Max goes to Woodstock (Another Strat in Progress )

[stratamania]

Hi all. So I now have most of the parts I need and a few bits and pieces on order to get this started.

by stratamania, on Flickr


by stratamania, on Flickr

The neck is a slab style 68 type construction, no skunk stripe or bullet truss rod. Similar to the Woodstock strat except this has some flame in the maple and has 6100 Stainless steel frets and a bit of a compound radius. And is a right hand reverse.

Callaham, Narrow spacing Vintage bridge, electronics will be cryogenically treated from Callaham.  Pickups are Callaham/Fralin Hendrix/SRV and came with the body and are cryogenically treated.

Fender Left Hand F tuners.

Souldier Woodstock type guitar strap.

I am not sure what I am going to use for a nut, I have a brass one and some bone blanks.


Out of the box thread http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=24802.0

Body from Tonar and his original build http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=9734.0

I am trying to decide what to do with the neck, just nitro, or tru oil apart from the headstock face and possibly fingerboard.  In 68 Fender, used to do the necks with a urethane I believe but nitro over the headstock face and decal, which is why those look amber after ageing.  Let me know what you think.

Some of you may know I normally prefer modern type hardware and so forth, but I am trying with this one to get a little bit of that vintage vibe there but with a few twists like the stainless steel frets and so on.

Also do you guys want me to document this fairly detailed or just give you an update every now and then ?

Either way its going to be in progress a while as I need to fit in among business travel etc. I am only going to work on it about once a month or so.


We have time, there's no big rush.
Jimi Hendrix

 

[Kostas]

Τhe neck looks nice, I've always liked the reverse CBS head. Personally I wouldn't risk it with maple, I would do hard finish.

Ι put Callaham pots and selector in my '07 strat. No noise or any sign of wear so far.

I'm curious which profile you chose, I'm contemplating between their LP59 and Chunky C-1.

 

[Day-mun]

Ooohmigosh! -I think I'm gonna hafta change my shorts!!! When you bought the Max Strat, I really, REALLY wanted to see ya put a CBS neck on it, preferably reverse-right-handed... And it's happening! This is gonna be so friggin' sweet!

:hello2: -Even got the proper strap for the Jimi experience!

ccasion14:

 

[stratamania]

@Kostas I am leaning toward just doing the whole neck with nitro. I don't mind doing tru oil on maple with ebony or rosewood boards and doing the headstock separately with nitro. Also to do a historically accurate finish seems hardly worth it. Because it's inspired by not a replica.

The neck profile is

BACK PROFILE: Thin C 79 x 89
Radius 9.5 - 12"
Nut width 1 5/8"


@Day-mun glad you like it and happy it's going in a direction you thought it might. :guitaristgif:

Now to scallop or not to scallop ?

Bonus points for spotting the Beatles song...

Edit video has been removed from YouTube.

 

[bagman67]

I FEEL FINE.  Good fun when you catch a quote from someplace very outside the instant tune.  A propos of the occasion - the studio version of Sunshine of Your Love has that "Blue Moon" quote to kick off the solo, so wholly appropriate in this context.  And I believe Clapton quoted "Strangers in the Night" on the version he did on the "24 Nights" album from his Royal Albert Hall residency in 1992 or whenever it was.

 

[stratamania]

Bagman67, has several bonus points. Just goes to show I'm not standing alone.  ccasion14:

 

[Surf n Music]

What a fun build! I like the reverse headstocks. Especially the CBS it looks like a big ol wave is starting to break with another behind it. Oh that rug you got it on is plush! Talk about shag carpet. Got to build it while sitting on that thing to channel more of that 60's vibe  :laughing11:

 

[Day-mun]

:guitaristgif: back atcha!

-Can't wait to see this one come together (Right now. Over me... Sorry. Someone mentioned the Beatles, so...)

 

[BigSteve22]

I already have more ideas than money, but ideas are free and I can always watch your fine craftsmanship come together. Love Hendrix, love his white Strat. Can't wait to watch yours come to life.

 

[stratamania]

Thanks guys, I'll put up plenty of photos for you.

@Surf n Music, shag pile carpets, and Hendrix themed guitars, what more could we need in this thread ?

 

[Day-mun]

Thanks guys, I'll put up plenty of photos for you.

@Surf n Music, shag pile carpets, and Hendrix themed guitars, what more could we need in this thread ?

As fitting and dramatic as it would be to end the thread by squirting it with Zippo fuel and setting it ablaze, please don't!!!  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[stratamania]

Now there's an idea, fortunately this is Woodstock inspired and not Monterey.

 

[Day-mun]

In that case, after ya got it together, you'll hafta post a link to a clip of you rippin' the Star-Spangled-Banner in it!  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[stratamania]

Star spangled banner, that we will have to see 

The first step with this build was to remove the pickguard / scratchplate with the mounted pickups as received from Tonar.


by stratamania, on Flickr

Some of you may have read in one of Day-mun's threads, that the neck heel and pocket don't quite fit. I don't know if this is due to a difference of neck and body maker, or if its just a one off.

Anyway to work... this is my Xacto knife set, which I am going to use along with a little sandpaper to work on the neck pocket.  These need to be razor sharp, I am only shaving material and lightly sanding. I also prepared the neck ready for finish down to 320. But the pocket needed a slight amount easing. Possibly after the neck is fully finished I may have to do a little final adjustment.



by stratamania, on Flickr

Fitted


by stratamania, on Flickr


Fitted additional shot.


by stratamania, on Flickr

Neck pocket after adjustment, slightly overexposed.


by stratamania, on Flickr

Thanks for looking.

 

[stratamania]

Next up making a start on the neck finish, I decided to go all Nitro with this one. I

prepped with a little sanding to 320.

First coats of Behlen Vinyl Sealer, I just did this flat on the shipping carton.


by stratamania, on Flickr

This is just the first coat of sealer while wet, but it gives an idea of the grain.


by stratamania, on Flickr

Turned over after dry and rested on a piece of scrap, also the scrap gets a little

finish, which I can use for compatibility tests if needed with other material.

build 8
by stratamania, on Flickr

build 9
by stratamania, on Flickr



build 10
by stratamania, on Flickr

And finally a shot of the headstock after the first coat of nitro. I am hanging the

neck up for the nitro coats.


by stratamania, on Flickr

Thanks for looking... more later.

 

[fdesalvo]

That is one super clear chunk of maple!

 

[stratamania]

Thanks, the maple does have a certain look to it.

It grew up next to a mountain,
and was chopped down with the edge of a hand,
They squeezed out all the resin,
might even make syrup sugar strands.

 

[MikeW]

...lawd knows it's a voodoo chile!!!

That really is a gorgeous hunk of maple. Can't wait to see this one finished. I'm kinda getting the jones to build another Strat now too.

 

[stratamania]

Thanks MikeW, I know what you mean about wanting to build another one.

 

[fdesalvo]

Hahahaha  :headbang1: