First project - Silver HSS Strat

[rkoeper]

Hey guys,

just received my order from Warmoth and started work on my first self-build guitar. Exciting!  :blob7:

I'll update this thread as I go along, the project will probably take a few weeks. Feedback is appreciated very much. Be kind - I'm new to this.

Overview of my plans:
- Alder Strat in Inca Silver
- Goncalo Alves / Pau Ferro neck
- Hardtail (yes, really)
- Seymour Duncan HSS pickups

 

[rkoeper]

First up: the neck. I chose a Goncalo Alves neck because I didn't want to put lacquer on it. Fingerboard is Pau Ferro and I'm very happy with the way it looks and feels.

Not much to do here, I just wet sanded the neck to 2000 grid and applied two layers of shellack. Feels super-smooth!

Tuners are the sperzel clones from guitarfetish. Look good and solid and cost half as much.

Here's two shots of the finished neck.

 

[rkoeper]

On to the body. Standard Alder Strat body with nothing fancy, except it's routed for hard tail bridge.

Until now, I have applied two coats of primer sanded back and applied three coats of Inca Silver nitro lacquer. Doesn't sparkle yet, but I'm happy with the results, especially since this was my first lacquer job with a spray can.

I'll add the clear coats over the weekend and will update the thread when I'm done.

That's it for now.

 

[rkoeper]

By the way, I have an additional can of charcoal frost. Should I do a silver burst or keep it pure silver?

 

[crash]

Sure, why not!?  If you don't like it, just spray it with silver again.

 

[rkoeper]

A small correction while waiting for the clear coats to dry.

The pickguard was cut to fit to Strat tremolo bridges. Since I had stud holes routed for a Gotoh 510 hard tail bridge, the lower edges of the pickguard masked the stud holes (first picture).

I filed off the edges and will have to drill new holes for the pickguard screws  (second picture). 

 

[Cagey]

Maybe it's just the angle of the shot, but that pickguard looks like it's too far to the right and the bridge looks like it's too far to the left. The pickguard is just a cosmetic issue, but if the bridge is as far off as it looks, your strings are going to be seriously out of alignment.

 

[rkoeper]

I think it's just the shot. I didn't careful align the pickguard for the shot, so it's probably way too far to the right.

Tonight the final clear coat will be done. I will then remove the tape from the neck and align everything more carefully.

 

[rkoeper]

It wasn't the shot, it was just that the bridge was sitting askew on the studs.

Clear coat on the body is done and dried. Here's a shot of body, neck and pickguard put together for the first time. It's not really mounted and aligned, just laid on top of each other. But it gives a first impression of what the guitar will look like.

 

[rkoeper]

On to electronics. I mounted the pickups and controls and did a bit of soldering, but I will finish the electronics only when I finally assemble the guitar.

What I had in mind:
- Bridge humbucker
- Close approximation of Strat sounds in position 2&4 (as far as possible with HSS configuration)
- As hum-free as possible

Pickups I chose are Seymour Duncan Custom 5 for bridge and Classic Stack 4 for neck and mid. Wiring is as follows:
- Pos 1: Bridge full humbucker
- Pos 2: Bridge split humbucker and mid split
- Pos 3: Mid stack
- Pos 4: Mid and neck split
- Pos 5: Neck stack

Since I didn't want extra controls for splitting three pickups manually, I had to use a super switch to split the pickups automatically depending on switch position.

New problem is that the super switch is so large that I cannot fit the third pot next to it. For now I'll probably go with single tone and volume anyway, so I can try and just use a dummy knob.   

 

[ezas]

Dang I missed this thread. I would have voted for the slight burst.

You are moving right along and it's looking great.

 

[rkoeper]

Thanks man. I decided to keep the finish simple for my first build. Maybe next time.  :icon_biggrin:

I'm afraid that's all for this weekend. Nothing more to do until the finish has properly cured. I understand that should be at least two weeks, right?

*twiddles his thumbs*

 

[ezas]

I've only used catalyzed finishes (I think that is what they are called) and they set up in like 24hrs. My rule from other spray painting projects is if it still smells like paint, than it's not dry yet. But I think Nitro lacquer is more like 3-4 weeks but others here know better.

How does that wrap around bridge look like it's going to work out? I'm considering using that bridge on an upcoming project.

 

[rkoeper]

Ask me again in two weeks or so. ;-)
All I can say now is that it looks and feels very solid.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

You might wanna have a look at this:

http://www.eyb-guitars.de/Eyb-English/Megaswitch_files/English%20Megaswitch%20M%201.1.pdf

Same contacts as a super switch but the same size as a regular 5-way. Should eliminate your problem with the DeLonge volume placement.

 

[Updown]

Looking good  :icon_thumright:

- Hardtail (yes, really)

:icon_scratch:  Nothing wrong at all with hard tails.

Nice choices all round  :guitarplayer2:

 

[rkoeper]

You might wanna have a look at this:

Looks interesting. For just 15 bucks I might give it a try. What do you think of the mechanical stability and how was soldering to the pads?

Btw, in your blog you mention that you'll put the RWRP single coil in the neck instead of middle. This has really given me headaches and after much research I couldn't find a definite answer. So I settled for trial and error and hope for the best.  :icon_scratch:

I have a Seymour Duncan HB with the usual split (white and red to ground for split). RWRP in middle or neck?

 

[rkoeper]

Looking good  :icon_thumright:

Thanks, much appreciated. First build is a daunting task...

 

[Jumble Jumble]

You might wanna have a look at this:

Looks interesting. For just 15 bucks I might give it a try. What do you think of the mechanical stability and how was soldering to the pads?

Btw, in your blog you mention that you'll put the RWRP single coil in the neck instead of middle. This has really given me headaches and after much research I couldn't find a definite answer. So I settled for trial and error and hope for the best.  :icon_scratch:

I have a Seymour Duncan HB with the usual split (white and red to ground for split). RWRP in middle or neck?

Soldering to the pads was an absolute piece of cake. I used croc clips to hold the board, and then either clips or a bit of blu-tac to hold the wire steady against the pad. Then I soldered as normal, and it was fine - unless you put heaps and heaps of it on, it won't flow past the edge of the pad. The switch itself seems nicely built - nice feel to it in operation too.

The RWRP thing - finally I got my answer. A RWRP Duncan single coil will be humbucking when combined with the screw coil of a Duncan humbucker. A regular-wound Duncan single coil is humbucking with the slug coil of a Duncan humbucker.

I'm splitting to the screw coil so I will have a RWRP pickup in the middle position. However, you're splitting to the slug coil, so you will need to have RWRP in the neck and regular in the middle.

This is all second hand information though - not from Duncan (although pretty reliable). Trial and error might be your best bet, if you're getting the same pickups in neck and mid.

 

[rkoeper]

Short update on electronics. I took Jumble's advice and got the Eyb megaswitch which is really much thinner and doesn't obstruct the volume pot anymore. And while I was rewiring I took Cagey's advice from another thread and used shielded wires for the signal path.

So it's basically this wring diagramme now: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=h_2stks4_1v_2t_s5w