New Incoming Guitar Day. Squier CV Mustang. Handy Mods?

Creed_Clicks

Hi all. a CV Mustang on the way in the next few weeks. I had been thinking about possible mods before I even get it. They seem to get decent enough review stock, but the bridge and trem does seem to give trouble. Half thinking of locking the bridge, or getting a hardtail conversion plate (but that require a little bit of a rout).
Also thinking of a hot rails type pickup in the bridge. Any recommendations of what could compliment it in the neck? I will play with stock pickups for a while, but I will look at something "hotter" or more onto a single coil size HB. e.g. some Lace Sensors might be a good option.
Nut is bone from what I have read, and not sure, maybe the wiring is crap, but will look into it too!

Funkfingers

Hot Rails bridge position probably best partnered by Cool Rails or neck position HR.

DiMarzio "Track" type pickups may be of more suitable output levels. Also, since their covers are removable, they will look right with the bridge/Treble pickup reverse mounted as it is.

With Lace Sensors, if the neck position is a Gold or Emerald, the bridge could do with being Burgundy, Light Blue or Red.

Consider series/parallel interconnection between single coils.

Creed_Clicks

@Funkfingers thank you! Yep, I'd like to keep all the existing switch options!

Funkfingers

All four standard coil permutations … via nine slider switch positions. 

GSPBASSES

Funkfingers said:

Hot Rails bridge position probably best partnered by Cool Rails or neck position HR.

DiMarzio "Track" type pickups may be of more suitable output levels. Also, since their covers are removable, they will look right with the bridge/Treble pickup reverse mounted as it is.

With Lace Sensors, if the neck position is a Gold or Emerald, the bridge could do with being Burgundy, Light Blue or Red.

Consider series/parallel interconnection between single coils.

Interesting, with Seymour Duncans I always go the other way round. I find the hot rails have a very coarse sound to them but in the neck it's smooth it out nicely, and cool rails at the bridge just sounds good.

Creed_Clicks

Bridge and thimbles worth looking at ?

Sesh

This wiring adds series without losing out-of-phase:
https://i.imgur.com/jpXcJmu.png

Creed_Clicks

Sesh said:

This wiring adds series without losing out-of-phase:
https://i.imgur.com/jpXcJmu.png

ooo now this looks interesting 

Creed_Clicks

And if I were to just upgrade the stock single coils with other single coils, any recommendations? A lot of options I suppose...

Funkfingers

What do you dislike about the stock single coil pickups?

monquixote

I'd try a Dimarzio Injector for a hot bridge

Creed_Clicks

Funkfingers said:

What do you dislike about the stock single coil pickups?

Nothing yet. I just assumed these were the “quick wins” with the cheaper guitars 

Funkfingers

You might get away with keeping the neck position pickup and choosing a more powerful li'l 'bucker for the bridge position.

Much depends on how fussed you are about RF interference and hum. 

In the Eighties, Adrian Belew's heavily modified Mustangs had stacked coils pickups. His Custom Shop Stratocasters (Bowie 1990 tour) had Lace Sensors.

monquixote

Creed_Clicks said:

Funkfingers said:

What do you dislike about the stock single coil pickups?

Nothing yet. I just assumed these were the “quick wins” with the cheaper guitars 

CVs used to have Toneriders in them. Don't assume that will be the weak link

Creed_Clicks

  https://i.imgur.com/Q5nEUMf.jpg

freakboy1610

That looks great. If you want to stop the bridge rocking you could have a look at this.
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/215473/thimble-sleeves-for-fender-offset-bridges#latest
You may have sorted it out already.

Creed_Clicks

@freakboy1610 yep, the bridge is fairly solid. (I didn't set this up at all, a luthier did)

Funkfingers

monquixote said:

CVs used to have Toneriders in them. Don't assume that will be the weak link

I had assumed that the OP's CV Mustang would have pickups similar to the ones from the same factory as Tonerider. Instead, as is apparent from the photograph, the guitar has Duncan Designed pickups - like the VM series version.

The neck position pickup is a DuncDes SC101N - like a flush poles vintage Strat  except the magnet rods are set flush with the upper bobbin plate to allow the cover to fit.

The bridge position pickup is hugely overwound to something like 11 or 12k. 

Critically, for replacement purposes, the bridge pickup cavity is routed "backwards", obliging any pickup with the traditional lower bobbin plate to be installed with the output conductors facing towards the neck. If the replacement pickup has a polepiece "stagger" pattern, this will be reversed. Unless the pickup has a removable cover, any printed or embossed logo will be in the wrong place.

Creed_Clicks

@Funkfingers I think I will leave the stock pickups for now, but might experiment with the series/parallel connection you mentioned in previous posts. Just need to find some kind of diagram to give to the luthier!. I am guessing the diagrams posted above are the ones to use?

Funkfingers

Yes. The diagram posted by Sesh will work. 

You can find other suggestions in Premier Guitar Mod Garage. 

My preference is to leave the slider switches operating as centre off. (They are actually on/on/on. It is the jumper connections that create the off position.) This means no work to be done on the switch for the neck pickup. 

Creed_Clicks

@Funkfingers thanks!