Mastery Bridge

MoonBlog 4.6 Excess

a frog’s leap slight return

There are few changes noticeable, some may turn out to be temporary due to the Transits, others perhaps a shift of me, of me being in this world, who knows, but here is another Blog of Moon 😉

After careful consideration, and many moons, many guitars, many try-outs, many samples, I decided to have a guitar built for me. To not have to compromise again, or experience not just disappointment, but even disaster. Or at least the interpretation of the perception of that 😉

living room wall in 1994

So I made a well researched list of the more technical descriptions a guitar should be made of, and how, the kinds of woods, the way to construct it, the pick-ups and other electronics. There are a few companies that make half-finished guitars, one here in the Netherlands that I know of, and having sponged and absorbed their website I had made the following wishes/demands for such a Sjef guitar, this file was first made Friday June 29th 2007 its last edit was Thursday October 30th 2014

The best of a couple of guitars combined, but starting with a Gibson SG body shape made 45mm thick not the usual 35mm for an SG and is already curved/carved on the sides, with a 3 or 5 parts made neck-thru (meaning neck and body are one long carved/machined piece, and the rest of the body is glued to it) with a leaner angle on the head-stock, added a waist cut and fore-arm cut like on a Fender Stratocaster. 24 frets of course, although unsure of the Scale length. The Neck was to be made of Hard Maple with an Ebony fingerboard, CarbonTech Trussrod and a Compound Radius of 10-16 inches. It needs to be carved out as a Thinline (ie Semi-Hollow) of Mahogany with a quilted Maple top which is flat apart from the curves and cuts and then string-thru (no tremolo) At the time I wrote to put in EMG 85 and 89R pick-ups with a phase change switch, and these need to be bolted to the neck, not spring mounted to the body.

Gibson SG Standard Fireburst
Gibson SG Standard Fireburst

Just the woods and their shape would cost at least 1000 euros, then paint and lacquer, all the hardware, another easy 1000 euro at least, but… no more compromise, no more disaster (heh, this is where my recent insight about Gate 47 (making endless drafts ending as paper rubble) comes in handy)

This idea percolated for years and sometimes was shaved, tuned, added, changed until at one point I thought, ‘fuck it, I’m going to buy a cheap Thinline guitar and just jam with it. Not having an electric guitar or the funds to have one built has lastet long enough now’, and so I started looking for some neat guitars.
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Fender Pawn Shop Offset Special

Fender PawnShop Offset Special 2 Tone Sunburst Thinline in perfect condition
Amazing sounding guitar, amplified and acoustic/unplugged, due to bridge and tremolo

Modifications: new bridge, topnut and proper set-up/tuning

Pawn Shop series: “Guitars that never were but should have been. With an adventurous spirit, these instruments are boldly creative, with a fascinating mix of diverse components”

Semi Hollow Alder Offset Body with belly cut and forearm contour, single f-hole
’60s “C” shape Maple neck with a very nice design/wood cut
25.5″ scale, 21 frets, Humbucking Jazzmaster Pickups (P90 style), GHS GBL 10-46 strings
Vintage Style “Floating” Tremolo Tailpiece and Tremolo Lock Button
Mastery Offset Bridge (M1-KIT), Staytrem conversion Thimbles en GraphTech BLACK TUSQ XL topnut

First owner (Dec 2013), comes with original Fender Deluxe Gig Bag (and box, can be shipped)
Serial Number: MX12000810, made in Mexico

Rarely used, no buckle rash
First pic is Fender, second pic is Mastery, rest is actual guitar

Can be played on Vox ValveTronix VT40+ in Den Haag (right next to Central Station)
Take note: original neck pickup 15kΩ, bridge pickup 30kΩ, therefore loud 🙂

Guitar new was €700, bridge was €200
Serious guitar for a serious bidder. (is now sold)



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