First build - Mooncaster

[Marky]

Hi All,

First post, first build.
I ordered the neck and body what seems like a century ago, and still another 4 or 5 weeks till they come, sigh!! Basic spec's are Mooncaster body - quilted maple with Bengal burst, wenge neck and ebony fretboard.
I'm  planning all black hardware, and probably being a bit ocd about it, i've swapped out the chrome screws that came with the SD pups and blued the polepiece screws.
See pics. below for some prep. work i've done - hope I'm not being too ambitious, time will tell.
The first photo is a headstock veneer / inlay, unfinished but ready to apply.
Second is pup rings, can't do any more work on those until I get the guitar and cut the correct base contours, thickness and final outside shape. As you can see i'm using p rails and set triple shot switches into the wood.
Third is the vol & tone knobs and 3 pos. switch pre wired. Not convinced about these, will wait and see.
Last is the Schaller locking tuners, i've changed the knobs to ebony and inlaid the MOP.
Not a lot of info. out there about Mooncasters, would anyone know the answer to these:
Should I get long or short shaft pots (how thick is the front panel)?
Is the rear rout deep enough for push / pulls?
I've read of problems getting the switch into the cavity in the lower horn (I'm using a right angled Switchcraft one). Does anyone know if this is still the case?
Best regards and thanks in advance for any info. you may have. :help:

 

[mayfly]

looking forward to seeing this build progress.

 

[treyhaislip]

Welcome and totally looking forward to the progress as well!

Bengal Burst is one of my favorite that Warmoth offers!

 

[Gemcutter]

Man, I try to like new folks coming in and doing new builds...but I hate this one and I hate you!!!  I've been trying to ignore the Mooncasters (they keep taunting me), and now you have me drooling like a dog!

I love a nice quilt, I hope yours turns out to be unique - it sounds like you're going to have a very well conceived piece of engineering when all is done, so some interesting figuring should make it pop. As soon as you whip it out of the package, be sure to show us your wood, er, maple.

 

[Glimmer]

I'll be following this build, as will many folks, I suspect.

You going with the Mooncaster neck?

(Hope so... )

 

[Cagey]

The Mooncaster is a relatively new design, so I don't have any experience with one yet. Yet! But, I can answer one question re: pot shaft length. You can't put short-shaft pots in deep holes, but you can put a backup nut/washer (which the pots come with) on a long-shaft to change its mounting depth to suit the top thickness. Because of that, I always buy long-shaft parts. They're sorta universal.

 

[Marky]

Thanks for all the encouragement guys.
I've got my head round photo sizing now - sorry for the previous ones.
I've gone for a super wide strat neck, but will be modifying the headstock shape, it'll look a little like a Suhr one.
Thanks for the advice on pot shanks, was just worried about cavity depth.
Nobody but me an the missus sees my wood, but FYI I did go for unique choice so hoping it works out reeel sweet.

 

[Fat Pete]

I'll second Cagey's points about the long shaft pots - definitely the safer way to go.

This isn't from 100% relevant personal experience, but I think there's a fair chance you'll run into problems with that switch. The Switchcraft right-angled one I tried in my Diamondback did not fit, though if yours has a longer thread it might work. A compact vertical switch might be a better bet.

 

[Marky]

Thanks Fat Pete,

You can't see from my photo because i've put a wood surround on the knurled nut of the toggle switch , but I got one of the recessed type nuts  - I reckon it'll allow me about 1/4" (6mm)
But I guess this'll just be part of the learning experience - i'll have a spare switch for my second build!

 

[Fat Pete]

Check out this thread about Mooncaster switch issues.

 

[treyhaislip]

Check out this thread about Mooncaster switch issues.

Cool info! Thanks for sharing/reposting!

 

[Marky]

Yea, that's the thread that got me asking the question. I guess I hoped that Warmoth had addressed the issue by now and made the access cavity bigger as he had been in touch with them about it.
In any case it's this that got me buying the right angle switch because at least he could get it in, and he doesn't mention any problems with body thickness.
I've modified my switch by grinding about 1/8" / 3mm off the bottom to give me a fighting chance.
Time will tell.

 

[Fat Pete]

Unhelpful I know, but for me there's a simple solution - put the switch in one of the positions with the rest of the controls.

 

[Marky]

Thanks Pete. Any suggestion is helpful - and it could work if I can fit push / pulls in the cavity as I could double up some functions.
I could even be really bold (read 'dumb') and cut a rear access port. Guess if I'm gonna do that it would be much easier to drill  a new hole where your pic shows - but I can't even begin to think about how to mask the unused hole in my beautiful new quilt top :dontknow:

 

[Fat Pete]

...but I can't even begin to think about how to mask the unused hole in my beautiful new quilt top :dontknow:

That's why I assumed it was unhelpful - I think if the body is already drilled for a lower horn switch then having a lower horn switch is probably the way to go! It's only a switch - if one doesn't work, just find one that does.

Or... Take a Gretcsh-y turn...

 

[Fat Pete]

Forgive me posting all over your thread, but re the switch pots, these ones came up for discussion recently.



For some reason I had some particularly crappy standard ones in my current build so just sprang for some of these. (The photo links to stewmac, but I got the Mojotone versions, which have slightly higher tolerance and a supposedly better taper. These were the only version I could find in the UK.) I mention them because they do appear to be nice quality parts and require a little less room depth-wise than standard ones.

Btw, triple shots and push-pulls?

 

[Marky]

That Gretsch is not for me - But it is a purty machine. Lovin the fret markers and f hole binding.
Might revisit the knobs I use having seen those.
Definitely an interesting idea though - what pot would you put in the horn?

 

[Marky]

Hi again Pete,
Yes, those are the push pull's  i'd considered but don't know if they'll fit.
Triple shots AND push pulls was just a consideration - probably ott - I saw a wiring diagram on Seymour Duncan website and it allows phase & series / parallel switching
Probably overkill. :icon_biggrin:

 

[Timmsie95]

those CTS push pulls should fit in pretty much any guitar.