stratamania
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Thanks Frank 
ccasion14:
ccasion14:
Max goes to Woodstock (Another Strat in Progress )
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stratamania
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So here is the latest. Most of the rest of the parts have arrived, although I do have an idea which may require another part. Not sure on that yet.
About a month ago I had done the first lot of nitro and this weekend I have a long weekend so time to make a little more progress.
Today, I level sanded the nitro that has been curing for a month. Then using the bag the neck arrived in and some painters tape masked off leaving just the headstock.
by stratamania, on Flickr
Here is the front after a light coat of weakest amber nitro. This was sprayed lightly from a distance and tested on scrap previously. I don't want it uneven or too heavy.
by stratamania, on Flickr
Masking off right to an edge on curves can be a challenge. So above you see a trick of masking on the curve which gives a clean line without difficulty.
The idea of the weak amber on the face of the headstock is because late 60s and 70s strats (don't quote me on the years) will often have headstock faces that appear quite yellow compared to the rest of the neck. This is because those guitars necks were done with urethane finishes, when it was dry and the decal applied no problem, but if urethane was sprayed over the decals at the time they reacted. In true Fender style they just sprayed nitro over the decals and the headstock face and these have yellowed over the years.
So whilst all of this neck is nitro I am just emphasising the look slightly. Next I will apply the decal probably and after evaluating I may give the rest of the neck an even lighter dusting of weak amber, or may not. Then I will build up further coats of clear prior to wet sanding when its been left to dry for a while again. I want the effect to be there but reasonable subtle as all of this is nitro and it will itself age.
Some more inspiration...
About a month ago I had done the first lot of nitro and this weekend I have a long weekend so time to make a little more progress.
Today, I level sanded the nitro that has been curing for a month. Then using the bag the neck arrived in and some painters tape masked off leaving just the headstock.
by stratamania, on Flickr
Here is the front after a light coat of weakest amber nitro. This was sprayed lightly from a distance and tested on scrap previously. I don't want it uneven or too heavy.
by stratamania, on Flickr
Masking off right to an edge on curves can be a challenge. So above you see a trick of masking on the curve which gives a clean line without difficulty.
The idea of the weak amber on the face of the headstock is because late 60s and 70s strats (don't quote me on the years) will often have headstock faces that appear quite yellow compared to the rest of the neck. This is because those guitars necks were done with urethane finishes, when it was dry and the decal applied no problem, but if urethane was sprayed over the decals at the time they reacted. In true Fender style they just sprayed nitro over the decals and the headstock face and these have yellowed over the years.
So whilst all of this neck is nitro I am just emphasising the look slightly. Next I will apply the decal probably and after evaluating I may give the rest of the neck an even lighter dusting of weak amber, or may not. Then I will build up further coats of clear prior to wet sanding when its been left to dry for a while again. I want the effect to be there but reasonable subtle as all of this is nitro and it will itself age.
Some more inspiration...
Last edited:
stratamania
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fdesalvo said:
The specs of the profile are.
BACK PROFILE: Thin C 79 x 89
Radius 9.5 - 12"
Nut width 1 5/8"
Possibly the flame makes it look deeper than it is. Till I put it together I wont know for certain, but it feels very comfortable at least for my hand.
stratamania
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Here's a quick update...
The amber I applied to the headstock I decided I didn't like the look, so sanded back to the underlying clear coat. I've then built up some extra coats of clear, wet sanded the face of the headstock level and applied a decal.
I like the look of clear natural maple and if the nitro ages naturally I prefer that so the Amber went.
As an aside the Weak Amber would have looked really good on a flame top LP style as part of a burst.
Next is waiting for the decal to be ready for some mist coats, then wetter coats, then let it cure for a week or so and final wet sanding and buffing.
In the meantime I mounted the blade switch and pots to the pickguard ready for wiring and soldering.
The amber I applied to the headstock I decided I didn't like the look, so sanded back to the underlying clear coat. I've then built up some extra coats of clear, wet sanded the face of the headstock level and applied a decal.
I like the look of clear natural maple and if the nitro ages naturally I prefer that so the Amber went.
As an aside the Weak Amber would have looked really good on a flame top LP style as part of a burst.
Next is waiting for the decal to be ready for some mist coats, then wetter coats, then let it cure for a week or so and final wet sanding and buffing.
In the meantime I mounted the blade switch and pots to the pickguard ready for wiring and soldering.
stratamania
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Greetings music lovers, and welcome back to the thread.
The last update was May 24th and that's almost three months ago... work and home in different places can be a challenge.
In the last post I mentioned I had done a little wiring whilst waiting for the nitro on the neck to cure. Here are a few shots I took at the time.
Some extra parts that arrived.
by stratamania, on Flickr
Getting started with the first bit of soldering. Note the cloth push back wire which apparently is cryogenically treated. I thought I would keep things similar to the pick ups and so on as much as possible. All the pots are also cryrogenically treated via Callaham.
wiring 2 by stratamania, on Flickr
More soldering. The pickup ground wires are a close fit.
wiring 3
by stratamania, on Flickr
And as much pre-wiring until its fitted to the guitar done as possible.
Points to note. Pickup cable management is as it was when Tonar had the pickguard, I may have moved it a little.
Sozo Capacitor, kind of like Zoso... the black shielding on the capacitor leads is not vintage it's from the outer part of an old USB cable. And no I did not put it in the fridge
The aluminium behind the pickguard is a Callaham part but obviously was made for a regular strat pickguard hence the fit was adjusted by Tonar, when he owned the body and pickups.
wiring 4
by stratamania, on Flickr
The pot in the 2nd Tone pot position is a blender pot.
Next post to follow wet sanding from yesterday...
The last update was May 24th and that's almost three months ago... work and home in different places can be a challenge.
In the last post I mentioned I had done a little wiring whilst waiting for the nitro on the neck to cure. Here are a few shots I took at the time.
Some extra parts that arrived.
by stratamania, on Flickr
Getting started with the first bit of soldering. Note the cloth push back wire which apparently is cryogenically treated. I thought I would keep things similar to the pick ups and so on as much as possible. All the pots are also cryrogenically treated via Callaham.
wiring 2 by stratamania, on FlickrMore soldering. The pickup ground wires are a close fit.
wiring 3 by stratamania, on Flickr
And as much pre-wiring until its fitted to the guitar done as possible.
Points to note. Pickup cable management is as it was when Tonar had the pickguard, I may have moved it a little.
Sozo Capacitor, kind of like Zoso... the black shielding on the capacitor leads is not vintage it's from the outer part of an old USB cable. And no I did not put it in the fridge
The aluminium behind the pickguard is a Callaham part but obviously was made for a regular strat pickguard hence the fit was adjusted by Tonar, when he owned the body and pickups.
wiring 4 by stratamania, on Flickr
The pot in the 2nd Tone pot position is a blender pot.
Next post to follow wet sanding from yesterday...
stratamania
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Here are some shots of some wet sanding I did yesterday. The photos probably don't capture the detail sufficiently.
Starting with 600 grit. I use a little washing up liquid in lukewarm water for this job and change it after every grit.
WetSand 1 by stratamania, on Flickr
Gradiently moved up to 800, 1000, 1200, 1500 and here at 2000 grit.
WetSand 2 by stratamania, on Flickr
After three different types of rubbed compound.
WetSand 3 by stratamania, on Flickr
Waiting for nitro to cure, and wet sanding between the frets on a maple board isn't the finish approach I would prefer but I am trying to keep this build reasonably close to the time period that it was inspired by.
Leo, had a lot of great ideas. But really spraying finish over frets is a bit production line. I think if I was going to do this from scratch on a maple board and I was going to use nitro I would do the finish job and then clean the fret slots and then put the frets in.
I have also done some fret work yesterday and been plugging trem holes in the body that Tonar had drilled to accomodate his preference of claw angle.
Getting close to assembly now
Starting with 600 grit. I use a little washing up liquid in lukewarm water for this job and change it after every grit.
WetSand 1 by stratamania, on FlickrGradiently moved up to 800, 1000, 1200, 1500 and here at 2000 grit.
WetSand 2 by stratamania, on FlickrAfter three different types of rubbed compound.
WetSand 3 by stratamania, on FlickrWaiting for nitro to cure, and wet sanding between the frets on a maple board isn't the finish approach I would prefer but I am trying to keep this build reasonably close to the time period that it was inspired by.
Leo, had a lot of great ideas. But really spraying finish over frets is a bit production line. I think if I was going to do this from scratch on a maple board and I was going to use nitro I would do the finish job and then clean the fret slots and then put the frets in.
I have also done some fret work yesterday and been plugging trem holes in the body that Tonar had drilled to accomodate his preference of claw angle.
Getting close to assembly now
stratamania
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jmcecil said:
Thank you. I'll post a few more pics from yesterday it's starting to take shape.
stratamania
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An update and highlights of yesterdays work on this project.
Some dry fitting and alignment checks.
Assembly_0001 by stratamania, on Flickr
Re Drilling the holes for the claw. The aircraft bit is an 1/8" as I could not get hold of a 7/64" but it has worked fine.
The 6" steel rule is taped on with masking tape for protection.
Assembly_0002 by stratamania, on Flickr
Lining up the tuners. I had already fitted the vintage bushings at the front side of the headstock, that's not a job the faint hearted.
On this build its deliberately retro, but modern tuners are easier to fit and so forth and would normally be my preference.
Assembly_003 by stratamania, on Flickr
Tuners fitted.
Assembly_004 by stratamania, on Flickr
The claw and ground wire...
Assembly_005 by stratamania, on Flickr
A little more dry fitting, and then I tested the pickups.
Assembly_006 by stratamania, on Flickr
Although I am left handed and play righty, putting this reverse Strat together is an odd experience. A left-hand strat would be all reversed but with this some things are and some are not. Are you odd experienced?
Thanks for looking and feedback is welcome...
More to follow...
Some dry fitting and alignment checks.
Assembly_0001 by stratamania, on FlickrRe Drilling the holes for the claw. The aircraft bit is an 1/8" as I could not get hold of a 7/64" but it has worked fine.
The 6" steel rule is taped on with masking tape for protection.
Assembly_0002 by stratamania, on FlickrLining up the tuners. I had already fitted the vintage bushings at the front side of the headstock, that's not a job the faint hearted.
On this build its deliberately retro, but modern tuners are easier to fit and so forth and would normally be my preference.
Assembly_003 by stratamania, on FlickrTuners fitted.
Assembly_004 by stratamania, on FlickrThe claw and ground wire...
Assembly_005 by stratamania, on FlickrA little more dry fitting, and then I tested the pickups.
Assembly_006 by stratamania, on FlickrAlthough I am left handed and play righty, putting this reverse Strat together is an odd experience. A left-hand strat would be all reversed but with this some things are and some are not. Are you odd experienced?
Thanks for looking and feedback is welcome...
More to follow...
Slackjaw
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I'm a lefty who plays righty also... but left-handed versions of right-handed instruments have never looked "right" to me. I guess your eye is too used to looking at the other way around so it just seems out-of-whack.
Long after I abandoned my first home-made true left-handed guitar, when I finally decided to make another one just for grins... I did an opposite and flipped variation on your theme (pics are really old so please forgive the crappiness):
Long after I abandoned my first home-made true left-handed guitar, when I finally decided to make another one just for grins... I did an opposite and flipped variation on your theme (pics are really old so please forgive the crappiness):
stratamania
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That looks pretty cool Slackjaw.
A quick update on my build. I adjusted the thickness of a brass nut to get it in the slot. Put on the outer E strings and things are not aligned as well as I prefer.
I slackened the neck bolts to see if I could adjust the neck alignment so that the outer Es would be where I expect them to be. But no luck...
At this point I called it a day as I either need to adjust the neck pocket more or come up with an alternative plan.
It looks like I am not going to get this done now before other commitments beckon.
A quick update on my build. I adjusted the thickness of a brass nut to get it in the slot. Put on the outer E strings and things are not aligned as well as I prefer.
I slackened the neck bolts to see if I could adjust the neck alignment so that the outer Es would be where I expect them to be. But no luck...
At this point I called it a day as I either need to adjust the neck pocket more or come up with an alternative plan.
It looks like I am not going to get this done now before other commitments beckon.
stratamania
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MikeW said:
Thanks MIkeW, indeed progress is progress and patience is rewarded at times.
The fit issue is probably along the lines of two manufacturers, but also the neck is more of a vintage late 60s style and the body is a modern heel fitting.
The way I'm leaning at the moment is order a neck from Warmoth and get a couple of bits and pieces to make the shipping more cost effective and use the neck in this thread to spawn another strat with a right handed body.
Edit: This springs to mind...
Got to make sure it's right
So until tomorrow goodnight
Oh what a drag
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stratamania
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Thanks Brett, I try to get a good result. I think this is going to become two guitars.
It's going to take a while now. As long as I can get them done by November 27, this year :icon_smile:
It's going to take a while now. As long as I can get them done by November 27, this year :icon_smile:
stratamania
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I thought I would just post a quick update to this thread.
The project is on hold due to me being a little busy with other areas of life and a weather issue.
The neck I inspected the other day and there is a tiny bit of the nitro at the back of the headstock that isn't quite how I want it to be. So that means I will have to sand and repair. However I'm not going to touch any nitro till at least spring or May of 2016 due to the weather and other commitments.
I'm feeling a HVLP gun in my future. So I'll probably get on with another project at that time so I have more than a neck touch up to do.
In the meantime...
[youtube]wDvlErh5zcc[/youtube]
The project is on hold due to me being a little busy with other areas of life and a weather issue.
The neck I inspected the other day and there is a tiny bit of the nitro at the back of the headstock that isn't quite how I want it to be. So that means I will have to sand and repair. However I'm not going to touch any nitro till at least spring or May of 2016 due to the weather and other commitments.
I'm feeling a HVLP gun in my future. So I'll probably get on with another project at that time so I have more than a neck touch up to do.
In the meantime...
[youtube]wDvlErh5zcc[/youtube]
stratamania
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Thanks Glimmer, you know sometimes other things need to take a priority. The nitro thing probably most might not notice or care but it's not up to how I want it so it'll be redone.
I had checked to see now it's cured a little more if the blemish has sorted itself out but that was not to be.
I've got some great stuff to look forward to so its all good. :glasses9:
Autumn 2016 EDIT: So any good weather to do Nitro has passed by for this year. Too many other things taking priority so probably now a 2017 project...
I had checked to see now it's cured a little more if the blemish has sorted itself out but that was not to be.
I've got some great stuff to look forward to so its all good. :glasses9:
Autumn 2016 EDIT: So any good weather to do Nitro has passed by for this year. Too many other things taking priority so probably now a 2017 project...
stratamania
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Thread updated with photos on Flickr.
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