The Hentor Sportscaster (build complete!)

[Cagey]

I'm aware of it, and it could be made to work, but it's a tad more complex than I need. I'm also suspicious of its life expectancy. Then, $50? What's it made out of, unobtanium?  :icon_biggrin:

Thanks for looking out for me, though.

 

[Logrinn]

... Then, $50? What's it made out of, unobtanium?  :icon_biggrin:

Nah, probably Unobtanium 235, the unstable more rare version.

Thanks for looking out for me, though.

No worries! Glad to help, since you are the man looking out for everybody else here!  ccasion14:

 

[Timmsie95]

@Cagey: As a side note - but I guess that you already know this - there is that 6-way toggle switch, the Free-Way Ultra Switch, that should be able to handle any pickup configuration.

To add to this, This diagram interests me, and has my gears turning like crazy....

 

[AlternateNosePicking]

Well done and congratulations.

I was just thinking about this build the other day.

I was looking at Alex Lifeson on some videos talking about his R40 LP Axcess and the EDS1275 replica the folks at Gibson have done and was reminded of the Hentor type that  was discussed a while back in the other thread. I wondered what became of it and now my curiosity is answered.


Any chance you can post some more shots of the finished build ?

Here's a couple quick snaps I took with ye ole iPhone:

 

[rgand]

This really came out great. Beautiful job.  :icon_thumright:

 

[stratamania]

Thanks for the extra pics it has come out well.

 

[Cederick]

Awesome! White strats with black pickguard = the best

I like the out of the ordinary switch placement.

And you just gotta love to have no bolume pot in the way right under the strings  :toothy12:

 

[Cagey]

I agree - black-on-white Strats are the whip, and I need another one. I think it's a common desire because it seems like every time I build one it gets sold. I'm not quite as enamoured of the displaced volume control, though. While I don't use my controls as much as some or even many do, and almost never do volume "swells" with my pinky, I don't like my controls out in the tiddlywads. This one isn't as bad as most Gibson-esque designs, but still. Don't wanna be looking around for controls. Should be able to grab them instinctively and immediately. Plus, I'm not a very animated player so having the controls close at hand doesn't put them in my way like it does for some.

 

[anorakDan]

Lerxst would be proud! Great job.

 

[cooheed]

Hi all
newbie here. Heres my hentor that I completed last year. Alex Lifeson is the man who made me want to play and his Hentor was my dream guitar. It took a while sourcing the correct parts but it was worth the wait

http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?/topic/94272-my-new-home-built-hentor-sportscaster-brilliant/

It worked out really well and nails that 80s Lifeson tone. The only departure from the norm was my choice of trem. I cant stand double locking units especially for string breaks, so I opted for the Wilkinson. I used locking tuners and I can dive bomb like crazy and she still holds tune. Specs

Heavy ash body
Ebony board neck
Locking tuners
Wilkinson trem
Wylde L500
2 Fender CS single coils

heres a link to my post on the Rush forums, some pics some audio clips

 

[rgand]

Welcome to the forum, Cooheed. Nice job on it. Thanks for the link.

 

[StewartGilray]

I was going to ask myself about the bodies...

As the Hentor on this thread is an Alder body, however coohed's is Ash, which also matches a pic I found on Freddys picture gallery that has around 8 Hentor bodys hanging up with the pic name "Ash bodies".

Were they all Ash, or just some?

 

[cooheed]

hi Stewart
yes I had done as much research on the guitar as was possible. It was confirmed by Freddie G that the body was ash but Alex has also mentioned that he likes heavy guitars. Therefore I chose a heavy northern ash body for mine ,not light swamp ash. The result is that the guitar has a real bite to it, not overly warm, and that tonality is enhanced with the L500.
Be careful of baseball bat ash though, some species are very heavy!

 

[cooheed]

more evidence for the ash body weight, see this post

http://www.hugeracksinc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=86945

 

[StewartGilray]

hi Stewart
yes I had done as much research on the guitar as was possible. It was confirmed by Freddie G that the body was ash but Alex has also mentioned that he likes heavy guitars. Therefore I chose a heavy northern ash body for mine ,not light swamp ash. The result is that the guitar has a real bite to it, not overly warm, and that tonality is enhanced with the L500.
Be careful of baseball bat ash though, some species are very heavy!

where'd you get your body from?

also, I didn't realise Freddy was the original builder... he doesn't look old enough

 

[stratamania]

The link at Hugeracks just seems to say that a guy with a lightweight ash bodied Tele found the Hentor heavier in comparison.  It does not say the Hentor was ash. So where is the evidence that the original was ash or alder ?

Not that it really matters, other than for trivia, as long as you are happy with the guitar.

 

[cooheed]

heres the ash proof. Scroll down the description

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLtT8J5cbEc

 

[stratamania]

Ok, that's odd I was able to read the video description but the video itself says its unavailable. It might be a location thing.

Interesting that in the description it mentions Alex at a later time had the bridge changed to a fine tuner Floyd with locknut and hotter single coils. I wonder what it's current configuration is.
Edit. It now has the Floyd with fine tuners and locknut. The single coils were swapped out for DiMarzio FS-1s and the frets are now stainless steel with a 1 11/16" nut.

Did you use Warmoth parts for your Hentor, Coheed? If so why not start a thread with some pics.


Edit Update:

I have been spending a bit of time finding out what I could around the net from reliable sources and thought I would make a quick update.

19 Jan 2018, the video now shows as available to me and in the description, it does indeed say the body is ash. That is unusual as the original is apparently a modified 1977 Strat. In 1977 a white strat would likely have been made of alder so this is unusual unless Fender had planned to use the body for a natural or sunburst. Fender was known certainly in the sixties to paint ash solid colors if it turned out to have a blemish or something ruling out a natural or sunburst finish. So probably could have happened in the 70s too.

Which leads to another question does the original still have a 3 bolt configuration or was that too altered to 4 bolt?

And does it still have a 25.5 scale or did the Shark Neck also convert it to Gibson scale?


Update: I had confirmation from Todd Lane that bought a Sportscaster from Freddy Gabrsek that the scale is 25.5"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygkphZV-CRA

 

[cooheed]

There is a link a few statements back which shows pics and links to sound clips via The Rush forum.
The parts were not Warmoth sourced as I live in the UK and the added custom charges aren't acceptable,so, I sourced from UK and EU and the original 80s L500 via eBay USA.

 

[StewartGilray]

There is a link a few statements back which shows pics and links to sound clips via The Rush forum.
The parts were not Warmoth sourced as I live in the UK and the added custom charges aren't acceptable,so, I sourced from UK and EU and the original 80s L500 via eBay USA.

As you may know I'm in the U.K. Too.

Very much interested in building my own Hentor, as such, any and all tips etc would be brilliant.

Cheers

Stew