Mustang Guitar Repair

Painting? Routing? Set-up tips? Or just straight-up making a guitar from scratch? Post here, and post pics!

Moderated By: mods

User avatar
taylornutt
.
.
Posts: 4908
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:04 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Mustang Guitar Repair

Post by taylornutt »

My Mustang was in need of some repair.

My objectives were:

1) Fix a spinning screw(s)
2) Check the guitar ground wires
3) Move the Vibrato Springs to the middle Setting
4) Raise the Pickups after I had raised the bridge before.

ImageMustang Guitar Repair by Joey, on Flickr

1) I had one spinning screw on the Vibrato plate though I ended up repairing 3 of them.

I just used the toothpick/qtip fix with some glue and they tighten right up. The screw on the tip of the control plate also needed the same treatment.

ImageMustang Guitar Repair by Joey, on Flickr

2) I was glad to find that the control plate and the pickups were soldered to vintage ground plates but I was missing a connection to the bridge.

I drilled a hole from the pickup cavity to the tremolo cavity, soldered one end to the vintage ground plates and folded the other striped wire end under one of the bridge thimbles. Now the buzz goes away when I touch the strings.

ImageImage

3) I couldn't get the springs off the Mustang Vibrato posts so I will try it next time I restring the guitar.
ImageMustang Guitar Repair by Joey, on Flickr

4) Raising the pickups was super easy and now it sounds better since I raised and loctited the bridge.
ImageMustang Guitar Repair by Joey, on Flickr

Overall, everything went well and the guitar is playing much better.

It's always a fun afternoon when you get to work on a guitar.
J Mascis Jazzmaster | AVRI Jaguar | Tuxedo-stang |Fender Toronado GT |
Squier FSR Sparkle Jaguar | Squier CV Mustang |1971 Fender Bronco| Baja Telecaster |
User avatar
sunshiner
.
.
Posts: 7998
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Around the corner

Re: Mustang Guitar Repair

Post by sunshiner »

Well done, I have always liked this kind of relatively small but well documented/photographed projects. Unfortunately in the days of earning at least some kind of money through uploading videos people moved away from the old fashioned forum posting, which isn't bad but has its own but altogether different aesthetic to it.

Also, I'm still curious whether your Stang still has the sunburst under the black finish or not. Could the previous owner just spray the black over it to make it look "cooler" by the 80s/90s standards?
matte30is wrote:Someone man up and get a balloon.
User avatar
Hurb
Peanut the Kidnapper
Posts: 7167
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:47 pm

Re: Mustang Guitar Repair

Post by Hurb »

Awesome work. Up until recently the Mustang trem had be baffled. I couldn't ever get it to keep tune like my jag/jazzy's but finally got it working great last month.

Did you try taking the spring off the hook end first? Found that the easier way.
User avatar
Doog
mid-century modem
Posts: 23021
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2006 4:49 pm
Location: London

Re: Mustang Guitar Repair

Post by Doog »

Great work, love that B/W 'Stang and all ❤️
taylornutt wrote: Thu Mar 17, 2022 12:04 am 3) I couldn't get the springs off the Mustang Vibrato posts so I will try it next time I restring the guitar.
You can always totally unscrew the posts from the 'cigar' with the right allan key in the top, and reposition the springs while stuff is dismantled?
sunshiner wrote: You don't understand my kindness, drown in shit
User avatar
taylornutt
.
.
Posts: 4908
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:04 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Re: Mustang Guitar Repair

Post by taylornutt »

sunshiner wrote: Thu Mar 17, 2022 6:04 am Well done, I have always liked this kind of relatively small but well documented/photographed projects. Unfortunately in the days of earning at least some kind of money through uploading videos people moved away from the old fashioned forum posting, which isn't bad but has its own but altogether different aesthetic to it.

Also, I'm still curious whether your Stang still has the sunburst under the black finish or not. Could the previous owner just spray the black over it to make it look "cooler" by the 80s/90s standards?
Someone had hacked up the front with some Ibanez style pick guard and the next person filled in the mess and then painted the front black.

I found the original project thread and found a picture. (The horror)

ImageIMG_3824 by Joey, on Flickr
Last edited by taylornutt on Thu Mar 17, 2022 8:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
J Mascis Jazzmaster | AVRI Jaguar | Tuxedo-stang |Fender Toronado GT |
Squier FSR Sparkle Jaguar | Squier CV Mustang |1971 Fender Bronco| Baja Telecaster |
User avatar
taylornutt
.
.
Posts: 4908
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:04 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Re: Mustang Guitar Repair

Post by taylornutt »

Hurb wrote: Thu Mar 17, 2022 11:04 am Awesome work. Up until recently the Mustang trem had be baffled. I couldn't ever get it to keep tune like my jag/jazzy's but finally got it working great last month.

Did you try taking the spring off the hook end first? Found that the easier way.
I did unscrew one post and put it in a vice. I just was not able to pry it off. I was worried I might break it.

I am going to adjust the height of the tube to see if it will lean forward more.

I am trying to get the vibrato arm to sit more level with the strings.

I usually have to lift up on the Vibrato arm to get it to return to tune.

ImageUntitled by Joey, on Flickr
J Mascis Jazzmaster | AVRI Jaguar | Tuxedo-stang |Fender Toronado GT |
Squier FSR Sparkle Jaguar | Squier CV Mustang |1971 Fender Bronco| Baja Telecaster |
User avatar
taylornutt
.
.
Posts: 4908
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:04 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Re: Mustang Guitar Repair

Post by taylornutt »

Doog wrote: Thu Mar 17, 2022 12:05 pm Great work, love that B/W 'Stang and all ❤️
taylornutt wrote: Thu Mar 17, 2022 12:04 am 3) I couldn't get the springs off the Mustang Vibrato posts so I will try it next time I restring the guitar.
You can always totally unscrew the posts from the 'cigar' with the right allan key in the top, and reposition the springs while stuff is dismantled?
Thanks. I unscrewed the one post and those springs are really crimped around the posts.

ImageMustang Guitar Repair by Joey, on Flickr
J Mascis Jazzmaster | AVRI Jaguar | Tuxedo-stang |Fender Toronado GT |
Squier FSR Sparkle Jaguar | Squier CV Mustang |1971 Fender Bronco| Baja Telecaster |