The True Story of John Mayer's "The Black One"

[Whitestrat]

We all know about John Mayer's black strat. We all thought it was a custom shop job. it is not. Here's the summarised story from Mike Eldred of Fender's Custom Shop:

The "story" of the guitar is UNKNOWN to all on this forum, I can assure you.

- John called me one day and asked if he could come down and see how we built guitars. From start to finish. He had a couple of days off, and he was honestly fascinated by what we were doing.
- He came down the next day, and I took him out to the shop, and told him, "ok, pick out your wood". He was shocked and I told him him that HE was going to build it, and we would help. That is what happened. No Master Builder built it, John F'n Mayer did. For two days, he worked on EVERY aspect of that guitar. He routed it, sanded it, painted it (not very good I might add), the whole deal. Cruz assembled it and helped Relic it.

..and I filmed the entire process.

That's how that black guitar was built. Back in 2003, I think the Big Dipper pickups weren't designed yet. So I'm not sure what pickups are in that black one.

Cool huh? Even though it was assembled and relic-ed by John Cruz (one of the very best), it's cool that Mayer was playing a sort of DIY guitar. More DIY whan most DIY guitars out there!

 

[gsonique]

Cruz assembled it

Now that's the crucial part.

 

[j_m_s]

goose you got it all wrong..

thats the cruzial part.

okay not funny...

 

[jskadiang]

It's pretty punny though.

 

[gsonique]

he he ....

 

[Breen]

HAH!

cool story though~ I think its one of his better sounding Strats.

 

[keithC]

"I think the Big Dipper pickups weren't designed yet. So I'm not sure what pickups are in that black one."

thats quite a shocker!

 

[Whitestrat]

"I think the Big Dipper pickups weren't designed yet. So I'm not sure what pickups are in that black one."

thats quite a shocker!

Well, he COULD have had them replaced them. I'm not sure... Rumours are that those pups in there were specifically wound for him by some mysterious winder. How true, I don't know. But apparently the Big Dippers were based on that.

 

[j_m_s]

Iirc the big dippers were based on the 'faulty' pickups that came with his srv strat

 

[Whitestrat]

Iirc the big dippers were based on the 'faulty' pickups that came with his srv strat

Where did you get this info from?

 

[eclipze]

it's cool that Mayer was playing a sort of DIY guitar. More DIY whan most DIY guitars out there!

wow sounds cool

like what brian may did back then with his red special
all DIY ed bridge + PUps
CMIIW