pirateflynn Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 I’m back in the fold with a 1995 Eclipse. I got this in a local sale from our very own Jellyfish about a month or so ago. A true gentleman, super easy deal. He had it refinish by Pat Wilkins (beauty) and did some additional work, too, so I thought it would make a cool project. Ahh ... it has that nice mid nineties medium large neck shape and a great acoustic sound. I had an Eclipse years ago that I liked but never got into the stock pickups. This new guitar would get some mods:) Here we have an Ivory Eclipse, Fralin mini hums, Mojo compensated wraparound bridge, with other nickel/silver appointments. I also darkened the fingerboard a little bit. It’s a really nice rosewood board so I didn’t go ebony. Just a couple of shades darker trans mahogany. It’s not perfect but pretty damn close. The mini hums are a slightly different size than the firebirds so they needed their own surrounds. I can see a little evidence of the change in a couple of places at the edges of the surrounds. Minor for sure. So far I can’t find a silver toggle tip that is perfect. This one is a little too shallow, so it doesn’t screw all the way down. There are a few threads exposed and perhaps it looks a bit long. Again, pretty minor. Overall it looks killer and it sounds amazing! Mini hums are unique in that, to my ear, they sound like a PAF crossed with a Strat pickup. They have beef and warmth but with a little hollow sound. The bridge is wound to balance well with the neck. No Achilles heel. All in this project cost me under $1100. Not only is it a great value for a guitar of this quality but it’s the perfect Eclipse - for me. Fugly? You’re koo koo:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveL Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 Very cool. Tastefully done. I’ve always liked the profiles on the mid late 90’s necks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 4 minutes ago, pirateflynn said: I’m back in the fold with a 1995 Eclipse. I got this in a local sale from our very own Jellyfish about a month or so ago. A true gentleman, super easy deal. He had it refinish by Pat Wilkins (beauty) and did some additional work, too, so I thought it would make a cool project. Ahh ... it has that nice mid nineties medium large neck shape and a great acoustic sound. I had an Eclipse years ago that I liked but never got into the stock pickups. This new guitar would get some mods:) Here we have an Ivory Eclipse, Fralin mini hums, Mojo compensated wraparound bridge, with other nickel/silver appointments. I also darkened the fingerboard a little bit. It’s a really nice rosewood board so I didn’t go ebony. Just a couple of shades darker trans mahogany. It’s not perfect but pretty damn close. The mini hums are a slightly different size than the firebirds so they needed their own surrounds. I can see a little evidence of the change in a couple of places at the edges of the surrounds. Minor for sure. So far I can’t find a silver toggle tip that is perfect. This one is a little too shallow, so it doesn’t screw all the way down. There are a few threads exposed and perhaps it looks a bit long. Again, pretty minor. Overall it looks killer and it sounds amazing! Mini hums are unique in that, to my ear, they sound like a PAF crossed with a Strat pickup. They have beef and warmth but with a little hollow sound. The bridge is wound to balance well with the neck. No Achilles heel. All in this project cost me under $1100. Not only is it a great value for a guitar of this quality but it’s the perfect Eclipse - for me. Fugly? You’re koo koo:) I like it! The Eclipses have been growing on me lately. Slab mahogany and a wrap tail bridge... kinda hard to go wrong there. Would I love a fatter neck? Sure. But I know the mid 90’s carve well and it’s still a comfy neck for me. Yours looks great. Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biz Prof Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 Perfectly logical upgrades. I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnieZ Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 Love it! What did you use on the fretboard? arniez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthes Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 Very cool, Ken! Also, what ArnieZ asked... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjamiam Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 3 hours ago, pirateflynn said: Ahh ... it has that nice mid nineties medium large neck shape and a great acoustic voice. FIFY. You're describing its acoustic voice. 😀 Congrats and enjoy! I'm an Eclipse fan who has swapped pickups, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirateflynn Posted May 26, 2021 Author Share Posted May 26, 2021 Yeah, this is a nice guitar! @ArnieZ @cmatthes I used a MINWAX stain marker in dark walnut. It seemed like the right color and density from the available samples. Dark but not black. They have ebony if you’d like to take it further. It worked like a charm. Draw it on just like a marker and wipe it down. I didn’t leave it on long, maybe a couple of minutes. It came right off the position markers, nut, and binding. It’s a little tacky afterwards but I buffed it with a soft cloth until it was slick. The end result is a beautiful deep brown with a reddish hue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnieZ Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Looks great! I was looking into darkening the fret board on this a arniez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disturber Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Love it. A beauty for sure! Wish I had kept mine, it has such a sweet neck. But the Firebird pickups did not fit my sound. The Duncan Antiquity Firebird pups I had innit did sound sweet though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew816 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Pat does great work, I just sent him a neck to shoot the headstock in fact to match a body he did for me 2 years ago. The guitar looks awesome, enjoy it in good health! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncans Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Really nice looking guitar! Ivory is such a nice, classy color. How is the weight on yours? Mine is Heeaavyy! Only thing I don't like about it. Well I did swap pickups too, Jerry Sentell mini p-90s, nice pickups. Yours is really nice! (Did I say that already?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirateflynn Posted May 27, 2021 Author Share Posted May 27, 2021 @ArnieZthat’s a beautiful Grantura. I’d start with one application. Leave it on for a few minutes and wipe it dry. Take time to clean the nut, binding, and inlays. It came right off when I did this treatment to two guitars. One has a lighter colored Laurel board and this did the trick. Apply a 2nd coat if you think it should be darker and then buff it out really well. Restring and live with it awhile. You can always go a shade darker next string change. @duncans Thanks! I don’t have a scale but I’d estimate it at about 7.5 lbs when comparing to other guitars I have. It’s a great weight. Just enough booty and comfortable, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomicwash Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 That is one damn fine looking Eclipse! Nice work and nice price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGale Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Wait a minute. Which side is the clear pickguard really on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirateflynn Posted June 20, 2021 Author Share Posted June 20, 2021 Thanks to @topekatj’s advice I just received and installed a Mojoaxe lightning wraparound. Originally I thought the regular compensated was close enough for rock n roll but this one definitely keeps the guitar more in tune! It ‘might’ be a tad brighter sounding (not a bad thing) but it could also be the new strings. Digging the Eclipse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottcald Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 That looks so cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTMN Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 Great looking Eclipse. Enjoy it well. 😎👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 1 hour ago, pirateflynn said: Thanks to @topekatj’s advice I just received and installed a Mojoaxe lightning wraparound. Originally I thought the regular compensated was close enough for rock n roll but this one definitely keeps the guitar more in tune! It ‘might’ be a tad brighter sounding (not a bad thing) but it could also be the new strings. Digging the Eclipse! Even better! Hmm…. Has anyone called dibs yet…? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakeboy Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 Yes! Dibs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchman Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 I gotta thing for white/pearl guitars, that's a sexy Eclipse!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topekatj Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 2 hours ago, pirateflynn said: Thanks to @topekatj’s advice I just received and installed a Mojoaxe lightning wraparound. Originally I thought the regular compensated was close enough for rock n roll but this one definitely keeps the guitar more in tune! It ‘might’ be a tad brighter sounding (not a bad thing) but it could also be the new strings. Digging the Eclipse! I knew you’d be able to tell the difference! I’ll bet it rings out in a G chord now. Good job using the low profile bridge anchor stud heads also — TonePros? They feel so much smoother under the heel of the right hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthes Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 So nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomteriffic Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 I had a blue/green flip-flop one with mini-hums, courtesy of Badger Dave but I had 3 Eclipses at the time and some big financial trouble on the horizon (divorces will do that to ya) so I had to let it go. Eventually they all went. Oddly, I later picked up an Eclipse 12 from Stevie Mothafraggin' Clay via Greg Platzer. It had the stock pickups and I remarked to Greg "Now to see about some pickups". He told me that, on a 12, the stock pickups got all the classic electric 12 tones and to live with them for a while before I switched. Steve had used the guitar on stage with Platzer, so I figured he knew something. I used that guitar on virtually every Spiny Norman show for about 10 years and was perfectly happy with it. The sixes, not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beezerboy Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 oh hell yeah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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