Thanks for the compliment, and for checking out the post! Both are genuinely much appreciated! Going into the second one (which was the Strat) I was a little more aware of the fact that black hardware must not be such a big thing, because it's actually kind of difficult to do this whole black thing the "right" way, simply from an obtaining the materials stand point. Even so, the Strat still managed to be even more of an undertaking than the Les Paul was, which really surprised me based on the simple fact that a Stratocaster seems to be the single most modified guitar of them all, so I thought finding the parts the second time around would be much less of a hassle. However, I knew if I was going to do it, that I was going to do it ALL exactly the way I wanted it to be, or nothing. This meant having to do stuff like order Fender Locking tuners, while also ordering 4 or 5 different other regular sets of tuners just to have the knobs on the tuners right when it was all said and done. Fender doesn't sell their locking tuners with vintage style buttons, and tuners do not, as it turns out, share a universal shaft upon which to mount the tuner buttons/knobs. So I bought and returned 4 different sets before I finally got lucky on the 5th, and got my hands on Vintage style knobs to fit the shafts of the Fender (Ping is the company who actually manufactures them, and they just brand them for Fender) locking tuners. I had the very same locking tuners on it before, when it was all chrome, and I ordered those with the vintage style buttons already on the tuners. But because this was in a black finish, they only offer them with the bigger more modern looking knobs with the arched top and straight sides, which I am just not a fan of on a Strat. On a Charvel or Jackson, sure, but aside from the EMGs, which weren't even in consideration initially, I wanted this to look 100% Stratocaster. Then there was the issue with the tremolo. This Strat has narrow 2-1/16 (52.5mm) spacing, which wouldn't pose an issue in the least if I had wanted a chrome/nickel or even a gold finish. But because I wanted a black finish, it turned out there were only 3 (literally ONLY THREE) options for a replacement tremolo system, and none are a direct replacement for the 6 screw vintage synchronized Fender tremolo system. And to top that off, TWO of the three are Babicz tremolos, which are not at all poor quality products, but they are a bit more "contemporary", I guess you might say, than what I was going for, and not so subtle. As a Babicz has the "full contact hardware" thing, where even on the more traditional "Traditional" model, they just wind up sticking out like a sore thumb and instead of blending in and complimenting the other parts of the guitar to look good in an over all cumulative effort, they just seem (imho) to say "LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME" a bit too much, in a way that takes away from the rest as opposed to becoming a nice complimentary inclusion to it. And then there's my favorite part, which is the fact that the guy Babicz himself seemed to feel it was necessary to have his name laser etched into the tremolos his company manufactures, and in a way that is no less subtle or complimentary than the devices themselves, as its always is a color which is directly in contrast to whatever the finish may be, along with the fact that it is big enough that it is easier to read from a distance than the "Fender" brand logo on the headstock. If these things are not directly indicative of an individual with a FAR too over-inflated ego, I don't know what is. Christ, you made some modern improvements to a device which has otherwise LONG since been engineered, put into mass production, and has been widely known and used across the guitar-ing community since the 50s! But because the dude designed some saddles which supposedly provide more resonance, and make string adjustments a bit easier and to a degree, a bit more finite, he feels the need to put his name across 50% of the surface area of each and every one of the products his company manufactures to this day. It just seems a bit overblown to me is all, and if I put a name on my personalized guitar, I would want it to be my own, not the dude who's company manufactures the G.D. whammy bar for Christ sake! One might say "Fender" is a name, though I would argue (and be correct) that Fender has long since been an Establishment which has become a household name, who's position has been well-earned at that. So it is not at all the same. And I will end my rant, which went hard to the left for which you have my apologies, by saying that I was only WAY too happy when I received the PRS style tremolo system manufactured by "Musiclily" (which is manufactured in China, but is no less worthy a component because of that fact. And the only other options I had were manufactured in Taiwan, which, if we were judging based on country of origin, is even less illustrious than China in terms of the overall outlook in regard to their manufacturing infrastructure and capabilities. Comparing the two would be like comparing a single apple to an entire orchard, only the orchard is also considered a world super-power, with a a navy, an air force, and other viable accoutrements befitting an orchard of its size and strength, like space programs and the capability to produce W.M.D.s, and the list goes on, while the lone apple can only boast a strong business relationship with The Dollar Store as its top products manufacturer since they opened their doors.... and damn, just like that, to the left once more) The PRS style tremolo wound up being perfect, and I will install one on any and every Strat I purchase in the future, it is that good a product, and that great an improvement upon what had existed there previously. It doesn't just fit wonderfully without looking at all out of place or causing the vibe of the guitar to be any less Fender-esque, but it too boasts an obvious improvement in the resonance of the guitar, making the instrument brighter and more present, both acoustically and when plugged in. Lastly, this tremolo system is easy as can be to do set ups on, and it just generally functions like a dream. I never have problems with it bringing the strings out of tune, and it beds with smoothness and fluidity that the old Strat tremolo just did not have period. You take all this stuff intro consideration, and it makes the Roasted Maple neck, officially the easiest part to obtain, lol. Regardless how easy or difficult it may have been to obtain, I am 100% glad I purchased it. I wasn't sure how I would like it, but now that everything is together, I think it looks amazing, and no picture I take of the guitar will ever do it justice, because it's got a gloss coat on the front fingerboard and headstock that just makes it look and feel like an instrument twice as pricey to put together than it really was, and the satin coat on the back is remarkable as well. It blows my mind how they are able to sand something and then apply a finish, and this makes a piece of wood literally feel as soft and smooth as a baby's ass! While my Les Paul is without a doubt my number one, even if I am not playing it as much right now because of how much I love playing the Fender, still the Fender is giving it a run for it's money. I just have never loved playing a Strat as much as I enjoy playing mine now. I think it could not have turned out to look better, and it just FEELS killer now all the way across the board. The neck isn't just a different hue of maple, it is a different carve than any Fender I have played in the past. It is noticeably thinner than any other Strat neck, but not so thin that it feels like it doesn't belong, and the profile is what they describe as a soft-oval profile, similar to their "C" profile, but definitely its own new thing, It's certainly a more modern thing, but the radius is the same 9.5 inches which I prefer to 12" or anything flatter (on a Fender that is), and it's still familiar, just better. Nothing has been taken away from the things I love about a Fender neck, but there are new aspects that are present which only serve to make me appreciate it even more. It's just a F'n killer guitar, and it doesn't just play well, it sounds amazing too, and is as versatile as the day is long and the sky is blue, which is one of the reasons it's so hard to put it down, because, if the guitar can do what I want it to do, why go through the trouble of putting it down and picking up another? And if I'm having a great time playing it, then, turn down for what?!
Thanks again to the guys who checked the thread out. I was hoping I might get to share them with some individuals who appreciate playing guitars, but also, the guitars themselves. I am satisfied that I have achieved that, and I appreciate the comments.
