The Canary Strat Build (Complete).

[vikingred]

Man, I wish I could stay home all day and build guitars.  Seriously, I'd love it.

There's more money in burger-flipping.

Heh.  Yeah, I don't mean to make money, I just mean to have fun, and enjoy retirement or something.

 

[Cagey]

That's me. Beats the hell out of watching soap operas.

 

[vikingred]

Finally complete.  This one was much more of a challenge than the first two, in ways I can't exactly understand.  Everything just went slow and difficult.  Was fighting with the pickguard for a while.  Something wasn't right with the electronics, I had a hum I couldn't get rid--took me 4 hours to get it worked out.  The feel and sound is incredible, though.  I must say this rivals the quality of the Korina Strat, but it's more old-schoolish.  The vintage pickups (Gilmour Set) are interesting.  The bridge pickup is definitely a friggin ICE PICK.  But wow, middle and neck with tone dialed in just right--bliss.  I couldn't stop playing.  I laid down, plugged in, and closed my eyes and left the planet for a while.

I tried really hard to be careful with the glossy finish, drilling for the pickup/jackplate/strapbutton screws.  I had pulled ideas from various sources.  Once I had the neck on and pickguard double-checked in place and taped down, I just took the scratch awl and popped little dots in the wood directly from above the screwholes.  I've found that easier and more accurate than using a pen and then coming back and doing the hole.  Then I use the counter sink bit by hand and rotate around each hole to make it bigger/wider.  Then I drill backwards, then forward on home.  Then hit the drilled hole with the counter sink bit AGAIN, and then use some tiny drops of super glue around the top of the hole to keep the finish from separating when I put the screw in. Then I use a little bit of soap on a screw, and slowly hand-screw them in to thread the holes (without the pickguard) and THEN i put the pickguard back on, peeled the plastic, neck back on, and screwed it all down, careful not to warp the plastic.

It came out really nice, and I'm happy with it.  I did switch that PIO Jensen out for a SoZo cap---why not.  Sounds about the same really.  Not sure about the icepick bridge pickup yet.  Will consult with Cagey on that.  It's overwound a bit so it's hot, but man it cuts.  Also, too this Swart STR amp I'm playing through isn't broke in yet so that may be part of it. 

I like the ebony fretboard a whole lot, and the swan dots.  As the dots come down toward the pickguard they almost match the pole pieces in the pickups, which is kinda neat. 

I have kinda worn out the black hardware thingy.  Looking forward to the next build, the "Maple Soloist" which will have some gold hardware and some black. 

Anyway, here are some pics:

CBS Headstock and 70's Fender Decal.  Is there a pattern here?

This thing kicked my ass, for real.

These were the essentials for trying not to make a mess of the holes drilled (need practice at this):

All in all, a great learning experience.  I have a little love-hate thing going with it.  It made me work hard for it.

 

[Cagey]

Some builds are like that. They'll fight you tooth, fang and claw every inch of the way until you question your sanity in ever taking on a project.  But, you were clearly up to the task here - that's a gorgeous instrument! You should be proud.

 

[musicispeace]

Great result, well done! That should be a great player as well. And gladly Cagey isn't watching daytime television, I just put in some more time playing the guitar he did for me and that burnished neck is truly smooth as glass.  :laughing7:

 

[vikingred]

Some builds are like that. They'll fight you tooth, fang and claw every inch of the way until you question your sanity in ever taking on a project.  But, you were clearly up to the task here - that's a gorgeous instrument! You should be proud.

Thank's Cagey.  Yeah it was a beast.  But when I hear that Gilmourish tone, I melt.  So, what can I say? 

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Something wasn't right with the electronics, I had a hum I couldn't get rid--took me 4 hours to get it worked out.

What ended up being the source of the hum?

Then I drill backwards, then forward on home.  Then hit the drilled hole with the counter sink bit

I finally figured out countersinking the drilled holes before inserting the screw after getting extremely frustrated at the finish lifting around them as the screw went in. Such an easy thing, and eliminates so much frustration!

 

[vikingred]

Something wasn't right with the electronics, I had a hum I couldn't get rid--took me 4 hours to get it worked out.

What ended up being the source of the hum?

Then I drill backwards, then forward on home.  Then hit the drilled hole with the counter sink bit

I finally figured out countersinking the drilled holes before inserting the screw after getting extremely frustrated at the finish lifting around them as the screw went in. Such an easy thing, and eliminates so much frustration!

I actually don't know what the hum was, or what exactly I did that fixed it. I crawled all over it with my meter.  Some kind of strange grounding problem.  I'd touch the pots and it would go away.  I ended up testing each pickup, each pot, got rid of the shielded cable for the jack connections and just went with regular pushback wire, swapped the cap for the SoZo cap, re-flowed some of the solder on the grounding lugs, etc.  I was stumped.  I've actually done many an electronics upgrade/repair for friends and so I know what I'm doing and but couldn't figure it out.  It was weird.  Never had this happen before.  Finally, I just said f*** it, and after trying everything just put the pickguard back on and and it was quiet as a mouse.  Strange.

On the glossy finish issue, I had watched some long video done by a guy who was obviously quite OCD (a good thing for a luthier I imagine), and he used countersinking AND that thin super glue technique.  And for me, it mostly worked.  I messed up (slightly) the jackplate holes because I forgot the order of operations, but most all the pickguard holes came out great, as well as the strap button holes.

Challenging build, but I now feel more confident to do another.  The one I have coming up will  be a lot simpler.  It's a W finished item and it's going to take weeks, so I was thinking in the interim grabbing another unfinished body and doing some woodburning and roll-your-own finish.

 

[vikingred]

Great result, well done! That should be a great player as well. And gladly Cagey isn't watching daytime television, I just put in some more time playing the guitar he did for me and that burnished neck is truly smooth as glass.  :laughing7:

Thank you!  It plays great even before a real fret job and setup so I can imagine it'll be incredible once Cagey gets done with it.  I've got the action super low, and it plays like a dream.  I'm hooked on burnishing.  Don't know that I'll ever go with a finished neck again.  Why do it when you can have glass with no chemicals?

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Challenging build, but I now feel more confident to do another.  The one I have coming up will  be a lot simpler.  It's a W finished item and it's going to take weeks, so I was thinking in the interim grabbing another unfinished body and doing some woodburning and roll-your-own finish.

Well congratulations on another fine build. I for one look forward to seeing what you jump into next!

 

[vikingred]

Here is what's next:

BODY:

Model: Soloist
Orientation: Right handed
F-Holes: None
Scale: 25-1/2"
Wood: Quilt Maple on Maple
UC Front Laminate: LT1872
Rout: Rear Rout
Pickup Rout: None (Neck), None (Middle), Humbucker (Brdg)
Controls: X-T-T-X (Strat®)
Bridge: No Bridge Rout
Jack Rout: 3/4" (19mm) Side Jack Hole
Neck Pocket: Strat® with 720 Mod
Mounting Holes: Standard 4 Bolt
Contours: Contoured Heel / Tummy Cut / Forearm Contour
Top Finish: Clear Satin
Back Finish: Clear Satin

BRIDGE (Schaller Hannes):

Cagey is going to do the bridge routing.

PICKUP (Dialtone Humbucker):

NECK (Solid Maple UNFINISHED):

Style: CBS Stratocaster®
Construction: Vintage/Modern Construction
Orientation: Right Handed
Neck Wood: 3A Birdseye Maple
Fingerboard Wood: 3A Birdseye Maple
Nut Width: 1-5/8"
Back Shape: Standard thin
Fret Size: GD6100 (Gold Color)
Tuner Ream: Schaller (25/64" 11/32")
Radius: 10-16" Compound
Scale: 25-1/2"
Fret #: 22
Mounting Holes: Standard 4 Bolt
Pre-Cut Installed String Nut: GraphTech Black TUSQ XL - Standard Nut
Inlays: Black Face Dots
Side Dots: Black Side Dots

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Should be a monster.  Gonna burnish that neck until it's mirrored GLASS.  Surprisingly, Warmoth will not do the routing for the Hannes bridge.  Fortunately, Cagey will.  Looking forward to it.

 

[musicispeace]

How hefty does that maple body feel? Do you have to eat your Wheaties and get a full night's sleep before picking it up or is it not so bad?

 

[vikingred]

How hefty does that maple body feel? Do you have to eat your Wheaties and get a full night's sleep before picking it up or is it not so bad?

Don't know, just placed the order the other day, but I'm sure it's a monster.  I'm a big ole burly bastard so it oughta be okay.