New Project Strat Day!

[Chistopher]

So I was browsing my local Goodwill and saw this gem on the floor:



Here are the damages: It's missing a tone knob and the two that are on it don't match, the previous owner put the nut in backwards and strung it lefty, it's missing a saddle, it's missing a rear route, the finish feels like solid plastic (I know 3 or 4 of my fellow forumites are having trouble with this same thing right now), there is loads of crayon on the plastics, the tuners feel loose, and the frets are atrocious. The neck needs a propper setup and truss adjustment, but that's more that doable.

I think Imma use this guitar for the sole purpose of seeing how well I can fix it on a budget, as well as make it a real oddball. I'm thinking triple single coil sized humbuckers with a 3-way switch with a master volume and a single tone controlling the neck and middle, with the bridge not having a tone control. I might also add a TOM bridge and a wacky paint job as well, with possibly a large decal on the back to make up for the lack of a trem cover.

As I don't often veer into the budget side of things, I do have a few questions:

1-How good are GFS locking tuners?

2-What are the best super low budget single coil sized humbuckers you've ever played? I'm thinking GFS Lil Killers, I've heard good reviews about them. I'm looking for something passive and non transparent.

3-Whats the skinny on this bridge? Anyone here ever try one or any GFS bridge for that matter?

 

[Ayrton]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

What is it, Fender, Squire, wha?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

Oh, shoot my bad, I got so far into what I was gonna do I forget to mention what it was. It's a '94 Bullet Strat. There was honestly not a single good thing on this guitar, but it's always good to practice the less common skills in your in their arsenal, especially for only $20.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

Look what showed up today



Got the pins like the American Fender



I'm gonna put an on my Tele
Cuz it's an inexpensive project too

They were $25 On Aliexpress
Took about two weeks from China

 

[Ayrton]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

Solid or ply body?

Full 1 3/4" thickness or slimmer?

What is the width of the saddles? I have used the GFS stainless saddles before and they are very nice for the money.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

I have used GFS roller saddles with good results

curious about the stainless ones but not enough to buy a set

couldnt pull the trigger on their pickups either
had them in the cart before
just didnt do it

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

Solid or ply body?

Full 1 3/4" thickness or slimmer?

Bullets are about one eighth inch to a quarter inch slimmer than a stock Strat. Some are plywood.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

I can say most of the products I have tried from GFS were worth above the price I paid. The stainless saddles I have been using on various projects since they cost about $8 a set. I have only tried a couple of pickups, but they were very nice for the money (still have a Tele bridge and Mean P90)

 

[Chistopher]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

Solid or ply body?

Full 1 3/4" thickness or slimmer?

What is the width of the saddles? I have used the GFS stainless saddles before and they are very nice for the money.

I'm not sure on the body yet, but if it's not plywood, that's the only thing going for it. Online says solid basswood for the hardtails, but who knows if that's accurate, given that's the specs on the current year.

Body thickness is 42mm, which is about 1.6"

As for the saddles, since I'm repainting it I think I might just replace the stock bridge for a wraparound and see if I can drop it low enough that I don't have to shim the neck.

 

[StoRMiE]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

I just finished working on one of these to give to a cousin a few months back, the stock tuners might have been the worst I have ever seen. I could spin one in a circle like it didn't even have a worm gear. The neck post fretwork was rather nice for a cheap guitar though.


If you're swapping bridge components I'd go with Ayrton's suggestion of just replacing the saddles with GFS stainless steel saddles, the neck angle isn't there for a TOM or wrap around and these things actually have rock solid tuning stability. If I recall correctly a TOM or a wrap around requires a 2.5 or 3 degree angle in the neck pocket or it has to be recessed into the body to function.

And all bullet strats that are hardtails are plywood, all bullets are plywood up to late 2004.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

The weight should tell you, Basswood is pretty light compared to plywood.

Since the body is about 1.5" thick with no paint, and if it is Basswood, then why not top it with a .25 Maple cap?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

If you're swapping bridge components I'd go with Aryton's suggestion of just replacing the saddles with GFS stainless steel saddles, the neck angle isn't there for a TOM or wrap around and these things actually have rock solid tuning stability. If I recall correctly a TOM or a wrap around requires a 2.5 or 3 degree angle in the neck pocket or it has to be recessed into the body to function.

It's not too hard to shim a Strat neck, just put thicker and thicker picks into the neck pocket until it's the right angle. But come to think of it, that might not last too long in plywood.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

Shimming with wack materials messes up your tone. Shimming is just wack all together. The wooden Stew Mac shims look legitimate. Are you gonna service the frets at all? I wonder what plywood sounds like, never tried it.

 

[AlexR]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

^ Here we go again.
The evidence of many many trials way supports the notion that shims of card or even wood don't affect tone.

Please don't tell me this is one of your silly 'I tried it once therefore it must be fact' conclusions..........they really are not good enough for this forum

 

[Chistopher]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

Please try to keep this thread peaceful and respectful. As for the frets, like I said they are in pretty rough shape. I think I might just replace them all together as lowest 5 frets are almost too thin to do any work on and frets are cheap, it's also good to practice. It's funny, the cowboy frets are almost destroyed were as above the 12th fret, they've hardly been touched.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

^ Here we go again.
The evidence of many many trials way supports the notion that shims of card or even wood don't affect tone.

Please don't tell me this is one of your silly 'I tried it once therefore it must be fact' conclusions..........they really are not good enough for this forum

I've tried it several times. Also different circumstances in other important spots on the guitar to know that compromising the resonance affects the tone negatively. I don't see how you could think this could not be true.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

Shimming with wack materials messes up your tone. Shimming is just wack all together.

These statements are what typically gets you into trouble. FYI "altogether" is one word.

Yes, ideally any shim is less preferable to a correct neck pocket angle. However, shimming has been done for decades and will continue to be an acceptable solution. Should a player notice a stark contrast in sound with and without the shim, then we can try more involved methods.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

Looks like decent tuners, bridge, and electronics, plus a nice nut and fret dressing, would make it a fun beater.

I'd get a better hardtail bridge, nice tuners, gets the frets rel nice, and pop a single bridge P90 soap bar in there, wired straight to the jack – no knobs, just a pickguard with no holes except the pickup hole.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

I've been shimming bolt-on necks for 40 years now with no complaints. Or perhaps, all my clients are tone-deaf and stupid. Maybe - you are wrong? Which do you think would be more probable?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: New Project Strat Day!

I'd get a better hardtail bridge, nice tuners, gets the frets rel nice, and pop a single bridge P90 soap bar in there, wired straight to the jack – no knobs, just a pickguard with no holes except the pickup hole.

I actually started to think about putting a Wilkinson WVS set in there, but I can't find them anywhere. I might go with some GFS pickups, maybe two single coils in the neck and middle and a little killer in the bridge.