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View Full Version : Billy Corgan "Mellon Collie" replica



zeromick
25-01-2016, 01:50 PM
So... to anyone that knows me, it's no secret that I'm a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan so when a friend gave me a cheap eBay strat that he was going to throw away I had an idea to do a tribute to the infamous Mellon Collie guitar.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v701/roofdrop/868_zpsd5hu4rss.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/roofdrop/media/868_zpsd5hu4rss.jpg.html)

The original (above) is a 1975 Fender Stratocaster that was painted yellow with the words "I LOVE MY MOM" across it in the early 90s.
In the mid-90s it was painted blue and had Lace sensors in it, was retired from touring around 1996.
Around 2011 it appeared again, the lace sensors were removed & replaced with BC DiMarzio pickups (amazing pickups BTW) and a few stickers were added (a ghost, 2 pumpkins, and some glittery stars)

So I had this cheap strat knockoff I wanted to make fun... I plugged the wiggle box hole so I could put a hardtail on it and then cue some specific masking tape placement/blue paint and sticker making.

The main 'sound' I was trying to hit (without spending many hundreds of $$ on the BC DiMarzios) was that slightly hotter, fuller sound so I found a loaded pickguard online with Mighty Mite hot rails in it... and for $80 how could I resist!

The result?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v701/roofdrop/DSC_3467_zpstxs8nzsa.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/roofdrop/media/DSC_3467_zpstxs8nzsa.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v701/roofdrop/DSC_3470_zpsqr5zyxic.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/roofdrop/media/DSC_3470_zpsqr5zyxic.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v701/roofdrop/DSC_3471_zpsewtvvzjt.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/roofdrop/media/DSC_3471_zpsewtvvzjt.jpg.html)

zeromick
25-01-2016, 01:51 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v701/roofdrop/DSC_3468_zpsy5gjzhx2.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/roofdrop/media/DSC_3468_zpsy5gjzhx2.jpg.html)

TimBurke
27-01-2016, 11:11 AM
Wow mate, that looks amazing. I too have a throwaway strat from gumtree that I was going to Billy up. It's even got the exact same headstock as yours. Was just going to get a larger CBS style headstock neck for it but found a real cheap strat copy that already has the exact headstock on it. Just waiting for some spare cash to do the electronics and I'll make it more Billy.

I saw the Smashing Pumpkins at Soundwaves last year and Billy used this guitar (amongst others). Was great to see it again. I see he's now got a signature Reverend out but it looks really weird. Great job on the Strat it looks so good.

zeromick
27-01-2016, 12:06 PM
Cheers man, yeah the neck on this is pretty s**t, it sounds good and the body is cool so the plan is to get a new neck for it one day (with the larger 70’s headstock)

Yeah I seen the Reverend.. it’s growing on me and if its half as good as the sig strat he had (I’ve got one, love it more than possible) I might bite the bullet and get one.

wokkaboy
27-01-2016, 12:31 PM
nice copy Mick, have you got pics of how it originally looked ?

how good do the mighty mite pups sound ?

stan
27-01-2016, 03:44 PM
Nice work MICK, it looks like it's been on tour with the pumpkins

zeromick
27-01-2016, 03:53 PM
Sure do Wokkaboy...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v701/roofdrop/21052011007_zpsl0hsbcu5.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/roofdrop/media/21052011007_zpsl0hsbcu5.jpg.html)

The mighty mites sounds really good... they have all the humbucker 'oomph' in a single coil sized package and no hummm

wokkaboy
27-01-2016, 05:22 PM
Metallica strat hey, you have done a great job to transform the axe so much

zeromick
27-01-2016, 06:11 PM
Metallica strat hey, you have done a great job to transform the axe so mych

cheers bloke!