mibeaulieu
New member
A $4000 David Gilmour Guitar for less than $750….
I thought I would share my Fender "David Gilmour" build.
As many of us know, the Fender “David Gilmour” Stratocaster is one of the highest priced and most sought after signature guitars built by Fender. What makes it special? What makes it worth $4K? What makes it unique? Aside from the stealth switch, it’s your garden variety black strat with custom shop pickups and a ’57 maple neck. So how did I build this guitar for less than $750 including a Fender G&G hard shell case? Easy. Well maybe not easy – but not that difficult.
First, I started with a donor guitar. A Fender Tex Mex Black Strat – the Jimmie Vaughan also makes a good donor instrument. Why the Tex Mex or Jimmie Vaughan? The TM and JV are one of the Mexican made guitars with an American Spaced vintage bridge at 2 7/32”. I paid $350 shipped on eBay for the Tex Mex.
I sold the electronics and pickguard for $100 and the neck for $200. After that, I am into this guitar body and bridge for $50! Yes $50!! (I think the demand for the Black Tex Mex is going up as I type this...)
The pickguard and electronics (pots & Switch) cost me about $45. I made the bracket for the stealth switch and cut the hole for the switch with a dremel tool. As for the pickups, I bought some Fender Fat 50s on eBay for $135. I took the neck and sold the bridge and middle for $80. I bought a Duncan SL-5 for the bridge and a Custom Shop ’69 for the middle. The Sl-5 was $40 shipped and the ’69 for $55. To sum it up; the pickups, pickguard and electronics cost me less than $200! All the pickups and pickguard were found on eBay.
I wired it myself. When I played it – I was blown away by the tone. Keep in mind that I am into this guitar for all of $250 at this point. It still had the Tex Mex neck on it. However, as I played it, I knew I needed a Fender USA ’57 maple neck. Again, I went to eBay. Are you detecting a theme here? I found a very good to mint condition USA Fender Neck for $360 shipped! So – all parts are Fender except for the pickguard and the small stealth switch and I have a guitar to the same specs as the Fender David Gilmour that retails right around $4,000.
So let’s review:
Body & Bridge: $50
Electronics: $190
Neck: $360
Fender G&G case $125
TOTAL: $725
Check out the pics.
This is the pickguard with the pickups and electronics - nothing wired yet.
Here we go with the wiring.
Here is the bracket for the "Stealth Switch"
I used a Jensen PIO Cap.
Here is the shielded control cavity:
Knobs and pickguard installed.
Close up of the coveted switch.
More to follow....
I thought I would share my Fender "David Gilmour" build.
As many of us know, the Fender “David Gilmour” Stratocaster is one of the highest priced and most sought after signature guitars built by Fender. What makes it special? What makes it worth $4K? What makes it unique? Aside from the stealth switch, it’s your garden variety black strat with custom shop pickups and a ’57 maple neck. So how did I build this guitar for less than $750 including a Fender G&G hard shell case? Easy. Well maybe not easy – but not that difficult.
First, I started with a donor guitar. A Fender Tex Mex Black Strat – the Jimmie Vaughan also makes a good donor instrument. Why the Tex Mex or Jimmie Vaughan? The TM and JV are one of the Mexican made guitars with an American Spaced vintage bridge at 2 7/32”. I paid $350 shipped on eBay for the Tex Mex.
I sold the electronics and pickguard for $100 and the neck for $200. After that, I am into this guitar body and bridge for $50! Yes $50!! (I think the demand for the Black Tex Mex is going up as I type this...)
The pickguard and electronics (pots & Switch) cost me about $45. I made the bracket for the stealth switch and cut the hole for the switch with a dremel tool. As for the pickups, I bought some Fender Fat 50s on eBay for $135. I took the neck and sold the bridge and middle for $80. I bought a Duncan SL-5 for the bridge and a Custom Shop ’69 for the middle. The Sl-5 was $40 shipped and the ’69 for $55. To sum it up; the pickups, pickguard and electronics cost me less than $200! All the pickups and pickguard were found on eBay.
I wired it myself. When I played it – I was blown away by the tone. Keep in mind that I am into this guitar for all of $250 at this point. It still had the Tex Mex neck on it. However, as I played it, I knew I needed a Fender USA ’57 maple neck. Again, I went to eBay. Are you detecting a theme here? I found a very good to mint condition USA Fender Neck for $360 shipped! So – all parts are Fender except for the pickguard and the small stealth switch and I have a guitar to the same specs as the Fender David Gilmour that retails right around $4,000.
So let’s review:
Body & Bridge: $50
Electronics: $190
Neck: $360
Fender G&G case $125
TOTAL: $725
Check out the pics.
This is the pickguard with the pickups and electronics - nothing wired yet.
Here we go with the wiring.
Here is the bracket for the "Stealth Switch"
I used a Jensen PIO Cap.
Here is the shielded control cavity:
Knobs and pickguard installed.
Close up of the coveted switch.
More to follow....
