Strat Project Warmoth neck

[TonyW]

Have just completed my strat project after 12months of hunting for parts including a Warmoth neck  :icon_thumright:

thought i would post some pics seeing as i have been lurking and absorbing info from this site

Warmoth Vintage C shape replacement neck, headstock with Sperzel Lockers. Neck is Maple with rosewood finger board 1-5/8 at the nut Straight 7.25" Radius, Cream Face Dots frets are Vintage Jumbo. I found this neck on showcase and after purchase noticed a link to it on the forum and am very glad it wasnt purchased as per the post  :laughing7:

Neck and body fit very tight, perfect in fact

Guitar is all setup and plays like a dream

Its been alot of fun finding every part but most of all hearing this guitar fired up.

I have a full blog on the construction of this guitar if anyones interested i will post the link

cheers
Tony

 

[dbw]

Cool, looks good... tell us more about the body, pups, hardware...

 

[TonyW]

Cool, looks good... tell us more about the body, pups, hardware...

Ok here we go! Netty as the project was called and the guitar still was/is supposedly going to resemble in looks but more so in tone a late 50's early 60's strat, (yum drool) if i could make it work, and by only purchasing the parts over the internet, oh and the cost had to be kept <$1000 aussie (which was achieved).



Body
NEW (AUG-2007) NITROCELLULOSE LACQUER 3-TONE SUNBURST SOLID ALDER GENUINE FENDER USA STRATOCASTER BODY,JUST UNDER 4lb IN WEIGHT,NEVER BEEN PLAYED,DRILLED FOR A USA SPACED VINTAGE STYLE BRIDGE

Pickups were probably the hardest choice for me, i wanted vintage with grunt but the prices or even the making of some of theses pickup left alot be desired until i stumbled upon "Sliders Vintage Classics" an Aussie guy in Sydney making handwound vintage pickups so i lined up a set on Ebay and won the bidding. Heres what Slider has to say about his pickups.

Slider's Classic Vintage 59's  are a matched set of handmade "scatterwound" single coil pickups

They are personally built, matched and  handwound on my winding machine right here in Sydney. All parts are imported from the USA and the highest quality, true to the original Fender pickups.

This set consists of 3 hand made Single Coil Pickups. Original 6/32 UNC adjustment screws with natural amber, vintage style rubber spacers. All matched to the 1958-59 Fender spec. This set matched and ready to install with  the magical high 5k Ohms averaged impedances for the fantastic Classic "Bell Tones"

North magnetic polarity, correct for factory pre c1960

Winding (Top Coming),  42 AWG single build enameled copper wire

Alnico 5 staggered height non beveled individual pole pieces, Low B, high D & G. All individually magnatized by me, using rare earth Neo-dymium Boride polarising magnets to recreate 50 year old Alnico. The word is that Fender would just order Alnico rods, rather that specify Alnico 2,3 or 5 and given it was the height of the Atomic age and the Cold War they were lucky to get any, given that cobalt, the co bit in alnico  was in high military demand. And given that magnets loose 2.1% of their power in the first 2 years and only 0.2 every 1000 years after that, its no biggy!

Vintage correct Black vulcanized fiber flatwork bobbins with brass wiring eyelets

Output wiring is 12" Black (ground) and 12" White  (Yellow for RW/RP ) active, 22 AWG celanese wrap and waxed braided, cotton outer insulation, vintage pushback wiring

This set has the following resistance, in kOhms on a Digitor meter at 21 Deg C on 3rd March 2008.

1/  5.78k

2/  5.69k RW/RP humcancelling in position 2/4 of a 5 way

3/ 5.77k

All are wax potted to reduce high volume microphonics and provide protection to the delicate windings.

As vintage Fender pickups weren't taped or wrapped, so neither are mine!

All pickups come individually labled and signed with all specs relating to resistance in kOhms, Polarity and Composition. Information was correct at time of production and subject to vairiations due to test equipment, operator and environment. eg temp ( these will migrate higher as it was only 21 deg at readings)

These are not an "off the shelf" pickup and are intended for the discerning player or restorer of fine instruments.

more later

 

[TonyW]

more goodies


A NEW GENUINE FENDER 3 PLY 11 HOLE 62 STYLE MINT GREEN S/S/S PICKGUARD COMPLETE WITH SCREWS. $57AU

FENDER STRATOCASTER

ACCESSORY KIT - AGED WHITE

Genuine Fender Replacement Part No. 099-1368-000.

Kit includes :

3 knobs
3 pickup covers
Tremolo arm tip
5-switch tip
Backplate

Netty gets a bridge


Type: Tremolo/Bridge with Full Steel Block

2008 American Fender Strat Tremolo (6 Screw Vintage) Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo w/ Fender Stamped Saddles & Full Steel Block- Mounting hole spacing 2 3/16", String hole spacing 2 1/16"- Genuine Fender

 

[TonyW]

Loading Netty

Wiring and Pots

CTS 250k POTS matched pots

CRL 5 WAY SWITCH

ORANGE DROP 47uf CAPACITOR

cloth vintage lead wire

Switchcraft Jack

I spent quite some time wiring the pups but in the end  :sign13:

I spent some money getting the frets dressed and i also got the guitar rewired again with shielded coax. The Vinatge wiring looks good but shielding takes out about 75% of the guitars hum and noise and although the vintage wiring looked great noones going to see it anyway.

Soon this guitar will be recorded in a live band situation, so until then we will have to wait to hear this guitar at work.

This project has been great and the only problem is now i have another guitar planned in my head so here we go again on the hunt for parts.

cheers
Tony

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

That is just awesome! I hope it rocks.

Which part of Australia you from? i'm In N.S.W

 

[TonyW]

I live in Melbourne

It sounds better than i expected even my guitar tech was blown away by the sound.

Will be recording it live soon, havent had a chance to turn it loose yet but have had a few hours
playing time and have done some jamming recording with it and its everything i wanted.

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

Cool!

 

[blue313]

Killer classic strat!   :icon_thumright:

 

[DocNrock]

A lot of stuff there.  Killer outcome comes from "a lot of stuff there." A+  :icon_thumright:

 

[TonyW]

Thanks guys

the guitar is loosely modelled on Rory Gallaghers strat and being a  blues blues/rock player i wanted the sound to be vintage
hence a late 50's early 60's outlook. I did alot of homework and many late hours on the net looking for parts, not buying anything
unless it was an absolute bargain.

Must thank Warmoth for the neck, everything from the satin finish to the holes for the sperzels was spot on.

The neck took 3 weeks delivered to my place from ordering off the site and i was able to track shipping all the way
The best thing was the Aussie dollar was at 97cents US.

Now who bought that padouk strat body that was routed for a humbucker only.... grrrrr i wanted it haha

Oh well time for a new project this time i think all Warmoth

cheers
Tony

 

[TonyW]

I have just put a live track on my myspace page called Netty Talks if anyone wants to listen to the blues tone
of this guitar played through a Roland street cube. Its a bit rough around the gills but hey thats music

Just click through my web link

cheers
ccasion14:

 

[blue313]

Nice man, sounds like you got the tone you were after.  :glasses9:

 

[TonyW]

The tones coming out of this guitar are amazing even through a brand new Roland sreet cube
thats speakers havn't had a chance to be played in. That track wss played through the bridge pup
and started jamming because i was looking for tones on the cube amp,

I usually play through a Fender Hot Rod deluxe thats been modded

:guitaristgif: