The great strat remodel

[Archer_of_Fish]

I didn't really like the H-H setup on a modded Blacktop strat I bought about a year ago so I decided to do some surgery. It had duncans, a Custom Custom and an Alnico II Pro. THey sounded great but I prefer having a proper single coil going in the first through 4th positions. I missed the traditional Fender look and decided to make changes to the guitar.


Here are the before shots.

I ordered a HSS pickguard and went with 2 Suhr V54LP single coils and an Aldrich in the bridge. I also put on a Fender neck with a rosewood fingerboard..but I miss the Warmoth neck (it is their huge boat profile which I love)so that may be making a return. I have to say I am much happier with the sound and look now.

The setup I had before gave me:
Neck humbucker
outer coils of both pickups
Neck and bridge hum buckers
Inner coils of both pickups
Bridge pickup.

It is a versatile setup for a 2 humbucker design and all the positions sounded nice and were hum cancelling. However I missed having neck single coil.

I now have:
Neck single coil
Neck and Middle single coils
Bridge inner single coil and the neck single coil
Middle single coil and the bridge side of the humbucker
Bridge humbucker.

Only position 1 isn't noise cancelling.


The Fender Amp knobs went on a tele, which looks awesome

 

[Jay 77]

Re: The great strat remodel

I like the HH look myself, but the HSS is probably a little more versatile. Either way, you can't lose. Nice job!

 

[Varg]

Re: The great strat remodel

I don't really get it. If you wanted an HSS with a rosewood fretboard why did you buy an HH guitar with a maple board?
And couldn't you just have traded it for a regular strat?

 

[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: The great strat remodel

I didn't buy an HH guitar with a maple board. This guitar was, essentially, a parts guitar I assembled...mainly from bits I had kicking around.
I got bored with it so I decided to tinker. Call me nuts but I would say that this quick and easy customization is one of the great things about
stratocasters. They take well to evil experimentation and you can always go back.

 

[xxxplorer]

Re: The great strat remodel

I say put that maple neck back on and call it a day. I love the way that maple looks. I can go either way about the pickups. I dig the amp knobs on the tele too hehe.

 

[MarkHenry]

Re: The great strat remodel

Great job done by you. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: The great strat remodel

Like the before better,but hey,it's your stuff!!!

 

[Varg]

Re: The great strat remodel

I didn't buy an HH guitar with a maple board. This guitar was, essentially, a parts guitar I assembled...mainly from bits I had kicking around.
I got bored with it so I decided to tinker. Call me nuts but I would say that this quick and easy customization is one of the great things about
stratocasters. They take well to evil experimentation and you can always go back.

Ah fair enough. I agree with you, I've had some fun building partscasters myself, and I'm not even much of a strat fan.