NGD: Flat Black Style 1C

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

A short story about a boy and his dog... Er, truck-bed-liner finish Charvel.

Once upon a time, I wanted to get another Pro Mod. I really wanted a guitar with a maple fretboard, and having owned a couple of these, I know that outside of a few exceptions, these are some pretty nice no-frills guitars that can be really awesome with a little work.

I was kinda hoping for a Ferrari Red Style 1 2H, any batch now, I thought... Then, I saw it... "Last batch." I liked the Style 1C, too bad that one was rosewood last time, I wanted maple. Flat black, huh? I saw it online... A short drive away, even.




Looks like some nice flame on the back of the neck, neat-o...




I go check it out, and a pretty nice guitar. Of course, the wife can't argue that, if I don't get in on this last batch, I might end up spending twice as much for a Custom Shop guitar...

So a few dollars and a visit to my junk bin later (yesterday) I made it "mine" with a few mods...

The overall shot...



Jackson-branded Gotohs from the junk bin (from a hardware swap on my stolen SL1F):



De-meat tenderized (knob, also from my SL1) and de-direct-mounted (I prefer mounting rings) and since I had a "chrome with black screws" thing going, a spare set of black OFR posts:



A little spit and polish...

-Polished the frets up (they were a little rough, but not bad)
-Adjusted the truss rod
-New strings
-Set action
-Set intonation

The fretboard really has some nice flame to it!



And of course, I'm the most proud of this last one...



BONK, right into the butcher block in the kitchen, on the way to the basement.

But, it's on the back, so it's no big deal.

[Diminished]

I am digging the flat black!

[VitaminG]

And of course, I'm the most proud of this last one...



BONK, right into the butcher block in the kitchen, on the way to the basement.

But, it's on the back, so it's no big deal.

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Nice work. I like your changes. Who'da thunk these guitars would provide such a good base for modding?

[Hellbat]

I kinda preferred the look without the pickup ring on the flat black body. I dunno. Maybe a black anodized ring wouldn't be so 'loud'. It doesn't look bad really it just kind of says "THE PICKUP IS HERE".

[Trussrod]

Congrats, Jazz. You've had more NGD's than some of the music stores I've been in. I like the silver ring, but I'm intrigued by the ringless setups I've seen.

[chrisolson]

Well...you got that first ding out of the way. I REALLY want to like that guitar, but I just can't get warm to the flat paint. I had a pair of Jim Root Teles with the flat paint. It shined up WAYYYYYY too fast. If I looked at it wrong, it would start reflecting.

Cool guitar overall though! Congrats!

[Scooter]

That looks really cool. Now quit trying to relic it.

[VitaminG]

Well...you got that first ding out of the way. I REALLY want to like that guitar, but I just can't get warm to the flat paint. I had a pair of Jim Root Teles with the flat paint. It shined up WAYYYYYY too fast. If I looked at it wrong, it would start reflecting.

isn't that a problem that takes care of itself though?

[Charlz]

I like the flat-blackness... but I'd put on a black pu ring & black hardware... But that's just me...

[Grandturk]

Very cool, Jazzy. Did you route out the pickup recess to make room for the ring screws?

[DonP]

I'm not liking the flat black. Squier has a flat black single hum guitar that looks too similar. Not the Tom D. guitar, I think it's called the six shot or something.

[shreddermon]

Cool guitar. I've thought about nabbing one of those, and sending it off for a re-fin.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I am digging the flat black!

Me too! I think I would have liked an actual color but at the same time, this is very "all business."

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Nice work. I like your changes. Who'da thunk these guitars would provide such a good base for modding?

Thank you... Yes, a little spit and polish and a few parts here and there and they can be a lot of fun. Of course if you like them just as they are stock, that's cool, too.

I kinda preferred the look without the pickup ring on the flat black body. I dunno. Maybe a black anodized ring wouldn't be so 'loud'. It doesn't look bad really it just kind of says "THE PICKUP IS HERE".

Funny you should mention that. I have tried these chrome rings on two guitars and ended up taking them off (my CS/Pro Mod mutt with the red pickups/HS and this one) because after I looked at the pics last night, and looked at the guitar, I came to the same conclusion.

It has a flat black Trembucker ring on it now (the kind you get with a Duncan Trembucker) and it looks cool. I might do a colored pickup if I end up changing it. So far I'm really digging the JB, though, which is surprising. :think:

Congrats, Jazz. You've had more NGD's than some of the music stores I've been in. I like the silver ring, but I'm intrigued by the ringless setups I've seen.

@ the NGD thing. Yeah, when you don't buy a guitar for 15 years, make up for lost time, have them all stolen, and then buy them all again... You have a few NGD's. I'm pretty much done now though. I'll probably pick up 1 or 2 a year from here on out, and I'm actually thinking about selling one of them (the DK1).

I have one that is direct mount, but with a recessed tremolo. On the Style 1C's, the pickup is almost completely out of the guitar. Didn't sit well with me, I dunno.

Well...you got that first ding out of the way. I REALLY want to like that guitar, but I just can't get warm to the flat paint. I had a pair of Jim Root Teles with the flat paint. It shined up WAYYYYYY too fast. If I looked at it wrong, it would start reflecting.

Cool guitar overall though! Congrats!

Thanks. I don't think this paint will shine up, it's very textured. It's not like those ESP/LTD where they spray satin lacquer over it, this is actually like truck bed liner! Rough!

That looks really cool. Now quit trying to relic it.

I like the flat-blackness... but I'd put on a black pu ring & black hardware... But that's just me...

I did do the black ring, as I said. I like the chrome, though. I dunno, if I end up doing a gold HW swap on one of my Soloists (likely) I may give the black OFR and keys a new home on this guitar. :think:

Very cool, Jazzy. Did you route out the pickup recess to make room for the ring screws?

No! I did it "my way."

What I do is, I use the tiny direct mount screw holes as locating points, and drill a 1/4" hole about 3/8" deep. The excess screw fits down in there. The route is already deep enough for the legs, it's just the extra humbucker height adjust screw that is the clearance problem.

I'm not liking the flat black. Squier has a flat black single hum guitar that looks too similar. Not the Tom D. guitar, I think it's called the six shot or something.

Well, Epiphone has a Les Paul that looks just like your LP standard, so there.

Nah, as I said, I would have loved a Ferrari Red 1C or even the Fiesta Red with a maple neck but, you know... I thought about this or the green SoCal but I didn't really want a SoCal and I haven't seen ANY of those for sale anywhere so far, which is... Weird. :dunno:

[Chubtone]

Slime Green So Cal's have experienced a delay on the production line as well as the rest of the flat black and candy tangerine ones. They are supposed to start shipping out any day now.

[Hellbat]

Funny you should mention that. I have tried these chrome rings on two guitars and ended up taking them off (my CS/Pro Mod mutt with the red pickups/HS and this one) because after I looked at the pics last night, and looked at the guitar, I came to the same conclusion.

It has a flat black Trembucker ring on it now (the kind you get with a Duncan Trembucker) and it looks cool. I might do a colored pickup if I end up changing it. So far I'm really digging the JB, though, which is surprising. :think:

Every once in a while the JB just works right with a guitar. It's never a bad pickup it's just not always awesome. Can we see a pic with the black pickup ring? I like the other hardware chrome just the chrome ring is kind of like an empty picture frame Maybe if you had a chrome or non-black pickup it wouldn't have been so jarring. I think if it was a trans finish the chrome ring would be fine or even a white body.