My "swiss army knife" guitar build

[muns53]

Kent Armstrong pups with: master volume, master tone, coil splitting on each pickup & blender switches/knob for treble & neck pups:

Wiring rats nest:

More wiring rats nest (with the Graph Tech stuff as well):

Trial fit of pickguard without - probably put Graph Tech controls where the jack routing is and put a bottom jack next to the MIDI jack:

 

[muns53]

Graphtech parts:

Acoustiphonic preamp - will also use 3-way switch & volume push/pull pot:

MIDI synth preamp - will also use 3-way switch and just control volume from the Roland GR-33 unit:

 

[veemoth]

WOW - all that ... in there?
I was challenged with a HSS rout with a fairly standard HSS wiring scheme  (I'm  a newb). For me it was kinda like this:  stuff the wiring in, poke those stray bits in, put the lid on, press very firmly and screw down!
Hats off! ...this is indeed a swiss army knife strat! :toothy10:

 

[Updown]

WOW - all that ... in there?

Yeah .... nice going  :icon_thumright:

Isn't it amazing what you can fit inside a hole    :evil4:

:icon_scratch:  Gee when I do my GK-3 internal installs, with all the switches, many complain of ALL the switches.
But I suppose they just don't understand  :dontknow:

BTW .... great job on the routing  :headbang:
A top and rear cavity routed body could have saved you routing, and may-be given you a little more room.

Got a close up on the 13pin hole  ?
What units are you going to be using the 13pin with ?

 

[ZionWarmoth]

Very interesting, I've never seen a build like this from scratch!

 

[Johnny]

I really like the warmoth contoured heel, but I would like to shape it even more take off some more material on the back and also take off some of the top horn by the neck for better high-fret access. The one thing I really dislike about playing a traditional strat is the big bulky heel and that metal plate on the back. I envision something along the lines of what Ed Roman does with the Pearlcasters: http://www.edroman.com/techarticles/directcoup.htm

Anyone here done anything like that or can point me to another build here?

Yes, it's been done.  Here's one link...

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=12301.0

There's another thread somewhere where someone plugged one of the predrilled holes, reshaped the heel and re-drilled the hole closer to the truss rod to allow better access, but I can't find it now.  If I remember correctly, they also used recessed neck screws instead of a neck plate.

EDIT:  Here's another one...

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=16118.0

 

[muns53]

Wow, guys, thanks for all the links! Great to see that I don't have to re-invent the wheel on this build. I have a few more modifications to the body cavity (a lot of this routing was already done - I lucked into a great eBay find...) and I've figured out the wiring challenges. I have some finishing parts on order from Stew Mac so that I can get on with the heel mod.

Very cool work on the "pro-attach" thingy and the thin heel routing in those threads. I am now re-thinking the heel plate. If I recess it, it might prove a better option than countersunk ferrules. And maybe I can have that dude on here who customizes them make me a cool pattern. I love the interaction on this board - lots of unique ideas floating around out there!

I'm going to put a pearloid cover on the traditional jack plate and put a tele-style jack next to the MIDI jack. Then, I can put two knobs and two switches in the spot where the top 1/4" jack goes and it shouldn't look too obnoxious. Then, I'll have Acoustic and MIDI volume as well as mag/piezo/midi switching options.

I bought a second-hand GR-33 to play with - got a great deal on eBay (I love that theme) and I figured it was as good a place to start as any in the world of guitary synth.

I think I need a looper now (or maybe a looper/delay combo) and then I'll have enough to keep me occupied for years.

 

[muns53]

I'm finally getting around to finishing this - wow, it's been a year. That's sad! But I've been busy playing my Parker. I got the rough neck heel modified by carving it out and sanding it down. Next, I'm going to work on fine-sanding the neck and getting the hardware assembled. I picked up a great deal on a Joe Barden HSH set, so that re-energized this project a bit. Not sure if I'm going to still do the MIDI thing - my Parker has MIDI on it and I think I'm going to use this strat as a detuned axe. I will probably keep the piezo/acoustic sound, though - I really dig that and I think it would sound cool detuned. We'll see.

 

[muns53]

The Joe Bardens that will go into this - not sold on the white pickguard with the cherryburst and that neck. But I'm thinking of having my artist son give the pickguard a "black sharpie marker" treatment - maybe that will give it a unique look.

 

[LushTone]

This all looks awesome. I love the custom heel contour. You're gonna love the goncalo.. ccasion14:

 

[muns53]

Well, as things happen, I decided to go a completely different direction with this guitar. I see I haven't been on here in a long time. This neck and the original pickups are actually going to go on a guitar my son is building. I'll start a new thread.