My first custom Strat

[Steve]

This is one of my first posts on this site, thought I would see what you guys thought of my Strat buildup.

So about last November or so I decided to build my first custom guitar. Here is what happend:

Here is the 2000 MIM Strat body I purchased off of Ebay.

It was originally a Poly finish in Electric Blue, but I wanted to refinish it just for the heck of it. Famous last words: "How hard could it be?"

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG5895.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG5911.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG5913.jpg

6 hours later...

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG5923.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG5925.jpg

Here is where the project took a little detour. I covered it in Zinsser Oil based Primer in preparation for painting. I have never painted a guitar before and had no idea what I was doing.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/DSC00558.jpg

Lucky for me I ran into a guy in town (You know him as Tonar) that knows what he is doing when it comes to painting guitars (That's a bit of an understatement). He volunteered to show me how it’s done. Needless to say, the five-dollar can of primer was quickly removed.

More pics from the painting process coming soon, here is my wet sanding station:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG6500.jpg

Here is my only pic of it finished with no parts on it. (I always forget to take pictures, darn it!):

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG6590.jpg

That is before the whole thing was rubbed out with Virtuoso cleaner and polisher, that stuff is amazing.

It is a black lacquer finish and I think it looks amazing. I am so happy with how it turned out. The pictures really don't do justice to just how deep this finish is. Thanks again to Tonar.
_____________________________________
As for pickups I decided to go homemade because the P-90 in my SG turned out so good. I bought the single coil pickup kit from StewMac because it was the best deal on that stuff (included magnets, pre-cut fiberboard, and cloth-covered wire). I put that all together and wound the pickups on my record player. 43-gauge formvar magnet wire was used.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG0876.jpg
Whats actually in that picture is the first pickup I made, but the setup was the same for winding on both. The bobbin is on the right and the wire runs through the magazines for tension, then onto the coil. At 45rpm it takes quite a while to wind anything

My goal as far as output was the Fralin Blues Specials. So, these pickups have Alnico V magnets with a bridge output of 7 .14, middle at 6.20, and neck at 6.02. These pickups though should end up sounding a little brighter though as I used 43-gauge wire as opposed to the 42-gauge used in a typical strat.

42 and 43 gauge fomvar wire:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG6675.jpg

Potting: I forgot to take pictures during the potting, but I took some pictures after of the tools I fashioned. I basically got a cheap double boiler and formed a hanger to suspend the pickups in the hot wax. The rest of the process is explained on the StewMac website, so I won’t bore you with the details.

Coat hanger for suspending pickups, Double boiler for heating wax (from $6 fondue set), and a candy thermometer. Just add wax.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG6681.jpg

Magnetizing: The Alnico V magnets in the StewMac kit come uncharged (I guess that’s the term). So, you have to buy these special super strong magnets and charge the pole pieces. Again, forgot to take pictures (stupid!).

This is actually a different pickup just to show you.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG6679.jp

Wiring: So the pickups are done, and now its time to wire this thing up. I got my five-way switch and 250k pots from Callaham. The were about the same price as everywhere else and all the parts are cryogenically treated (whatever that means). I decided to wire the guitar up with what’s called Star Grounding. This is basically a central ground that eliminated a ground loop found in stock strats (http://www.bothner.co.za/articles/hotrodstrat4.shtml). Then I decided that the first tone control would serve the neck and middle pickups while the second would go to the bridge. The cap I’m using is the .022 ceramic disk from Guitar Fetish. This might get replaced later if I feel like the guitar is too bright.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG6606.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG6607.jpg

The Rest of the Components
-Full Callaham bridge/trem assembly (I’m proud of this one)
-Pickup covers from StewMac
-Switch tip, trem tip, and knobs from All Parts
-Pickguard from WD music
-Trem cover from Guitar Fetish
-All screws from Guitar Fetish
-2001 MIM Strat jack plate
-2007 MIM Strat neck
-2007 MIM Strat tuners
-Graphtec Graphite Nut
-Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (10’s)

Here is one of my ideas for this guitar. I'm sure someone has done it before, but I'm still proud I figured it out. Its a plug between whats connected to the body and the pickguard so you can just pull the pickguard out it you need to work on it.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG6692.jpg

Here is the body with the special copper tape here. The copper tape is like super shielding for your guitar. It worked really well on my SG with P90s.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG6687.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/zora350/Strat/CIMG6688.jpg

Here it is. A good nine months after the idea popped into my head, here is my first custom guitar. (Sorry about the low res pics)

And here is a quick sound clip I made. (Apple Laptop microphone and Audacity recording software). Just something I made to give you an idea of what it sounds like. This is with no effects (a little overdrive at the end). By clicking this link you agree to not judge the guitar based on my clumsy fingers.

http://media.putfile.com/Strat-Test-47

END

 

[GoDrex]

all the image links with the ... in them are no good.

oh and looks like there's no Warmoth parts :icon_scratch:

 

[Steve]

all the image links with the ... in them are no good.

oh and looks like there's no Warmoth parts :icon_scratch:

Fixed, thanks.

And this is true, but Tonar was involved in the painting of the guitar (as mentioned in my post), is this enough to warrant a post here?

 

[Nando Vallart]

The finish looks nice!
But I don't like the pickguard!

 

[mayfly]

The finish looks nice!
But I don't like the pickguard!

Funny, but I was about to say that I really liked the pickguard

Again, nice finish.  Too bad it's not a warmoth

 

[Nando Vallart]

Funny, but I was about to say that I really liked the pickguard

Again, nice finish.  Too bad it's not a warmoth

All about personal taste...  :icon_biggrin:
Perhaps you won't like my Tele even digging it (saw your couple!)

 

[mayfly]

Funny, but I was about to say that I really liked the pickguard

Again, nice finish.  Too bad it's not a warmoth

All about personal taste...  :icon_biggrin:
Perhaps you won't like my Tele even digging it (saw your couple!)

Actually - I don't think I've ever seen your tele - any pics up?

 

[Nando Vallart]

Not finished yet, neck and parts to come

 

[TTU Shredder]

Man that looks awesome! Can we hear how it sounds?

 

[Steve]

The finish looks nice!
But I don't like the pickguard!

Funny, but I was about to say that I really liked the pickguard

Again, nice finish.  Too bad it's not a warmoth

Thanks. To each his own on guitar asthetics I guess. My next project will be a Warmoth for sure. By the time I learned about Warmoth I was too far into the project. Tonar has shown me some beautiful pieces of Warmoth gear. unfortunately this guitar has left me broke for now

Man that looks awesome! Can we hear how it sounds?

There is a link to a rough clip at the very end, laptop microphone and me playing, so its all so-so, but it will give you an idea.

 

[TTU Shredder]

Awesome. Sounds great to me :icon_thumright:

 

[Tonar8352]

Looks good Steve.  I think I’d go with a mint guard but I’m old school.  In fact I’m old.

I had fun doing this guitar with Steve and I know he got an education.  We use 680 VOC Black Lacquer which sprayed real nice.  He did all the hard work like sanding to re-profile the body and the wet sand and rub out.  Wax on Wax of Grasshopper!

I think I got him addicted to Warmoth and Vintage Fender amps and he got me addicted to P90’s.  I played the P90 he made for a guitar and now I need a guitar with P90’s. 

 

[blue313]

And this is true, but Tonar was involved in the painting of the guitar (as mentioned in my post), is this enough to warrant a post here?

Any build of that degree is worthy. NICE finish!  :glasses9:

 

[RLW]

For the record, I like the pickguard.

 

[DocNrock]

Nice build.  I actually kind of like the paisley pickguard, as well.

 

[SrDeMaFp]

For the record, I like the pickguard.

Same here. Nice finish (and clips) as well. Didn't sound bad through the laptop mic. :icon_thumright:

 

[George555]

Very nice!  Pasley is interesting....it seems some love it, some hate it.  It's really cool you made the pickups.  It will be cool for someone to come up between sets and ask what type of pickups you're playing.

 

[Creepies]

Here's another FOR the pickguard  :icon_biggrin:. Very nice!

 

[Steve]

Looks good Steve.  I think I’d go with a mint guard but I’m old school.  In fact I’m old.

I had fun doing this guitar with Steve and I know he got an education.  We use 680 VOC Black Lacquer which sprayed real nice.  He did all the hard work like sanding to re-profile the body and the wet sand and rub out.  Wax on Wax of Grasshopper!

I think I got him addicted to Warmoth and Vintage Fender amps and he got me addicted to P90’s.  I played the P90 he made for a guitar and now I need a guitar with P90’s. 

Correct on all counts Mr. Miyagi. Also, thats the best that P-90 ever sounded through your Bassman. I agree, you need a guitar with P-90's.

Thanks everyone for all the compliments. I haven't set it down since it was finished.