tedmanzie Posted May 9, 2014 Author Share Posted May 9, 2014 Thanks, nice pics! Mine looks exactly like that (except it's more worn and discoloured). Yours has more pronounced grain. maybe it's ash? I've researched the MIJ / CIJ thing before regarding various basses, and it's just a change of name - pre 97 is MIJ, post 97 is CIJ, post 2007 is back to MIJ - there is no difference in manufacture as far as I can establish. However they may have tweaked the spec of the 54ri's over the years. Some posts I've read say that Fender stamped saddles indicate a higher spec'd 54ri. I took the pickguard off and it's routed for 3 x single coils as it should be, but nothing written on the PUs to indicate what they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassnut62 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 [quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1399642399' post='2446219'] Thanks, nice pics! Mine looks exactly like that (except it's more worn and discoloured). Yours has more pronounced grain. maybe it's ash? I've researched the MIJ / CIJ thing before regarding various basses, and it's just a change of name - pre 97 is MIJ, post 97 is CIJ, post 2007 is back to MIJ - there is no difference in manufacture as far as I can establish. However they may have tweaked the spec of the 54ri's over the years. Some posts I've read say that Fender stamped saddles indicate a higher spec'd 54ri. I took the pickguard off and it's routed for 3 x single coils as it should be, but nothing written on the PUs to indicate what they are. [/quote] I think mine is ash, it's two piece, but so well matched that it's easy to think it is one piece. yeah, I wasn't sure about the CIJ/MIJ thing; good to know the CIJs weren't assembled/finished elsewhere, as I reckon it's the Japanes craftmanship, tools and attention to detail that puts these guitars a cut above the US Fenders. My techs are big into these guitars and have even gone to trouble of buying all Japanese tools for their work. they showed me their tools and the difference is like that between a master's samurai sword and a cheap blunt instrument from Wal-Mart....hence the better build and finishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedmanzie Posted May 9, 2014 Author Share Posted May 9, 2014 [quote name='Bassnut62' timestamp='1399643364' post='2446239'] My techs are big into these guitars and have even gone to trouble of buying all Japanese tools for their work. they showed me their tools and the difference is like that between a master's samurai sword and a cheap blunt instrument from Wal-Mart....hence the better build and finishing. [/quote] Crikey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Mariner Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 About a blend pot: I rewire all my strats to have the first tone as a master and the second tone to blend the neck PU with the bridge in pos 5 or with bridge + middle in pos 4. Having the tone control the bridge pickup also takes the really sharp edge out out of it, even when on max, and using the second tone control for this purpose is definitely recommended regardless of what other mods you make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedmanzie Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 [quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1399664027' post='2446529'] About a blend pot: I rewire all my strats to have the first tone as a master and the second tone to blend the neck PU with the bridge in pos 5 or with bridge + middle in pos 4. Having the tone control the bridge pickup also takes the really sharp edge out out of it, even when on max, and using the second tone control for this purpose is definitely recommended regardless of what other mods you make. [/quote] Is this basically the same mod as the LFralin blend pot? [url="http://www.fralinpickups.com/images/blendschem2.jpg"]http://www.fralinpic...blendschem2.jpg[/url] Or do you achieve it in a different way? Seems like a good mod. I'm interested in being able to get the bridge/neck sound - I switched the pickups round in my other strat to be able to achieve that - there's another thread about that here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Mariner Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 I need to go look up the schema - haven't done the wiring for a while now, but I'm not sure that's it. Somewhere I have a folder of schematics for a bunch of amps I wanted to build and every guitar I ever rewired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassnut62 Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 [quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1399644296' post='2446252'] Crikey! [/quote] Ooops! Actually they are both women and great luthiers too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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