edges very nicely and I dab my stain-soaked
Q-tip into each of the countersunk screw
holes to finish up.
HOOKING UP
With the pickguard done, I’m able to
wire up the controls using a set of 1964
potentiometers and a Bumblebee capacitor.
The control cavity is quite cramped,
so I’m careful to keep everything as
neat and compact as possible.
I would also advise that Flying Vs
don’t seem to have been designed with
easy maintenance in mind, so use your
multimeter and test the circuit through
an amp before screwing it down and
stringing up the guitar.
Having already done a trial run before
spraying the guitar, I feel pretty confident
that very little work will be required to get
the guitar playing nicely. The brass V-plate
is positioned after the pickguard has been
screwed down, held in place with masking
tape and pilot holes are drilled for the fixing
nails. A ground-wire channel has already
been drilled from the area under the plate
to the control cavity and a bare wire is
positioned under the plate.
A late-60s Patent Number Gibson ABR-1
bridge with nylon saddles is mounted on
the newly installed bridge posts and with
the strings loosely tensioned. I set the action
by eyeballing it. Slight adjustments are
made once the strings are tuned to pitch
and the Flying V is up and running.
The Patent Number pickups have a
mellow aggression, but they possess a
sensitivity that’s not unlike PAFs. They’re
also quite microphonic and, in conjunction
with the bridge, they help to give this
guitar an authentically vintage tone and
dynamic response.
With the rubber anti-slip pad fixed on
using double-sided carpet tape, the Flying V
is actually quite comfortable to play seated,
but it’s even better on the strap as
everything seems to fall into the right
position. It’s taken a lot of work, but I’m
pretty thrilled with the way this project has
turned out. I just hope its owner agrees...