2000s Fender FM-52E Electric Mandolin (Modded w/P90)

October 02, 2020

2000s Fender FM-52E Electric Mandolin (Modded w/P90)

Modern import electric mandolins like this Fender FM-52E pop into the shop now and then -- usually as trade-bait or stuff people are trying to hock. This one's consigned, but the perfectionist in me can't stand these as "stock" instruments. The pickup choice at the factories (with non-adjustable polepieces) is really poor and as a result, they never sound very good as the volume balance string-to-string is always off and they're not fun to play because of that. Thus... people get rid of them.

So -- when they come in I like to make them into real instruments before selling them. In the case of this mando, I yanked-off its screwed-on pickguard and bar-style pickup, recut the pickup cavity, added a ground wire to the tailpiece, and fit a Gibson-style P90 pickup (with a 4-pole cover) to it. This gives a meatier, fuller, more-vintage '50s sound and -- yes! -- the strings can be balanced via adjusting pole height.

This is also like a poor man's, "neck pickup" take on a '50s or '60s Gibson EM-150 -- and it sounds very much like one. I'm really happy with the way it turned-out.

Repairs included: fitting the new pickup and adjusting the wiring harness, a fret level/dress, restring, minor mods to the bridge, and setup.

Setup notes: action is perfect at a hair under 1/16" overall at the 12th fret. The neck is straight, the truss rod works, and the strings are stainless-steel-wound (GHS-brand, as I recall) so they work well with the magnetic pickup.

Scale length: 13 7/8"

Nut width: 1 1/16"

String spacing at nut: 7/8"

String spacing at bridge: 1 1/2"

Body length: 13"

Lower bout width: 10 3/8"

Side depth at endpin: 2" +arching

Body wood: ply spruce over ply mahogany

Fretboard: rosewood

Bridge: adjustable rosewood

Neck feel: medium C/V shape, flat board

Neck wood: mahogany
Weight: 2lb 9oz