First build: my new Strat
- Thread starter Johnfv
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good suggestions, thanks. Just a bit stunned that what I have known as Strat reality for 30+ years (I can take the pickguard off easily any time I want and change pickups, etc.) is now changed. I would never have ordered the "standard" option of 22 frets had I known.
I hear you. I will to talk with Warmoth and hopefully we can come up with a mutually satisfactory solution. Maybe I am unique but there may be other noobs out there that would prefer to be warned about this. Again I appreciate the helpful replies and sorry for whining...Alfang said:
The Norwegian Guy
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Johnfv said:
http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/FretboardExtensions.aspx
Research is the best way to prevent mistakes.
lafromla1
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The Norwegian Guy said:
You mean this?
21 Fret Option
A fingerboard with 21 frets is considered a "vintage" spec, where the fingerboard is flush with the neck heel. You may have one less fret to play on but you will find that taking off and putting on a pickguard is much easier without the the fingerboard overhang.
I stopped whining about the pickguard access long enough to work on the guitar some more 
I have it pretty much done, only a few small items to finish: strap locks, string trees. Pickups are Bridge: Duncan Hotrails (wired parallel for a more single coil tone), Middle: Fender '62 reissue Strat, Neck: Lace-Sensor Silver; 5 way switch and single master volume. It feels really great in the hand, and I love the contoured heel. Nice tone from the wood but the action is a little funky right now because of the varnish on the frets, I need to get it to my guitar tech for a good proper setup. Cheers!
I have it pretty much done, only a few small items to finish: strap locks, string trees. Pickups are Bridge: Duncan Hotrails (wired parallel for a more single coil tone), Middle: Fender '62 reissue Strat, Neck: Lace-Sensor Silver; 5 way switch and single master volume. It feels really great in the hand, and I love the contoured heel. Nice tone from the wood but the action is a little funky right now because of the varnish on the frets, I need to get it to my guitar tech for a good proper setup. Cheers!
Jusatele
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I actually joined the board about a month before ordering my body, I had ordered a neck about 20 years ago and that is how I knew about Warmoth.
I think I learned a lot about the options and stuff by hanging around. When I did order, I found out stuff I never even thought of once the body came in, and I think that is common, I guess I am trying to say that this is not a plug and play type of business. It seems we have so many different options to go with, and so many different styles we want parts for, that there are so many different things that it would take a book to explain it all.
Yes there are things that can be overlooked, but that is not Warmoths fault, they go overboard to try to get it correct, just look at the body or neck builder, they include just about all options and you HAVE to answer them.
This forum is here so you can ask questions, and so we can share our knowledge, but after all we are mostly just amateur Luthiers. And Warmoth is a supply house, they are not responsible for you not knowing how to order. If I were you I would learn to modify pickguards.
I think I learned a lot about the options and stuff by hanging around. When I did order, I found out stuff I never even thought of once the body came in, and I think that is common, I guess I am trying to say that this is not a plug and play type of business. It seems we have so many different options to go with, and so many different styles we want parts for, that there are so many different things that it would take a book to explain it all.
Yes there are things that can be overlooked, but that is not Warmoths fault, they go overboard to try to get it correct, just look at the body or neck builder, they include just about all options and you HAVE to answer them.
This forum is here so you can ask questions, and so we can share our knowledge, but after all we are mostly just amateur Luthiers. And Warmoth is a supply house, they are not responsible for you not knowing how to order. If I were you I would learn to modify pickguards.
jay4321
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I wouldn't worry about the 22nd fret. You've got so many other non-vintage things going on with that guitar already. Between the locking tuners, contoured heel, poly finish, abalone inlays... I mean 21 frets seems a little out of place. A vintage tint next doesn't quite cover it.
Also, often enough, you don't necessarily need to remove a 22-fret neck to remove the pickguard on a Warmoth Strat. I lift up the pickguard up from the bridge side and slide away. It helps to face the potentiometer posts inward when you wire them. With most pickups you can raise them up nice and high to help get some extra clearance also
Also, often enough, you don't necessarily need to remove a 22-fret neck to remove the pickguard on a Warmoth Strat. I lift up the pickguard up from the bridge side and slide away. It helps to face the potentiometer posts inward when you wire them. With most pickups you can raise them up nice and high to help get some extra clearance also
Firebird211
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Johnfv said:Moving along quickly... next noob issue: I did not realize how much the fingerboard hangs over with the 22 frets. I attached the neck to the body and then planned to fit the pickguard assembly but no way to fit it under the overhang. Am I really going to have to loosen the neck anytime I want to take the pickguard off??? Not sure I want that extra fret now...
That topic has come up a few times here. I have heard in some cases the pickguard is really snug under the fretboard, or it's so snug that the fretboard is bending upward slightly. It seems like you should file or sand down that portion of the pickguard carefully. Ooops, disregard, someone addressed that already. :doh:
Here's a few more pics. Overall the build was very smooth and I am already thinking about the next one. The guitar looks and feels great, it's not had a proper setup yet but I have worn most of the varnish off the frets just by playing the crap out of it. The contoured heel is excellent and the wood is better than any Fender I've had - I don't see myself buying a factory Strat again. It is also the first time I've bothered to do a thorough shielding job and it is dead quiet.
As for the pickguard, I'm sorry for starting what has been much more discussion than the topic deserves. I like to mess around with my electronics (apparently more often than some here); I now understand that with a 22 fret neck I need more of a neck pickup rout for the sort of easy access that I like. It's not that the pickguard by itself won't fit, it is the neck pickup hits the top of the body, and that is what prevents the pickguard from fitting under the "overhang". Alfang posted an answer within minutes of my first post on the topic:
ccasion14:
As for the pickguard, I'm sorry for starting what has been much more discussion than the topic deserves. I like to mess around with my electronics (apparently more often than some here); I now understand that with a 22 fret neck I need more of a neck pickup rout for the sort of easy access that I like. It's not that the pickguard by itself won't fit, it is the neck pickup hits the top of the body, and that is what prevents the pickguard from fitting under the "overhang". Alfang posted an answer within minutes of my first post on the topic:
I wish I had simply said "thanks!" and moved on. In future builds I'll know what to order (and I plan to enlarge the rout myself on this one). I'm hoping we we can find better things to discussAlfang said:
ccasion14:Thanks! As much tweaking as I have done on Strats in the past it's amazing that I didn't build one years ago. The Marshall is purple BTW, although the pictures don't do the color justice. I do have a real '68 Plexi but that one is an 18W clone from Ceriatone, excellent hand wired amps.ORCRiST said:
<WARNING: pickguard access discussion follows>
I like to try different electronics on my guitars and consider it a hassle to have to mess with the neck to do that (yes, I know some of you do not agree). I already decided to change the neck pickup (I had used a Lace Sensor silver that I had lying around and now I remember why it was lying around - Lace Sensor gold I like, silver not so much). I figured since I had to loosen the neck to get the pickguard off, I may as well take it all apart and solve my little issue with pickguard access and the 22 fret neck. I got a router mount for my Dremel and enlarged the neck pup rout so that I can now get the pickguard on/off easily with the neck attached. I've never routed anything before so am pretty happy with how it turned out. Here's a photo...
