Strat Build Update...

[Strat Avenger]

Here's a pic of the body all painted and a mock-up of hardware & pickguard. It's a 1968 Corvette yellow, which is pretty darn close to Fender's so-called "Vintage White".
This stuff is $800/gallon (good thing it took less than a half-pint to paint it).

I had the fretboard and the face of the headstock finished with a satin urethane clear, and just applied the 2nd coat of Tru-Oil to the back of the the neck tonight. So far, so good...but I still have several coats to go. I am taking my time and allowing at least 24 hours between coats.

Now, many of you are probably thinking "big deal...a plain-Jane Strat with no fancy finish or exotic woods".
Well, the objective here is a classic look but with modern features. This thing has the Fender Deluxe contoured heel, Dimarzio hum-cancelling pickups (HB at the bridge), Hardtail bridge with Graphtech String Saver Classic saddles, Fender locking tuners, SS frets, TUSQ nut, Dunlop Strap-Loks, machine-screw neck attachment inserts, and a straight 12" fretboard radius.

It's basically what I would order from the Fender Custom Shop if I wanted to spend about 4 times as much as what this guitar is costing me.

 

[stratamania]

Looks good and a nice colour.

 

[AutoBat]

In 1968 Corvette could be had in Safari Yellow. 3133 (~11%) of them were produced  with that paint.

I'm a Corvette guy, btw.


Also, not bad looking on a strat.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

My dad had a Corvette in that color in the early 70's.

Nice build, I like the simple control layout too.

 

[Cagey]

This stuff is $800/gallon (good thing it took less than a half-pint to paint it).

You bought it at the wrong place.

Back when I was trying to get some authentic "British Racing Green" to do the L5S in my sig, I checked with one of the local automotive paint supply stores and that's about what they wanted for the stuff, too. Turns out there are some federal regulations on the sale of automotive lacquer that drive the cost up through the stratosphere. There's nothing particularly special about the stuff; they just don't want anybody painting cars with lacquer so they punish those who insist. Wanna finish some furniture? No problem. Deft/Seagrave/Behlen sells lacquer all day long, but you've got to tint it yourself.

Buy some Behlen or Seagrave product (the Deft has too much retarder in it) along with some pigment, and you're there for $20/qt or so.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Here's another good resource for Automotive paints, in rattle cans.
http://www.expresspaint.com/

I found them about 7 or 8 years ago when I refinished my Ibanez RG7620.
See this thread: http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=288.msg1721#msg1721
and this one: http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=107.msg384#msg384

 

[Cagey]

Those aren't nitro, they're urethanes. Oddly enough, they're more poisonous than nitro, but who knows what evil lurks in the minds of lawmakers? Somebody got paid.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Doh!