c.1963/64/2011 Fender Duo-Sonic Guitar

I picked up this guitar in trade as a '63 old-style Duo-Sonic body and a '64 Duo-Sonic II neck, 24" scale length. Both parts were stripped of their hardware and the finish was pretty shot on the body... I would have left it but someone had sanded the top edge bare as if it had binding... really weird looking. The back was entirely bare.

At any rate, I resprayed the body and went on the search for new hardware... strap buttons were off of a '60s Japanese parts guitar, though all the rest is new... repro Kluson tuners, new repro Duo-Sonic bridge, new string tree, new one-ply black pickguard by Jeannie Pickguards, new Tele-style chrome knobs, pickups are Japanese-made modern Fender Mustang reissue pickups which are the closest I could find to the originals. The toggle switch and jack are both Switchcraft, and curiously I used 500k pots and an Orange Drop capacitor. The 500k pots give a bit more sparkle when you roll off the treble and the volume pot is super sensitive which makes it super-cool for tremolo effects.

I think it turned out pretty spiffy and I've always wanted a green guitar! Tone is nice and bright with a really nice pure, clean bell-like tone when in the mid position. The bridge pickup has a lot of twang while the neck pickup is great for more heavy-handed chordal playing. Mid position, though, is definitely the winner hands-down.

What's cool about the neck is that it's got the slightly-larger 1964-style headstock, which coupled to the older late '50s-looking body, is pretty darn sweet.

Clay dots with a nice rosewood board.

The new style bridge doesn't fit perfectly but that's okay -- a number of old Fenders have gaps between the pickguard and the bridge, and I was surprised at how well it fit in.

Gotta love the Tele style knobs.

And of course a vintage-style F neckplate.

Kluson repros work great.