Building my first custom Strat and I have a few questions

22878

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Hello everyone! I'm building my first custom strat (specs below) and I have a few questions I was wondering if someone could help answer.

1. I'm not sure which jack rout to get. I want a simple input without a mounting plate like the attached pic. Does anyone know which one I need?
2. Are there any drawbacks of the 720 mod?
3. I haven't decided which bridge to get. I have the standard tremolo on my old strat, but I'm looking to upgrade to something better. Any suggestions? The tremolo will be decked.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

MODEL: Stratocaster®
WOOD: Alder
SCALE: 25-1/2"
RIGHT/LEFT: Right handed
ROUT: Rear Rout
PICKUP ROUT: Strat® (Neck), Strat® (Middle), Humbucker (Wood Mount) (B)
CONTROLS: X-T-T-5 (Strat®)
BRIDGE: American Standard Strat® Tremolo
JACK ROUT: 1/2" (13mm) 7/8" (22mm) Side Jack Hole
F-HOLES: None
NECK POCKET: Strat® with 720 Mod Strat® Shape
MOUNTING HOLES: Standard 4 Bolt
COUNTOURS: Contoured Heel / Tummy Cut / Forearm Countour
TOP FINISH: Alpine White
BACK FINISH: Alpine White
FINISH TYPE: Gloss Finish

MODEL: Vintage/Modern Construction Stratocaster®
WOOD: 3A Flame Maple/3A Flame Maple
RIGHT/LEFT: Right Handed
NUT WIDTH: 1-11/16"
NECK PROFILE: Standard thin
FRET SIZE: SS6105 (Stainless)
TUNER REAM: Vintage Style (11/32")
INLAYS: Mother Of Pearl Dots
SIDE DOTS: Mother Of Pearl Side Dots
RADIUS: 10-16" Compound
SCALE: 25-1/2"
FRET #: 22
MOUNTING HOLES: Standard 4 Bolt
PRE-CUT INSTALLED STRING NUT: GraphTech White TUSQ XL - Standard Nut
FINISH: Clear Gloss
 

Attachments

  • input jack.png
    input jack.png
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I urge you to not go with the 1/2 jack hole and concept of using the deep jack.  Just search here on the forum and see negs vs pos
I cannot remember a single positive post regarding the situation over the last decade.  The jack is of poor design and required implementation
 
If you don't like the standard Strat jack plate, put a flat plate over the rout with a flush jack or flip the jack plate over (it's not easy to find one that is polished on the underside for that) (I think I may be the only one around here that likes to do that).

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If side input jacks are so horrible, why does virtually every rear routed strat have one? All Les Pauls have them. All PSR guitars. Etc.
 
22878 said:
If side input jacks are so horrible, why does virtually every rear routed strat have one? All Les Pauls have them. All PSR guitars. Etc.

The advice wasn’t to avoid all side jacks, it was to avoid a 1/2” hole fitted with a deep jack which appears to be what your picture shows. A 7/8” side jack hole with a standard Switchcraft jack mounted to a plate or Electro-socket is a great option.
 
-VB- said:
22878 said:
If side input jacks are so horrible, why does virtually every rear routed strat have one? All Les Pauls have them. All PSR guitars. Etc.

The advice wasn’t to avoid all side jacks, it was to avoid a 1/2” hole fitted with a deep jack which appears to be what your picture shows. A 7/8” side jack hole with a standard Switchcraft jack mounted to a plate or Electro-socket is a great option.

I see. This page: http://www.warmoth.com/Bass/Options/SidejackOptions.aspx says 3/4" is for bodies with a 1/2" edge radius and 7/8" is for bodies with a 3/16" edge radius. So, wouldn't the 3/4" be suited for a Strat?
 
22878 said:
I see. This page: http://www.warmoth.com/Bass/Options/SidejackOptions.aspx says 3/4" is for bodies with a 1/2" edge radius and 7/8" is for bodies with a 3/16" edge radius. So, wouldn't the 3/4" be suited for a Strat?

Well, the 3/4” hole might fit the Strat radius ”better”, but you’ll have problem finding a jack that fits the hole. That’s why everybody opts for the 7/8 hole. And use a football plate to attach the jack as it follows the body radius better.

As for the 720-mod - there’s a current thread where the OP is having problem with getting the strings low enough. So you might want to stay clear of that mod.
 
To answer the question directly it is a deep panel jack probably mono, otherwise known as a Switchraft 151 it requires a 1/2" hole. (Just a little more awkward to work on than others)

A lot of folks tend to use the 7/8" even on Strats. The only thing is the sides of the hole are closer to the radius of the body, but when a jack plate is on it is not seen.
 
In my experience the jack itself isnt really an issue. Especially from a quality standpoint. The 20+ year old Carvin DC never gave issues nor did the several Ibanez examples that have come and gone. I'd say the biggest issue is Warmoth's cavity route doesn't facilitate proper mounting.
 
    Regarding the bridge, I have a Super-Vee Bladerunner tremolo in 9 of my strat builds.  It stays in tune as good as any non-locking trem .  I don't know if it's a huge upgrade from a standard Fender trem though.
 
I'll pile on the "avoid the panel jack" scrum. Those things really aren't designed for guitars. They're not as robust as a good Switchcraft jack, and replacements aren't as easy to come by. The more standard Switchcraft-style jack is ubiquitous. If you ever have trouble, even a Radio Shack (when they still existed) could provide you with one.

The 720 mod may or may not give you grief. It depends on the height of your bridge. Almost any vibrato is going to be too tall, and many hardtails are going to be on the hairy edge. You'll have to make that decision after you decide on a bridge.

There are a lotta good vibratos out there these days. As long as you stay with the two-point knife-edge fulcrum style, it's tough to go wrong. I generally use the Wilkinson VS-100 or Schaller's "Vintage Tremolo".

Finally, you might want to consider roasted Maple for the neck. The stuff is just great. Doesn't require a finish, and burnishes up beautifully. Far superior to finished Maple, if you ask me.
 
On points 1 and 2, what Cagey said.  On bridge upgrades there are lots of options.  I haven't tried the gotoh 510 but it looks good to me and I haven't heard any complaints.
 
pabloman said:
In my experience the jack itself isnt really an issue. Especially from a quality standpoint. The 20+ year old Carvin DC never gave issues nor did the several Ibanez examples that have come and gone. I'd say the biggest issue is Warmoth's cavity route doesn't facilitate proper mounting.

I have one in my 89 Hamer Chapparal Custom. It has been replaced once after about 25 years of a lot of use.

On the tremolo.

Gotoh 510 Tremolo is recommended by myself also especially as Warmoth now offer a rout as a standard option and sell them too.
 
The .720 mod is designed for recessed vibrato bridges AND no pickguard. I imagine a Strat bridge would work as well since they are not real tall. If you intend to have a pickguard (as most Strats do), forget the .720 mod.
 
The 510 Trem also comes in 2 1/16 spread, with everthing else the same.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Okay, so I changed the jack hole from 1/2" to 7/8", and I removed the 720 mod, but I still want to get it. I have decided to get the Floyd Rose Rail Tail for the bridge. https://floydrose.com/products/rtn?variant=29880817042 It looks great and has the exact functionality I'm looking for. For the 720 mod, isn't there a way to determine whether or not it will work with the bridge I have selected? Someone said you need a recessed bridge, but why isn't that mentioned anywhere on this page? http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/Options/GuitarNeckPocket.aspx And why doesn't Warmoth force you to select a recessed bridge rout if you select the 720 mod? If I figure out how low I can set the strings with the Floyd Rose Rail Tail, shouldn't that let me know whether or not it will work with the 720 mod?
 
The automation on the existing Warmoth order site isn't quite as intelligent as it could be when it comes to matching up parts/mods, but to be fair, there's no way for them to know what you're doing with the parts you order, so how do you apply rules to it? I might be ordering a bridge for some other body I have here, or tuners for some other neck, so if I put a body/neck on the same order as the bridge/tuners, should the computer throw an error if those parts don't fit together? What if I order 4 nuts? Should the computer remind me I only need one? You see the problem, I'm sure.

Long story short, Warmoth is a parts supplier, not a kit supplier. It's up to you to order the right parts. Now, lest that seem cold, understand that if you call and talk to a sales person, then there's a great deal of knowledge and experience available to help you get the right stuff. Or, you can always ask around here if it's outside Warmoth's hours. Or even if it's not  :laughing7:

As for the 720 mod thing, in looking at it the other day, I figured that between the thickness of the fretboard, frets, and some string clearance, you'd stack up to .350" pretty easily, so when selecting a bridge, you need to be sure that with everything adjusted as low as it'll go, you're able to hit that number at least for minimum height on the bridge. Anything larger, and your strings are likely going to be too high off the fretboard.

 
Can anyone recommend some companies who can paint the body? I know about Wilkins. Anyone else? Warmoth won't paint it because I've made modifications to the body.
 
You might try a PM to Tonar8653, right here on the forum. I've never had him do a body for me, but from what I've seen and heard here, he does top notch work.  :icon_thumright:
 
22878 said:
Can anyone recommend some companies who can paint the body? I know about Wilkins. Anyone else? Warmoth won't paint it because I've made modifications to the body.
What modifications have you made that would prevent them from painting it???
 
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