In Strat modding mode! Come recommend me stuff!

[jeremy]

lookin good

 

[Rex_Rocker]

lookin good

Thank you! Truss rod is functioning perfectly as well.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Alright alright alright!

I still need to work more on the nut, but it's getting late.

I strung it up, tuned it up, more or less set it up, and here are my initial impressions.

The truss rod fucking works! 'Nuff said.








But if you want the whole story, leaving out the fact that the truss rod works, and that's what fucking matters, I feel it's more of a crossgrade in feel rather than an upgrade.

Don't get me wrong, I do like it better. The profile is thin, but not Ibanez thin. I was expecting it to be thinner, TBH. But it's more or less along the lines of the PRS Wide Thin. It's wider than a Fender Modern C, much like a Gibson. It's thin alright, but not Super Wizard thin. The frets are big-ish, but not ESP, Ibanez, or Jackson railroad tracks. However, the biggest thing that I like: The 12" fretboard. YASSSSS. I honestly don't get the love for the 9.5" board, let alone the 7.25". Chords don't feel easier, more natural, or whatever on the rounder boards, but maybe that's just me. Each to his own, but 12" fb's feel like home to me. Overall, I think it's more of a thin neck that still feels traditional rather than an 80's Ibanez Wizard or Jackson Speed neck.

I did lose the rolled edges and the unique feeling from having the finish stripped off the back of the neck on the Roadworn. I will miss those. If it weren't for the truss rod, I wouldn't have changed it. But at the same time, the neck now works! I mean, how can you argue with that.

Also, looks-wise, I dig that the baked Maple has more of a vintage-ish color rather than full on brown like super baked Maple, LOL. Kinda makes the guitar look old and with the finish tinted from age.

 

[ehdwuld]

you can roll the edges yourself
I do

file
emory board for fingernails ( my favorite for unfinished boards )
razor blade to scrape it ( for bound boards )
hard flat bar ( for your lacquered board )

place the pocket knife against the edge of the board and rock it back and forth with some pressure
this is "rolling the edges"

 

[Rex_Rocker]

you can roll the edges yourself
I do

file
emory board for fingernails ( my favorite for unfinished boards )
razor blade to scrape it ( for bound boards )
hard flat bar ( for your lacquered board )

place the pocket knife against the edge of the board and rock it back and forth with some pressure
this is "rolling the edges"

The fretboard has a finish, though. It's gloss Maple.

It's alright, though. I do like the neck as is. I can just play it to hell to make it look like shit like the body does, LOL.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Also... I ordered what I'm hoping are the last few parts:

Musiclily brass block for the trem.
Musiclily black single hum pickguard.

I'm thinking about oval tuner tips and maybe a fancier string tree, but that may be further down the line.

 

[ehdwuld]

Files and scrapers remove material

Th hard steel block doesn't

I thought i posted clearly

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Files and scrapers remove material

Th hard steel block doesn't

I thought i posted clearly

Ah, sorry. I misread. I might try it. Thanks!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

And also... yep, the maple board and thin neck thinned out the tone. Not in a bad way, though. And luckily, I've got a brass block for the trem coming in today. If that isn't enough, I can still flip the D Activator so that the hotter coil faces away from the neck.

And after the nut is set up to the right slot depth... then neck does feel quite thin. I love it!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Yeah... I think I should've gone for steel, LOL. I think the high-end took a hit, honestly. My Les Paul is now brighter.

 

[zizyphus]

Yeah... I think I should've gone for steel, LOL. I think the high-end took a hit, honestly. My Les Paul is now brighter.

you can mix and match brass and steel depending on the string. I like doing that to give more snap to the wound strings, and more warmth to the high E and B

what mods have you done so far? This thread is so long that I’m having trouble keeping track! Can you post a running tally of what you’ve done? I’m interested in seeing how it goes. I’m also on a strat modding kick right now, and would love to swap ideas!

 

[zizyphus]

Yeah... I think I should've gone for steel, LOL. I think the high-end took a hit, honestly. My Les Paul is now brighter.

you can mix and match brass and steel depending on the string. I like doing that to give more snap to the wound strings, and more warmth to the high E and B

what mods have you done so far? This thread is so long that I’m having trouble keeping track! Can you post a running tally of what you’ve done? I’m interested in seeing how it goes. I’m also on a strat modding kick right now, and would love to swap ideas!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

you can mix and match brass and steel depending on the string. I like doing that to give more snap to the wound strings, and more warmth to the high E and B

what mods have you done so far? This thread is so long that I’m having trouble keeping track! Can you post a running tally of what you’ve done? I’m interested in seeing how it goes. I’m also on a strat modding kick right now, and would love to swap ideas!

Yeah, I think I'll do steel saddles next as the cheapie steel block seems OOS right now.

OK... so far, LOTS of mods.

The guitar started out as a Road Worn Tele, right? The mods so fare are:

1. Schaller straplocks. - already had these
2. Cream Musiclily pickguard (single humbucker).
3. DiMarzio D Activator (double cream).
4. 500K Gibson volume pot with Fender cream knob.
5. Dopro brass saddles and Musiclily brass block.
6. Fender baked Maple Flat Oval neck w/jumbo frets. - biggest mod of all

I don't know if the string gauge counts? Because I did have to file the original nut to have these fit. They're Ernie Ball 11-54 in Drop C.

It's mostly Amazon cheapie stuff (Musiclily and Dopro) or little name brand stuff like the pot and the knob. But the biggest mods were the neck by far followed by the pickup next.

And right now, I've got the steel block saddles and a black pickguard on the way.

 

[jeremy]

i mean the brand name knob will get you the TONZ!!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

i mean the brand name knob will get you the TONZ!!

Toneplastics is a thing. Haven't you heard of it?

BTW, what's left of the original guitar is the body (Road Worn in Inca Silver finished in Nitro which is turning yellow-ish/green-ish), the trem's baseplate, the tuners, and the jack/jackplate.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Steel sadldes came in... or not. Got the wrong ones. These are definitely not steel but Zinc. Returning them.

So... I'm wondering... what will make more of a difference? Saddles or block?

I mean... the contact is more direct with the saddles, right? But the block represents a way larger percentage of the mass of the bridge.

So... should I order the right steel saddles or should I get a steel block rather?

 

[jeremy]

i love good steel saddles but have little experience with cheap ones, soo???

 

[Mincer]

I'd say to replace the saddles and the block. Or eventually get a bridge you like.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Steel trem block ordered. Black pickguard is coming today... I swear these are the last mods (for now)!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Black pickguard is here! Hopefully, it's looking less Blink 182 now.