10 replies to this topic

[Armchair Bronco]

Tomorrow I'm picking up my first Mustang, a '65RI in Oly White with the red tort pickguard.

I can't wait to lose my 'Stang virginity to this thing:

[Armchair Bronco]

The seller didn't say whether it includes the all-important tremolo arm, so I made a prediction on http://ipredikt.com that it *will* include one. What do you think?

[foxyloxy]

The seller didn't say whether it includes the all-important tremolo arm, so I made a prediction on http://ipredikt.com that it *will* include one. What do you think?

50/50. Nice stang though, I've never played the '65RI I want a review tomorrow!

[Armchair Bronco]

I'll give a full review later on, but here are some early photos and feedback.

I picked it up on Friday (without a trem arm, btw, so sorry if you voted "Yep", cause your score on http://ipredikt.com will go down). Restrung it yesterday with 10-52's, and took some pictures of it today.

Love this thing. The cleans are really chimey and twangy. It's pretty much impossible to push either one of my amps into overdrive without a pedal when I'm playing the Mustang.

The stock tuning machine can't handle 52's, so I had to use a 3-inch piece of 52 wire as a sort of file, dragging it back and forth for a minute or two to widen the slot. Then I had to use a tiny drill bit and my Dewalt cordless drill to ream out the hole in the low-E tuning machine. Now it can happily handle 52's.

[redman1401]

Interesting that it wouldn't fit...I use 10-52s on my 69 reissue and i didn't have to do anything to that or my jagstang's tuners....nice looking guitar though.

[Armchair Bronco]

Interesting that it wouldn't fit...I use 10-52s on my 69 reissue and i didn't have to do anything to that or my jagstang's tuners....nice looking guitar though.

I compared the '65 RI tuning machines to my CP Jaguar Special HH and was amazed at the difference. The Jag can easily accomodate strings MUCH thicker than even 52's. But the 65RI Mustang looks like it tops out around 48's or maybe 50's. The slots and the hole in the center of the machines are very small on the 'Stang. Stringing up 10-52's isn't possible without some modding and power tools.

[redman1401]

I compared the '65 RI tuning machines to my CP Jaguar Special HH and was amazed at the difference. The Jag can easily accomodate strings MUCH thicker than even 52's. But the 65RI Mustang looks like it tops out around 48's or maybe 50's. The slots and the hole in the center of the machines are very small on the 'Stang. Stringing up 10-52's isn't possible without some modding and power tools.

the 65 should have the same tuners the 69 has, and i had gotten mine from fender japan, and it fit fine....interesting anyway.

[Armchair Bronco]

Well, I guess it's a mystery. For the record, I was trying to install D'addario 10-52 Light Top / Heavy Bottom strings on my new guitar. And I can assure that there was no way the 52 was going to fit in the stock low-E tuning machine. The slot was too narrow and the hole in the post was too skinny. I had to muscle in a piece of 52 wire and use it as a file to get things started. Even then I had to slide it back and forth for a couple of minutes to wear off enough metal to get a drill bit down the center. Then I had to ream out the hole in the post.

For all I know, I had a mis-labeled bag of strings. Maybe I ended up putting 13-70's on my new Mustang!

[redman1401]

Well, I guess it's a mystery. For the record, I was trying to install D'addario 10-52 Light Top / Heavy Bottom strings on my new guitar. And I can assure that there was no way the 52 was going to fit in the stock low-E tuning machine. The slot was too narrow and the hole in the post was too skinny. I had to muscle in a piece of 52 wire and use it as a file to get things started. Even then I had to slide it back and forth for a couple of minutes to wear off enough metal to get a drill bit down the center. Then I had to ream out the hole in the post.

For all I know, I had a mis-labeled bag of strings. Maybe I ended up putting 13-70's on my new Mustang!

i wonder if something happened to the stock tuners from the previous owner, i believe you about the fit, just interesting that it was a tight fit for you and for me they fit fine. I wonder if anyone else has had this issue.

[Armchair Bronco]

i wonder if something happened to the stock tuners from the previous owner, i believe you about the fit, just interesting that it was a tight fit for you and for me they fit fine. I wonder if anyone else has had this issue.

I doubt that the previous owners changed anything. The only reasonable explanation is that when my guitar was made, the factor was using tuning machines with skinny slots, then they changed to fatter ones.

Anyway, I love this guitar, especially the neck. But I'm not sure if I want to stick with the 10-52's. I may want to switch to some 10-46's. I'm also having some tuning stability problems so I may try to use washers under the bridge, tighten up the tremolo springs, and move the trem down as far as it can go.

[redman1401]

I didn't mean using different tuners. Also doubt the change as well since i have 2 guitars that are three years apart with the same sized tuners. They may not have drilled it enough at the factory.

If you're going to do that, id remove the springs entirely and use bolts to lock it down. If you're keeping the stock bridge, wrap some electrical tape around the posts so they just fit in the pots. This way the bridge won't move.