Grateful Dead Music Forum

Just picked up a late 70's Memphis MG-300 off ebay. I want to get it overhauled...OBEL/BUFFER/routing for middle pick up, coil taps, new hardware....How much do you think I will spend to do this, and do y'all have any recommendations on who to get to do it? any guidance would be appreciated.

Here's one possibility:

http://www.aoguitars.com/pricing-5

Too funny, I just talked a buddy into buying that same guitar three weeks ago from a local CL posting. How do you like it?

Peace,

James

I can handle that.
[email protected]

Holy crap. This was my very first guitar, and I still own it. Learned on it for about two years before I upgraded to my MIJ Strat. Sold as an "Alembic copy", I think I paid $250 for it in the fall of 1984. I've never known what actual model it was. Chunky neck! Been intending to overhaul and set it up for years uncounted, but it remains nearly forgotten in it's case, somewhere in the back of the garage, with its electronics gutted. Maybe this will give me the push...

I just dug it out, and it's nearly in tune! Except missing the high E, because years ago, I cannibalized one of the Grovers to replace one on my SchecTiger (which is why five are gold and one is chrome). Neck not quite as chunky feeling as I remember but it does have a pronounced U-profile compared to my C-profile Strat and SchecTiger. This, my very first stringed instrument, was a righty model that I flipped the stringing on. Playing lefty, all the controls are up under my arm, "Hendrix-style". However, I used to inadvertently turn down the volume with my wrist while playing, a major annoyance, so when I wire it up, I'll probably use the Bridge Vol drill hole for my OBEL jack. Man they need work, but these frets feel kinda fast! To be continued in another thread perhaps.

Hahaha...tigerstrat. Glad I could spark that memory of your first guitar for you!! My dimarzio pick ups and waldo TPC-1 just arrived and it is off to a local company thats going to do all the work!! I asked them to do a fret job, I am pretty sure mine sat in a case for a long time too. The neck was bowing a bit causing some issues on the upper frets, but it looks beautiful otherwise....I'll post a pick of the finished product , hopefully in a few weeks.

Funny, my first bass was/is a Memphis P-bass copy! They made some pretty nice stuff for a while, before they switched factories in the mid 80's or so.

I just finished one of these for a friend. The goal was simplicity. He did not want an OBEL or buffer at this time, but may add later. He also preferred individual pickup rings as opposed to a single pickup plate. I had to move the bridge pickup 3/16" toward the bridge to make room for the middle pickup. The pickups are all Super II's. One master switch controls all 3 pickups to change from humbucker to single coil mode. Each pickup has its own on - off switch. The bridge pickup has a switch to put it out of phase with the neck pickup. The master volume control is placed where the original 3-way toggle switch was located. It was "sunk" into the body to avoid any possible interference while playing. The master tone control is a no-load pot. He insisted on the no-hole covers which made the pickups extremely microphonic...the feedback was unbearable! Wax potting along with a few propriety modifications took care of this. The finished guitar plays beautifully, and has a huge palette of tones, including the coveted "Jerry middle pickup tone". It was a lot of work but the end result was amazing. Would be happy to discuss the details as well as the pitfalls I encountered as well as the solutions to them with anyone who is interested.

Wow...... that looks great. Interesting decision to do the pickup covers.

540EYE wrote: He also preferred individual pickup rings as opposed to a single pickup plate.

Very nice job. Speaking of pickup plates where does one get a single wolf/tiger style gold/brass pickup plate that accommodates 3 pickups? I haven't seen these anywhere on the web. Are they all custom made? I'm looking for a SSS and a SHH.

Thanks