Yet another Stratocaster - vintage white

[grahny]

After just recently finishing my first assembly (including wiring and staining), I decided not to slow down and just finished specing out/purchasing everything for round 2 (which due to financial reasons will also be the last round for a long while ).

I've played many types of guitars, you name it I've probably tried the body shape, but I just really find stratocaster bodies to have the highest level of comfort for the type of playing I do.... so, this will be my 2nd strat and I'm going pretty much vintage all the way with it.

Specs:
Warmoth Alder vintage white top routed body
Warmoth white/black/white pickguard (S-S-S) - 6 hole white temolo cover
White or black strat knobs - haven't decided - ordered both
Gotoh Vintage 6 hole tremolo
Allparts 1 piece maple V neck w/ graphite nut (nitro finish, 1 5/8"nut, 7 1/4" radius, 21 frets)
Vintage tuners (chrome)
Chrome jack and neck plate.

Electronics/pups:
Seymour Duncan antiquity texas hot single coils (RWRP middle, hot bridge)
Rothstein Voodoo tone wiring (holvand cap) w/ push-pull for neck on & passive midrange control

Will do the rest of the wiring and assembly myself.

My biggest concern is the neck. I've spent hours at stores and online trying to determine what direction I wanted to go. I really like the 50's neck feel and V shape. The radius feels fine everytime I play a neck with it, but I'm used to 10-12" radius necks so we'll see. I think once I hear it I'll completely forget about any neck concerns I had... we'll see how bends are limited - I didn't experience much limitation in testing out the radius.

Will post pics when it's done - probably 1-2 weeks by the time everything arrives and I get around to soldering.

 

[Nando Vallart]

very very traditional! Hope the neck works for you!

 

[Rick]

I've found the 1 5/8 necks to be a little scrawny.

 

[grahny]

Yeah, I thought they'd be too, but in trying them out they felt comfortable. I have some nerve damage in my left hand which has given me some limited mobility so the smaller neck feels pretty good.

 

[grahny]

Pickups arrived this morning....

http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii66/grahny/Strat/

 

[grahny]

More stuff arrived... I'm no longer concerned about the neck. It's perfect. Exactly what I was looking for.

Album here: http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii66/grahny/Strat/

 

[dbw]

That's a monster of a back contour.  Cool neck.  How's the fretwork?

 

[grahny]

I may fall into the 'I don't know any better so they seem pretty good to me' bucket of guitar players re: the fretwork, but, they seem pretty damn good to me They're very smooth along the edges (nicely trimmed) - nicer than my '80 LP.

The contour is the "VEE" contour from All Parts... I assume supposedly replicating Fender's soft V contour. It feels very similar to me (although a little beefier).

I just finished off the nut (graphite) and installed that... I may eventually change it out to something a little slicker though for better use with the tremolo, but we'll see how it goes.

 

[grahny]

More goodies....

 

[JaySwear]

that is a baseball bat of a neck! very cool ideas though, the only thing i like more than a white strat with a white pickguard is a white strat with a black pickguard.  :rock-on: excited to see this thing in progress!

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

The push/pull pot, is that for an always on type mod for more pickup combos?

 

[grahny]

The push/pull pot, is that for an always on type mod for more pickup combos?

Yup, I'm going to wire it as a 'neck on' switch. So I can flip the neck pickup on to allow for bridge/neck combo and all pickups on.

 

[Rick]

I just noticed you'll have a passibe midrange control.  I have one on my tele love it.  The outer tone knob is a regular tone knob all the time, while the inner knob is a midrange boost or cut.  It's subtle and sweet.

 

[grahny]

I just noticed you'll have a passibe midrange control.  I have one on my tele love it.  The outer tone knob is a regular tone knob all the time, while the inner knob is a midrange boost or cut.  It's subtle and sweet.

I like that idea... This one doesn't have an outer to act as the regular tone though. I'll wind up with 1 master vol, 1 master tone, and passive midrange. This is the one I went with:

RG500D: http://www.guitar-mod.com/rg_passive.html

 

[grahny]

Warmoth goodies arrive today. I've got everything now to get started on wiring and assembly.

I wasn't sure of the white pickguard at first, but after dry fitting some pieces I think I'll keep it as is.

More pics here: http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii66/grahny/Strat/

 

[Superlizard]

Warmoth goodies arrive today. I've got everything now to get started on wiring and assembly.

I wasn't sure of the white pickguard at first, but after dry fitting some pieces I think I'll keep it as is.

More pics here: http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii66/grahny/Strat/

Maple/maple necks FTW!  (shoulda been a Warmoth, though).

Dig the solid color - understated, retro and classy as hell.  :icon_thumright:

What about following the pickup covers color scheme and getting vintage white knobs too?

 

[kboman]

White strats are sweet! Probably the only kind of "standard" strat I actually like.
Got to agree on the knobs, but unless you get it very close the guitar will have four different shades of white/ish and then maybe it's better to keep it like this.

 

[Mor Paul]

Looks good! I'd want to try some yellowed knobs personally.

 

[grahny]

Warmoth goodies arrive today. I've got everything now to get started on wiring and assembly.

I wasn't sure of the white pickguard at first, but after dry fitting some pieces I think I'll keep it as is.

More pics here: http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii66/grahny/Strat/

Maple/maple necks FTW!  (shoulda been a Warmoth, though).

Dig the solid color - understated, retro and classy as hell.   :icon_thumright:

What about following the pickup covers color scheme and getting vintage white knobs too?

Not sure if I'd be able to match the pickup covers since they're not really any standard color due to SD's 'antiquing' process.  However, the body color is dead on with the color of Warmoth's "parchment" pick guards.... so parchment knobs should work. Good call  ccasion14: I didn't really feel like going with white myself on the knobs (also have a black set but I think it's too contrasty).

I couldn't find a warmoth neck that had the contour I was looking for (without going custom and dropping more $$ that I don't have) and discussed it with them as well before I went elsewhere. I love the shape of the neck I got... very happy with it.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I think a mint PG would look good on that with white controls.  Contrasted against the white, the mint would actually look mint.