint) even thought I let it sit for two days after the last coat. I'm just surprised that the White P/G looks that good as I thought it'd look like crap.

Ahh the fun surprises I've had with this one.... I almost want to get another '51 or a kit and do more.... this could become an addiction all itself.

My project now will involve wiring up a Lil Killer (10k) with a GFS Crusader (15K). But I am a little confused on how to wire a 3 way toggle and a single tone knob... UGH... I need ELECTRICAL SKILLS!

But anyhow, very nice '51 Dagwood.

My project now will involve wiring up a Lil Killer (10k) with a GFS Crusader (15K). But I am a little confused on how to wire a 3 way toggle and a single tone knob... UGH... I need ELECTRICAL SKILLS!

Flashback, that's going to be a HOT pickup combination! I went with the 6K Lil Killer and the 9.5k Bigmouth, but your setup will be similar (and more intense.)

Are you planning to ditch the coil splitter? If so, you can get a 500k/500k dual concentric pot, which would control both your volume and tone, and get rid of the current volume/push-pull. Then just keep the existing 3-way selector wired as-is. If you still want the splitter, you can buy a separate DPDT mini-switch and make a new hole for it; unfortunately the 51's control cavity is very small it would be super tight in there. Andy at the 51 Modders Forum did it successfully.

I wired mine like a Fender Jazz bass, and got rid of the pickup selector. I used a dual concentric pot to get separate volume controls for each pup, and I use the volume knobs to blend the pup outputs according to taste. I used the stock volume pot as a tone pot. I was going to wire the push-pull switch for series/parallel, but skipped that part for now. I might do it later.

It would be better if I could squeeze a blend control knob in there, but I don't think there's room.

The tone control makes a huge improvement, IMHO. I'll take some pics and post all my mods soon.

Check out guitarelectronics.com and seymourduncan.com for wiring schematics.

yea its definitly gonna be a HOT pickup combo since I am using the Crusader with a 15k Lil Killer. But my style always demands highoutput buckers or single coils. i want to label it the '51 MoFo'Caster but I am having a hardtime designing a decal for it...

ok so how does that work using the dual concentric pots? Does it control volume and tone at the same time? Or something else. I am a little confused on that. I would love to just have another knob on the control plate. But its so hard to cram one in there.

Heyyyyy... are you Hg-jacking my thread?? :oops: :oops: :oops:

Sorry Dagwood; like you said, modding '51's is addicting! :D

I know... id'n it? I wanna do another one... :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

I wanna hear some sound clips of your '51 dawgwood. I am seriously gonna do a '51 Blue Catser with all gold hardware and dream 180 with a lipstick in it. But I am just wondering how it all sounds. maybe you could do a clean clip with the three different pickup combos. And a dirty too!

i know I will once I get my stuff installed.

I NEED MORE '51s!

EDIT: See next Post
D-

OK..

I made 7 little clips..

I'm plugging straight into my HRDx

My Tone setting on the amp are:
Treble: 8.5
Bass: 5
Mid: 7
Presence: 3.5
Reverb: 2
Drive(Gain): 7

I made 3 each for both Clean and Drive Channels.
Neck -- Both -- Bridge

Then I did a lil Beattles Riff in on the Drive Channel with all three P/Us

The Link is: http://www.soundclick.com/updateband/SongInfo.cfm?BandID=425050

If you can't get these or have trouble with Soundclick.com let me know and I'll email em to ya... IF you really want to hear them.

Dag :)

PS BTW.. I love these P/Us :):):):)