First Act Guitar Project
ME 3915
ME 3915
Here's the best picture I have of the original
guitar. It's from an internet add. Too bad I don't
have the amp: I might try to sqeeze in a 100
watt Marshall chassis. The guitar will remain
stock in appearance, except for the addition of
a volume control just in front of the original one.
It will be placed just inside the scratch plate.
After disassembling the guitar, I tested
and selected the bits I will be using to
do the routing. The cavity will be
about 3x4" to accommodate the two
hidden pickups. I haven't decided for
sure, but I think I will line it with
brass plating.
and selected the bits I will be using to
do the routing. The cavity will be
about 3x4" to accommodate the two
hidden pickups. I haven't decided for
sure, but I think I will line it with
brass plating.
This is the pickup arrangement
when the guitar is completed. It
will have a Hot Rodd Seymour
Duncan humbucker in bridge
position. The Duncan Strat pup
(shown) and a Dimarzio hum-
bucker (Al DiMeola signature.)
in the bridge position.
when the guitar is completed. It
will have a Hot Rodd Seymour
Duncan humbucker in bridge
position. The Duncan Strat pup
(shown) and a Dimarzio hum-
bucker (Al DiMeola signature.)
in the bridge position.
These are 2 of the 3 pots that
will be used. On the far left is
a push-pull volume. There will
be 2 of these in the following
configuration:
1. Both in - vol neck / vol bridge
2. 1st out - neck & middle on
pot 1.
3. 2nd out - bridge and middle
on pot 2 (with pot 1 in).
will be used. On the far left is
a push-pull volume. There will
be 2 of these in the following
configuration:
1. Both in - vol neck / vol bridge
2. 1st out - neck & middle on
pot 1.
3. 2nd out - bridge and middle
on pot 2 (with pot 1 in).
In short, I will be able to couple the middle pickup with the neck or the
bridge pickups by simply pulling out one of the push-pull pots. I can
get all pickups on with just one of the volumes pulled out. There will
be no ability to solo the middle pickup, but I never use that alone. I
haven't decided what caps I will use, but I'll show them once I've
decided.
bridge pickups by simply pulling out one of the push-pull pots. I can
get all pickups on with just one of the volumes pulled out. There will
be no ability to solo the middle pickup, but I never use that alone. I
haven't decided what caps I will use, but I'll show them once I've
decided.
Finally; this is the neck. I will be
installing some new tuners, but
I don't know which ones at this
point. I will probably go with
something black. Other than the
tuners, the extra vol pot and the
Seymour Duncan logo on the
bridge pickup, it will be stock in
appearance. If all goes well, I
might have a custom PUP made
for the bridge position. I've
spoken to Kent Armstrong and
he said he could make one that
looks like the original.
installing some new tuners, but
I don't know which ones at this
point. I will probably go with
something black. Other than the
tuners, the extra vol pot and the
Seymour Duncan logo on the
bridge pickup, it will be stock in
appearance. If all goes well, I
might have a custom PUP made
for the bridge position. I've
spoken to Kent Armstrong and
he said he could make one that
looks like the original.
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The routing is now completed and I've included some pictures (Below.) of the empty cavity, the
pickups in the cavity and a couple of shots with the pickguard on. Note the silver disc on the
pickguard (Near the control knobs.): This is where the neck volume pot will be installed. I had an
accident in the process of routing. I was using a small router and took my right hand off for a
moment; a careless act which nearly took off my right thumb! It required 6 stitches and quite a few
bucks for my doctor.
I have decided to go with a Seymour Duncan humbucker for the bridge position and add a new
custom humbucker, after I've played it for a while. There has been some discussion on a few of
the blogs about whether to drill holes for the magnetic field to interact with the strings. It has been
my experience that the field will generate through the plastic just fine.
With any project, there is a certain amount of trial and reworking: That's half the fun. I suspect
that I will have to work on the balance between the hidden pickups and the exposed one. It was
pretty good with the single Strat pickup that was used in the first phase of this project. My only
concession was having to have a third knob showing; but I can live with that.
pickups in the cavity and a couple of shots with the pickguard on. Note the silver disc on the
pickguard (Near the control knobs.): This is where the neck volume pot will be installed. I had an
accident in the process of routing. I was using a small router and took my right hand off for a
moment; a careless act which nearly took off my right thumb! It required 6 stitches and quite a few
bucks for my doctor.
I have decided to go with a Seymour Duncan humbucker for the bridge position and add a new
custom humbucker, after I've played it for a while. There has been some discussion on a few of
the blogs about whether to drill holes for the magnetic field to interact with the strings. It has been
my experience that the field will generate through the plastic just fine.
With any project, there is a certain amount of trial and reworking: That's half the fun. I suspect
that I will have to work on the balance between the hidden pickups and the exposed one. It was
pretty good with the single Strat pickup that was used in the first phase of this project. My only
concession was having to have a third knob showing; but I can live with that.
 |  |
This project started out innocently enough: I was looking for a backup guitar while some of my stage
guitars were in the shop for fret work. I happened upon a 1st Act Garagemaster (The one given away with
the purchase of a Volkswagon.). I bought it at a local pawn shop for 80 bucks. I currently own a custom
Strat, made by luthier in Massachusetts. It's very radical and has been my main guitar since 1994. I also
own a G&L Tele, a Gibson SG Standard (1982? I really don't care much.) and about a dozen 1st Act
guitars. I buy and sell guitars on a regular basis: Not for profit (Although I never lose money.), but just to try
out new guitars.
I took the Garagemaster on a gig and used it for the entire show. The only things I did to it were a restring
and setup. I usually get musicians at my shows and I was not surprised at the reaction I got when they
found out what I was playing. I was surprised at how much it bothered some of them. I was 'told' that I
should be using the Strat or the Sg (Which were quietly sitting on their stands for the evening.). I asked
them what difference it made and that I would continue to be overpaid, no matter what guitar I used. I
couldn't resist the opportunity to be irritating.
Maybe it's the area in which I live, or the times, but I find people who are more interested in the gear they
use than the music they play and how well they play it. I'm a gearhead like many of the other players, but
I'm not brainwashed. I've had enough Gibsons, Fenders, Ricks to know that everyone makes great guitars
and everyone makes crap! After years of owning Gibson 335's, Fender Tele's and Strats, I thought I would
never find a guitar that I really liked. I finally had one built (The Strat.) and then bought my first G&L Tele: I
was very happy with them. I also started experimenting with different amps. I finally settled on the
Matchless SC30, My Gibson GA8T Discoverer Tremelo and a couple of other ones.
Back to the project. After buying a dozen or so 1st Act cheapies, I ran across the one sold through 'Toys
'R' Us. I snapped it up for about 35 bucks. I had already used the Walmart ME506 for quite a few gigs,
after installing a 500K volume pot and a Fender TBX tone pot. I had a Seymour Duncan SSL-5 strat pickup
installed in the neck position of the Toys 'R' Us guitar and a push-pull pot for coupling it with the bridge
humbucker. It worked out very well, except for the shortcomings of the original bridge humbucker.
I got the idea to make this a 3 pickup guitar, but didn't want to change the look, because of how much it
irritated some of the other players ( I was having a lot of fun with the whole thing.). I had already hidden
the Strat pickup, after learning about the John English 'Stealth Esquire' and Leo Fender's Marauder. I
decided to go ahead with the project and this page was created to document the progress. The attempt is
to create a 'sleeper'.
To me, it doesn't matter what it says on the guitar or amp: It's how it performs. I could write a book on the
experiences I've had with gear over the last 45 years. I know what I like when I find it and I'm always
looking for new sounds. I believe that this will be a fun guitar to use and to try out some ideas I've had for a
long time. I bought the SG to modify, but I had so many offers on it, I figured I'd sell it to someone for two
or three times what I paid for it ($325.00 out the door; which is about all it's worth.). The current high offer
is 800 bucks, but I'm in no hurry. So far, I have about $140.00 invested and will end up with a build cost of
about $375.00. If you think that's too much to put in a toy guitar, maybe you should charge more for your
gigs and then you could own such a pricey axe. - Guitar Dan
guitars were in the shop for fret work. I happened upon a 1st Act Garagemaster (The one given away with
the purchase of a Volkswagon.). I bought it at a local pawn shop for 80 bucks. I currently own a custom
Strat, made by luthier in Massachusetts. It's very radical and has been my main guitar since 1994. I also
own a G&L Tele, a Gibson SG Standard (1982? I really don't care much.) and about a dozen 1st Act
guitars. I buy and sell guitars on a regular basis: Not for profit (Although I never lose money.), but just to try
out new guitars.
I took the Garagemaster on a gig and used it for the entire show. The only things I did to it were a restring
and setup. I usually get musicians at my shows and I was not surprised at the reaction I got when they
found out what I was playing. I was surprised at how much it bothered some of them. I was 'told' that I
should be using the Strat or the Sg (Which were quietly sitting on their stands for the evening.). I asked
them what difference it made and that I would continue to be overpaid, no matter what guitar I used. I
couldn't resist the opportunity to be irritating.
Maybe it's the area in which I live, or the times, but I find people who are more interested in the gear they
use than the music they play and how well they play it. I'm a gearhead like many of the other players, but
I'm not brainwashed. I've had enough Gibsons, Fenders, Ricks to know that everyone makes great guitars
and everyone makes crap! After years of owning Gibson 335's, Fender Tele's and Strats, I thought I would
never find a guitar that I really liked. I finally had one built (The Strat.) and then bought my first G&L Tele: I
was very happy with them. I also started experimenting with different amps. I finally settled on the
Matchless SC30, My Gibson GA8T Discoverer Tremelo and a couple of other ones.
Back to the project. After buying a dozen or so 1st Act cheapies, I ran across the one sold through 'Toys
'R' Us. I snapped it up for about 35 bucks. I had already used the Walmart ME506 for quite a few gigs,
after installing a 500K volume pot and a Fender TBX tone pot. I had a Seymour Duncan SSL-5 strat pickup
installed in the neck position of the Toys 'R' Us guitar and a push-pull pot for coupling it with the bridge
humbucker. It worked out very well, except for the shortcomings of the original bridge humbucker.
I got the idea to make this a 3 pickup guitar, but didn't want to change the look, because of how much it
irritated some of the other players ( I was having a lot of fun with the whole thing.). I had already hidden
the Strat pickup, after learning about the John English 'Stealth Esquire' and Leo Fender's Marauder. I
decided to go ahead with the project and this page was created to document the progress. The attempt is
to create a 'sleeper'.
To me, it doesn't matter what it says on the guitar or amp: It's how it performs. I could write a book on the
experiences I've had with gear over the last 45 years. I know what I like when I find it and I'm always
looking for new sounds. I believe that this will be a fun guitar to use and to try out some ideas I've had for a
long time. I bought the SG to modify, but I had so many offers on it, I figured I'd sell it to someone for two
or three times what I paid for it ($325.00 out the door; which is about all it's worth.). The current high offer
is 800 bucks, but I'm in no hurry. So far, I have about $140.00 invested and will end up with a build cost of
about $375.00. If you think that's too much to put in a toy guitar, maybe you should charge more for your
gigs and then you could own such a pricey axe. - Guitar Dan