The New Monique Project: new pickups, new wiring, new look

[k o y l]

As some of you might already know, I bought Monique's body (which is a black refined CIJ Jazzmaster one. All the details here) from Zhivago a few time ago to build a new Jazzmaster project around it.

The inspiration for this project is the Keith Richards 72 Telecaster Custom, I saw it like 15 years ago and fell in love with the all black body + maple fretboard. It's time to make this old dream come true ! 



So here is the plan:


or


or a mix of both.. that is:

- Black aged body (I will not aged it artificially but since it's a very thin nitro body, it will age very quick)
- Mapled neck w. mapled fretboard
- Black plastic parts (Pickguard + Tips)
- The knobs will be Black Witch Hats or Nickel barrel tele knobs, I've not decided yet.
- TV Jones P90 pickups (under trad JM covers)
- AVRI Tremolo
- Mustang or Trad JM Bridge
- Kluson looking tuners

The soon to occur decay of the body finish makes me think of another famous guitar: The Joe Strummer 66 Telecaster.
This guitar had a sunburst finish when new but Joe repainted it and stickered it several times through the years making it a guitar in constant evolution.

 


I love the idea of a guitar that changes as time goes by, just like a human being get frackles and scars, get tattoed or pierced and this is were I want this guitar to go. 


Now fasten you seatbelt and open your eyes wide:

WELCOME TO THE RE-BIRTH OF MONIQUE !

Here are the parts I already had (mainly left overs from the Messblaster ):



- Black pickup covers
- Neck plate + Cushion + Screws
- Wilkinson Kluson like tuners.
- Strap buttons + Screws
- All electronic components (but I guess I'll have to buy some 500k pots to suit the TV Jones pickups instead of the 1Meg ones I have)
- Piezo (maybe it'll work this time ! )
- Pickup covers screws
- Wire

What's left to be purchased:

- Neck w. Maple fretboard
- Conversion Bushings if necessary
- Black CIJ Pickguard
- Mustang Bridge or Traditional Jazzmaster bridge
- Pickguard Screws
- CIJ Rhythm knobs GPR:
- CIJ Rhythm Bracket (if I can find one)
- Black Witch Hats or Tele barrel knobs
- 1Meg audio mini pot (for piezo)
- 1 500k audio mini pot + 1 500k audio pot (neck pickup)
- 1 250k Pot (bridge pickup: volume only)
- Copper tape

For more informations about where the body comes from and how he turned from blue to black, please read those threads:

index.php?topic=6076.0

index.php?topic=6884.0



November 17, 2007:

I received the body from Zhivago.
As told in the Monique make over thread, it looks nicer in real than in pictures. It has a really nice, silky touch..





It seems the Royal Mail services felt the need to put their own vintage touch to it (maybe that why their services are so expensive.. it's the cost of added Mojo... :-\) :







My girlfriend have some black nail nail gloss, I'll refinish the damaged area with that ! 

December 1, 2007:

I received the AVRI Tremolo with the bar and screws: all in great shape, almost new.



I still don't know if I'll artificially tarnish the chrome with salted water...

I bought a MIM strat neck (9,5" radius / Modern C profile / nut and string retainer included )



I'll need to drill some new holes for the tuners, fill the previous ones and buy some conversion bushings.

December 7, 2007:

I played jigsaw puzzle with the shielding copper foil I had from my previous shielding and started shielding Monique's body... I managed to get most of the work done this way. 



I also stealed some Black Nail gloss from my girlfriend to repair the little damages done by the postal services of Her Majesty... it worked pretty well and it matched the rest. 

 

I also realized the paint layer was so thin it already relicing just by being against a wall on the floor ! .. This guitar will be "Strummerized" much earlier that I thought...

Taking that in account and given the look it will have very soon, I realized I had to make her the guitar used in my Post-Punk/ Industrial/Noise music project !

This means the pickups and wiring that were in the Messblaster (Novak's Jm-HC neck + Jm-FatT bridge) will go in this guitar and the TV Jones pups will go in the Messblaster.
This also means that this project will be quickly done since I'll just put the whole Messblaster pickguard in Monique.

December 12, 2007:

Shielding is  done.



I also put some wood filler in the pickguard screws holes. Not sure they were too large but I'll be sure I won't have loose screws.

The neck was shipped on Monday, I hope it will arrive next week.

December 14, 2007:

Strap knobs and Tremolo mounted



December 20, 2007:

The neck is here !
...and it feels and looks really nice: the profile is very close to a CIJ Jazzmaster neck but it has a flatter radius and slightly bigger frets, just what I wanted. 
The satin finish is very silky.. I like it.

I soon put the conversion bushings on




(more pics are available in the thread)

I had to drill some new holes behind the headstock in order to screw the Kluson tuners in.

Here is the back of the headstock as I received it:


And here it is after I drilled it:


I then mounted the (perfectly in-line) kluson tuners:






I decided to put a Tune-O-Matic on the guitar... it will be the next work step.



------------------------------------------------
I'll update this first post at each step of the project and put new pics in the thread as well... It will be easier to read and aswer and provide a good sum-up as well.


I will also change my avatar according to the evolution state of this project. 
Each time something has changed and a new step has been made, I'll change my avatar accordingly so you'll be able to see the progress of the project whereever you are on the forum..

[k o y l]

I got a first question:

Will a strat tremolo tip fit the Jazzmaster trem bar ?
If not, where to buy a black tip for Jazzmaster ?

[theworkoffire]

Lovely - 35 pages here we come!!!

I think Parts-is-Parts sell the CIJ rhythm brackets.

[k o y l]

  We going to do twice as much I hope ! 70 pages ! 

Yeah I know Part-isParts is selling some but it's the only stuff I have to order from them so I don't know...
But I wait, I may have one from someone met on a french forum.

Green Angel also told me a US bracket on a CIJ guard might fit. He tried the opposite (a CIJ bracket on US guard) and said he was able to screw it  with no problem (same distance between the screws). The only problem was the pots were too far away from the knobs holes...

I just sarted to rescue pieces of copper foil left from previous shielding work and I'm trying to begin the shielding... A nice little jigsaw puzzle ! 

[Stereordinary]

I really like that name: "The New Monique"

You should always refer to her that way. 

[Santiago!]

i think this topic won't get to 35 pages 

[k o y l]

I really like that name: "The New Monique"

You should always refer to her that way.   :)

mm I have other plan... but I think it'll always be "something" The New Monique.  ... or the Moniqueblaster ! 

[the older brother]

Looks nice!

....but if you change your mind along the way (wich is likely  ), I do have a WRHP left over - lying around, doing nothing....

Just for that extra push towards the tele custom feel/look, I mean 

[k o y l]

If I change my mind (and that won't happen before I try those TV Jones pickups: I'm very curious about a JM w. Gretsch pup will sound) that won't be for a FWR Ri.
I'd maybe put the Messblaster Jm-HC on this one and try a P90 in the neck position of the Messblaster (The Jm-HC has grown on me but I kinda feel a P90 would be more complementary) or Maybe I'll swap the necks pup of the 2 guitars... We'll see, I have no idea of how a TV Jones pup sounds in real.

[Stratelejazzuar]

I really like that name: "The New Monique"

You should always refer to her that way.   :)

lol, or you could call it "La Nouvelle Monique" 

[Stereordinary]

Ooh, that's sexy. 

[k o y l]

It think it will remain a mistery to me how you can find such an ugly name sexy ! 

(btw, I can't beleive it: I posted this new thread 2 or 3 hours ago and we're heading fast to page 2 !  ) )

[k o y l]

I decided to buy a MIM strat neck finally.


Well ..if I believe what was said on the auction page, this neck was made in the Fender North-American factory but is found on MIM stratocaster...  not that important as long as it's a good neck.

[Gordon]

Too bad we don't live nearer to each other, Koyl: we think alike, always going from one project to another! I too have ideas for the next one, but I'm not sure to do it yet though...

[k o y l]

This project wasn't supposed to start so soon... I even think I won't like having 2 new guitars almost at the same time (I'll barely had the time to enjoy the Messblaster!)
My plan was to buy a not finished body next year, find a way to paint it and then parts, I was supposed to take my time...but when I saw Zhivago was selling this body, I jumped on it ! (no body to search, no finish to do.. and I wanted this new guitar black anyway...)
And now I can't help wanting to make a guitar out of it . 

But I'll try to wait after Christmas to buy the other parts, except if I find a bargain for some..