NGD - Silhouette Stuff

[nervous]

Took delivery today of my latest 2001 Silhouette Special and while I did not have time to go through everything yet I did enough to get it in shape for tomorro wnights work and first test. A bit of a mixed bag so far so the good is that this is the newest old guitar I have ever had. The sellers pictures had some things looking worse that they were on arrival. And while there are signs of handling, some minor finish dents, etc., I can find very little to no evidence of play wear. The frets have almost no signs or use and the fret board is as clean as new. Very surprising as if it sat in a case all this time. Pickguard and pickup covers also do not have the usual pick or play markings. Not a mark on the headstock and its finish. As clean and shiny as it left the factory. I almost feel bad taking it out and putting my greasy hands all over it.

In the less than good / interesting finds department, all of which are minor and easily remedied, yet interesting to me. I found a variety of screws that were pretty significantly rusted along their threads even though I don't thing they have ever been touched. All backside and bottom related. A four battery box screws, all six trem cover screws and the bottom strap button screws were all very rusty in their holes. I have ready replacements for them all but I had never seen that before. I had a bass once shipped in from Florida that has some metal corrosion that was pretty obviously environmental but screws rusting in their holes is new. Hoping the whole thing hadn't gotten wet at some point but I find no other indications of that in any cavity or the finish. And the battery had not been changed since the early 2000's and could quiet possibly be the original battery as it's dated 2006. I am wondering if these are also the original strings! And the neck pickup cover may have an issue as the coil is sagging. Probably a cracked or broken ear.

At some point soon I will do a string change and when they're off I will dig deeper into a few things. Most pressing are the trem pivot screws to pull, clean and lube those. And have a look around the electronics. see if anyone has been on there and Deoxit treat the pots and switch. Confirm as original parts, replace the battery box and see what's up with the neck pickup cover. Does anyone know if a standard Fender Strat pickup cover will fit? I am assuming given the general pickup interchangeability that they would.

I have an odd things that is currently stumping me that I have not encountered before. When I tune the open E, A ad D strings to the correct tuner indicated pitch all fretted noted are significantly sharp. Intonation is checked and set, and nit slots are the correct depth. When I detune the open strings a bit everything plays in tune and even the open notes sound in tune. Is it possible old/bad strings will act funny like this? I guess I will know that when I install a new set.

Some pics:

Corroded battery and rusty screws


Related battery box contact damage from the leaky battery.


Original battery?


Drooping neck coil.


The possibly unplayed fretboard:

 

[Sweat]

So was this the Vegas Gold one?

 

[nervous]

So was this the Vegas Gold one?

Indeed it was

 

[GoKart Mozart]

I have an odd things that is currently stumping me that I have not encountered before. When I tune the open E, A ad D strings to the correct tuner indicated pitch all fretted noted are significantly sharp. Intonation is checked and set, and nit slots are the correct depth. When I detune the open strings a bit everything plays in tune and even the open notes sound in tune. Is it possible old/bad strings will act funny like this? I guess I will know that when I install a new set.

I'd say it's definitely possible that it's the old strings. I've bought several used guitar over the years that have "spooked" me with playablity issues at first and led me to believe that I had uneven frets or neck twists (God forbid), but it turned out to just be the old strings.

Old strings do weird stuff!

 

[DrKev]

At some point soon I will do a string change and when they're off I will dig deeper into a few things. Most pressing are the trem pivot screws to pull, clean and lube those. And have a look around the electronics. see if anyone has been on there and Deoxit treat the pots and switch. Confirm as original parts, replace the battery box and see what's up with the neck pickup cover. Does anyone know if a standard Fender Strat pickup cover will fit? I am assuming given the general pickup interchangeability that they would.

Battery box is available direct from Music Man, or the Gotoh BB-04 is a drop-in replacement. Avoid trying to solder wires to the battery box, the box will melt (ask me how I know ). I would recommend splicing wires from the new box to the old wires from the Molex connectors.

The pickup will almost certainly just need a gentle push to sit properly in the cover. First completely remove the screws, then push the pickup into place, then re-insert the screws. I don't know if Fender covers fit because pole piece spacing is not standardized across the industry. DiMarzio has two different types of single coil covers. Assuming these are the original DiMarzio pickups, you'd want their Vintage Strat cover, model number DM2000BK.

I have an odd things that is currently stumping me that I have not encountered before. When I tune the open E, A ad D strings to the correct tuner indicated pitch all fretted noted are significantly sharp. Intonation is checked and set, and nit slots are the correct depth. When I detune the open strings a bit everything plays in tune and even the open notes sound in tune. Is it possible old/bad strings will act funny like this? I guess I will know that when I install a new set.

Absolutely. Until you get new strings on there ignore all tuning issues.

 

[nervous]

Battery box is available direct from Music Man, or the Gotoh BB-04 is a drop-in replacement. Avoid trying to solder wires to the battery box, the box will melt (ask me how I know ). I would recommend splicing wires from the new box to the old wires from the Molex connectors.

The pickup will almost certainly just need a gentle push to sit properly in the cover. First completely remove the screws, then push the pickup into place, then re-insert the screws. I don't know if Fender covers fit because pole piece spacing is not standardized across the industry. DiMarzio has two different types of single coil covers. Assuming these are the original DiMarzio pickups, you'd want their Vintage Strat cover, model number DM2000BK.


Absolutely. Until you get new strings on there ignore all tuning issues.

Thank you for all this. I have 3 or 4 of those battery boxes in my parts drawer currently so that is easy and my install plan was exactly as you outlined. I will get the PG assembly off ASAP. I was just being lazy to get it usable for tonight's job. But perhaps I will find some time today before that. The cover P/N will certainly be very useful if I find anything broken on inspection.

 

[nervous]

So, this mornings fun stuff

Because the strings were wonky, old and suspect I decided to dig in further and replace them. Which, BTW seems to have solved, or at the minimum, vastly improved the situation. And, while they were off that gave me the opportunity to replace the battery box, clean up and lube the trem pivot screws,do a quick machine polish of the body, shorten the low E string saddle spring, quick fret polish, and swap out the entire black PG/PU assembly with the aged white one which I think looks very much at home on this one.

 

[nervous]

Additionally I did find that two of the single coil covers had deteriorated to the point of failure but with the help of the good DrKev replacements are already on order.

 

[nervous]

I was also happy to find that all the electronics are indeed original

 

[tbonesullivan]

I was also happy to find that all the electronics are indeed original

Glad to see that there is no major oxidation / corrosion going on with the electronics. Kinda amazed how the covers for the single coils broke like that. The guitar has to have been stored in some type of atypical environment. I've never seen screws get like that, unless somehow the battery affected the screws as well. What did the wood in the screw channels look like?

 

[nervous]

Glad to see that there is no major oxidation / corrosion going on with the electronics. Kinda amazed how the covers for the single coils broke like that. The guitar has to have been stored in some type of atypical environment. I've never seen screws get like that, unless somehow the battery affected the screws as well. What did the wood in the screw channels look like?

The entire PG cavity is very clean. The PG screw holes were a mixed bag. All but 4 were clean and the holes were clear. But four has some rusting, not as bad as the others I had shown but it was there. And those holes were a darker brown. There was also a bit of rust on the low E side of the term post screw. Not in the top part that engages with the knife edge, but into the body, but not extending into the threads. Very off placement. The high E side was clean. I de-rusted, polished and lubed both then reassembled. Should never be an issue again. The pickup covers are odd. Perhaps some repeated heating and cooling cycles in storage would account for both the weakened plastic and created a condensation cycle that generated the rust, especially since it's all lower section screws with the issues so it it was stood up on concrete perhaps that exacerbated the issue? It did not come with the original hardshell case and for what is likely a mostly unplayed guitar in nearly new condition all things considered, to not have an equally conditioned case may indicate that it did not fare well in storage.

 

[DrKev]

View attachment 43716

I loved it with the black and black pearl but that is also freakin' gorgeous!

 

[nervous]

I loved it with the black and black pearl but that is also freakin' gorgeous!

I am torn. Certainly easy enough to swap. White until Labor Day then change over for the fall and winter...

 

[banjoplayer]

a real beauty with the new pickguard!
although the story of the pickup covers remains a mystery

 

[banjoplayer]

does it have gaps in the neck pocket ?!?

 

[nervous]

It has a space barely large enough to slip a piece of standard paper into on both sides. Ny other 2001 has exactly the came, just harder to see given it's darker color. That said I don't find it uncommon in a lot of guitars and basses I have had that the neck pockets are left pretty messy on assembly. Paint runs into the corners and edges that don't allow full neck to pocket flat contact and I have seen the same on the upper edges where the finish was left a bit thick that That small space might allow for a bit of expansion and contraction and help minimize or stop the classic neck pocket area finish cracking, which this one also has. I have not yet had this neck off but will someday.

does it have gaps in the neck pocket ?!?

 

[Sweat]

Nice, disappointing it was not in the condition that was described but good job on getting it back to normal

 

[nervous]

Nice, disappointing it was not in the condition that was described but good job on getting it back to normal

Well, that depends I guess. It was listed in 'Very Good' condition and for all practical purposes it really is, in some ways better. The things I found it's very possible the seller had no idea about. That said, I have written to them with some questions and they have not yet responded so make of that what you will...

 

[Ishmun]

I had the exact same pickup cover issue with my SS in Las Vegas Gold, strange, but manageable!

 

[nervous]

I had the exact same pickup cover issue with my SS in Las Vegas Gold, strange, but manageable!

That is interesting. Not a common thing at all.