Unexpected late Christmas present!

[Jeremiah]

My sister just found a Strat body lying by the side of the road, and knowing of my interests brought it home for me! I have taken this as a sign from a superior power that I have to build a 'roadkill' guitar in the new year, but since I have no idea about the body's origins I'm not sure if it uses standard specifications and would be compatible with a Warmoth or other Fender replacement neck.

I have measured the neck pocket and the dimensions are the same as Warmoth, so I'm off to a good start, but the distance between the end of the neck pocket and the neck pickup cavity looks noticeably smaller than on a Warmoth body. (I don't know the proper measurement for this, so I'm just comparing it visually.) I'm worried that this might mean the intonation would not work out right if the neck pocket was closer to the bridge - perhaps this body was designed for a 22 fret neck with no overhang at the end of the fingerboard.

I also have a question about pickups; this body is clearly made of cheap plywood and has also probably been lying in the rain for a while. I'm wondering if it would be worth putting high quality expensive pickups and hardware on what is clearly a low quality body.

 

[-CB-]

Ha.... Merry Christmas....

Now we need the pictures~

 

[RexTheDog]

Id say go for it and see how it sounds.  This could make for a good experiment into the effect different woods have on a guitars tone.  It not gonna sound any good if you don't put decent pickups in it anyway.  Hardware is a bit more debatable.

 

[whyachi]

This has the makings of a legendary guitar. Forget sponsors, you play a dead body you found on the road one stormy night. Rock on.

Pics, or no zombie guitar.

 

[tfarny]

Get a killer neck and all new hardware and great pickups, then if the body doesn't work out all you need is a new Warmoth body! Simple.

 

[Mor Paul]

Get a killer neck and all new hardware and great pickups, then if the body doesn't work out all you need is a new Warmoth body! Simple.

But keep the old body, intending to try again.
Repeat over and over.

 

[DangerousR6]

Get a killer neck and all new hardware and great pickups, then if the body doesn't work out all you need is a new Warmoth body! Simple.

Precisely, always leave room for options.... :icon_thumright:

 

[Unwound G]

Hey, your sister found the Strat body I was relic' king.  I want it back !!! .................. :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Jeremiah]

I don't have a camera here, I'll try to post some pics once I get it home.

Since with that body it will probably never sound like a classic Strat, I might try and get pickups I would never normally use. I'm thinking about a set of Iron Gear Jailhouse Rails, which seem to be similar but cheaper than the Duncan Hot Rails with a bit less output.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I vote for a Primer and Bondo finish.  Maybe a cracked taillight for ambiance.  Add a little steel wool to the primer for some rust stains, now that is a side of the road special.
Patrick

 

[OzziePete]

Roadkill Project!!  :blob7: :toothy10: :hello2:

Great title for a good idea....... :icon_thumright:

(Chance of getting an imprint of a car tyre on the back of the body!?  :laughing7

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Having not seen it, let me be the first to say, "It needs a Floyd."


The possibility also occurs to me, if it were on the side of the road, somebody else already found Warmoth.  Throw it back out on the road and pay it forward.