Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

[The Dali]

Ok, I love my David Gilmour strat that I built, so I'm moving on to my next project. I love Maiden, so I'm looking at building a Dave Murray strat. I am focusing on building a RELIC version of his guitar. Essentially, it is a 50's strat with Dimarzio humbuckers. So... I need to start somewhere. Two guitars I was planning on starting with are listed below. Any suggestions or preferences?

The first one is a Partscaster that has a USA strat body and MIM neck. I would likely ship out the neck. This has a USA spaced bridge which is cool, but the black is "sparkle black" which isn't really authentic. It does have, however, Dimarzio pickups which is cool . This one also has the benefit of a hardcase.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Stratocaster-w-HSC-/320523416313?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Guitar&hash=item4aa0af32f9

The second is a MIK Squier. It is cheaper, but appears to have the upgraded bridge block, and it looks like it already has a cream Super Distortion pickup. I could re-use the pickguard and possibly the neck, depending on how nice it is.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270541455750&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT


With both I would likely replace the neck with an Allparts or Warmoth neck and Gotoh tuners.

A third option would be to troll around for a relatively inexpensive Highway 1 in black. That would have the added benefit of being a nitro finish. I would have to sell the neck and pickups, however, since Dave's guitar has 21 frets.

 

[Grandturk]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

Buy a real one!

lol

Here's some gut shots to help you out:

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

that **** looks cool.

I'd go with the squier.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

I dunno, it depends on how much you want to spend. Do you know if all of these are routed for a neck bucker? And is the MIK Squier plywood?
I used the neck from an old MIK Squier, and the body from a different Squier. Good fun.

 

[The Dali]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

I know... I'll probably pass on the sparkle body. The Squier one is intriguing - especially if it already has the Dimarzio bucker.

 

[Grandturk]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

I think you have to decide if you're going to build it cheap or build it nice. I wouldn't waste a decent Warmoth neck on a Squier body. Just buy the Squire and put in the Dimarzios and play it like that - after all, that's what Dave Murray did back in the day for his backup guitars.

 

[cvansickle]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

I built one myself a few years back. I used a MIM Fender Standard. Turned out great.

 

[kjrocks]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

So what pickups did he use? I assume a super distortion for the bridge, but I'd like to know.

 

[eschoendorff]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

Don't the Maiden guys use the single coil-sized humbuckers in all 3 positions now?

 

[The Dali]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

Murray's strat has a Super Distortion in the bridge and a PAF in the neck.

Maiden uses the mini-buckers now, but on the first few Maiden albums Murray played an original 50's Strat that he added the full Dimarzio humbuckers to.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

Buy a real one!

those chrome trim rings, so totally cosmetic, just set off the cream PUs

 

[The Dali]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

Grandturk - why buy one for $2000 when I can build one for $425??? LOL. Love yours - what a sweet axe.

Ok, so I bought the Squier for $150 shipped to me. I'll start up a Murray build thread as soon as she gets here.

 

[Grandturk]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

Grandturk - why buy one for $2000 when I can build one for $425??? LOL. Love yours - what a sweet axe.

lol - yeah there's no difference between the two.

 

[The Dali]

Re: Help! Building a Dave Murray Strat

Believe me, my dogs won't be able to tell the difference.