Jumble Jumble
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,932
In 2001 I bought a Fender American Series Strat in Chrome Red, which I then outfitted with the EMG DG20 set. It immediately became my #1 and stayed that way for a decade, overtaking my other Strat.
The other Strat went through a series of changes over that decade, never really fitting in. When I finally decided to overhaul it again, going to vintage-style pickups and a black refinish, it became level pegging with the red one.
Then I upgraded the black one to a Callaham block and the red one dropped out of use a bit. The problem was that the improvement in feel that the new block gave (there's no play in the arm at all so it feels great) made the red one feel cheap and nasty.
This prompted me to give the guitar an overhaul. I had always wished it was candy apple red rather than Chrome Red - the chrome is a smoother metallic paint that isn't such a scarlet red and doesn't have the depth. So my plan was, refinish the body in CAR, get a Callaham block in there, and put it all back together. I still love the EMGs, so no problem there.
Anyway, after doing the research, it turns out that if I just buy a Warmoth body in Candy Red, and sell the Chrome Red body, that works out £100 cheaper than having the original body refinished! And it gives me the opportunity to choose exactly what I want - a lighter body (it matters because EMGs + a battery are heavy), a nice battery rout with proper box in it (instead of just a hole with a plastic plate over it), and the exact SSS rout for the pickups rather than the HSH in the AmSe. Not that the rout makes a difference to sound, of course, but it feels more "custom" like that.
Quick check on the showcase, and there it is. SSS rout, extra light swamp ash, candy red, your choice trem routing (sticking with Fender American Standard 2-point trem), and of course the option to have the battery rout put in.
Here it is from the showcase:
And here it is having arrived with the battery rout done. The battery box is in now (not a fun job, two stupid fiddly screws).
The candy red finish is just amazing. I searched this forum quite a lot and didn't really find it mentioned much. Everyone's after wood grain all the time (nothing against that). I was shocked how beautiful it was when it came out of the box. Photos absolutely can't do it justice - I tried for quite some time with a very good camera.
The plan for this is for it to have the original 1-piece maple neck from the Fender. Unfortunately that neck has been on and off a few times, and two of the holes are stripped. I'm going to toothpick and glue it as a temporary fix so I can complete the build, and when it's done, I'll take it for a setup and get inserts put in so the problem doesn't come back.
My least favourite part of setting up my yellow Strat with a Floyd was putting in and adjusting the claw. So much power required to turn the screws I was terrified I was going to break something, and then of course the constant back and forth with tuning and setting up to get the float angle right. I am not doing that again. I've bought a Schaller Sure Claw and that's going in instead. I love the idea of firstly just screwing it in normally, into two regular pilot holes that I drill, and secondly adjusting the claw distance by just turning an allen key.
Other changes are of course it's getting a Callaham block, arm and saddles (I just prefer the aesthetics of the saddles and they don't affect stability). The neck already has chrome Sperzels fitted. The EMG DG20 is being dropped straight back in (it's on a parchment 3-ply pickguard rather than the white pearl it came with). The old body used a DiMarzio ClipLock strap; this one will be getting the Dunlop locks I usually use.
I haven't got any of the Callaham parts yet - need to put an order in soon for a whole bunch of stuff. Everything else I have at home ready for the build.
The other Strat went through a series of changes over that decade, never really fitting in. When I finally decided to overhaul it again, going to vintage-style pickups and a black refinish, it became level pegging with the red one.
Then I upgraded the black one to a Callaham block and the red one dropped out of use a bit. The problem was that the improvement in feel that the new block gave (there's no play in the arm at all so it feels great) made the red one feel cheap and nasty.
This prompted me to give the guitar an overhaul. I had always wished it was candy apple red rather than Chrome Red - the chrome is a smoother metallic paint that isn't such a scarlet red and doesn't have the depth. So my plan was, refinish the body in CAR, get a Callaham block in there, and put it all back together. I still love the EMGs, so no problem there.
Anyway, after doing the research, it turns out that if I just buy a Warmoth body in Candy Red, and sell the Chrome Red body, that works out £100 cheaper than having the original body refinished! And it gives me the opportunity to choose exactly what I want - a lighter body (it matters because EMGs + a battery are heavy), a nice battery rout with proper box in it (instead of just a hole with a plastic plate over it), and the exact SSS rout for the pickups rather than the HSH in the AmSe. Not that the rout makes a difference to sound, of course, but it feels more "custom" like that.
Quick check on the showcase, and there it is. SSS rout, extra light swamp ash, candy red, your choice trem routing (sticking with Fender American Standard 2-point trem), and of course the option to have the battery rout put in.
Here it is from the showcase:
And here it is having arrived with the battery rout done. The battery box is in now (not a fun job, two stupid fiddly screws).
The candy red finish is just amazing. I searched this forum quite a lot and didn't really find it mentioned much. Everyone's after wood grain all the time (nothing against that). I was shocked how beautiful it was when it came out of the box. Photos absolutely can't do it justice - I tried for quite some time with a very good camera.
The plan for this is for it to have the original 1-piece maple neck from the Fender. Unfortunately that neck has been on and off a few times, and two of the holes are stripped. I'm going to toothpick and glue it as a temporary fix so I can complete the build, and when it's done, I'll take it for a setup and get inserts put in so the problem doesn't come back.
My least favourite part of setting up my yellow Strat with a Floyd was putting in and adjusting the claw. So much power required to turn the screws I was terrified I was going to break something, and then of course the constant back and forth with tuning and setting up to get the float angle right. I am not doing that again. I've bought a Schaller Sure Claw and that's going in instead. I love the idea of firstly just screwing it in normally, into two regular pilot holes that I drill, and secondly adjusting the claw distance by just turning an allen key.
Other changes are of course it's getting a Callaham block, arm and saddles (I just prefer the aesthetics of the saddles and they don't affect stability). The neck already has chrome Sperzels fitted. The EMG DG20 is being dropped straight back in (it's on a parchment 3-ply pickguard rather than the white pearl it came with). The old body used a DiMarzio ClipLock strap; this one will be getting the Dunlop locks I usually use.
I haven't got any of the Callaham parts yet - need to put an order in soon for a whole bunch of stuff. Everything else I have at home ready for the build.
, almost made for each other. Love to hear a clip when it's done.
