Advice on Attempting Hentor Replica

[AlternateNosePicking]

EDIT: I've finished this build!  It can be viewed here: http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=26334.msg377908#msg377908

I'm about to begin my first guitar assembly. My goal is to build a replica of Alex Lifeson's "Hentor Sportscaster", a customized Strat used on several of Rush's best albums.  Initially, I considered buying one of the replicas being handmade by Freddy Gabrsek (http://www.freddysfrets.com), Alex's luthier, but I didn't have the cash during the time they were in production.  So I figured I'd give it a shot myself.

Here's a pic of one of the replicas:

I've been able to gather some details about the build (per Freddy's site and some forum posts around the internet):

• 70's Style Strat Alder body
• Quartersawn unfinished maple neck w/ ebony fretboard
• Bill Lawrence L500 humbucker
• Dimarzio single coils pickups
• Floyd Rose w/ no fine tuners
• Titanium sustain block
• Shaller tuners

I even found a scribble of the pickup wiring.

So, I'm asking for a bit of guidance on where to start from some of you seasoned builders who can look at that replica and know exactly what's there.  It "appears" to be a relatively straightforward project, but that may be the ignorant amateur in me talking. I'm no expert on Fender Strat body styles or configurations, or what neck dimensions would be appropriate. I guess these are some of my questions to start:

[list type=decimal]
[*]Should I stick with the Warmoth Stratocaster or design from the Vintage series?
[*]Contoured heel or no?
[*]It looks like a Vintage White finish. Agree?
[*]Which bridge pickup cut out should I select for the pick guard to match a Bill Lawrence L500? Hum bucker? Something smaller? Not sure.
[*]I'm quite ignorant on neck configurations. No clue about nut width, fretboard radius (original was likely not compound), or back contour (assuming Standard thin).
[*]String nut? R3 or R4 Floyd?
[/list]

Any advice would be much appreciated.  I'm a total newb at this, and though I'm handy with woodworking tools, I can see myself really botching this without some good input from someone who knows first. Obviously, the route for the DPDT pickup selector switch will be fun.  Thanks!

 

[Day-mun]

Haha! The title of this made me think you were wishing to "relic" this guitar!  :laughing7:

 

[pabloman]

This is a cool build choice. I built one of these for a friend. There are several different versions of this guitar. We built the one with the cream L500. I ended up getting the pickguard from WD. I drilled the hole for the toggle switch myself. As far as the neck specs, contoured heel etc., I would say it all depends on your goals with this build. Are you looking for a dead nuts copy or one that looks the part with some modern refinements? My advice would be to build it as close as possible to the OG but add your own preferences to it. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[line6man]

Why do you want to match the original neck specs? Those are non-cosmetic personal preferences, so it doesn't make sense to replicate something that works for someone else's hands, instead of your own.

As far as pickup geometry goes, you will need to research the dimensions of the pickup to cross reference with Warmoth's routing.

I'm not sure about the contoured heel, but from the pictures I am seeing on Google, the neck heel is as thick as a standard Strat heel, so contouring seems unlikely.

 

[rgand]

4. Which bridge pickup cut out should I select for the pick guard to match a Bill Lawrence L500? Hum bucker? Something smaller? Not sure.

There isn't a Bill Lawrence route and nothing is quite the same. I did mine by ordering the pickguard with a standard Strat pickup route minus the screw holes. Then I took the mounting ring from an L-500 and marked where to cut to. The enlargement I did with a Dremel, first with a cutting blade to get it close then a sanding drum to cut the shape. I finished with a half-round file to make any minute adjustments. I also used the mounting ring to locate the holes. It worked nicely.

 

[AlternateNosePicking]

Haha! The title of this made me think you were wishing to "relic" this guitar!  :laughing7:

Whoops! For got the "P".  Could have said, "Advice on Attempting Hentor Celica".  Maybe Warmoth sells Toyota parts too.

 

[Neo Fender]

Is it me or is that headstock nearly an inch thick?

 

[AlternateNosePicking]

Why do you want to match the original neck specs? Those are non-cosmetic personal preferences, so it doesn't make sense to replicate something that works for someone else's hands, instead of your own.

As far as the neck specs, contoured heel etc., I would say it all depends on your goals with this build. Are you looking for a dead nuts copy or one that looks the part with some modern refinements? My advice would be to build it as close as possible to the OG but add your own preferences to it.

Well, above all, my goal is tone, and whatever help the authenticity of the build lends to it. Because I'm fairly naive about the sound and tone theory behind guitars, my best attempt to match the tone is to match the guitar. There are wiser folk who may be able to lead to better conclusions. But, I'd hate to change something up due to preference, and completely unmake the essence of the replica.

Next, what the heck are my preferences?  I've played one guitar pretty much my entire guitar-playing life, a PRS Custom 24. I really don't know any other guitars. I did play a squire when I was in high school (before I had adult job that could afford adult tastes).  So, I really don't have a preference.  I don't know if I like wider necks, or what fingerboard radius. I honestly bought a custom 24 instead of a custom 22 because who doesn't want two more frets? lol.

You're right in your implications. No point in a great sounding guitar that doesn't feel good to my own hands to play. I think authenticity is part of the fun of it.  I should probably meet that authenticity with some personal preference.  I will say I really like my PRS C24 neck (probably because I'm use to it).

 

[AlternateNosePicking]

Is it me or is that headstock nearly an inch thick?

May just be the picture.  Here's another of the headstock.

 

[line6man]

Why do you want to match the original neck specs? Those are non-cosmetic personal preferences, so it doesn't make sense to replicate something that works for someone else's hands, instead of your own.

As far as the neck specs, contoured heel etc., I would say it all depends on your goals with this build. Are you looking for a dead nuts copy or one that looks the part with some modern refinements? My advice would be to build it as close as possible to the OG but add your own preferences to it.

Well, above all, my goal is tone, and whatever help the authenticity of the build lends to it. Because I'm fairly naive about the sound and tone theory behind guitars, my best attempt to match the tone is to match the guitar. There are wiser folk who may be able to lead to better conclusions. But, I'd hate to change something up due to preference, and completely unmake the essence of the replica.

Next, what the heck are my preferences?  I've played one guitar pretty much my entire guitar-playing life, a PRS Custom 24. I really don't know any other guitars. I did play a squire when I was in high school (before I had adult job that could afford adult tastes).  So, I really don't have a preference.  I don't know if I like wider necks, or what fingerboard radius. I honestly bought a custom 24 instead of a custom 22 because who doesn't want two more frets? lol.

You're right in your implications. No point in a great sounding guitar that doesn't feel good to my own hands to play. I think authenticity is part of the fun of it.  I should probably meet that authenticity with some personal preference.  I will say I really like my PRS C24 neck (probably because I'm use to it).

Things like radii and nut width are not chosen for tonal reasons. They contribute slim to nothing, provided you are not altering the mass and resonance in any significant way. You pick most aspects of a neck's geometry based on how it feels in your hand, and how it suits your playing style. If you don't know what you like, then you have two options. The first is to simply choose the same specs that your PRS had, to get the same basic playability. The second is to find a guitar shop and spend some time playing many different guitars to assess your relationship with each aspect of neck geometry, and choose accordingly.

It common for very thick necks to sound different than very thin necks, because of the difference in wood mass. If you are trying to replicate a certain neck, it would be best to choose something in the same neighborhood, so that the difference will not be pronounced. The bigger concern that I would have, however, would be deciding which of the three Warmoth neck constructions is the best fit. Truss rods and stiffening rods do impact tone.

 

[rgand]

How many glasses of that dark did it take to MAKE "Holy LICKMAKER"? :icon_biggrin:

 

[AlternateNosePicking]

Here's the replica cutouts.  I'll have to add the cutout to accommodate the selector switch.  Weird pattern.

 

[rgand]

Here's the replica cutouts.  I'll have to add the cutout to accommodate the selector switch.  Weird pattern.

Actually, I've been contemplating just that selector location on mine. I have 1 tone, 1 vol and a toggle plus the push on/off master series/parallel switch. The toggle could move up to the new cutout location and the two knobs could move down and leave my hand room to play without hitting the damn vol knob.

 

[AlternateNosePicking]

Actually, I've been contemplating just that selector location on mine. I have 1 tone, 1 vol and a toggle plus the push on/off master series/parallel switch. The toggle could move up to the new cutout location and the two knobs could move down and leave my hand room to play without hitting the damn vol knob.

Makes sense.  That Vol knob looks extremely close to the bridge.  I'd be interested to know the best way to route such a path while preserving the finish.  Easier to do prior to finishing the body.

 

[stratamania]

I just read the original post a little more today, do you want to make a replica of the Hentor or the original guitar of Alex ?

The description you have mentions a Floyd Rose with no fine tuners, yet the Hentor replica doesn't use this.

The guitar of Alex, used a non fine tuner Floyd with no locking nut.

http://www.floydrose.com/catalog/tremolos/6:non-fine-tuner

A few went on sale a week or two ago but as I write are marked currently unavailable.

http://www.amazon.com/Floyd-Rose-Original-Vintage-Non-Fine/dp/B0093LHEH4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424972714&sr=8-1&keywords=floyd+rose+non+fine+tuner

If you want one, watch Floyd Rose facebook page as the announced the Amazon link on there. I would have bought one but they were US shipment only.

The White guitar which was a Fender prior to the change of necks made by a company called Shark, the guitar had a large CBS style headstock with bullet truss rod.


The main thing that's going to get you close is a white strat with a Floyd of your choice, the pickup configuration and a lot of guitar rack processing power or an Axe FXII.

Personally at the end of the day I would not sweat the details of neck profiles and so on, but make something that's inspired by, because the original guitar changed quite a bit to suit the taste of the player at the time.

Look forward to seeing your build.

 

[AlternateNosePicking]

I just read the original post a little more today, do you want to make a replica of the Hentor or the original guitar of Alex ?

The description you have mentions a Floyd Rose with no fine tuners, yet the Hentor replica doesn't use this.

The guitar of Alex, used a non fine tuner Floyd with no locking nut.

Good question. The replica I've been referencing has certain upgrades that were not on the original.  For instance, Freddy did a restoration on the original Hentor before plotting the replica. During the restoration, he and Alex changed out the pickups.  Also, the new replicas are offered with optional upgrades, like a fine tuner Floyd and a Gibson humbucker.

Honestly, I'm not sure what I'd want. I've never used a Floyd tremolo system. I did read somewhere that Freddy had said the Floyd was a integral part of the guitar's sound, though. Is the Warmoth cutout for a Floyd the same whether you go with fine tuners or not?

As for the locking nut, you read a million different opinions on their pros and cons.  Again, the locking nut is a recent upgrade to the original, I think, and therefore on the replicas.  I wonder if I went without the locking nut, would I consistently go flat?  That being said, if I include one, I don't know which one to use.

The White guitar which was a Fender prior to the change of necks made by a company called Shark, the guitar had a large CBS style headstock with bullet truss rod.

Yeah, I know Shark is no longer in business, and specs are no longer available.  Honestly, I don't know the history of the CBS headstock or neck.  What are the distinctives?

The main thing that's going to get you close is a white strat with a Floyd of your choice, the pickup configuration and a lot of guitar rack processing power or an Axe FXII.

My current setup is a Blackstar HT-5R with a TC Electronic G-Major.  I just built a tolex covered 8U rack to match the amp. Rack effects are messy without a rack.  Wish I could afford an Axe FXII.  Maybe one day.  Right now, the G-Major is all I need.

Personally at the end of the day I would not sweat the details of neck profiles and so on, but make something that's inspired by, because the original guitar changed quite a bit to suit the taste of the player at the time

I'd say you're right.  The question is then what Floyd config do I want, and what neck works.  I'll look into the CBS. Do most buy the Wormoth compound radius or go with something more traditional?

Thanks for your input.  Very helpful!

 

[stratamania]

Yes glad to help. I saw the guitar used live back in the day but I honestly cannot remember what incarnation it was in at the time.

The little Blackstar is a good amp I have one myself and in combination with the G Major, you can get some good tones for sure. I no longer have an Axe FXII but it's a great unit if you've got the cash to spare.

Anyway back to the guitar. I think the easiest options for you from a build perspective would be to get a normal Floyd Rose with the Fine tuners, and the locknut. That's what Hentor seems to be doing and the non fine tuner is still difficult to get ahold of. Also if you order a Warmoth body with a recessed Floyd route and the trem from them you are certain it's going to work. I think the non fine tuner version would fit but the recess may be a little longer than needed. The fine tuners elongated Floyds when they were added.

EDIT: Feb 19. Warmoth now offer a rout for a Non Fine Tuner which also needs a specific pickguard. The NFT does not share the same dimensions as an OFR rout. The OFR is longer but the NFT is wider. One recess does not fit the other.

Now the neck the CBS headstock is the larger headstock shape and the one that Alex had was a bullet truss rod version. Some prefer the more traditional and current smaller headstocks, I don't mind either but personally I think a Floyd locking nut looks a little better on the smaller headstock and will be more similar to the Shark necks in looks at least.

The compound radius is a popular choice and well worth doing. 10" at the nut is perfect for a Floyd, but you will ideally need a couple of small shims to get the bridge radius perfect.

Good luck with the build and post a build thread and pics...

 

[rgand]

This will be a good build to follow. I prefer the CBS headstock but that's just a personal preference. Other than that, the neck would be the same. Here's a cropped screen shot from the W website to show the different shapes. Ignore the block inlay on the fretboard.

 

[rgand]

Makes sense.  That Vol knob looks extremely close to the bridge.  I'd be interested to know the best way to route such a path while preserving the finish.  Easier to do prior to finishing the body.

It is close and today I'm going to see about swapping it with the push switch below it. If that doesn't work, I'll have to relocate it completely.

Last time I routed a finished body, I used a drill press with a wood drill that scores around the cut cleanly. Not one of those flat ones, more like a hand auger bit in the photo below but without the screw threads on the center guide or the square shank. It didn't chip or anything but I didn't have a router then. Not sure which way is best if I do it with this one. Probably just careful, slow cutting with a router is best.

 

[AlternateNosePicking]

This will be a good build to follow. I prefer the CBS headstock but that's just a personal preference. Other than that, the neck would be the same. Here's a cropped screen shot from the W website to show the different shapes. Ignore the block inlay on the fretboard.

I see now. That's a rather large difference in size. I suppose as long as the tuner holes align the same relative to the neck, the headstock size matters little.  Thanks for the pic.