Mary Kaye on Zebrawood

[smjenkins]

All the parts for this came in a few weeks back and I've finally had a few hours to spend assembling.  Here's the results.  It's a hardtail chambered alder body with a zebrawood cap.  Finish is mary kaye white.  Black pg and p/u covers.  The tone knob is wired to affect all three pickups.  The switch toggles the back two pickups polarity.    I used 500K pots and they are just too bright as it is now.  I've got some 250K pots on the way to attenuate this.  The neck is wenge with an ebony fretboard from the showcase.  The raw neck really does feel nice. 

I'd like to thank everyone in the forum for help building along the way as well as great ideas and inspiration.  And of course, generally being entertaining. 

   

 

[Nando Vallart]

Really really cool! Congrats!

 

[dmraco]

VERY cool.  I never would have thought that would have tunred out so well.

One thought...I assume the neck is unfinished and the FENDER logo is just a sticker.  I would take it off.  Looks like an afterthought.
Just my 2 cents...

love the polarity switch....does it drastically change the sound?

 

[smjenkins]

Glad you like the overall look. 

The F logo is a waterslide just like all F logos.  The difference is it isn't lacquered over.  It's more of a "vintage" waterslide install.  I tried running the neck naked for two days.  It just looked too empty.  I'm not over the moon with how the logo looks, but I do like it better than nothing.

As for the switch, I used the wiring diagram and pickups from an old Peavey I had.  Their exceptionally vague description of what the switch does is in page 7 of this manual.

http://www.peavey.com/assets/literature/manuals/80302022.pdf

It basically makes the bottom two pickups into a humbucker in the bottom position or hum cancelling reverse polarity in the middle. 

 

[AutoBat]

you should get it the chrome Warmoth decal, those look superb on anything.

 

[JaySwear]

i'm not a huge fan of decals on exotic necks, but i definitely agree that a 6-inline-tuners headstock looks really weird and empty without a logo. it's why i put one on my build! this strat looks awesome, congrats! is this the guitar that got delayed because of the wrong bridge route? the mary kaye is really cool on zebrawood!

 

[SustainerPlayer]

Stunning. That body is beautiful.

 

[smjenkins]

is this the guitar that got delayed because of the wrong bridge route?

Yes it is.  W sent me the original body routed for a tremolo, which isn't what I ordered.  The first body is still in the showcase.

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/ShowcaseItem.aspx?i=PS4988&Body=2&Path=Body

 

[Superlizard]

I used 500K pots and they are just too bright as it is now.  I've got some 250K pots on the way to attenuate this.

Although there are no hard and fast rules regarding pots for pickups, there are certain ***standards*** to use because,
well, let's face it:  they sound best to the majority. 

Single coils typically get 250Ks, humbuckers typically get 500Ks.  These are the standards for a reason.

Whomever told you to use 500Ks (if anyone did) is a flippin' dumbass.

But of course:  you can wire any value pot to a given pickup; but these tards who think they're being clever
by wiring a 1MegOhm to a single coil & the like... and telling everyone else to do the same - well, there's a reason they're tards.  :icon_jokercolor:

BTW, interesting take on a combined single coil bucker in the bridge.  :icon_thumright:

 

[Wyliee]

The first time I saw a customer order zebra under Mary Kaye, I thought it was a horrid idea and thought Spike had lost his mind for not disuading the customer.  That was before I ever saw it done.  Now I'm glad we put the order through because I think it is a killer combination.

Great job!! :icon_thumright:

 

[bigguspickus]

Cool!

What you did with the pickups is kinda like what the guitarist from The Band, Robbie Robertson, did on his Strat.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEo4gRqUiU4[/youtube]

It's hard to see in the video, but it's a custom pickguard were the middle pickup's been relocated to just above the bridge pickup.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

This build is kickass.  To alleviate the logo problem, you could do coat after coat after coat of truoil and some steel wooling on the headstock face only.  That could fill in the grain.

 

[OzziePete]

I used 500K pots and they are just too bright as it is now.  I've got some 250K pots on the way to attenuate this.

Although there are no hard and fast rules regarding pots for pickups, there are certain ***standards*** to use because,
well, let's face it:  they sound best to the majority. 

Single coils typically get 250Ks, humbuckers typically get 500Ks.  These are the standards for a reason.

Whomever told you to use 500Ks (if anyone did) is a flippin' dumbass.

But of course:  you can wire any value pot to a given pickup; but these tards who think they're being clever
by wiring a 1MegOhm to a single coil & the like... and telling everyone else to do the same - well, there's a reason they're tards.   :icon_jokercolor:

BTW, interesting take on a combined single coil bucker in the bridge.   :icon_thumright:

In fairness, SL, this guitar is using master controls for both humbucker (twangbucker?) and single coils. Starting out with a 500K to match the humbucker would be an easy thing to assume . I think the OP could still use the original 500K pots if they wish and employ resistors to bring the value down to 250K approx., but would have limited sweep on the control, right? :icon_scratch:

 

[m4rk0]

This build is kickass.  To alleviate the logo problem, you could do coat after coat after coat of truoil and some steel wooling on the headstock face only.  That could fill in the grain.

Yes, I did this on Lukes guitars and those turned out great!!

(boobinga - Can't find the one with the decal on)

(Canary)

 

[m4rk0]

The first time I saw a customer order zebra under Mary Kaye, I thought it was a horrid idea and thought Spike had lost his mind for not disuading the customer.  That was before I ever saw it done.  Now I'm glad we put the order through because I think it is a killer combination.

Great job!! :icon_thumright:

I totally agree... it turned out great!
I am now wondering what MK White over Korina would look like  :icon_scratch:

 

[mayfly]

Are ya planning to enter GOTM?

 

[OzziePete]

Are ya planning to enter GOTM?

It's been entered this month (August)

 

[smjenkins]

Thanks all for the compliments on the build.

Regarding 500K pots.  The reason I picked a 500k pot for the volume is that I was pretty sure the original Peavey pot said 500k on the back.  I should've measured and that's my bad.  I've got two 250k pots and will be putting them in for both tone and volume tonight.

Regarding mary kay on black korina, you can simulate this in the Warmoth body finishes tool: http://www.warmoth.com/Finish/GuitarFinish.aspx.  The reason I picked zebrawood over korina is that I thought it had more contrast (and that's what I was going for).  Black korina is close and on a piece with some red and orange I bet it would look incredible. 

 

[NovasScootYa]

Thanks all for the compliments on the build.

Regarding 500K pots.  The reason I picked a 500k pot for the volume is that I was pretty sure the original Peavey pot said 500k on the back.  I should've measured and that's my bad.  I've got two 250k pots and will be putting them in for both tone and volume tonight.

Regarding mary kay on black korina, you can simulate this in the Warmoth body finishes tool: http://www.warmoth.com/Finish/GuitarFinish.aspx.  The reason I picked zebrawood over korina is that I thought it had more contrast (and that's what I was going for).  Black korina is close and on a piece with some red and orange I bet it would look incredible.  

By chance was the neck one of three Wenge/Ebony pictured in the CBS showcase during the 30th Anniversary sale? If so I came very close to buying one. I believe one neck was a standard thin and two were '59 Round backs, the latter necks sold on the last day of the sale.  
Although it appears not trimmed to specs keep the classy Fender decal, when it's time for maintenance remove the tuners and spray on a couple of light coats of a good satin poly. The satin allows the headstock face to retain its natural appearance and the decal will be protected a bit. One other opinion, next build consider using a Fender USA 57/62 bridge with a 2 7/32" string spacing. The wider vintage spacing helps with bending, tone, string/pole alignment, etc. Nice guitar.

 

[smjenkins]

By chance was the neck one of three Wenge/Ebony pictured in the CBS showcase during the 30th Anniversary sale? If so I came very close to buying one. I believe one neck was a standard thin and two were '59 Round backs, the latter necks sold on the last day of the sale.  

I'm not sure.  I wasn't actively looking at the showcase when the sale was happening.  It is a standard thin profile though.