Aquamarine Soloist Build

[exaN]

I'll be starting to work on my new Soloist very soon and will post updates here.

Specs:

Model: Soloist
Orientation: Right handed
F-Holes: None
Scale: 25-1/2"
Wood: Quilt Maple on Black Korina
Rout: Rear Rout
Pickup Rout: Humbucker (Wood Mount) (N), None (Middle), Humbucker (Wood Mount) (B)
Controls: V-X-T-5 (Strat®)
Bridge: Recessed Schaller Floyd Tremolo
Stud Install: No Stud Install
Jack Rout: 3/4" (19mm) Side Jack Hole
Neck Pocket: Strat® Shape
Mounting Holes: Standard 4 Bolt
Contours: Contoured Heel / Tummy Cut / Forearm Contour
Battery Box: No Battery Box Rout
Binding: Natural Masked Accent
Top Finish: Aqua Marine Dye
Back Finish: Transparent Blue
Finish Type: Gloss Finish

I'll be using the neck from another guitar for this one, so the tuners are already installed and the frets should be fine. I'd like to build the whole thing myself and I'm trying to figure out the bare minimum I need to do so. I live in an apartment so I have very limited space to work on this. All I really have at the moment is a soldering kit, some screwdrivers, a hammer, pliers and cutters. Any suggestions to add to this would help a lot (but remember, bare miminum :sad1!

List of things I'll have to do:

• Full Schaller Floyd install (including stud install)
• Full electronics install, 2 humbuckers (wood mounted), 1 volume, 1 tone and a switch for coil splitting (will have to drill hole)
• Strap buttons install
• Some nut filing for the higher string gauge
• Action and intonation setup

(I think that's everything?)

I'm also trying to find a place in the Bay Area to laser engrave a logo on the headstock rather than using a decal, but I've had no luck finding place that has a machine big enough for a guitar neck. Does anyone have a good place for this?

I'm excited for this since the only guitar I built entirely myself was my first Warmoth, but got help from my dad (I was only 19, now 28!). Will post updates when I get anything done .

 

[Cagey]

I've wanted to do the laser engraved headstock thing for a while now, and have had the same problem. Seems like the only folks who have machines large enough are industrial-type places that don't take piecework.

 

[dmraco]

I have had a few done.  Let me go thru my records

 

[exaN]

I have had a few done.  Let me go thru my records

That'd be great, thanks!

Another question: I'm a bit scared of drilling holes for the mini switch and pickup screws without a drill press, but they're not very deep holes. Would hand drilling those be a really bad idea?

 

[snouter]

I use an old drill myself.  It is like a Harley, very slow but decent torque at low rpms.  The important thing is to have the drill squared up.  For typical on/on/on toggle switches which provide for series (normal), split, and parallel I measure the diameter with a digital caliber, it is usually 6.09mm or so and then use a just slightly smaller such as 15/64" or 5.93mm.  That way the toggle is very snug.  Dremel has a variety of router options also.  Either way TAPE UP the guitar top with layers of thick masking tape, the entire top if you are unsure.  You may also want to do a small pilot hole to start with.  And practice on wood scraps, and double check fit of the toggle on wood scraps.   

I have a vid of yours truly drilling for 2 pots and 3 toggles somewhere.  This is not it.  I have to organize my videos a little better.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgPvqPwz3MM[/youtube]

 

[exaN]

Thanks for the detailed reply! You have a lot of good instructional content on your channel too, I’ll be sure to go through those, thanks!

 

[spe111]

Nice body. Why not use a push/pull pot for the coil split?

 

[stratamania]

@Jim Deecken, the maple top on the Soloist looks great. I can see why you bought it...

 

[exaN]

Nice body. Why not use a push/pull pot for the coil split?

I just find a switch to be more practical but maybe if that means I don’t have to drill an extra hole. Are there any other technical benefits?

 

[spe111]

The only benefit I can think of is less holes. I've had both and I've never minded the push/pull pot.

 

[exaN]

The only benefit I can think of is less holes. I've had both and I've never minded the push/pull pot.

Hmm I think I’m on the fence now...

 

[Cagey]

Depends on the knobs. Some are easier to pull up on than others. Tele knurled knobs, for instance, are easy. Top hats, not so much. But, either way it does hide the switch.

 

[exaN]

Yeah you guys convinced me. I'll go 3-way, 1V+1T (push-pull) ccasion14: .

 

[Rick]

Actually, I've used push-push pots and they've worked great!  It works sort of like a pen, don't even need to pull, just tap, and it pops up and you get one thing, tap it again and it goes down, I've used them with witch hat knobs, nooo problems.

 

[exaN]

Actually, I've used push-push pots and they've worked great!  It works sort of like a pen, don't even need to pull, just tap, and it pops up and you get one thing, tap it again and it goes down, I've used them with witch hat knobs, nooo problems.

Interesting, didn’t realize push push pots existed. I’ll look into it!

 

[Logrinn]

I've used push-push pots on several guitars through the years.
In my Fender Super-Sonic I installed a Fender S-1 Switch which is a push-push pot, but that's "camouflaged" so that the whole knob doesn't go up and down, but only the inner part of it.
It also allows for some advenced switching options should you need that.

 

[exaN]

I've used push-push pots on several guitars through the years.
In my Fender Super-Sonic I installed a Fender S-1 Switch which is a push-push pot, but that's "camouflaged" so that the whole knob doesn't go up and down, but only the inner part of it.
It also allows for some advenced switching options should you need that.

Ah yeah, I vaguely remember seeing something like this once. It's a pretty cool solution! Are you liking your experience with it?

 

[Logrinn]

Yes, definitely.
I was able to wire it so that it made each of the two humbuckers go from standard series to parallell. In essence making each humbucker go from a standard humbucking sound to a more single coil-ish sound with just one press of a knob.

 

[exaN]

I ordered all the electronics from Warmoth yesterday thinking I ordered a push/pull, but in fact what they're selling is the push/push. Apparently I can't read English... Push/push seems more convenient anyways. I presume the wiring is the same, right? This is what I got:

 

[Logrinn]

That looks right