Sunset Orange Mustang

[T89Rex]

I had a very exciting visit from the UPS van today:

Absolutely delighted with how it came out. It took until it arrived and I read the order summary to realise that I didn't actually order a one-piece body as I'd intended ( :doh but seeing it in person I'm really not bothered by that.

This is getting humbucker-sized wide-range humbuckers made by Perth winder Martin A Smith. The first little hitch is that the pickup covers are just a touch too tall (wide? headstock to bridge dimension) for the cut-outs in the pickguard. I see some sandpaper in my future. I ended up deciding to use the standard Mustang 3-way switches so the plan is coil-split-off-humbucker for each pickup, if I can figure out my wiring.

The neck will be rosewood on roasted maple and I'm trying a compound radius for the first time (9.5" to 14"). The bridge is a Fender Toronado bridge but I've swapped the saddles for brass Gotoh S11s as I'm not crazy about the bent steel ones on the Toronado.

Can't wait to get started.  :turtle:

 

[Rick]

That's going to be great!

 

[Logrinn]

Sweet!
Black and orange ... very cool!

 

[T89Rex]

So I'm starting to think about wiring and I must confess I'm struggling to get my head around the Mustang switches. I'm aiming for single coil - off - humbucker. Would anybody be able to take a look at my first attempt at figuring it out and let me know if I'm even close?

 

[DieterDeux]

man, that's a great color

 

[T89Rex]

Thanks! The wait for the neck feels even longer now the body is here.

So not only is my wiring attempt above clearly wrong, I've now changed my mind and am going for parallel-off-series instead. The journey continues...

This is where my brain has taken me most recently:

 

[T89Rex]

Update: Re-assessing in the cold light of day, that last diagram sends both pickups to ground when either one is off -- no good. The only fix I can think of involves leaving a coil connected to the hot connection in the off position as below. Probably not a disaster but I'd love to find a way around it if possible.

 

[Wolf Follower]

The more close-up photos I see of satin finish bodies the more I like them. Somehow they just look like they’d feel really nice to touch. Also, that orange looks like a million bucks against those shiny chrome parts!

WF

 

[T89Rex]

This is my second satin Warmoth and I think I'm at the point now where my default will be satin unless I have a particular gloss application in mind. They're really great.

 

[T89Rex]

Disaster strikes!

Just had an email from Warmoth saying they accidentally made the neck with a straight radius. Another four weeks to wait...  :sad:

 

[DieterDeux]

That's just a ridiculous policy. I can't make it make sense. Sorry you've got to wait!

 

[stratamania]

That's just a ridiculous policy. I can't make it make sense. Sorry you've got to wait!

Not really.
What else should be done?
Send him the neck with the wrong radius?

To make a neck and possibly finish it and then send it out takes time.

 

[Rick]

Actually it makes sense to me.  Have to agree with stratman.  If I was making 100 semi custom widgets a day and one of them did not meet customer specs I'd do the same thing.

 

[T89Rex]

I should say that they offered me the neck they'd made for a discount and I very nearly accepted. I just wanted to try the compound radius on this build. The new neck is apparently going to the front of the queue; it just takes time to build.

I'd love to have it right now, but no complaints here.

 

[DieterDeux]

Oh I'm not arguing with QC catching it. Good on em. But I've read on several threads here that you're back at the back of the line in these cases. Obviously yes it takes time to remake it, but fixes should be the top priority, just like at a restaurant. Maybe those I've read griping about it we're misinformed and my frustration for him is misplaced. Seems super odd.

 

[stratamania]

Look at it another way.

Lets say you have custom ordered a neck. The day arrives where it is about to start production but no it is stopped just as it is about to begin because something is shoved in ahead of it. And not just yours but everyone else's neck at any point is put on hold so that by your own logic your neck and numerous other's are held up to fast track something else.

The only sensible thing when something needs to be remade from scratch is slot it into the line at an appropriate point so everyone is treated as fairly as possible.

 

[DieterDeux]

Gotta respectfully disagree there. I’ll use the restaurant analogy again. If they mess up my order it goes front of the line because i ordered first. The rest of my party is already eating. Nobody else in the restaurant has to know it’s happening, and unless the cooks are terrible it shouldn’t happen that often and nobody is the wiser.
I just placed my first order, and I’m very excited about it. I wouldn’t have any issue with his neck being redone before mine- he placed his order first, it should be completed first. I’m betting it’s going to take around 60 days based on what I’m seeing around the forum. If it comes in 61, 62 days? Whatever. If i don’t get it until July? I’m going to be pretty bummed.
Totally get people making changes getting pushed back- that’s self-inflicted. But other customers being pushed back by a few hours/day, which they probably won’t even know about vs him literally doubling his wait through no fault of his own? That’s crazy.
Sorry to hijack your thread Rex. Excited to see this one come together!

 

[stratamania]

There is a difference between a restaurant and a manufacturing line. One is the time it takes to cook a burger etc is less than that required for making a neck and has a lot less steps. So I suggest respectfully that you are applying a false equivalence. His neck is going to take I think about another four weeks which is faster than current build orders seem to take so already there is some prioritisation.

 

[T89Rex]

In any case, I'm sure everyone will be happy with their burgers when they arrive. No, wait. Guitars. Everyone will be happy with their guitars.

 

[T89Rex]

The neck arrived today! Build starts this weekend.

For those of you with experience with compound radii, is it normally visible to the naked eye? I don't have a set of radius gauges but I certainly can't see a difference between the 9.5" end and the 14" end.