NovasScootYa
Junior Member
- Messages
- 187
This Parts-O-Caster makeover project has an excellent condition Warmoth Pro Construction Padouk/Indian Rosewood neck, Clapton profile, Gibson size wire and vintage tuners. The body is a Fender 62 RI Alder routed SSS. The previous owner stripped the original finish and did a good job leaving the contours looking factory and also applied some sort of protecting finish like Truoil, etc. Modifying an original condition Fender Body is not recommended. The electrics were from a Carvin Strat.
The guitar was acquired online years ago and after a bunch of tweaking back then it turned out to be a decent guitar but far from what it could be. The main problem with the guitar when it arrived was the 22 Fret Overhang contacting the thick Carvin pickguard. Fortunately the tone and sustain killing contact was not severe enough to distort the fret-board and cause all sorts of problems. Also pickguards should never extend beyond even with the edge of the neck pocket. This usually occurs when a guitar is dismantled and the pickguard is replaced and the pocket fit was not checked, etc.
The Pro Construction/Modern Side Adjust Neck is attached to the Contour Heel Body Mod with a ProAttach II Kit. Unfortunately I failed to photo the neck heel with the ProAttach.com Rail installed. To see an installed rail and better understand the rail workings click the "Pro Contour Heel In Progress" link at bottom.
This is the before...
First improvement below was plugging the mounting bore with a dowel and adding a Fender style contour heel...
Checking insert screw protrusion below. A heel mounted ProAttach II Rail occupies the rectangle recess/rout...
Below...Doctoring up a new Fender 57/62 steel block trem assembly by replacing the short factory screws with longer stainless screws, screws were fitted to the plate using a fine lapping compound, note lap marks on plate. Although the height of the 6 trem mounting screws is set for the trem to work the trem arm bore was filled with epoxy. Like all my Strats this one will be a hardtail one way or another...
Below is a ToneGuard brushed aluminum pickguard with Van Zandt Vintage Plus pickups for neck, middle and a Van Zandt Blues bridge, five position CRL switch, CTS 450G 250K pots, cloth wiring, Polypropylene Orange Drop .047 cap, etc...
Here's the body primed in white. The nooks and crannies inside the trem cavity can create a missed-a-spot distraction while spraying so it was prepped by brush painting. Original trem cover screw holes were filled and leveled. Final finish is a Nitrocellulous Lacquer Vintage Creme with no clear coats applied...
Below is the finished product...Unfortunately the brushed aluminum pickguard did not photo very well with my obsolete camera but nonetheless this guitar turned out to be a beauty that sounds and plays exceptionally well.
I have to admit I really like the playability of the Gibson size fret wire. It's a lower wire size that can be radius block rolled along the board edges and feel almost like vintage Fender. The shorter trem spring was replaced since photo. Last photo shows the contour heel and the new owner's initials D R B stamped on the neck...
More Strats from days gone by...
Canary and Banana Pudding
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=8511.0
Heavy Duty…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=12603.0
Winter Wonderland…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=12367.0
1975 Rowing a Boatneck…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=8586.0
Warner Hardtail…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=13632.0
Happy Hardtail…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=11574.0
Pro Contour Heel In Progress…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=16118.0
Pro Contour Heel Completed…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=18052.0
The guitar was acquired online years ago and after a bunch of tweaking back then it turned out to be a decent guitar but far from what it could be. The main problem with the guitar when it arrived was the 22 Fret Overhang contacting the thick Carvin pickguard. Fortunately the tone and sustain killing contact was not severe enough to distort the fret-board and cause all sorts of problems. Also pickguards should never extend beyond even with the edge of the neck pocket. This usually occurs when a guitar is dismantled and the pickguard is replaced and the pocket fit was not checked, etc.
The Pro Construction/Modern Side Adjust Neck is attached to the Contour Heel Body Mod with a ProAttach II Kit. Unfortunately I failed to photo the neck heel with the ProAttach.com Rail installed. To see an installed rail and better understand the rail workings click the "Pro Contour Heel In Progress" link at bottom.
This is the before...
First improvement below was plugging the mounting bore with a dowel and adding a Fender style contour heel...
Checking insert screw protrusion below. A heel mounted ProAttach II Rail occupies the rectangle recess/rout...
Below...Doctoring up a new Fender 57/62 steel block trem assembly by replacing the short factory screws with longer stainless screws, screws were fitted to the plate using a fine lapping compound, note lap marks on plate. Although the height of the 6 trem mounting screws is set for the trem to work the trem arm bore was filled with epoxy. Like all my Strats this one will be a hardtail one way or another...
Below is a ToneGuard brushed aluminum pickguard with Van Zandt Vintage Plus pickups for neck, middle and a Van Zandt Blues bridge, five position CRL switch, CTS 450G 250K pots, cloth wiring, Polypropylene Orange Drop .047 cap, etc...
Here's the body primed in white. The nooks and crannies inside the trem cavity can create a missed-a-spot distraction while spraying so it was prepped by brush painting. Original trem cover screw holes were filled and leveled. Final finish is a Nitrocellulous Lacquer Vintage Creme with no clear coats applied...
Below is the finished product...Unfortunately the brushed aluminum pickguard did not photo very well with my obsolete camera but nonetheless this guitar turned out to be a beauty that sounds and plays exceptionally well.
I have to admit I really like the playability of the Gibson size fret wire. It's a lower wire size that can be radius block rolled along the board edges and feel almost like vintage Fender. The shorter trem spring was replaced since photo. Last photo shows the contour heel and the new owner's initials D R B stamped on the neck...
More Strats from days gone by...
Canary and Banana Pudding
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=8511.0
Heavy Duty…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=12603.0
Winter Wonderland…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=12367.0
1975 Rowing a Boatneck…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=8586.0
Warner Hardtail…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=13632.0
Happy Hardtail…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=11574.0
Pro Contour Heel In Progress…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=16118.0
Pro Contour Heel Completed…
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=18052.0
