General questions about mk2 kit

If any of you have built the mk2 kit, I have a few general questions. Johnny Ramone is the reason I wanted to learn to play guitar, and I've wanted a ventures model for years...but as most of you know, even the copies are ridiculously expensive.

1. What is the approximate weight difference between the Ash and Basswood Models? I want something with a little weight to it, rather than something that feels like balsa wood

2. WHat are the approximate dimensions of the body? Width ad wig eat point, length from bow to neck pocket?

3. Anything else I should know?

I have a stacked humbucker that I plan on installing in the bridge, with a push/pull volume pot for coil tapping, and a nice set of Grover tuners I plan on transplanting from a wall hanger univox custom to this one.

And answers or advice would be greatly appreciated before I pull the trigger on this purchase!

Thanks!
Crash

Hey Crash,

Same, same, same. I'm a huge Johnny fan and jumped on the MK-2 as soon as Ads was able to source it as a kit. Personally I've built both the MK-2 and the MKA-2 and I love the crap out of both of them. They play really nicely and look awesome (IMHO). You'll find my build diaries around the place somewhere.

I finished both in acrylic clear coats and with tru-oil necks. The MKA-2 is dyed with Colortone while the MK-2 has a solid paint job.

Attachment 8961

Here are a couple of specs based on my two finished guitars:

MK-2: weight 3.7kg
MKA-2: weight 4.3kg** note I added belly and arm cuts to mine and routed for P90s so lighter than it would have been!

Both have stock hardware except the pickups. The MK-2 has a Dimarzio FS-1 in the bridge position (Johnny's preferred!) and the stock mini-hum in the neck position. The MKA-2 has two Entwistle P90s.

The distance from the base strap peg to the base of the neck pocket is approx 355mm.
At its widest point the body is approx 330mm, at its thinnest approx 220mm.
The distance from the base strap peg to the end of the longest horn in approx 460mm.
The body itself is approx 45mm thick.

These measurements are accurate to within about 5mm.

I have seen at least one post from a purist here-abouts bemoaning the differences between the MK-2 body shape and the "true" replicas out there. Yes *the specs are different* but as far as I'm concerned the finished guitar is awesome.

Personally I would really recommend either of the kits. The ash is definitely heavier, but the basswood is still quite a heavy guitar - something like a tele rather than a strat. They are both a blast to put together and play.

Hope this helps.

cheers,
Gav.

Gavin,

Thanks so much for answering my questions in such detail! I'm in the States, so it took me a moment to do a little conversion from the metric system...your answers are perfect.
I'm hoping to go for the ash, but it just depends on how many of the items I have listed on eBay actually sell haha

It was my original intention to do an exact replica, and put an fs-1 in the bridge, but I thought it over, and I decided I wanted something I would actually possibly play on stage REGULARLY rather than something to bust out on a song or two from time to time. I usually play a Les Paul, so I'm REALLY used to having a humbucker in the bridge, so I figures if I went with a SD hot rails in the bridge, I could get the humbucking I'm used to, but adding the coil tap will give me more or a "true Johnny Ramone" out of it when I want it.

Ya know, not too long mg after Johnny got his signature white Mosrite, he also picked up a Rickenbacker 450. I've always thought that the 450 was a beautiful guitar as well, and just like the Mosrite, even the copies (if you could find one) are ridiculously expensive. I'd love to see Pit Bull ass THAT KIT to their lineup!

Thanks again Gavin, you have a sweet couple of guitars there, and I'll be sure to check out your build diaries!

Hey Gavin,
One more question about your Mk-2.

I think I've decided to go with the ash, because I'm used to Les Pauls, and I actually like a heavy guitar.

How do you feel about the hardware that comes in the kits?
Do the tuners hold tune, etc? I'm trying to decide if I should be prepared to throw a set of Grovers on it, and maybe look into a gibson bridge and tailpiece. Lots of reviews I've read about kit guitars (not necessarily from pitbull, but I'm sure they come mostly from the same factory) speak highly of the bodies and necks...but not so much when it comes to the hardware. Since I'm already replacing the bridge pickup, and the pots with push/pull pots...I was just curious about the other hardware.
Also, I'm bummed that there isn't a bine nut available.

Also...an Eastwood Johnny Ramone Mach 2 (the blue one) came up for sale on my local craigslist last night for TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS (US) I was so close to pulling the trigger on it, but ive already got my heart set on building my own Johnny Ramone tribute...so I'm gonna let it pass I guess. I wish I had the money to do both!

hey Crash,
DB. at pitbull can make you a bone nut if you want one no problem and ship it with your kit. Because of the 0th fret im not sure how much benefit it would be. Personally i think a set of grovers would be a great idea. in terms of the other hardware, well honestly its basic but you have the opportunity to get it home and see what you think before pulling the trigger. the only isue can be post hole sizes but if you are going a solid colour these can be easily filled and redrilled.

cheers,
Gav.
.m

Well of course I'm going with a solid color....a little color called JOHNNY RAMONE WHITE!

Wot Gav sed :)

No worries with cutting you a bone nut, even though this kit does have the zero fret a bone nut is a heck of a lot more stable than plastic and it looks a lot sexier too...

With the hardware, I would reccomend upgrading to a set of Grovers.
Then with Bridges etc, Gotoh are very good and not overly expensive. You should be able to source one from StewMac.
Just measure the posts, bushes and post spacing and I reckon you should find the one you need....

Or you could go completely nutzo and grab a Babicz from PBG...
If its good enough for Billy Gibbons then it is good enough for me :p

So...just as I got the money saved to buy my MK2 kit, I get a call from my aunt who's a physician/sometimes musician. She had bought an electric cello and an amp and she wanted me to come over and help her dial in her tone.
Well, as we finish up and I'm about to leave she says "oh wait, I almost forgot....goes in the other room and comes out with a blue Eastwood JR Elite...and hands it to me!!

Turns out, she had found it on Craigslist for 250 usd (about 335 aud I think) she knows what a huge ramones fan I am...SO SHE BOUGHT IT FOR ME!!! Her exact words. "I thought it was such a cool guitar, and you don't see them come up for sale, so I figured SOMEONE in our family should own it"

Changed my life!! So, I balked and I'm holding off on a kit for now. Now that I have my dream Johnny Ramone Guitar (complete with FS-1, metal nut, and mismatched knobs...my sights are set on the double bucker tele kit so I can can cut the headstock CBS style, and do a 72 tele deluxe!

Hey Crash, great score can we please see some pics of this axe

I apologize for the language, I removed the offensive word. I get carried away from time to time. Again, my apologies. I don't use forums often, so let me see if i can figure out how to post photos. One moment

no worries Crash, alot of fairly new members don't know the forum rules and there are a few fathers building with sons/daughters who may read posts on the forum. Thanks for cleaning it up promptly.

To upload a photo go to "Go Advanced", then manage attachments and upload images maximum size just under 1MB and resolution below 1500 x 1500

No probs Crash, glad you jumped on it buddy :)

It finally appears that I have figured it out! Here are two photos of my JR Elite one with my EGNATER amp (shameless plug) and one of it lying on the bed when I brought it home!

http://i.imgur.com/vusnhfH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/58GsQ4L.jpg

nice score Crash, axe looks great. They are tiny fret dot markers.
Is there any reason why the volume and tone knobs are different?

In the late seventies, Johnny Ramone lost the tone knob on his Mosrite Ventures 2 while on tour. Being a broke punk rocker, he stole a knob (I've heard 2 versions of the story) either off of a Les Paul that belonged to a member of a band that they were touring with...or off of a Fender Twin Reverb amp that belonged to a band they were touring with. Still to this day, the mosrite he played the majority of about 2300 shows with throughout the Ramone's career...and now, long after he has passed...still has mismatched knobs. If you google "johnny ramone's guitar...millions of images will pop up. Since this is a tribute model...they did it to pay homage to him

cheers for the background story Crash, I was hoping there was a cool story like that !

Johnny Ramone originally had a blue Mosrite that he bought for 54.00 because it was the cheapest guitar in the store...hence the tribute model being offered in blue, but discontinued. The blue one was stolen around 1978, which is when he replaced it with a white one, had the tremolo removed, replaced the pickups, and proceeded to beat the crap out of for the next 20 years or so. Notice the mismatched knobs on the white Mosrite. ..the one he was really known for playing
http://i.imgur.com/nXlpYyn.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/zgG6oSP.jpg

cheers Crash. I saw the white one on Google images, wow that axe has had a hard life !

Yeah, it really has. The coolest thing, when Johnny walked off stage at the Ramones final show, he handed the white Mosrite to Arturo Vega, a long time friend of the band. "I guess I don't need this anymore" when asked about it years later he said "Do carpenters keep a toolbox with them after they retire? No. I was retired...I didn't need my tools anymore"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crash Fistfite

..my sights are set on the double bucker tele kit so I can can cut the headstock CBS style, and do a 72 tele deluxe!

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Just a heads up, you will need to add wood to the headstock to get the full massive CBS headstock a-la a 72 deluxe, but there is enough there to do a pre or post CBS Strat headstock.

Beautiful guitar Crash. Very envious over here! Great score.

cheers,
Gav.