New Build - Carved Top Soloist Super-Blues-Strat

[mycroftxxx]

Kicking off a new build today by ordering a fully finished carved top Soloist body (I’m not set up to do paint/dye/etc.); since that will take 4 months or so to get here, I have plenty of time to order the rest of the parts, including a Warmoth neck, but I wanted to get the body on order as soon as possible due to the lead time. Basic specs are: carved top Soloist in alder, right handed, flame maple lam top, three Strat pickup routs, three control knobs plus 5-way switch, battery box, hardtail drilled for the Schaller 415 aka 3D-6 top loader bridge, tiger’s eye dye on the front. Neck will be 22 stainless frets, modern construction, probably roasted flame maple with classic Strat headstock shape, but I have time to tweak these specs since I won’t be ordering the neck for a few weeks.

The intent is, when complete, to be a kind of blues-ish superstrat, with three medium-spicy noiseless single-coil pickups (likely Zexcoils), an active clean boost control, and an active mid-boost control. The two active circuits will be similar to the Fender “Clapton” mid-boost, except I’m not using that one because with the Fender boost, when you turn it on, the clean boost is always active and you only have control over the mid-boost, and I want independent control over both. Right now I’m planning to go with two EMG parts that meet my requirements for the active elements. I might even use EMG parts for everything but the pickups and try out their solderless wiring system.

I’ll keep this updated as I finalize the part selection and start receiving parts and assembling stuff, which will be some weeks down the road, but anyone who wants to comment is welcome of course!

 

[mycroftxxx]

Unexpected surprise…the neck’s status is showing “picked” less than four weeks since ordering! Hope it’s not a mistake…

One thing I’ll be doing differently than my 2023 Tele build is burnishing the (roasted maple) neck. I like the feel of the Tele’s neck just fine, but when I compare it to my Suhr’s roasted maple neck, the Suhr is so much smoother and I’d like that for the new guitar too. (And at some point I’ll do it to the Tele as well.) I also ordered some headstock decals and some clear gloss lacquer to prepare the headstock decal location and submerge the decal after finishing. And I just received the Schaller staggered and locking tuners in a gorgeous ruthenium (aka “black chrome”) finish, so those can go on after the burnishing and decal work. Still not expecting the body for another 8 weeks or so, but it will take a while to do the extra finishing work (especially the decal stuff).

Will try to post some pics after the neck comes in, and as I get the neck work completed.

 

[mycroftxxx]

Got the neck today! Looks good but I was having a hard time getting a decent photo so no pics yet…hopefully time this weekend to start burnishing the neck - feels pretty good out of the box but I should be able to get it to excellent pretty quickly.

The body is still several weeks out so plenty of time to take things easy and get it right.

 

[mycroftxxx]

Fifteen weeks and the body is still “processing” (I really wish Warmoth would give more detailed status on where your order is in the process), so I decided to burnish the roasted maple neck - my goal is to get the same glassy smooth and hard feel as my Suhr with a roasted maple neck, which is my gold standard for how a neck should feel. After about an hour with the Super Bufflex and Super Assilex, it’s pretty much there:

I did the back side of the headstock as well, maybe not quite as rigorously as the neck, but I’m happy with it. Grit progression was 600-800-1000-1200-1500-2000, and the Super Assilex and Bufflex were awesome. Once this build is done, I’ll go back and do this to my 2023 build, which also has a roasted maple neck.

I did almost all of this going along the grain, not against as in Aaron’s video, except for a final pass with a super-soft microfiber towel, which I did across the grain.

Oh, and here’s the front of the neck:

I just ordered a tool for drilling the pin holes for the Schaller M6 two-pin tuners, and today I will start in with some light coats of clear lacquer on the headstock as the base for my custom R&F headstock decal. And with a holiday weekend coming up, it would be a perfect time to finish this guitar, if Warmoth will get me the danged body! (Please?)

 

[Hagwood]

Fifteen weeks and the body is still “processing” (I really wish Warmoth would give more detailed status on where your order is in the process), so I decided to burnish the roasted maple neck - my goal is to get the same glassy smooth and hard feel as my Suhr with a roasted maple neck, which is my gold standard for how a neck should feel. After about an hour with the Super Bufflex and Super Assilex, it’s pretty much there:
View attachment 64952
I did the back side of the headstock as well, maybe not quite as rigorously as the neck, but I’m happy with it. Grit progression was 600-800-1000-1200-1500-2000, and the Super Assilex and Bufflex were awesome. Once this build is done, I’ll go back and do this to my 2023 build, which also has a roasted maple neck.

I did almost all of this going along the grain, not against as in Aaron’s video, except for a final pass with a super-soft microfiber towel, which I did across the grain.

Oh, and here’s the front of the neck:
View attachment 64953
I just ordered a tool for drilling the pin holes for the Schaller M6 two-pin tuners, and today I will start in with some light coats of clear lacquer on the headstock as the base for my custom R&F headstock decal. And with a holiday weekend coming up, it would be a perfect time to finish this guitar, if Warmoth will get me the danged body! (Please?)

Looks great, great job on the burnishing. I went to 3000 with the Bufflex and it is wonderful. I’m debating a clear on the headstock as well. When I sprayed the naphtha on it to clean up after sanding it really popped the grain. Keep us posted.

 

[mycroftxxx]

Well, 16 weeks and nary a peep from Warmoth about the body; even if I got the shipping notice tomorrow, no way it gets here before the holiday so looks like this is going to be a June build. And I can’t install the tuners until I get a tool (from StewMac) to precisely drill the retaining pinholes for the Schaller M6 two-pin tuning machines. So…I’ve been installing the headstock decal:


Had the decal made by Rothco & Frost; pretty decent quality (and super-thin). It’s got a couple of annoying flaws in the metallic ink, but nobody will notice it once it’s on the strung guitar. I masked off everything but the decal area, laid down about half a dozen coats of gloss lacquer, let it dry for 24 hours, then sanded the lacquer flat with 600 grit Super Assilex. Cleaned it all up with mineral spirits, let that dry, then installed the decal, not too difficult - maybe my boyhood days building Revell and Monogram model cars and planes are still in the old synapses. Anyway once positioned and blotted and dried for another 24 hours, I did four mist coats on 30 minute intervals, let dry overnight, then about three thin normal coats. Another overnight dry, then pull the masking tape, gently sand flat with the 600 again, then with 1000 for good measure, then a mineral spirits wipe down.

If you look closely you can see the line between the lacquered surface and the bare wood. I kind of tried to feather that edge but in some kinds of light you’ll always be able to see it. I ain’t sweating it; if it annoys me too much, I’ll sand it off, but I think it will be fine; again nobody will really notice with the guitar strung up.

This waiting for the body is killing me though! Help me Obi-Wan Warmoth, you’re my only hope!

 

[Spud]

Well, 16 weeks and nary a peep from Warmoth about the body; even if I got the shipping notice tomorrow, no way it gets here before the holiday so looks like this is going to be a June build. And I can’t install the tuners until I get a tool (from StewMac) to precisely drill the retaining pinholes for the Schaller M6 two-pin tuning machines. So…I’ve been installing the headstock decal:

View attachment 64989
Had the decal made by Rothco & Frost; pretty decent quality (and super-thin). It’s got a couple of annoying flaws in the metallic ink, but nobody will notice it once it’s on the strung guitar. I masked off everything but the decal area, laid down about half a dozen coats of gloss lacquer, let it dry for 24 hours, then sanded the lacquer flat with 600 grit Super Assilex. Cleaned it all up with mineral spirits, let that dry, then installed the decal, not too difficult - maybe my boyhood days building Revell and Monogram model cars and planes are still in the old synapses. Anyway once positioned and blotted and dried for another 24 hours, I did four mist coats on 30 minute intervals, let dry overnight, then about three thin normal coats. Another overnight dry, then pull the masking tape, gently sand flat with the 600 again, then with 1000 for good measure, then a mineral spirits wipe down.

If you look closely you can see the line between the lacquered surface and the bare wood. I kind of tried to feather that edge but in some kinds of light you’ll always be able to see it. I ain’t sweating it; if it annoys me too much, I’ll sand it off, but I think it will be fine; again nobody will really notice with the guitar strung up.

This waiting for the body is killing me though! Help me Obi-Wan Warmoth, you’re my only hope!

I will see what I can do.....................full disclosure..........I can do nothing!

 

[mycroftxxx]

Maybe somebody up there likes me…the body order status just went to “pickable”! So I should get it next week and be able to wrap it up next weekend. Will post pics next week when I have the body in my greedy hands…

 

[ghostrider]

The neck looks great and I love the cream dots.

I really don't like the look of black dots on roasted maple which is how W does them standard

 

[mycroftxxx]

The Tele I did two years ago is the same way dots-wise, cream standard dots on roasted maple. I really like Warmoth’s basic cream dots!

And…drum roll please…the body has shipped, and I should have my hands on it late next week! I have all the other parts I need, so it shouldn’t take more than a day or two to complete the assembly. Will post some body pics when it shows up, and hopefully the completed guitar a few days later!