Installing MFDs in a Mustang.

As the title says, I'm installing some "soapbar" MFD pickups in my reissue Mustang. How deep do I have to make the routs?* Also, if keep the phase switches do I need to separate the negative lead from the base plates of the pickups?

*(I suppose I'm asking for the depth of the pickup rout on an ASAT, and also the height of the fretboard at the heel. If I know both I'll be able to know how deep the routs on my mustang need to be.)

Thanks!

As the title says, I'm installing some "soapbar" MFD pickups in my reissue Mustang. How deep do I have to make the routs?* Also, if keep the phase switches do I need to separate the negative lead from the base plates of the pickups?

*(I suppose I'm asking for the depth of the pickup rout on an ASAT, and also the height of the fretboard at the heel. If I know both I'll be able to know how deep the routs on my mustang need to be.)

Thanks!

I sent your post to John Toner, Customer Service and master builder at G&L.
Here is his response:

Umm...
Since I don't have a Mustang here for reference, I will give you information based on what I do have. The specs may or may not apply to a Mustang.
Best thing to do is to write down the height of the Mustang's pickup and route and compare it to the MFDs height and see how much clearance you need to accommodate it. See how tall the Mustang pickup sits above the body at it's optimum height.

The MFD ASAT Special pickups are 17mm tall.
An ASAT's body is 44mm thick.
An ASAT's route is 15mm deep.

Do not disconnect the negative wire from the pickup's baseplate.
You still need to connect the pickup's ground in order for it to function.

Hope this helps.

Please do post some pictures of this project as it progresses.

I sent your post to John Toner, Customer Service and master builder at G&L

Cool! Thanks for forwarding the question; I was going to be email John if nobody answered here.

Umm...
Since I don't have a Mustang here for reference, I will give you information based on what I do have. The specs may or may not apply to a Mustang.
Best thing to do is to write down the height of the Mustang's pickup and route and compare it to the MFDs height and see how much clearance you need to accommodate it. See how tall the Mustang pickup sits above the body at it's optimum height.

The MFD ASAT Special pickups are 17mm tall.
An ASAT's body is 44mm thick.
An ASAT's route is 15mm deep.

This is brilliant. This is exactly what I was looking for.

Hope this helps.

Please do post some pictures of this project as it progresses.

It helped a great deal; I've gone from having to "wing it" to having some frame of reference. I will certainly post pictures as I start making progress.

Oh and as for this:

Do not disconnect the negative wire from the pickup's baseplate.
You still need to connect the pickup's ground in order for it to function.

I would never sever the negative pickup wire (lead?) from the actual windings. I was thinking I'd snip the jumper between the lead and the metal plate beneath the magnet. The pickup would still be grounded to signal ground, but I'd run a separate wire from the metal plate to "chassis ground" so it'd still be grounded without making things weird when phase is reversed.

I'm probably just over-thinking things.

I would never sever the negative pickup wire (lead?) from the actual windings. I was thinking I'd snip the jumper between the lead and the metal plate beneath the magnet. The pickup would still be grounded to signal ground, but I'd run a separate wire from the metal plate to "chassis ground" so it'd still be grounded without making things weird when phase is reversed.

Sounds correct. You have to disconnect the "negative" pickup wire from "chassis ground" for phase reverse to work.

This guitar started as a Mustang, but will not end up as one. Here's the photoshop mockup:


I'm going to rout for the pickups once I get the pickguard in-hand. Switching is going to be fairly involved; I'll write more about it once things solidify a bit more.

What's the overall consensus (if there is such a thing) on the standard ASAT Special wiring scheme? Do people tend to switch out the pots for 330k, 500k, or 1meg? What about the caps? I can't imagine that the stock values are too far from ideal.

This guitar started as a Mustang, but will not end up as one. Here's the photoshop mockup:


I'm going to rout for the pickups once I get the pickguard in-hand. Switching is going to be fairly involved; I'll write more about it once things solidify a bit more.

What's the overall consensus (if there is such a thing) on the standard ASAT Special wiring scheme? Do people tend to switch out the pots for 330k, 500k, or 1meg? What about the caps? I can't imagine that the stock values are too far from ideal.

Check out this custom wiring from long time GbL member, Gabe Dellevigne : SC-2/ASAT 4-Way Switching with revised Tone Control, which is
in our Gallery. Those who have used it really like this mod. You might too.

Hope this helps.

Is anybody willing to measure the pickup openings on an ASAT's pickguard? To my measurements the pickups themselves are 91x28mm and 96x28mm for the neck and bridge, respectively. I wanna know how much "wiggle room" I should build in.

Right so here's the idea. Three way toggle switch down at the bottom. Three mini DPDT slide switches up top for series/parallel, phase, and strangle.

I've scrapped the onboard electronics. Not gonna try to do a custom pickguard shape. I'm reining things back a bit.

I've drawn the pickups a bit over-large, but you get the idea.