new life to this old strat... my next project

[Vallhagen]

Not much Warmoth stuff in this thing, but i hope the topic can be shared and shown here anyway

This has to be my favourite guitar of all time, and it also feels very "mine". Until just recently, it has spent many (20?) years in its case, basically waiting for restauration. The fairly odd Kahler Tremolo was broken, and i had a hell finding spare parts to it. Until i woke up and realized that its year 2010+ and we have something called EBAY... a week later i had it fixed. Sort of. Meanwhile i also bought another tremolo to replace the whole bridge, but i never got my ass off the chair to fix that.  Anyway, this happened just recently, and i put it all together and adjusted it, just to notice that it still plays great.

This is how it looks (well, looked a week ago):

From the beginning it was a Tokai Super Edition Strat (i found pictures somewhere on the web, it was exactly one as this: http://guitar-auctions.co.uk/portfolio-post/lot-193-tokai-super-edition-stratocaster-style-electric-guitar/), with a bit of a funny compromise; it had a locking nut, but was shipped with a tremolo without fine-tuners. I remember when locking the nut, i stretched the strings just a lil, so it was pretty hard to get it in tune.

Eventually i started to mod it, and as you see it on the pic above, pretty much everything but the (re-painted) body is replaced. I had a guy who works with neon-signs to do a custom pickguard. The neck is stamped "made in canada", but i dont remember the brand. Something with three letters i think (ESP? SLP? ... ) but there is no brand name on it. Kahler was desperately fighting Floyd Rose to win the dive-bombing tremolo-market, and in some last death rattle they released a cheap fulcrum tremolo in several colors. I got the blue one! The bridge humbucker is an OBL, and the middle and neck pickups are Select by EMG.

I struggled a bit however i should just keep it as it is - for one reason pure nostalgia - but as my recent build (the telecaster) is done (and will be played onstage for the first time upcoming saturday!) i thought i'd give this strat a serious facelift as my next project. So here we go!

The body is in worse condition than i first thought. Pretty bad beat-marks and cracks. Roadworn to say the least. I dont think this is glue-able, so i will replace it. The crack next to the bridge-routing is almost fun; how to cause such a crack?

Neckjoint; this one i can relate to; doin the yngwie-malmsteen-turnaround before i got myself straplocks. Bad idea!

So again, the body will be replaced. First off though, i will take care of the neck. I followed the "sand-to-2000"-idea (http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=19901.0), and this good maple-neck shines up fantastic! As i type, it is put to dry after some lindseed-oil treatment. The picture is taken after sanding with 1200 grit:

... to be continued...

Cheers!
/Bengt

 

[DocNrock]

Looks like a fun project.  On a different note, I never knew Kahler made a fulcrum trem like a Floyd. 

 

[Vallhagen]

Looks like a fun project.  On a different note, I never knew Kahler made a fulcrum trem like a Floyd.

Yea... i guess that not much of the market noticed them at all. For a reason i guess; to be honest that one i have is in many ways quite poor to its competitor. But it is BLUE! Kahlers last fulcrum model was actually an all-floyd-lookalike and (if i remember right) also stamped "licenced under FR".

Cheers

 

[Vallhagen]

A little update here.... obviously im not stressing this project.

I got the body a week ago. I just wanted a "good strat body" and ended up with a swamp ash body from allparts. It came with no holes for the tremolo and no holes for the spring claw, so i drilled them today. I got myself a "bit extender" to make a really "long drill", suitable for the drilling for the spring claw. Its one like this (i found a pic on the web):

.

The body:

... the blue tape is just for measures, dont want to draw pencil lines on the wood if avoidable.

Here with inserts and fulcrum screws:

...then i HAVE to make up my mind if i shall use the crappy and worn but extremely cool BLUE tremolo, or the highquality chrome one. Whichever i choose they both require some additional routing to open up the tremolo cavity more. But thats just fun, and as planned. I will also route up for at least one humbucker.

...then i also have to make up my mind if i shall redo it in the exact same colors as before (see first post) or if to go somewhere else. Most likely i will spray it yellow again. But its fun to make something just a little different from before. Maybe get a new pickguard too. we'll see

Cheers!

 

[Vallhagen]

I just did some recessing routing for the tremolo. Extremely fun, first time i do this. Result came out good.

Cheers

 

[BigSteve22]

That routing job looks top notch. Especially for the first time.

As for the bridge, my vote's for that cool blue one!

 

[Vallhagen]

Thanx Bigsteve.

Yep, i have decided to go with the blue one. Good we agree on that! ...

Cheers

 

[Surf n Music]

Ya nice progress. I am to intimidated for routing and finishing a guitar myself. Maybe I will get a beater one day and giver er a go. Looking great though.

 

[Cagey]

I just did some recessing routing for the tremolo. Extremely fun, first time i do this. Result came out good.[/img]

I agree - it looks good. You must be very satisfied.

It's dangerous business, so there's nothing quite like a successful routing job to make you feel like you've got brass balls that clang when you walk  :icon_biggrin:

I do have to repeat, though - it's dangerous business. You can do a helluva lotta damage in a real hurry with a router. But, if you have brass balls, there are a lot of sources of templates out there that can save you a great deal of time and open up all sorts of possibilities with a variety of bodies out in the world.

 

[zebra]

Yeah, that blue bridge seems to have enough historical/aesthetic significance that it deserves some sort of commemoration....I just can't wait another 20 years of the the window of reminiscence to dawn on the 80's so that we can all get highly upgraded repros of that gear!  Can you imagine?  A rainbow's selection of hardware finishes?  I can't wait to build a guitar intended to be by Pegasus (him/herself!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRYNYb30nxU'

PS, I'm not being ironic, I was just born in 1979....

 

[Vallhagen]

Ya nice progress. I am to intimidated for routing and finishing a guitar myself. Maybe I will get a beater one day and giver er a go. Looking great though.

Thanx Surf n music ... To me the routing part was part of the intended challenge in this one. Thats also why i didnt bother to get the "correct" pickup routing when i bought the body.

I agree - it looks good. You must be very satisfied.

It's dangerous business, so there's nothing quite like a successful routing job to make you feel like you've got brass balls that clang when you walk  :icon_biggrin:
...

Yessir thank you! And yes, i am indeed satisfied so far. Maybe im the kind of guy that is more excited than scared when it comes to (new) powertools, but thats just my steel balls talkin :headbang: ... But your warning is in place, better think three or ten times before attaching the routing bit to the real woodpiece.

I can ask an additional question here: What is the general depth for routing pickup cavities (both single coil and humbuckers)? Or is there a general depth at all?  I get the impression that the factory routing of this bodys pickups are shallow (about 1.8cm=11/16").

Yeah, that blue bridge seems to have enough historical/aesthetic significance that it deserves some sort of commemoration....I just can't wait another 20 years of the the window of reminiscence to dawn on the 80's so that we can all get highly upgraded repros of that gear!  Can you imagine?  A rainbow's selection of hardware finishes?  I can't wait to build a guitar intended to be by Pegasus (him/herself!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRYNYb30nxU'

PS, I'm not being ironic, I was just born in 1979....

Hehe, i think we are on the same tracke here, and im not ironic at all, either. The shoulder-strap for this guitar is indeed a rainbow one. And you mihgt like the upcoming progress on this guitar, i have some plans!
And for the tremolo; yes true again. Never underestimate the mojo factor. When i now have decided to go with the blue, it feels very obvious...; That blue Kahler thing belongs to me and this guitar. Period!

***

Another thing: I just recently gained some interest in Bill Lawrence pickups, and i will most likely order two of his/their single coils for the neck and middle, giving this guitar a HSS setup. And yesterday i just learned that this guitars old OBL 900 XL (the Bridge humbucker) is indeed designed and wound by the same Bill Lawrence, and is now sold (in different housing) as model 500 XL. Coincidental learning new stuff

Cheers guys!

 

[Cagey]

I can ask an additional question here: What is the general depth for routing pickup cavities (both single coil and humbuckers)? Or is there a general depth at all?  I get the impression that the factory routing of this bodys pickups are shallow (about 1.8cm=11/16").

Depth varies depending on design vintage. But, generally speaking, you want about a 3/4" (.750") deep cavity for the pickup body proper. There are different forms, though. For instance, many humbuckers are based on Seth Lover's patented design, where for some bizarre reason he put some really long legs on the things so you need to hog out some holes on either side of the pickup to clear the base plate and screws.

Nobody knows why they do what they do...​

Single coil parts are generally flat on the bottom, so you don't have that worry.

You're right in that 11/16" is a tad shallow - sounds like an older body or a copy of one - but it may not be a problem. You have to raise the pickups to meet the strings, so you don't need them to be able to fit deep down in the body. But, there are some pickups that run a little tall. Many noiseless parts have two stacked coils, so they're a bit thicker than a traditional single coil. Might need some room for some of those babies.

In any event, the extra depth usually can't hurt. The only time I'd be concerned is if you're of the drug-addled EVH camp who's convinced mounting the pickups directly to the body is a Good Thing. If you happen to have a Fender/Floyd/Wilkinson-style vibrato bridge installed where you've got a spring chamber routed on the back, you won't have a whole lotta wood to run mounting screws into.

 

[Vallhagen]

... you're of the drug-addled EVH camp ...

Hmm. ehh. hrrm.... Don't tell anyone, but i gave my oldest son the name Edward as second name. hrrmm.. err.. Eddie Vall-Hagen...

 

[fdesalvo]

That routing job looks top notch. Especially for the first time.

As for the bridge, my vote's for that cool blue one!

+1!

 

[Vallhagen]

Thanx fdesalvo too!

**

I wanna Route!
We Route!
Route you like a hurricane!
It's only Rout'ing'roll and i like it!
Route you all night long!
Rout'ing'roll children!
...etc etc...

Just done the additional routing to open up for a humbucker at bridge position. For the cavity depths (thanx Cagey for clearing some things out) i simply measured on some pickups i have at hand and ended up drilling some extra millimeters for the screw area. It shall be all good now. Next step is to start the finnishing work.

I did the earlier routing job (the recessed tremolo cavity) on a bench machine with an XY-table. The pickup routing here is done with an overhand machine I just bought. Fun tool. I dont know if its standard on all over-hand-routers, but this one has an attachment-thing for a vacuum cleaner, and that detail is indeed blooody brilliant.

Some pics:

 

[Cagey]

How very satisfying, yes? Feels like you're getting away with murder <grin>

A couple of successful mods like that and you'll feel like you can take over the world.

A router is a wonderful tool. Lotsa things you can do that just aren't possible any other way.

Don't get too cocky, though. You can do a helluva lotta damage in a hurry with one of those bitches. Gotta treat every job as though it's gonna be a nightmare from hell.

 

[Vallhagen]

Well, i seriously hope that i dont give a too cocky impression. If so, something have got lost in translation.

I do take such warnings all seriously. Though i do have a positive attitude to challanges like this, i think: If you're not a complete idiot and have a generally good hand with tools and handcraft at least on a hobby level, lets go ahead and try! Though, take mature and clever decisions on which level the challenges shall be. Guitar building is a nice hobby because we can all find our own level; anywhere between chopping down the pine and build it all from the start nature gives us, to buying a complete kit with finnished and pre-drilled well-fitting wood parts, ready to assemble. I find myself being somewhere in the middle here, my last projects were pre-drilled and routed, this time not. Next project i will most likely start with a wood blank, if i keep up with this building hobby.

Now i will start the finnishing moments... more of a challenge to me than powertools really, as i have less experience!

Cheers!

 

[Cagey]

Yes, something got lost in the translation. I meant no offense or prejudice; I was just being colorful. I apologize for any misunderstanding.

I do get adamant about warnings with routers, though. It's so easy to screw things up with that tool. They're a wonderful device that allows you to do things that can't be done any other way, but I've just seen too many mistakes made, not to mention all the ones I've made myself, to hold back when it comes to warning people about them.

But, if you're comfy with the thing, then more power to ya. Opens up a lotta mods that many guys can't touch easily.

 

[Vallhagen]

All cool Cagey. I wish you to keep on being color- and helpful. I was actually more wondering if I had said / written something... that possibly could be misunderstood. Being a swede I dont have all your language nuances. Anyway... easily cleared out, and more brass balls to come!

**

I am quite anal about safety, really. And i dont think or measure 2 or 3 times before i attach the tool to the object... I think and measure 25 times, if the moment is new to me. Maybe that can be a good advice. Measure 3 times - then go have lunch and discuss your measures - then read up about it at a forum - then think and measure 3 times again - then go to sleep. Wake up, measure three times and then do the job. Don't forget breakfast.

**

The body... is now sanded down ready for grain filling. Did that yesterday. I have - however - run into stuff that will occupy my scedule quite a while ahead. So i have to halt/pause this project for an unknown time. That might be just good timing though, as i am waiting for some pickups to be winded... I'll be back when im back.

Thanx guys for support!
Cheerio

 

[BigSteve22]

Brother, when you restart this project, I'll be here waiting to see how it turns out.