The Strat project begins...

[FretFire]

Well, I decided to build my own strat instead of buying/modding one. I'll be able to get exactly what I want for less money in the long run, and it will just be fun to do . I'd like to wrap up the project by late spring or summer maybe, depending on the kind of deals I can find, etc. I found the body I want to use, so I got it on the way. The next step will be the neck, which I'm probably going to get from Warmoth or USA Custom, I plan on getting estimates this week. After that, I'm going to sit back and do a ton of price watching on parts and hardware to try and find some great deals.

Here's a pic of the body:

And the specs I'm considering for the neck:

*Birdseye maple back/fretboard
*Headstock truss rod adjustment
*25.5" scale, 21 frets
*Right handed
*1 11/16" nut width
*LSR nut preparation
*6105 fret wire
*9.5" radius
*"The '54" back shape (.850" soft V at 1st fret, tapers to a .900" C-shape around 9-12th fret)
*Sperzel size key holes
*Abalone face dots, black side dots
*No finish sanding (I'll apply tung oil)

I should be able to do this whole project for $600 or less.

 

[brassgiblets]

Re: The Strat project begins...

Awesome! Killer finish. I'm building my own strat too but my body came without the 6 bridge holes drilled so I'm looking for a template... What pickups are you thinking of?

 

[FretFire]

Re: The Strat project begins...

Very likely Duncan Alnico 2 Pros in the neck and middle, not sure on the bridge yet. I was going to go with an A2P there too, but I've heard the Duckbucker goes very well in the bridge with those neck/middle pickups.

 

[FretFire]

Re: The Strat project begins...

If anyone wants to chime in with recommendations for (or warnings to stay away from) hardware such as bridges, tuners, etc. I'd definitely take that kind of stuff into consideration. Nothing is really set in stone right now as far as all that goes, I haven't even really started accurately pricing all of the hardware yet.

 

[Breaking the law]

Re: The Strat project begins...

From my own experiences, never buy cheap hardware ever. I trust the known manufacturers more than the chinese factory that produces cheap bridges and tuning machines. They are good for a few weeks, then they just wear off..

 

[FretFire]

Re: The Strat project begins...

Right now I'm considering a Wilkinson/Gotoh trem bridge, the locking saddles are a big plus to me. Another option is using a regular Fender "vintage" trem and swapping out the saddles for locking ones. The Wilky would be more cost-effective though, from what I've found.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: The Strat project begins...

nice cool color body!! building strats is much more fun than buying one. just so you know that is a MIM body so the bridge mounting holes are drilled to fit a MIM vintage style trem. you can fill the holes and use a different one or get a MIM bridge and add graphtech saddles and maybe even a new block to it.

-Mike

 

[Breaking the law]

Re: The Strat project begins...

The "Wilky" sounds interesting.. I'd go with that, since it's designed for those locking saddles in the first place.. I don't know about the looks, though..

 

[Curly]

Re: The Strat project begins...

just so you know that is a MIM body so the bridge mounting holes are drilled to fit a MIM vintage style trem. you can fill the holes and use a different one or get a MIM bridge and add graphtech saddles and maybe even a new block to it.

-Mike

yeah, that's the main problem I see - I think MIM trems have a different spacing, so you have to make sure whatever you decide to use will fit

 

[FretFire]

Re: The Strat project begins...

I'll look into that guys, thanks for that tip.

I just got a quote back on the neck I spec'd in my first post. Do you think $240 is a decent price for it? I was expecting $200-225, so that's not too bad I don't think.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: The Strat project begins...

is that a warmoth neck? and your going with no finish...just oil? they won't cover that if it has any problems in the future (not sure if you know that). what construction are you getting warmoth or vintage modern? for some reason i can't get into the warmoth construction ones since they don't have a skunk stripe down the back, it just looks like it's missing something to me. as for the price it doesn't seem too bad. you can also consider buying a US fender neck off ebay, the seller you got the body from tends to have tons of nice necks that go around the price of the warmoth....i check his auctions now and again.

-Mike

 

[FretFire]

Re: The Strat project begins...

It's from USA Custom Guitars, the specs are listed at the end of my first post in this thread. I know they won't cover an unfinished neck, but I tend to think if I keep the neck clean and take care of it, it shouldn't warp unless it's just a bad piece of wood.

 

[MikeRocker]

Re: The Strat project begins...

If you want the neck to last, you gotta put some kind of finish on it. I used the satin finish nitrocellulose lacquer from www.reranch.com and it's great, it feels like bare wood. Also, I have a Fender Strat with an LSR roller nut, and I don't feel the nut offers any advantage. I actually feel that it is inferior to a well cut bone nut. It doesn't help the guitar stay in tune...I have locking tuners, and even moderate vibrato bar use causes strings to go sharp. I feel like a bone nut would have better tone. I also really recommend locking tuners, Schaller makes some great ones. It makes string changing so fast and easy.

 

[FretFire]

Re: The Strat project begins...

Yeah, the Satin Nitro from Reranch is probably what I'm going to do the more I read up on it. I will be using locking tuners for sure. What guage of strings are you using on your strat?

 

[rspst14]

Re: The Strat project begins...

One word of caution, it's been my experience that Fender bodies and Warmoth/USACG necks don't always fit one another very well. I'm just completing a similar project right now, and I originally bought an American Fender Strat body. When I got the neck, the fit was terrible. It didn't even make contact with the sides of the neck pocket when bolted on. At first, I thought Warmoth had screwed something up, but after asking around, I found that it's pretty common for Fender parts not to have a tight fit between the neck and body. Apparently, Warmoth is a bit more precise in their tolerances than Fender is. So I sold the body and bought a Warmoth Strat body, and the neck/body fit was absolutely perfect. That's not to say you'll have the same experience, but just be aware that it's possible.

Ryan

 

[MikeRocker]

Re: The Strat project begins...

I use .010-.046 gauge. I started using them when I was first playing as a teenager and didn't have any money, 'cause I heard somewhere that they break less than .009s! Also, the bigger the strings = the better the tone. I also have stainless steel frets on my homemade guitars. They are reported to last much much longer before needing to be crowned and dressed.

 

[FretFire]

Re: The Strat project begins...

Ok, I'll look out for that. I told USAC what I was doing and they seem to think it will work well, I suppose it will depend on the body. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[FretFire]

Re: The Strat project begins...

I'll probably be using 10-46 or 10-52 on this, but no stainless frets.

 

[Fresh_Start]

Re: The Strat project begins...

FWIW the Gotoh-Wilkinson tremelo bridge with the locked-down saddles on my Warmoth frankenstrat works so well, I wouldn't consider anything else unless I was doing a total vintage thing for looks.

I also like the Sperzel locking tuners, but Schaller & Grover make good ones too.

Check out the Pickup Lounge... but APS neck / SSL middle / tapped Quarter Pound bridge works great in my S/S/S strat. The APS bridge pup was just too weak/lame. A Twangbanger should work great too (wasnt' available when I got the QP, and I did put a steel plate under the QP).

Chip

 

[Xeromus]

Re: The Strat project begins...

I'll offer a few suggestions since I'm about to build one myself and looked extensively into everything. The wilkinson bridge is the way to go if you want a trem, they feel and sound great and aren't a hassle like floyd rose. Stainless steel frets are great, but they make the guitar brighter but they are silky smooth and don't wear. I have them on my Parker. You don't feel like you can "dig in" though. Also, don't take the standard compound radius neck unless you've tried it before. I have, and it really feels weird to me. If you're used to a flat radius, go that way. 12" is a great middle ground. I'd also suggest a satin finish on the neck rather than no finish, but that's a preference thing anyway.