The "Zoso" DIY guitar (Complete).

[vikingred]

Model: Stratocaster®
Orientation: Right handed
F-Holes: None
Scale: 25-1/2"
Wood: Alder
Rout: Rear Rout
Pickup Rout: Strat® (Neck), Strat® (Middle), Strat® (Bridge)
Controls: X-T-T-5 (Strat®)
Bridge: Wilkinson Tremolo
Stud Install: No Stud Install
Jack Rout: 1/2" (13mm) Side Jack Hole
Neck Pocket: Strat® Shape
Mounting Holes: Standard 4 Bolt
Contours: Contoured Heel / Tummy Cut / Forearm Contour
Battery Box: No Battery Box Rout
Gotoh Wilkinson Tremolo VS100, Black

Style: CBS Stratocaster®
Construction: Modern Construction
Orientation: Right Handed
Neck Wood: Maple
Fingerboard Wood: Indian Rosewood
Nut Width: 1-11/16"
Back Shape: Standard thin
Fret Size: SS6115 (Stainless)
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: Cream Face Dots
Side Dots: White Side Dots
Finish: No Finish
Schaller Mini Locking Tuner, Left Side, Black

Received, and decided to burnish the neck (it's awesome like glass), and do a shellac and rub-on poly finish.  I also decided to experiment and try some wood burning, so I bought a wood burner and gave it a shot.  It's NOT easy.  Did the Led Zeppelin "Zoso" at the bottom.  Applied spray-on clear shellac tonight to let dry overnight.  May do a second coat depending on how much the alder soaked up.  Here are some initial pics:

YIKES!

Looking a little bit better.  But man, it's not easy.  My first try.

Up close:

Getting ready for the SHELLAC!!

And here I go doing that water-slide thing again:

Should be an interesting build.  Wish I could have hired Great Ape, but he was booked through till next year, so I'll do some more learning.  No FR on this build, let's hear what a Wilkinson is all about!  Looks simple enough.  Love the SS6115 big ass frets.  I've got like 5 sets of really neat hand-wound "Dawgtown" pickups, and will use one of those sets on this build.  I've been a long-time Zeppelin fan, and so the Zoso seemed like a cool way to go.

Any suggestions on the finish poly finish?  What do ya'll use to rub it on, an old rag?  How many coats?  Should one coat of shellac be enough?

 

[Vallhagen]

Looks sweet to me. I only see one wrong: The word "budget", it has not much to do with that build. A Mercedes is a premium car even without all the options.

Cheers

 

[Great Ape]

AWRIGHT!! Looks great...I'd say two coats of shellac-if you don't get sufficient coverage you'll be applying poly forever. Use a lint-free cloth to apply poly, as many light coats as it takes to achieve
the degree of shine you want...have fun, enjoy, and let the poly 'set' for two-three days before installing hardware. :icon_thumright:

 

[vikingred]

Looks sweet to me. I only see one wrong: The word "budget", it has not much to do with that build. A Mercedes is a premium car even without all the options.

Cheers

Sorry, man, I just meant budget in reference to the last build I did: http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=25472.0
This one is about 1/4 the cost.  And obviously, a bit more work.  But fun, nonetheless.

 

[vikingred]

AWRIGHT!! Looks great...I'd say two coats of shellac-if you don't get sufficient coverage you'll be applying poly forever. Use a lint-free cloth to apply poly, as many light coats as it takes to achieve
the degree of shine you want...have fun, enjoy, and let the poly 'set' for two-three days before installing hardware. :icon_thumright:

Thanks man.  I know I could get the answer if I looked around, but how long in between poly coats?  And I would assume you just pour some poly on the rag and start rubbin, correct?  Guess I need to youtube some "how to apply polyurethane" vids!  Will update thread soon.  Just applied second coat of shellac this morning.  May start this evening with the poly if I can find a lint-free cloth at walmart.

 

[vikingred]

And Doug is doing the neckplate:

On the second coat of poly now...

 

[vikingred]

Doug did a fantastic job.  Thanks, bro:

Neckplate.  Check.

 

[vikingred]

Here are some pics of the shellacking and polyurethane coats:

Fresh Poly Coats:

After some fine sanding:

Looking nice:

P O L Y U R E T H A N E !  Did some good fine sanding with 1000 - 1200 grit and then used those 3M sanding cloth thingies.  They are really good for this kind of thing.  It's not perfect, I probably should have gone a little lighter with the poly, but I'm happy with it.  Just wondering about hitting it with a buffer to bring it to a shine, or leave it alone.  Thoughts?

Gonna let it dry real good, and then start on the hardware.  Should be a nice strat.  Notice only two holes -- gonna wire it for master tone and master volume, with regular 5 way switch.

 

[DangerousR6]

Looking good, great project you got going there...you're certainly welcome... :icon_thumright:

 

[Great Ape]

Lookin' real good, man!! I personally don't know what a buffer would do to poly, but nothing too radical, I'm sure. :icon_thumright:

 

[dmraco]

Poly will shine with a buffer.  Did you use a satin or gloss poly?  Looks cool.  What color hardware??

 

[vikingred]

Poly will shine with a buffer.  Did you use a satin or gloss poly?  Looks cool.  What color hardware??

Thanks, man.  I did satin.  I did go ahead and order a decent buffer and some polishing/finishing discs. Gonna try the backside first and real light to see what it does.  Hardware is black.  Wilkinson trem, and Schaller Mini Locking Tuners.  Also found some really cool black gothic looking pickup rings that I steel-wooled down to a flat black.  Should be a really fine guitar.  Can't wait to play on those giant Warmoth SS6115 frets.  :guitarplayer2:

 

[dmraco]

Good call with the black.  Satin may be difficult to polish.  I have used gloss on body and necks.  Once you wet sand smooth it will polish.  Not sure on the satin.  I would try it on some scrap before you ruin the back.

This is a neck I did.  Started with 800 and went up to 3000 grit before polishing. 

 

[musicispeace]

Doug did a fantastic job.  Thanks, bro:

Neckplate.  Check.

Doug is great. Good eye for design when called upon and I have his neck plates on all my strats.

 

[vikingred]

Doug did a fantastic job.  Thanks, bro

Neckplate.  Check.

Doug is great. Good eye for design when called upon and I have his neck plates on all my strats.

Yah, I can't wait to get it in my hands, it looks brilliant.  Laser etching is cool and offers a little more detail, but his machine produces a different more "custom" look, I really like it.  Gonna have some fun this weekend.  If all goes well, I should have this baby all together and ready to jam.  THEN, I can turn loose of my FIRST baby and send it to Cagey for the fret work it deserves.  I gotta tell ya, I'm hooked.  These projects are alive.  I know I'm new at building and all, but I'm into it.  I love it.  I mean absolutely love it.  I thought it would be a lot harder than it is.  And I'm sure I'll become a lifer around here.  What a great hobby.  I've shown a few of my friends my first build, and they almost always say the same thing "Oh my god, where the f*** did you get this thing?"  And they're like, "wait, this ain't a fender..."  Nope.  It's a Warmoth.  The decal is just for show because a blank headstock just doesn't seem right, and Fender Stratocaster is what I'm used to seeing and playing.  Ah well, I digress.  :glasses9:

 

[Great Ape]

Uh-Oh! Yer HOOKED, Dude....an' there ain't no rehab fer THIS, neither!! NICE WORK! :hello2:

 

[vikingred]

Uh-Oh! Yer HOOKED, Dude....an' there ain't no rehab fer THIS, neither!! NICE WORK! :hello2:

Yep, I've dropped a few dollars on some cool guitars.  Can't see myself stopping anytime soon.

 

[vikingred]

Having an issue, thought I would be able to finish the Zoso guitar this weekend, BUT the regular strat short-shaft pots that I have (and I have quite a few very high quality CTS/Mojo etc.--are NOT long enough to fit through to the top of the guitar.  I hate the idea of having to order long-shaft Les-Paul pots.  I have actually considered drilling or using an exacto knife to form a "countersink" hole/slot in the back chamber the size of the entire pot housing.  Only need 1/8" to get enough threads through the top to get a bolt on it.  Would that be insanity?

 

[Great Ape]

Don't do THAT. Order the correct part(s)!

 

[vikingred]

Don't do THAT. Order the correct part(s)!

Of course.  It was late at night and my mind tends to wander...  :icon_jokercolor: