The Island of Luthier Dr. Moreau

[murrayatuptown]

Or The Evil Dr. Murray...

I tend to hire surgeons to implement my sinister guitar grafting ideas. (Refs: 1896 H.G. Wells book and what I'm told are increasing bad remakes that didn't come close to the Boris Karloff version).

Anyway, I had two inexpensive guitars transformed.

1) A Harmony Patrician acoustic archtop (pressed spruce top) in need of a neck reset, fretboard dot inlays, a replacement pickguard and some fretwork. I also wanted a floating pickup added. None of my choices would fit as the neck wasn't elevated enough. A Krivo Micro-Manouche humbucker at 6.1 mm height was the only candidate. Pots & cap & endpin jack were installed but need to go to 1M pots per Jason 'Krivo'. Now that everything is mounted (hole decisions committed) I can handle the pot changes.

Abalone dots were used to replace the missing clay or plastic ones. Their visibility in photos varies with lighting.

16" width, IIRC. I read the scale was 25-1/8", but forgot my measurement before neck reset...wasn't sure I should trust that anyway. 12-54 Martin Monel Retro strings were installed during setup.

2) A The Loar LH-350VS with licensed Korean Kent Armstrong floating HB (unexpected eBay win several years ago) was fine the few times I got it out but the pickguard was kind of floppy and developed a mechanical buzz somewhere.

I had purchased a 1929Pickguards single PU McCarty PU/PG (PU/FR if you prefer) for the Harmony, above, but it was too tall.

Initially, it didn't seem ideal for The Loar which is 16" & 24-3/4", supposedly based on L-4C. Suggested for Harmony, thumbs down from luthier, back to The Loar for new ideas because the PU was already purchased.

The wiring of the McCarty Replica and options for mounting screws/bracket location led to placement about where it would have to be if the neck-mount floating HB was left installed. The bottom of the PG/FR was notched to clear the floating bridge. I think the McCarty (replica) dimensions were for 17"/25-1/2" bodies, but I did find three McCarty-equipped L4-C's online.

It's done, also with 12-54 Martin Monel Retros.

I am finding this guitar more interesting, plugged in, than the Harmony conversion which will sound different with higher pot values.

[Sam Sherry]

Harmony Patrician acoustic archtop

My good friend in high school, Ted Scheips, had one of the same vintage.

I spend countless hours staring at it hanging on the wall and for some reason I can't remember anything about it . . .

[murrayatuptown]

I think this has 'old logo' that reportedly changed in 1962. This model supposedly started in 1940, so I can only guess 1940-1961.

It has two personalities now. I like it acoustically & the neck feels good to me. & I like successful experiments.

[sgosnell]

The only real problem with that McCarty is that it was made for a non-cutaway guitar. Having the cutaway forces it to be mounted much closer to the bridge than normal. I don't think it would make much difference whether it was mounted on a 16" or 17", but the cutaway does matter. As long as it works and sounds good to you, play on.

[GuyBoden]

The only real problem with that McCarty is that it was made for a non-cutaway guitar. Having the cutaway forces it to be mounted much closer to the bridge than normal. I don't think it would make much difference whether it was mounted on a 16" or 17", but the cutaway does matter. As long as it works and sounds good to you, play on.

The top of the pickguard could be cut and filed to fit.

See below.

[sgosnell]

Yes, it could have been modified to fit, but it's too late now.