A Nod To Zappa ('88 Strat)

[InkJunkie]

Hi,

I was going to build a (close to) replica of FZ's '88 yellow strat and then found Warmoth. Now it is more of a "nod to FZ" with the pickup selection. I have spend the last year lurking, taking notes, learning about wood's and such. Saved for each piece as I went along. I had a local luthier set the neck, electronics and other stuff that is beyond me. I will never buy an off the rack guitar ever again.

Chambered body
Black Korina on Black Korina
Neck Pickup: Sustainiac
Middle Pickup: Seymour Hot Stack
Bridge Pickup: Seymour Hot Stack
Sapele wood pickup mounts
5 Way Switch
Volume knob only (no tone controls)
Super-Vee trem
Scale  25-1/2 inch

Warmoth Pro neck
Shaft Wood: Black Korina
Fingerboard Wood: Ebony (Macassar)
Nut Width: 1 11/16"
Back Contour: Wolfgang
Fretwire: SS6150 (stainless, aw yeah)
Tuners: Gotoh SG38
Frets: 22
Radius: 10-16" Compound
Inlays: Mother Of Pearl Dots
Floyd Rose locking nut

 

[anorakDan]

Nice!

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Nice BK.  :icon_thumright:

 

[stubhead]

How you like the whammy? That's the one with a piece of plate spring steel and no mechanical pivot, right? Seems like a good idea....

 

[Jusatele]

tastey

 

[taez555]

Very cool and unique guitar.

Of course the real question is, what was the first Zappa tune you played on it?   Zoot Allures?  Watermellons in Easter Hay?    I always loved the super glassy lead tones he got on that tour. 

Great build man!

 

[MSP]

Very nice!  I've never actually seen one of those bridges before.  Must check them out!

 

[JCizzle]

That is pure sex. I've never seen a bridge like that, either.

 

[drewfx]

Wow! Very cool.

 

[InkJunkie]

Thank you for the kind words, it feels like it has been a long journey going piece by piece vs buying a guitar out of a shop. Totally worth it and will do it again. BK strat sibling/twin but with humbuckers that FZ used in his Les Paul around '81. BK or Walnut. I keep flip flopping.

I had a Fender Deluxe Players that was ebayed to get money to fund this one. I tend to like floyd rose trems but did not want to do any wood work to the body. A friend told me about super-vee trems that will drop right into a stock fender trem hole but he had never used one. They have a model for 2 post and for vintage 6 screw setups. I gambled on it and liked it so much I kept it for this guitar. I did not like their locking nut as it looks like a chrome clamshell, hence the fl nut.

Yes, it plays like sex. Total buttah.

Zoot was the first song I played on it.

 

[Cagey]

'Tis a fine thing you've put together there, Mr. Junkie. I can understand why it would put you off any OEM fiddles. Nuthin' else cuts it.

 

[duosonic]

That neck is way cool!!!  Love the headstock!!!  :cool01:

 

[SlartiBartfast]

Very nice  :icon_thumright:

I especially love the fingerboard. Was that a unique choice, did you buy it out of the showcase, or was that a luck-of-the-draw piece of Macassar from a custom build?

 

[keeper006]

Love the black hardware with that wood grain. Pink Napkins to you, sir.  ccasion14:

 

[LushTone]

Beautiful. Looks well thought out, which is what Warmoth's all about, custom!  :headbang: