V-Style Six-String Prototype | Part 4

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

The Home Stretch

The much-awaited bridge pickup replacement has arrived, and it's a used Seymour Duncan STK-S10 YJM Fury. The DCR reads a little over 26K, so we know it's still working. Now, the question is, shall I incorporate the existing neck pickup into the new wiring scheme; or just go with the STK-S10?

Close examination reveals that the neck pickup is ceramic with a DCR of 4.17K. It's not going to be a good match for the STK-10, so we'll be downsizing to just a single pickup and volume control. The neck pickup and toggle switch will not be wired in, but merely retained for the sake of appearances. I'll also be replacing the existing 500K mini pot with a full-sized Alpha A250K. According to Seymour Duncan, a 250K pot "is best used with YJM Fury Stacks, or true single coil Strat pickups."  

Installing the STK-10 and full-sized volume pot will definitely entail some woodwork, as the existing bridge pickup and control cavities will need to be enlarged. I do not have access to a router, so it'll be chisels, my mini rotary tool and sandpaper all the way. 

Meanwhile, the fretboard and frets are going to be receiving lots of TLC. The hardwood fretboard needs to be conditioned, while the tarnished frets require a good clean and polish. The fret ends are also a little sharp, and would most probably fail Phillip McKnight's Nylon Sock Test. This just won't do, so I'll be dressing these fret ends with a Japanese needle file.

At the time of writing, I've completed all the aforementioned tasks and set up this V-Style Six-String Prototype with D'Addario EXL110s, as per the owner's instructions. Here's to hoping that he has as much fun gigging this beauty as I did working on it.

Seymour Duncan STK-S10 YJM Fury Pickup

Nearly Done Enlarging the Bridge Pickup Cavity

Test-Fitting the STK-S10

STK-S10 Installed

Enlarged Control Cavity/Alpha A250K Volume Pot

Fret Ends Before Dressing

Fret Ends After Dressing

Ready for Some Action