New Project - Basswood Strat

[treyhaislip]

This just came in, new 1 piece Basswood Stratocaster body by Richard Saylor. Main pickups are gonna be a DiMarzio Liquifire in the neck and a Seymour Duncan Screamin Demon in the bridge. Neck will be Maple with Rosewood fretboard (FWIW, 9.5" Straight Radius.)

Forum help appreciated on the middle pickup as well as what to do for the finish. My last two project guitars were all natural finish/no paint. However, I've heard Basswood is really hard to finish (something like the soft grain soaks up a lot of the stain.)

If I paint it it will be white. Kinda like the natural look though...and I like the DiMarzio mid pickup in my dad's Ibanez Prestige, may look into which on it is......your suggestions/thoughts?

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[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Paint it a solid color. If you put on a grain filler over a light clear coat, waiting a week or two after you clear it, it won't soak up much finish. You might want to put on a grey primer under the white so you don't get any grain showing through without very many color coats.

I wouldn't even use a middle pickup. Go H/H with a black pickguard over the white. Classic super strat look.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

HSH

And ninja turtles graphic

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Paint it a solid color. If you put on a grain filler over a light clear coat, waiting a week or two after you clear it, it won't soak up much finish. You might want to put on a grey primer under the white so you don't get any grain showing through without very many color coats.

I wouldn't even use a middle pickup. Go H/H with a black pickguard over the white. Classic super strat look.

Definitely thinking strongly on the White with Black Pickguard–love that look!

HSH

And ninja turtles graphic

Haha! Ninja Turtles graphic! :headbang:

 

[kramersteen]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

I have a strat style body here that was refinished in ''helicopter'' white. Its actually pretty cool/

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

I have a strat style body here that was refinished in ''helicopter'' white. Its actually pretty cool/

Never heard/seen Helicopter White--I'll have to look that up. I love the Artic/Polar White with a Matte Black Pickguard--looks sharp.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Just an update from Frank Verrilli, the Luthier who I went with to paint the guitar. Went ahead and did light white with Nitro to show the grain (since it was a nice solid 1 piece body.)

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[greekdude]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Nice, but he forgot to tape off the neck heel pocket.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Nice, but he forgot to tape off the neck heel pocket.

You have good eyes! I did not notice that! lol Not a big deal to me personally, I had an old Charvel that had a lot of overspray in the neck pocket...it will be covered by a neck so not a big deal to me. lol

 

[AlterBlackbird]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Nice, but he forgot to tape off the neck heel pocket.

Could this cause any problems?

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Could this cause any problems?

Not that I'm aware of...I've seen overspray on several neck pockets. The Charvel I had with it didn't have any problems...

 

[Brian Griffin]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Paint it a solid color. If you put on a grain filler over a light clear coat, waiting a week or two after you clear it, it won't soak up much finish. You might want to put on a grey primer under the white so you don't get any grain showing through without very many color coats.

I wouldn't even use a middle pickup. Go H/H with a black pickguard over the white. Classic super strat look.

Yeah like that Charvel So Cal.

 

[HALENisking]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Been awhile, did you pick a middle sc?

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Could this cause any problems?

Not major problems, but it could cause some minor problems. He will not know until he has it all together. I bought a body that had too much spray in the neck pocket which caused the neck to constantly slide around a bit. You could hear it creaking when it was being played too even thought the screws were as tight as you could go without cracking the wood. Another problem is if the finish is not even & flat in the neck pocket, ideally you want a nice flat, even surface for the neck to make contact with the body.

Another potential problem is if the neck is on there for a few decades it could pull some of the paint/finish off with it when removed thus causing a crack in the finish outside of the neck pocket. Not a big deal.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Been awhile, did you pick a middle sc?

I am still debating on this...I like the DiMarzio/IBZ single coil in the mid position of my dad's Ibanez Prestige but I'm also debating about a Fender Fat 50 or just nothing at all...

Not major problems, but it could cause some minor problems. He will not know until he has it all together. I bought a body that had too much spray in the neck pocket which caused the neck to constantly slide around a bit. You could hear it creaking when it was being played too even thought the screws were as tight as you could go without cracking the wood. Another problem is if the finish is not even & flat in the neck pocket, ideally you want a nice flat, even surface for the neck to make contact with the body.

Another potential problem is if the neck is on there for a few decades it could pull some of the paint/finish off with it when removed thus causing a crack in the finish outside of the neck pocket. Not a big deal.

These could definitely be possible concerns–Frank has always done great work for me and he may sand it level or something else. Its nitro based and very thin, so even paint stripper can probably take it off easily.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

I am still debating on this...I like the DiMarzio/IBZ single coil in the mid position of my dad's Ibanez Prestige but I'm also debating about a Fender Fat 50 or just nothing at all...



These could definitely be possible concerns–Frank has always done great work for me and he may sand it level or something else. Its nitro based and very thin, so even paint stripper can probably take it off easily.

I don't think you will run into the same issue I described. I ordered the body I was talking about from ebay and although it was a warmoth body, the paint job and finish was really the work of somebody who probably had never finished a guitar before. It was very uneven and had runs in the lacquer. Your finish looks nice, even and smooth.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

I don't think you will run into the same issue I described. I ordered the body I was talking about from ebay and although it was a warmoth body, the paint job and finish was really the work of somebody who probably had never finished a guitar before. It was very uneven and had runs in the lacquer. Your finish looks nice, even and smooth.

I agree. You do point out potential issues with this happening but I think there won't be an issue, especially with the super thin nitro. Frank does great work–he started as a furniture maker and turned his wood skills to making guitars. He's even made one for Coy Boyles of the Zac Brown band.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

I agree. You do point out potential issues with this happening but I think there won't be an issue, especially with the super thin nitro. Frank does great work–he started as a furniture maker and turned his wood skills to making guitars. He's even made one for Coy Boyles of the Zac Brown band.

Nice! I'm a big fan of the Zac Brown Band!

Frank sounds like he did a good job, I think you'll be just fine.

 

[Kac]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Glad you went with white Nitro, that is beautiful, gonna look great when it's done.


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[treyhaislip]

Re: New Project - Basswood Strat

Nice! I'm a big fan of the Zac Brown Band!

Frank sounds like he did a good job, I think you'll be just fine.

I really like their sound and they have some great songs.

Thanks!

Glad you went with white Nitro, that is beautiful, gonna look great when it's done.

Thanks–I am going with an "ebonized" mahogany pickguard...I'm really looking forward to the combo. I am debating about the neck...I have a MIM Fender Strat that I am trying to sell–the neck plays very nicely so I could put it on this guitar BUT I really want to get a Warmoth neck for it and try their roasted maple.