TV Jones Strat Build

[neverstock]

For my third build thread, started with a neck - lightly roasted figured Maple Two Piece, heel TR, SS medium frets, modern holes. Not sure how exactly this will go (thinking gold hardware, black pickguard)  but I have a swamp ash HSS strat body coming and a TV Jones Butts pickup ordered. Planning to rewind two Duncan Strat pickups too.

Here is how it starts. Transtint Mission Brown dye, sanded back, then BC sanding sealer, then Tru-Oil. Now curing for 30 days.

 

[PhilHill]

Sweet! :icon_thumright:

 

[rgand]

Now yer talkin'! That'll be a fine one.

 

[JPOL007]

I got a bad case of gear envy. That neck is so sweet :icon_thumright:

 

[Hendrix]

nice neck dye  :glasses9:

 

[Verne Bunsen]

My goodness that is beautiful! I can’t believe how much life you brought to that neck! The headstock face reminds me of the flamed Koa veneer on my Strat neck:

 

[neverstock]

Thank you for all the comments on the neck. Today, the body is in the house - 1 piece swamp ash with some nice grain. Still figuring out what direction to go.

 

[rgand]

That's some nice grain on that one. It'll look good with a transparent finish of some kind.

 

[Rick]

Now that swamp ash is allegedly getting rare I'd do something that high lights the grain probably a medium color grain filler then cover in clear.  True oil would work.

 

[neverstock]

First mock-up - dyes laid down - mission brown, amber, black in that order, sanding back after each, and now with two coats of Birchwood Casey sanding sealer.
Tru Oil starts tomorrow once I let the sealer cure overnight outside and sand down. Looking for some more amber from the Tru-Oil.

 

[PhilHill]

Looking very good so far. :headbang:

 

[Hendrix]

Really nice " old wood " look for swamp ash characteristics  :glasses9:

 

[rgand]

With Tru-oil that body will come alive! It will be a good match for that spectacular neck.

 

[Rick]

Com'n long nice.  :kewlpics:

 

[neverstock]

The more vintage caps and resistors, the more mojo, right? Actually, I needed two treble bleeds, and I made do with what I had laying around, which meant being creative to get the right values. A little big but I'll call it mojo.

Nearly done with coats of Tru Oil - about 10 so far, may go to 15.  The TV Jones Ray Butts High Fidelity Filtertron arrived, as did the '62 reissue strat tremolo bridge.  New mock-up:

 

[rauchman]

Wow, that is beautiful.  Is the neck a 24.75" conversion?

 

[neverstock]

TV Jones Strat is done. SSL-1 in neck and middle, 1 piece ash, 2 piece maple neck.
I highly recommend a Filter-tron in the bridge of a Strat. I think it sounds Gretsch-like - and it fits great with the swamp ash/maple recipe - really huge sounding guitar - strung it with 11s too.
Positions 3,4,5 are all strat, but 2 has a bold quack, and 1 is Gretsch like - great humbucking cleans, and somewhat compressed pick attack and clarity at higher volumes /gain.
Terrapin makes pickguards that fit a body-mounted Filter-Tron.

 

[rgand]

The grain really pops. That neck does look good on there. Congrats. :icon_thumright: