kricha6431
Junior Member
- Messages
- 52
I do like that white and blue together!
Sonic Blue Hardtail Stratocaster WIP
- Thread starter GearBoxTy
- Start date
I have installed the tuners!
I followed Jason's YouTube video (5 and 6) to do my tuner installation. I used wax from a candle on all the screws.
Front of the headstock with the tuners installed:
Back of the headstock with the tuners installed:
I stripped one of the screws when I was using it to pilot all of the holes and it got stuck in one when I screwed it in too far. I used a variety of screwdrivers to remove it and really chewed it up. The last screwdriver I used did the trick and I used that screwdriver to install all the screws including this one:
Here is a cool angle of the headstock with the tuners installed:
I'm happy with it for my first time ever installing brand new tuners.
I followed Jason's YouTube video (5 and 6) to do my tuner installation. I used wax from a candle on all the screws.
Front of the headstock with the tuners installed:
Back of the headstock with the tuners installed:
I stripped one of the screws when I was using it to pilot all of the holes and it got stuck in one when I screwed it in too far. I used a variety of screwdrivers to remove it and really chewed it up. The last screwdriver I used did the trick and I used that screwdriver to install all the screws including this one:
Here is a cool angle of the headstock with the tuners installed:
I'm happy with it for my first time ever installing brand new tuners.
My work is done! Time to send it to my local luthier for fretwork, final assembly, and setup!
Tonight (7/12/2012), I installed the strap buttons. Again, I followed Jason's videos (25 & 26) to measure, drill, countersink, and install the strap buttons. I used wax on the screws.
Body Strap Button
Countersink
Upper Horn Strap Button
All the work I've done to the Body
And here is the complete guitar as it will be taken to Kraig Phillips probably tomorrow (7/13/2012) but I might wait until next week. He will do fretwork on the neck, fabricate and install a bone nut, install the string trees, mount the neck on the body, install the pickguard screws, then do a setup. I'm looking at around $200 for his work which I think is reasonable.
This has been a rewarding, stressful, exciting experience!!! I can't wait to get this thing back and play it! I will make a video and post it to YouTube with some sound examples. I might even make some MP3s to post on SoundCloud. I appreciate everyone's help and support through this! More pictures to come when it's done.
I should probably get a quality case for it, too. I've been keeping it in my old Fender American Standard case that is beat to hell.
Tonight (7/12/2012), I installed the strap buttons. Again, I followed Jason's videos (25 & 26) to measure, drill, countersink, and install the strap buttons. I used wax on the screws.
Body Strap Button
Countersink
Upper Horn Strap Button
All the work I've done to the Body
And here is the complete guitar as it will be taken to Kraig Phillips probably tomorrow (7/13/2012) but I might wait until next week. He will do fretwork on the neck, fabricate and install a bone nut, install the string trees, mount the neck on the body, install the pickguard screws, then do a setup. I'm looking at around $200 for his work which I think is reasonable.
This has been a rewarding, stressful, exciting experience!!! I can't wait to get this thing back and play it! I will make a video and post it to YouTube with some sound examples. I might even make some MP3s to post on SoundCloud. I appreciate everyone's help and support through this! More pictures to come when it's done.
I should probably get a quality case for it, too. I've been keeping it in my old Fender American Standard case that is beat to hell.
animal control
Junior Member
- Messages
- 107
Really nice. $200 seems pretty good for all that work. Looking forward to the done deal!
String Trees?
Do you just want string trees cuz strats have string trees, or you think you will need them based on past experience?
I've never used them, but I'm a pretty light bender, but I know some people here (cagey i think) feel that a well setup guitar and proper cut nut don't need string trees.
Also I gotta ask, you can do strap buttons, but you feel like you can't do string trees? The only trick to string trees (not that I ever done one) would be not breaking the small bit and the usual use wax, etc stuff that you already know.
I'm looking forward to reading the it's all done and back from the luthier post. It's really a good example of a 'clean' strat. And a good example of a strat that looks good with a maple neck.
Do you just want string trees cuz strats have string trees, or you think you will need them based on past experience?
I've never used them, but I'm a pretty light bender, but I know some people here (cagey i think) feel that a well setup guitar and proper cut nut don't need string trees.
Also I gotta ask, you can do strap buttons, but you feel like you can't do string trees? The only trick to string trees (not that I ever done one) would be not breaking the small bit and the usual use wax, etc stuff that you already know.
I'm looking forward to reading the it's all done and back from the luthier post. It's really a good example of a 'clean' strat. And a good example of a strat that looks good with a maple neck.
Jumble Jumble
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,932
It's such a gorgeous guitar. I love it.
I'm sure I could do the string trees, I just avoided it because I didn't do the nut. I figure that the nut should be in place and strings should be on to determine where the string trees should be installed.
Now, why am I using string trees? I don't know. I just assume you need them on Strats because of the non-pitched headstock and my American Standard Strat has string trees; another "traditional" aspect.
This guitar looks fairly traditional but the point of it is that it is EXACTLY what I've wanted in a Strat: Sonic Blue, Maple/Maple neck, White Pickguard, and Hardtail. I'm taking advantage of modern noise-cancelling pickups, compound fingerboard radius, and dual-action truss rod. So, it is a nice balance of Traditional and Modern, in my opinion. And a good start in building guitars.
Regardless, I take the guitar to the Luthier on Tuesday (7/17/2012).
Now, why am I using string trees? I don't know. I just assume you need them on Strats because of the non-pitched headstock and my American Standard Strat has string trees; another "traditional" aspect.
This guitar looks fairly traditional but the point of it is that it is EXACTLY what I've wanted in a Strat: Sonic Blue, Maple/Maple neck, White Pickguard, and Hardtail. I'm taking advantage of modern noise-cancelling pickups, compound fingerboard radius, and dual-action truss rod. So, it is a nice balance of Traditional and Modern, in my opinion. And a good start in building guitars.
Regardless, I take the guitar to the Luthier on Tuesday (7/17/2012).
It's Done!
I got the guitar back from the Luthier on Tuesday July 31 (7/31/2012) exactly 2 weeks after I had dropped it off. He had it sitting on a guitar stand in his teaching room and it was plugged in and ready to go. I played it and was blown away by it's playability and powerful sound!
Anyway, when I got it home, I applied the logo decal (it's a sticker, not a water-transfer decal):
I put the Turtle on the back of the headstock:
Here is the front:
Here is the back:
I will make a YouTube video of me playing it and maybe some MP3s of it to post to SoundCloud.
I got the guitar back from the Luthier on Tuesday July 31 (7/31/2012) exactly 2 weeks after I had dropped it off. He had it sitting on a guitar stand in his teaching room and it was plugged in and ready to go. I played it and was blown away by it's playability and powerful sound!
Anyway, when I got it home, I applied the logo decal (it's a sticker, not a water-transfer decal):
I put the Turtle on the back of the headstock:
Here is the front:
Here is the back:
I will make a YouTube video of me playing it and maybe some MP3s of it to post to SoundCloud.
My complete build process can be seen in a Flickr Set I made:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gearboxty/sets/72157629267276522/with/7688462780/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gearboxty/sets/72157629267276522/with/7688462780/
JonatanOTG
Junior Member
- Messages
- 185
This one really turned out beautiful, congrats! 
ZionWarmoth
Junior Member
- Messages
- 169
It looks fantastic, like very much Sonic Blue Strats
