Bullet Mustang - show and explain your mods

[xtomx2000]

Hi y'all Bullet Mustang owners.

Seeing various threads about customizing these neat little Rock'n'Roll machines scattered across the forum, I thought it might be good to collect them all in one thread. There are some really astonishing mods in those threads, but hard to find sometimes.

If you feel alike, please post your mods again here and if you added parts, it would also be great to know where you got them from.

I will start off with what I changed on mine so far:

1. The cheap pot metal saddles got replaced with standard modern Fender steel saddles - improves the sound quite a bit!



2. On the purely cosmetic side I added racing stripes - I think a Mustang without racing stripes looks incomplete. I got those from a seller on eBay called designdivil



3. I switched the pickups for wide range type humbuckers with a little less bite but a lot more expression and voice. I had to carefully rework the pickguard to make them fit. They can be split as well - I think I will add push/pull pots to explore the possibilities...

Humbuckers are F&M and from an eBay seller named Thor-guitars.

 

[xtomx2000]

In the planning:

Push/pull pots to split the humbuckers

Vintage tuners with plastic knobs

Bone nut

Will post updates as they come along...

 

[Birddog144]

Kiwi'd neck, vintage tuners with white buttons (only proper on a Mustang):




Bone nut, leveled/crowned/polished frets, rolled fretboard edges:




Fender saddles:




Steel threaded inserts in the neck. attached with SS machine screws, engraved neckplate and gasket:




White pearloid pickguard, white knobs, Rose Magic dragon pickups, Gotoh strap locks:

 

[Birddog144]

And lastly, a racing stripe:

 

[squierjosh]

Where y'all getting those Fender saddles? I have a set from a MIM bridge, but they are only 1.5 spacing, so there's a lot of wiggle room that I don't like.

 

[xtomx2000]

I took mine from this one: https://www.amazon.com/Fender-6-Sad...id=1492983829&sr=8-1&keywords=fender+hardtail

 

[xtomx2000]

Kiwi'd neck, vintage tuners with white buttons (only proper on a Mustang):

View attachment 74653


Bone nut, leveled/crowned/polished frets, rolled fretboard edges:

View attachment 74654


Fender saddles:

View attachment 74656


Steel threaded inserts in the neck. attached with SS machine screws, engraved neckplate and gasket:

View attachment 74657


White pearloid pickguard, white knobs, Rose Magic dragon pickups, Gotoh strap locks:

View attachment 74658

Birddog - do you remember where you got the pickguard from? I searched all my sources, but all I can find are the standard Mustang pickguards with the two switches above the pickups.

 

[xtomx2000]

I really like the pearl pickguard and the white knobs on yours!

 

[xtomx2000]

The tuners are exactly what I am planning for mine as well!

 

[squierjosh]

Why not use that whole bridge assembly?

I took mine from this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OI4SYQ/?tag=squiertalk-20

 

[xtomx2000]

Its for a string through body ...

 

[Birddog144]

Saddles: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338148356&icep_item=232177926225 Word of caution with these: They don't come with intonation screws (you'll need 4-40 screws), and the screws on the original saddles are M3.

As for the pickguard, I had it made here: http://pickguards.us/index.html They charged me a BUNDLE because they had to make a new template for it. I mentioned that there may be others interested in the same pickguard, but suffice it to say, they didn't leave a good impression with me (kinda rude, condescending and not all that helpful) so I'm reluctant to recommend them.

 

[squierjosh]

Ok...so confused. I measured the bridge and it's 2 1/16" spacing, which is the smaller spacing. I also see 2 3/16" saddles. However, my Vintage Modified saddles leave a LOT of room on the sides when I put them on, so they must be even less than 2 1/16"?

I took mine from this one: https://www.amazon.com/Fender-6-Sad...id=1492983829&sr=8-1&keywords=fender+hardtail

 

[santos]

Mine is a black Mustang. I changed the stock 3-ply w/b/w pickguard for a budget tort one without the upper switching routs. Had to reshape it to fit around the control plate but it's not a bad fit all said and done.

Also I could not get on with the bridge! The saddle screws kept working loose as I played, and I either had the choice of replacing the saddles (but I didn't know what type to get) or getting another hard tail Strat bridge (didn't know if it would work with the neck radius) or sticking a vintage Fender bridge from a 1960's Duo-Sonic or Musicmaster on there…

I chose the 60's Duo-Sonic bridge, and I swear the little Bullet Mustang is rock solid now I think it helps that I put a set of 10-46 D'Addario flats on there too, but I'd have done that anyway. Did some recording with it last week and it is such a funky little guitar to have around. Would like to get some plastic tipped Mustang tuners for it at some point but the stock Squier cheapies are ok for now.

Final mod would be a Dakota Red respray and a 2 regular single coils in an aged pearl 'guard like a vintage 60's Duo-Sonic but I have absolutely zero skills in the refin department so that will have to wait until I have the spare cash. Or maybe I'll find a 60's Duo-Sonic near me someday..?

If the pic attaches, you'll see the lil Mustang in all it's cheap tort glory haha!

 

[xtomx2000]

hey Santos, I love that tort pickguard on the black finish - do you remember where you got it from? And the bridge looks really nice on it as well!

 

[santos]

hey Santos, I love that tort pickguard on the black finish - do you remember where you got it from? And the bridge looks really nice on it as well!

Cheers Tom!

Tort pickguard came from Ebay UK, seller named 'earlpilanz' based in Scotland but I think he ships worldwide. And yeah the bridge is a great fit for these guitars, and it improves the feel of the guitar for me.

 

[xtomx2000]

Hello Santos, many thanks !!

 

[Squireitup]

I changed the whole bridge with an unknown one. Got it from a friend it may have been bought or taken off something not sure. I also have giant knobs I thought about putting on just not sure if they'll look good.

 

[Pat V.]

A few mods and changes are documented here on my Squier Bullet Mustang Thread.

 

[so1om]

.

Also I could not get on with the bridge! The saddle screws kept working loose as I played, and I either had the choice of replacing the saddles (but I didn't know what type to get) or getting another hard tail Strat bridge (didn't know if it would work with the neck radius) or sticking a vintage Fender bridge from a 1960's Duo-Sonic or Musicmaster on there…
View attachment 74716

Loctite or white glue will resolve that issue.