melody maker upgrades

[ledlover01]

Melody Maker pickup after market I aged the fret board a tad and the tuners. Its looking good thinking bout a bigsby so itll be my little project.Thanks guys

[Epison]

Photos.

[ledlover01]

Camera Broken Man but ill get them up.

[jonpowl]

Lollar is making a P90 that fits Melody Maker single coil cavities. It comes complete with a pickguard, if you choose.
"Description:
We now have a P-90 replacement pickup and pickguard for original Melody Makers that requires no modification to the guitar. The original route in the guitar body is too small to fit a soapbar P-90 with a pickup cover but it is large enough to accommodate this modified shaped P-90 pickup. Our pickup is made of vulcanized fiber just like a telecaster bridge pickup and is buffed to a semi gloss lightly textured finish with no pickup cover.

It is available for double cutaway early 60’s models with single pickup and for later double cutaway SG style with single pickup. The pickup comes in black only and pickguards are available in single ply black, white or parchment.

It’s as easy as removing the original pickgaurd along with all its attached electronics and dropping in the new pickup and pickgaurd. We can also prewire everything for you. All you have to do is solder the string ground wire to the back of a pot. Pickup measures 8.4K"

[ethomas1013]

I have the Lollar P90 in my 1960 singlecut MM. It sounds great! The Lollar pickguard will not fit a vintage singlecut (you can get the pickup without the pickguard) so you'll either have to modify the original pickguard or get a replacement made. I had a local guy, Pickguardian Custom Pickguards, make a replacement for my 1960 so he has a template from mine.

IIRC, the Lollar P90 will not fit in the cavity for the current reissue MM.

Here's a couple pics. I think it looks a little strange without a cover, but there's no way a cover would fit with the original pickup cavity. So, this is a much better option than routing the body.

[jason lollar]

I have that pickgaurd shape now- since I did this project I found they used a variety of pickgaurds on the same models from the same year- I call your pickgaurd version B. I also have 2 different gaurds for 2 pickup versions.
I havent put them on my site yet- sorry I am a little behind but always call if you run into a snag like that.

[ethomas1013]

Originally Posted by jason lollar

I have that pickgaurd shape now- since I did this project I found they used a variety of pickgaurds on the same models from the same year- I call your pickgaurd version B. I also have 2 different gaurds for 2 pickup versions.
I havent put them on my site yet- sorry I am a little behind but always call if you run into a snag like that.

That's great!

Now all I need is a way to get the text "Melody Maker" on my replacement pickguard. I'm being a bit picky, but that's something that bothers me about using a replacement.

And this pickup sounds fantastic. Lollar definitely makes my favorite P90. The original pickup in my MM was microphonic and unusable with even modest amounts of gain. This totally transformed this guitar from a useless novelty to an absolute tone monster.

[jason lollar]

Right on- you like it, glad to hear that!
I have a double cut with a whammy- beautiful hondo mahog and brazillain rswd and the finish - the burst is so nice and the checked lacquer- I got it from 30th street guitars in manhattan.
I am working on getting the text converted to my laser cutter so I can engrave the pickgaurds and fill the engraving with some white ink or paint pen.
Check with me in a month. Redrawing the texts from a scan takes alot of time to get it to look right. Always use the email on my website dont PM me on any board because it could be months before I notice.

[singlecut]

melody makers, i love melody makers

[singlecut]

Originally Posted by ethomas1013

I have the Lollar P90 in my 1960 singlecut MM. It sounds great! The Lollar pickguard will not fit a vintage singlecut (you can get the pickup without the pickguard) so you'll either have to modify the original pickguard or get a replacement made. I had a local guy, Pickguardian Custom Pickguards, make a replacement for my 1960 so he has a template from mine.

IIRC, the Lollar P90 will not fit in the cavity for the current reissue MM.

Here's a couple pics. I think it looks a little strange without a cover, but there's no way a cover would fit with the original pickup cavity. So, this is a much better option than routing the body.

nice M.M. I HAVE 2 A 59 @ 60, that have p-90's in there, but both had already been hacked for a bucker.
i like to call them a les paul j.r. , j.r.
i just let a nice `1960 husk go to a member here, wonder what he'll do with it?

[ledlover01]

I was now thinkin of puttin a mini humbuckers like they did in the 70s in it. Just throwin ideas around, het lollar do somthing lik that.

[Natalia]

I want my MM 1959 reissue to sound like a telecaster I am seriously considering some mods.....gonna go to Lollar site now. Thanx for the link.

[blues]

I had a 62 single cut MM. I wish I still had it. It was modded with 2 50s p-90s. A volume and 2 tone controles. Checked all over. Nice sunburst like Jason was talking about. It even smelled old.

[nwobhm]

Originally Posted by jason lollar

I have that pickgaurd shape now- since I did this project I found they used a variety of pickgaurds on the same models from the same year- I call your pickgaurd version B. I also have 2 different gaurds for 2 pickup versions.
I havent put them on my site yet- sorry I am a little behind but always call if you run into a snag like that.

Does that work on the 59's also?