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Post subject: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 10:17 am
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So here is a unique guitar that just came out of pawn at my shop recently. It's a "Ken" custom shop neck with a Strat style body. It's what I believe to be a parts guitar. When the customer originally took a loan out on it he said he had it built for him by a buddy that worked at the Corona plant. The story is neither here nor there but I thought I'd share a cool looking guitar! You never know what's going to walk through the door.

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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 10:51 am
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Not my cup of tea but it certainly looks extremely well executed.

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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 11:38 am
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If it were mine I'd put two string trees on the headstock. Then I'd install shielding.
Looks like everything is there to end up with a nice guitar by spending $10 more.

it has locking tuners. Super!


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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 12:43 pm
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John Sims wrote:
Not my cup of tea but it certainly looks extremely well executed.


+1

It looks like it was quite competently assembled and the finish is very dramatic.

Any ideas what pickups are installed?

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 12:54 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
John Sims wrote:
Not my cup of tea but it certainly looks extremely well executed.


+1

It looks like it was quite competently assembled and the finish is very dramatic.

Any ideas what pickups are installed?

Arjay


I haven't got a clue of what kind of pickups are installed. I am going to check it out in a little bit when I get some time. I haven't found a whole lot of info on the "Ken" neck except that he is a Japanese guitarist that had an endorsement with fender at some point.


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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 1:22 pm
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So I snapped a couple of pics of the neck pickup. I have no clue who the maker or model is of the pickup. Maybe someone out there might know what it is by the look of it. Thanks!

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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 2:47 pm
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A DCR measurement of each pickup using a multimeter may provide some clues as to their ID.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 3:27 pm
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balexander23 wrote:
Retroverbial wrote:
John Sims wrote:
Not my cup of tea but it certainly looks extremely well executed.


+1

It looks like it was quite competently assembled and the finish is very dramatic.

Any ideas what pickups are installed?

Arjay


I haven't got a clue of what kind of pickups are installed. I am going to check it out in a little bit when I get some time. I haven't found a whole lot of info on the "Ken" neck except that he is a Japanese guitarist that had an endorsement with fender at some point.


Ken has a Wiki entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_%28musician%29


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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 3:36 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
A DCR measurement of each pickup using a multimeter may provide some clues as to their ID.

Arjay


Ok so I just plugged a cable into the guitar and measured the impedance of the whole circuit by placing the probes on the tip and sleeve on the cable. I hope that's the correct way. Anyways the readings I got were Neck: 5.7k Middle: 5.7K and Bridge: 5.9K. Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 4:46 pm
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The staggered-but-non-beveled magnets suggest pickups of Japanese or Mexican origin, which seems consistent with your impedance measurements.

How do they sound?

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 5:26 pm
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balexander23 wrote:
Retroverbial wrote:
A DCR measurement of each pickup using a multimeter may provide some clues as to their ID.

Arjay


Ok so I just plugged a cable into the guitar and measured the impedance of the whole circuit by placing the probes on the tip and sleeve on the cable. I hope that's the correct way. Anyways the readings I got were Neck: 5.7k Middle: 5.7K and Bridge: 5.9K. Thanks!


Taking the readings direct from the pup is the optimum way to do it. If you take it from the output jack, turn your volume and tones up all the way. Don't take a reading from position 2 or 4, just 1, 3, and 5. I'm sure you knew that.

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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 9:48 pm
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So is it a Greg Fessler MB neck?
Cloth wire on the pickups is interesting :D


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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 12:53 am
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The neck specs differ from the ken Signature Stratocaster Galaxy Red.
And the story of a buddy from the Corona plant is useless without background.

That being said, whoever made that guitar knew what he/she/it was looking for. It's got subtle bling (if that's a possible combination) embellished with pro level workmanship.

On the pickups I'm thinking maybe not Fender at all, there's plenty of custom shop pup makers outside the Fender Custom Shop.


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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 3:07 am
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The pickups could be Custom Shop 69's, they look alot like a set I have and the olm readings are about the same.

I also like the quartersawn neck, but the smaller headstock looks better to me. :)

8)

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Post subject: Re: "Ken" Partscaster
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 4:06 am
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CS69's should have pronouncedly beveled pole tops. (Same as Lollars, which was my first glimpse impression.)


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