Racing Orange Strat - build page

gjacob

Junior Member
Messages
54
After having a body sit on the shelf for a couple of years, I am finally ready to finish the build.  I am starting with a poplar Stratocaster body, rear routed with a Wilkinson trem.  For the neck, I was able to buy a Warmoth quartersawn rosewood neck with a pau ferro fingerboard, stainless frets and Sperzel locking tuners for $200 on Craig's List.

For the finish, I am going to do Porsche 911 "Cremeweiss" stripes on BMW Z4 "Valencia Orange" using automotive basecoat paint and a urethane clear coat.  I got the paint from automotivetouchup.com.  The clear is a 2-part SprayMax 2K catalyzed urethane.

First step was to install the bridge studs using a punch mounted in the drill press chuck.  I probably could have done that later, but I wanted to be able to fix any problems in case things didn't go well.  This is my first body, so I'm sure I am going to screw some things up.  I wanted to sink the studs just barely below the surface; this was done to be able to block sand the body.

Next, I wanted a top-mounted strat jack, one of the touches that makes a strat a strat.  Warmoth wanted $45 to cut the hole, which was insane on a $129 body.  I printed off a full-size strat plan I found on the old interweb.  I marked the position of the outer circles of the jack hole.  The hole closest to the bridge was 3/4" and the other was 1/2".  I cut the rest of the hole with a jigsaw.  I filed the opening smooth.  I final sanded the body using 220 grit and then 320.

After taping the neck pocket and bridge studs, I attached a 2" wide scrap board to use as a handle for painting.  I put 3 washers between the board and body so that the paint wouldn't attach the board to the body.  Likewise, I made sure the sides of the board were not touching the neck pocket.

Ok, the finishing can begin.  I applied Varathane Sanding Sealer to the body.  The first coat was sucked into the wood within minutes.  I applied the 2nd and then a 3rd coat until I got solid coverage.  The wood on the contoured heel raised crazy, hard to explain.  I sanded it flat with 180 grit and resealed.  I sanded the body with 320 grit until it was perfectly smooth with no shiny spots.  It is ready for paint, unfortunately, Minnesota is not - I want 70 degrees temps with less than 50% humidity.  Hopefully soon.

Since my clear is only good for one day once opened, I want to spray the headstock at the same time.  I started to prep the area by sanding the rosewood headstock and applied multiple coats of denatured alcohol to dry out the wood.  I taped the neck and cut out circles to barely cover the tuner holes.  I immediately applied the sealer.  I used vinyl tape to mark the edge - this stuff is awesome for going around curves as it will stretch and lay flat on even tight curves.

Ok, that's part I.  Once I can get a full day of good weather I will apply primer, paint and clear.  Stay tuned...
 

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Nice work, build threads are always good to read.

I couldn't help noticing the fake neck screws sticking out and masked. I might have tended towards cutting the ends of the screws off, to avoid any chance of catching them.

Look forward to the rest of the build, now I've got to search google for the Porsche colour scheme.
 
Part II - Paint

Finally warmed up in Minnesota, so it is time to paint.  I first wiped down the body with a little denatured alcohol to remove any dust.  I inspected the body again to make sure it was good to go - there is a really small dent by the jack, but I didn't want to crack open a can of bondo for that - I can live with it.

I started by scuffing the rear control plate with 1000 grit sandpaper.  I next sprayed that plastic piece with an adhesion promoter which should let the paint stick better.  Next I sprayed my first coat of primer, a light dust coat.

After many light-to-medium coats (didn't want to risk runs), I completed priming the guitar.  Since I started spraying outside first, I wasted a lot of primer due to the light breeze.  As a result I had no primer left in case of sand-through.  I really wish I would have had 2 cans.

After priming the guitar and letting it dry 30 minutes, I went to wet sand the pieces with 600 grit sandpaper (as directed on the primer).  That was way too aggressive so I switched to 1000 grit.  I'd rather spend more time sanding than re-prime with primer I didn't have.  Next went on the cream base coat.  Sprayed in a similar fashion - dust coats followed by lighter coats.

After letting that dry for an hour, I taped up my design.  I used 3M vinyl tape and the delicate surface blue painters tape.

Next I started to spray the orange.  You know the drill by now, but the light coats are really important with the metallic paint as too heavy and it will be dark and not sparkle.

Once dry (about 10 minutes), I removed all of the tape.  I wiped down the body with a dry tack cloth.  In about 30 minutes I can start to clear.

Before starting to apply the clear coat, I wanted to add my waterside decal - which was simply a oil-based Sharpie paint pen (sold at Walmart) on decal paper I bought on Amazon.  I soaked the decal for 30 seconds and applied.  I used a credit card to get it perfectly flat.

Next came the clear.  Since I am using Spraymax, a respirator is mandatory!  Seriously.  I activated the can and started spraying.  After a number of coats, I punctured can 2.  If it wasn't for the layers, one can would have been more than enough.  After I felt I had enough to work with (that is to level), I was finished.

Now, I just need to wait 24 hours for the clear to cure and I can wet sand and buff.

Part III to follow - buffing and assembly.
 

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I'm not normally a racing stripe kind of guy, but that is looking really fine! Nice job!
 
Awesome! Unique color and a fantastic taping job. The stripe going around the edge really makes it. Please post pics once you get all the hardware installed - I'm hoping to see lots of chrome!

WF
 
Ok, it is completed.

Here are the specs:
Warmoth Poplar Stratocaster Rear-Routed Body
Warmoth Quartersawn Rosewood Neck
Pau Ferro Fingerboard w/Cream Dots
12-16" Compound Radius Fingerboard
Stainless Steel Frets (Warmoth 6115)
Graph Tech Ivory TUSQ Nut
Sperzel Staggered Locking Tuners
DiMarzio Area '61, '58, '67 Pickups
CTS 250K Pots
CRL Switch
Wilkinson VS100N Bridge
Custom Neck Plate (LazrArt)
Chrome Hardware and Pickup Rings
Cream Covers and Switch Tip
Aged (Cream) Pearoid Trem Cover
Schaller Strap Locks

I did not compromise on anything - all of the parts are what I would have bought irrespective of price. The sound is AMAZING. It sounds more like a Stratocaster than my American Strat - go figure. It is noise cancelling, but is not sterile and lifeless like the Fender N3 pickups on the American Deluxe.

It is super quiet, can get a sweet distorted sound. Of course the clean sound is amazing and very unique from my humbucker, emg and even strat guitars. I would say the Area's are as good as advertised. The raw rosewood neck feels great in the hand and the compound radius fingerboard is great for soloing as well as chords.

I'm happy
 

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Jake said:
I'm happy

And well you should be. That's a beautiful instrument, well appointed and expertly executed. Those Area pickups are nice, aren't they? Everything about it screams "MINE!", which is the greatest part of building your own. Have to keep that one forever.
 
Thanks guys, it was a fun project.  Added one more pic.

I threw my hat in this months guitar of the month contest, wish me luck.  Luckily, I can't do any worse than my previous entry - a last-place Iceman  :laughing7:
http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=23781.0
 

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