Sub 1 Mods - Project Motrucci MkII

[Sticky1973]

Second project thread this weekend, but last for a little while as the weather is picking up and I have a Fireblade in the garage feeling neglected.

I finally got round to finishing off my plans for an update to my Sub 1 Motrucci. This time around I’ve opted for a black mirror pick guard. It is very difficult to capture on camera, from one angle it looks flat black, the next is a sharp reflection, and then it goes all dark in reflection. Works even better than I thought it would.

I’ve added Graph Tech saddles, and a Graph Tech nut, and sprayed the pickup bases satin black before mounting. The nut has been filed out for Not Even Slinky action, and the guitar has been setup tuned to C standard.

I've retained the Schaller M6-IND locking machine heads with pearl buttons, and the JP revised control layout. Small update to the pickup installation from the previous incarnation:

• DiMarzio D Sonic DP207F
• DiMarzio Area '61 DP416
• DiMarzio LiquiFire DP227

Layout for pickups is still Y2D inspired, with the JP three way switch and Push/Pull on the tone pot:

• Position 1 (tone pushed): D Sonic, coils in series
• Position 2 (tone pushed): Area ’61
• Position 3 (tone pushed): LiquiFire, coils in series

• Position 1 (tone pulled): D Sonic, coil tap
• Position 2 (tone pulled): Area ’61
• Position 3 (tone pulled): LiquiFire, coil tap

Sounds great with dirt, and rather dark and eerie with clean finger picking.

Really happy how it turned out.

Project complete....... thoughts?

 

[guitarp77]

wow, it looks amazing!!

congrats once again!!

 

[Sticky1973]

Thanks fella!

I much happier with it this time.

Coated Not Even Slinky strings tuned to C sound awesome in it.

 

[RocketRalf]

Looks great! Just a suggestion, which I'm not sure if it is possible, and which you might like or not. Why not wire it so that when the push/pull is down you get bridge+sc instead of just sc? That would make it even more Morse-y.

 

[bsteff666]

That looks fantastic. Love it.

 

[Zoom]

Looks great! That's exactly what I was considering to do with my SUB - add a sc in that "Morse" position!

However, one 3-way switch even with push/pull is not enough for 5 coils you have there.
I'm considering a 5-way super switch with these positions:
1 Neck
2 Neck+Bridge
3 Middle
4 Middle+Bridge coil tap
5 Bridge

So with the push/pull there will be 3 positions more, since 3&4 wont change:
1 Neck coil tap
2 Neck coil tap + Bridge coil tap
3 Middle
4 Middle+Bridge coil tap
5 Bridge coil tap

 

[Jack FFR1846]

It's easy to go nuts with switching. My first Sub project ended up using 2 6 way rotaries plus the 3 way. I ditched them and went completely silo spec.

What I was thinking was to add another push pull so you could do combinations of neck/bridge or neck/bridge/area61. But in the end, it's your guitar. If you like it (I do, by the way), you win.

 

[sbrett]

That looks really good. I'll take it!

How did you come about that pickguard?

 

[Jonny Dubai]

Oh mate its a wee beastie!

 

[Warg Master]

NICE! I've modded my subs... but not like that... now my mods look lame :/

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Nice array of tones there I'm sure! Talk about versatility.

I'm usually happy with 3 different pickup selections on a guitar, but very cool project!

 

[acwild]

That's some really cool modding!

 

[Ripper]

Nice!!!!!

 

[Sticky1973]

Thanks for the nice comments guys!

The pickup switching has very much been part of the evolution of this project. Originally it had an Air Norton in the neck, setup in standard tuning. In its first incarnation, the switching went thus:

• Position 1 : D Sonic, coils in series
• Position 2 : Inner coils in parallel
• Position 3 : Air Norton, coils in series

• Tone Pulled : Area ’61

Problem was, the Area '61 had a sweeter tone than the inner coil mix, and I really couldn't justify the inner coil selection over the Area '61. This time around, the 3 way gives me the three distinct tones I prefer from these particular pickups. The coil tap reveals some darkness in the low tuning. Very surprising.

I sourced the black mirror material online as a blank, and had my go-to-chap use my old pick guard as a template. He polished the sides after the cut, and it looks stunning. The dark acrylic over mirror really is subtle in the flesh. It has.... depth?

 

[jamminjim]

Oh man, that is really a work of art! Nice!

 

[yellowv03]

That looks awesome. Great job!!!

 

[joe web]

awesome job you did there! looks great and i believe it does sound great as well.

 

[Sticky1973]

Thanks guys.

I sat for a half hour last night with the guitar, unplugged. The lil' Sub body really resonates in the lower tuning.

Still built like a tank!