In Strat modding mode! Come recommend me stuff!

[Rex_Rocker]

SDS-1 is in! Man... what a brilliant pickup! I was afraid it might not be hot enough, but it keeps up with the Duncan Distortion no problem.

Only thing is I'm not sure if I want a white or a black cover on it. Black kinda looks cool. At a quick glance, it looks like it's a single pickup guitar again. But the more I look at it, the more it throws me off...

Do standard Fender cover fit DiMarzio single coils?

 

[jeremy]

i feel like the sds1 cover is a bit different than a normal one, but i cant say for sure. i can check tomorrow

 

[Rex_Rocker]

i feel like the sds1 cover is a bit different than a normal one, but i cant say for sure. i can check tomorrow

Please do. I took it off, and it says "DiMarzio" inside. I'll measure, though. As far as height, it doesn't seem different from a regular single coil cover. The magnets hang underneath the pickup. It's as far as spacing that it might different.

 

[ehdwuld]

I like the black cover

from a distance it does look like it has one

stealthy

 

[Rex_Rocker]

OK, it's finally done. I'm 100% happy with it now.

I dropped a 1Meg pot in there, as well as a white pickup cover on the SDS-1

 

[Rex_Rocker]

OK... all this journey, and I'm 99% of the way there. The Nazgul and the 1 Meg pot was really what this guitar needed.

One last thing I ordered is a set of Highwood saddles. Let's see how they are. Supposed to get here tomorrow.

I'll post a pic and a list of all the mods tomorrow!

 

[El Dunco]

i have three blackout singles in a usa hamer daytona, with an emg spc to boot!

Clips?

 

[El Dunco]

OK, it's finally done. I'm 100% happy with it now.

I dropped a 1Meg pot in there, as well as a white pickup cover on the SDS-1

Oh, I love the H—S config. Looks and sounds awesome.

 

[jeremy]

Clips?

nope. i dont record much these days or have a rig to do so actually setup.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Alright, there it is! The journey is finally over! Let me go over it:

It started life as a 2010 Mexican Road Worn Strat in Inca Silver. And the mods I made to it are:

Black plastic tuner tips
Flat Oval baked Maple neck with a 12" radius and jumbo frets
Schaller strap locks
HS pickguard
DiMarzio SDS-1
Seymour Duncan Nazgul
1 Meg volume control (the DiMarzio sees 500K thanks to a resistor)
3-way blade
Highwood saddles
Musiclily steel block

The trem is pretty much blocked via 5 springs and the claw screwed as far as it would go. The guitar is setup in Drop C with Ernie Ball 11-54's with a wound 3rd.

The guitar plays like butter, especially with the "upgraded" neck. I never dug the Fender 9.5" fretboard radius. But most importantly, the neck works, and is stable. It's not as stable as my Gibsons, but then again, the neck on the Fender is thinner and is not quartersawn. But it's stable enough. It's just the Gibson is rock solid.

And now it sounds like I always wanted it to. It's bright and aggressive, yet it stills has a very distinct tone compared to the Gibson.

Now, would I do it again? Hell no, LOL. I should've moved the guitar the moment issues started arising. But by the time I realized that, I was deep into modding this guitar, so I just went with it. I will say, though, the journey was fun, I got to try a lot of different stuff, and I learned what I like and don't like in a Strat.

 

[El Dunco]

It’s beautiful. I’m finally going to go back to SSS on my 2006 American strat (Blackouts strat set with a push pull). Just trying to decide on a pickguard. It’s just the typical American tobacco sunburst finish. I could do white pickups on the stock pickguard but I’m completely undecided.

 

[MikeS]

Now, would I do it again? Hell no, LOL. I should've moved the guitar the moment issues started arising. But by the time I realized that, I was deep into modding this guitar, so I just went with it. I will say, though, the journey was fun, I got to try a lot of different stuff, and I learned what I like and don't like in a Strat.

The journey is exactly why I can't leave well enough alone on my guitars. You've got down a path that has led you to a guitar that is uniquely yours. Enjoy it!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

The journey is exactly why I can't leave well enough alone on my guitars. You've got down a path that has led you to a guitar that is uniquely yours. Enjoy it!

Yeah! Honestly, It's probably the Strat that feels and sounds the least like a Strat, LOL. But I love it. It's my Strat.

It’s beautiful. I’m finally going to go back to SSS on my 2006 American strat (Blackouts strat set with a push pull). Just trying to decide on a pickguard. It’s just the typical American tobacco sunburst finish. I could do white pickups on the stock pickguard but I’m completely undecided.

Thank you!

What's the stock pickguard like? I think a black pickguard with white or cream pickups would look cool! Kinda like SRV.

 

[El Dunco]

Yeah! Honestly, It's probably the Strat that feels and sounds the least like a Strat, LOL. But I love it. It's my Strat.


Thank you!

What's the stock pickguard like? I think a black pickguard with white or cream pickups would look cool! Kinda like SRV.

That’s a good idea, it’s why I chose the black Jolly Rodger pirate pickguard for HSS (they absolutely lied by the way. It’s supposed to be compatible with real Fender strats, a USA made is as “real strat” as it gets but the holes just don’t quite line up without serious finessing and the humbucker hole is slightly offset from the cavity!)

The stock one is just the typical off-white pickguard every stock strat comes with. Now I just need to decide on glossy or matte. Maybe a bespoke graphic.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

That’s a good idea, it’s why I chose the black Jolly Rodger pirate pickguard for HSS (they absolutely lied by the way. It’s supposed to be compatible with real Fender strats, a USA made is as “real strat” as it gets but the holes just don’t quite line up without serious finessing and the humbucker hole is slightly offset from the cavity!)

The stock one is just the typical off-white pickguard every stock strat comes with. Now I just need to decide on glossy or matte. Maybe a bespoke graphic.

Yeah, aftermarket pickguards are finicky.

The first few that I tried in this thread​ were Musiclily off Amazon, and they fit well. Maybe a screw or two went at a very slight angle, but it wasn't like bad bad. It looked good. But the HS one was so off I had to fill and redrill all the holes with the exception of maybe one. And the neck pocket cutout was off too, but luckily the 22-fret neck covers that. It wasn't Musiclily brand, though. It was random Chinese from Amazon.

Musiclily overll sell decent stuff (for the most part) that's cheap for Strats. I liked their pickguards and trem blocks and I even had a blade SC-sized humbucker that sounded alright.