Neo-Vintage Mary Kay Strat

[Patrick from Davis]

Well it got here today, I have been just pacing waiting for this thing.  OK, here are the vitals...
Neck:
Bocote/Bocote Standard Thin
SS6105 frets
MOP Dots
Planet Wave tuners
Earvana/Warmoth Corian nut

Body:
One Piece Swamp Ash
Mary Kay paint job by Warmoth
Fixed bridge
Parchment White Callaham/Fralin H/SRV pickups
Mint Green Pickguard
Blend knob as the second tone knob

Notes, I have already beveled the fret ends and dressed them after that.  Light sanding to take the file marks off the ends.  In person the mint green pickguard is way, WAY too green.  It looks fine in pictures, but in person it is quite a bit too much for me.  I have a white/black/white pickguard in the mail to swap it out with.  We will see.  The Case is a vintage styled G&G Red Poodle interior/Tweed exterior case, and it is a friggin work of art as well.  If you can afford to lay down a bit more (an extra 20 or so before shipping) I can recommend these cases.  Now onto the fun, Pictures!

So there it is.  Should be done soon because I let Warmoth do the finish this time around.  There should be a surf green monstrosity before the summer is done, but til then this is the new number one.
Patrick

 

[Kublai]

Wow, NICE neck!

 

[Xplorervoodoo]

Lookin' good!  And I agree, that neck is insane!  :icon_thumright:

 

[dbw]

That neck is nuts, grats.  That color scheme is givin me a headache though... update the pics when you get the white guard.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

That neck is nuts, grats.  That color scheme is givin me a headache though... update the pics when you get the white guard.

No lie, I had to take the pick guard off of it, place it back into its bag, and move it to another room.  I was hoping that the pinkish/orangish hue of the Mary Kay would make the green guard look grayish but it made the thing look more green.  Whoops.  The neck is really busy, so I guess it is good to couple it with a not so busy body.  So now I guess it is hurry up and wait.
Patrick

 

[dwayneed]

Love it, the Mary Kaye looks more like white blonde to me... but I love white blonde. Stay with the mint!

 

[rockskate4x]

That's a great neck dude! Change the pick guard and you'll have one awesome looking guitar!!!

 

[Mor Paul]

More pics! Up-close ones, too.

 

[GoDrex]

is mary kay supposed to be pink? If so I wonder why Warmoth doesn't do a trans white - or blond color.

 

[bpmorton777]

Patrick,

+1 ditch the guard. it looks fugly even in the pics. +1 G&G case, I have one for my tele with the Fender logo on it. light, well made, and very beautiful. What tools are you using to do the fretwork?

Brian

 

[AToE]

Wow. Nice bocote!

 

[halfintegerspin]

that is an amazing neck... amazing.

 

[dwayneed]

is mary kay supposed to be pink? If so I wonder why Warmoth doesn't do a trans white - or blond color.

The original Mary Kaye strat was more of a white blonde burst. If I remember correctly..

 

[nathan a]

Hot damn, that's cool. Interesting choices!

 

[Nando Vallart]

 

[Patrick from Davis]

The Mary Kay is semi transparent so the color of the wood comes through, and depending if it has any red or orange it gets a little odd looking when the white is added.  It is very hard to notice, unless you put another white next to it.  Then you brain decides which white is white and the other looks a bit off.  So, the Mint Green looks VERY green on the Mary Kay, but the body looks very white next to the green guard.  I don't know when the new guard will get here, but I am guessing that by the end of next week would be a reasonable time. 

As far as fret tools, I really only have two files I use on the fret ends.  A 30 degree bevel, and a Triangular Stew mac fret end dresser with the corners sanded clean.  Bevel the things and then dress the sharp ends off.  After that, I hit it with some 320 to knock the file marks down and slightly bevel the fret board corners.  Then it is comfy smooth and ready to go.  I also used a small sanding block and 320 to round the corners of the nut so that it would not catch on anything.  The Earvana/Warmoth has a bunch of machined areas that have right angles on them.  They seem like they would like to catch on things, so I smoothed it out a little bit.

That G&G case is great.  It is really pretty, and very nicely built.  I am going to get a Gator case for one of my other guitars.  At that point I will have tried most cases out there.  To this point (Gator not included) the G&G is far nicer than any other I own. 

I will get some more pictures tonight Max, and try to get the camera to take nice pictures that are close ups.
Patrick

 

[bbl4ck]

I agree on all counts!!!  The neck is smokin' .  I will be checking out some Bocote for a Robert Cray strat I am working on.  By the way, the Robert Cray strat loaded pickguard came with the same mint green pickguard.  I can't take it and already have a new white pearl pickguard ordered.

Post some picks when you get it switched out! 

Be cool and  :rock-on:

 

[Tonar8352]

I agree that the mint guard is wrong, my choice on the guard is a single ply parchment white from Callham. The neck is beautiful!!!!!!
I love Mary Kaye's.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Well, here are four more pictures.  They range in size from 0.5 Meg's to 1.2 Meg's, so click responsibly.  Picture One, Picture Two, Picture Three, and Picture Four.  Hope you like them.
Patrick

 

[GoDrex]

hmmm I love my mint guard.... maybe it's not quite as minty? Is yours from Warmoth?