Quartzcaster

[DeltyVQ]

This arrived a few days ago in separate parts due to not realising that I had to have the £380 VAT & duties in cash on delivery >.>

Neck is roasted maple with an ebony black fretboard, pearloid diamond inlays with the first fret omitted, pearloid binding with abalone side dots. Since I'm pretty much still at beginner level I wasn't sure if the abalone side dots with pearloid binding would have been a smart idea. Can't see them very clearly if I just glance down which I think will encourage me to rely on remembering my finger positions rather than visual help.
Body is roasted swamp ash with a random flame maple top (one that I am very, very pleased with. just the right amount of balance) it has a white pearl pickguard made for a P90 in the neck and a humbucker in the bridge.
I have a custom JB TB-4 being made by SD as of right now for the bridge. Which has a purple bobbin toward the bridge and a black one toward the neck with black nickel poles. Also getting some purple crystal chrome & black dome q-part knobs for it. Very excited to work on this.

This is my first build. Any advice?

 

[stratamania]

Those duties are getting higher, must be the exchange rate.

Anyhow for advice, purple is a good colour by the way.

Take your time, don't rush, don't work on it when tired.  Ask questions about anything you might not be sure about.

There are some discussions on my first Warmoth build with lots of photos and bits and pieces of input from Cagey and other forum members.  There is a link to it in my signature. It is the Strat one and it's purple.

What bridge are you putting in it, is a 2Tek?

 

[DeltyVQ]

Thanks for that advice, I'm planning on taking my time like crazy.
I'll give some of those threads a read^^

Aye. A 2TEK will be going in there. Didn't expect the bridge to be so weighty, I love it aha.

 

[BigSteve22]

That's a beautiful, deep, purple! My favorite color too. White pearl pickguard will really set it off.

Like stratamania said: "Take your time, don't rush, don't work on it when tired." Words to live by.

:icon_thumright:

 

[rgand]

That purple is beautiful! You'll have a real beauty there.  :icon_thumright:

 

[Cagey]

That is a beautiful shade. Might not be purple, though. Remember, it's a roasted swamp Ash body  :laughing7:

 

[Logrinn]

Those are some really beautiful pieces you have got there. Very nice! :icon_thumright:
That one is going to look awesome when it's done.

 

[stratamania]

Great,  the 2teks I have not had a chance to try it should give some good clarity.  ccasion14:

 

[DeltyVQ]

Thanks for the feedback guys, glad it's not just me who appreciates a good shade 'o purple. I'll update this thread as I build. Just waiting on more tools and parts for it. ^_^

 

[DeltyVQ]

Just asking on here because I don't really have anywhere else to ask but any idea how I'd wire up a "hot" SP90-2N and a JB TB-4 to a 3-way strat switch (1 volume & 2 tones) ??
Can't find a wiring diagram for the life of me >.>

 

[Cagey]

This diagram will work. You just won't have the center connection (red/white wires) on the neck pickup to deal with.

 

[Axkoa]

This diagram will work. You just won't have the center connection (red/white wires) on the neck pickup to deal with.

Awww Cagey. I was just about to post that same thing to see if I was right! I guess I am. So you would just solder the braided outer to the back of the Tone pot and the output to the same place on the pot?

 

[Cagey]

Right.

 

[DeltyVQ]

This diagram will work. You just won't have the center connection (red/white wires) on the neck pickup to deal with.

Sorry for asking loads of questions but since my P90 has a 1C braided shield cable do I simply solder that to the tone pot? I want to make sure that I'm reading the diagrams right since I'm a wiring noob.

 

[Cagey]

That's correct.

 

[DeltyVQ]

Just had a proper look at the pictures I uploaded earlier and just noticed a massive body colour difference between my first picture and this most recent one. I think it was a lighting and white balance issue, although now it's made me want another guitar with that small colour difference too ;_;

UPDATE
Absolutely bricking it all evening doing this. Slipped and stabbed the back of the guitar once, gave myself three separate scares and realised that the 2tek trim ring I bought is actually useless with the pickguard.
All a part of the first time fun though isn't it? hahaa xD

 

[Cagey]

...and realised that the 2tek trim ring I bought is actually useless with the pickguard.

That's how you develop a "Drawer of Misfit Parts" that grows over time until you're forced to build another guitar. Or two  :laughing7:

 

[DeltyVQ]

Gritting my teeth whilst I say "all a part of the first time fun" purely because I prefer connecting myself to my instrument rather than caring how much it is worth.. but after putting the guitar together.. that little ol' truss rod side adjustment went snap and went bye bye after my first adjustment. Any ideas on how to fix it/replace it/make the gaping hole look nicer?  :laughing7:

 

[Cagey]

First time I ever heard of one of those going south. Here's a picture of what they look like in real life...

As you tighten the screw in, it pulls those two parallel piecies together, which has the effect of forcing that trapezoidal piece back and increasing tension on the truss rod.

The adjustment bolt and the piece it threads into are fairly substantial, so it's unlikely you could break them. What may have happened is the bolt was only threaded in by a single thread, while the heel adjust was already tight. Trying to run the side adjust any further in while the neck was strung up would have overstressed that first thread and pulled it out. You're done adjusting at that point.

You'd have to remove the fretboard to get at the device, so I don't know if it's repairable. You need to call Warmoth and ask what kind of glue they use to attach them. Some glues can be heated until they soften and release, others are more permanent. In any event, it's not a trivial repair. Depending on what the neck is made of, it might be cheaper to replace it. If you don't care about the side adjust, the end adjust should still work. 

 

[DeltyVQ]

Funny thing was. I was actually loosening it, think I loosened it too quick.
I think I'll just leave it. It's plays alright so I'm not gonna mess with it any more