my custom built STRAT

[gonzo]

my USACG strat project

(full pic)

(headshot)

(side headshot)

(jackplate)

(bill lawrence pickups, and the hipshot trem)

(backshot)


body: lightweight Alder 2-piece, with a contoured heel, routed for a 2-post
Hipshot trem, non locking, side jack, fall-away cut out on the back side of the bottom bout.

pickups: humbucker-single-single, Bill Lawrence L-500L and 2-280s (n & m)
Q filter for the L-500L wired to 'tone pot', and a master volume.

neck: hardrock maple neck, with a pau ferro fingerboard. 6150 frets, 1-5/8" nut width. small fender-style headstock
Gibson scale length neck, 22 frets, fingerboard radius, of 12". the shape of the neck is a thin "C" shape,
with a .78" neck thickness at the 1st fret, up to .85 at the 13th, mother of pearl dot inlays.

headstock: tiltback design, 13 degrees, graphtech nut.

 

[RR]

Nice!

What's the color banana pudding yellow? What type of lacquer? ReRanch's, StewMac aerosol cans or McFadden from spray gun / compressor?

Did you use those Mega 5-way switch where you in the 4th (or is it the 2nd) where you activate the middle and one of the coils on the humbuckers.

I too like Bill Lawerence pickups, but the original ones from Bill and Becky.

 

[gonzo]

RR-
yeah, i bought my pickups from bill and becky.

that's a standard 5-way, tho i've thought about the super switch.

the paint, is all nitro on the body.

i paid a pro to do it.... he used a gun, and a booth...

it's real thin.

whisper thin.

very similar to the build quality/type of the newer eric johnson sig strats..


it's more cream, than banana, in real life..
it's hard to get the camera to see the right shade of color...

now that you mentioned banana pudding, i'm hungry.





the neck, is a couple of coats of wipe-on poly.

very thin, feels like polished wood.

the pau ferro is raw.

 

[scottywompas]

That is one sweet looking axe.

I'm in the market for a strat and you just kicked my GAS into high gear.

Great work. Very classy looking.

Scott

 

[MesaENGR412]

How do you like that tilt back headstock? Smart move considering string trees suck, but nowadays I think I'd prefer the staggered string trees rather than a tilt headstock on a strat.....but still, that's a very nice guitar and I bet it plays and sounds as well as it looks!

-AJH

 

[Spirithunter]

Sweet Guitar!

8)

 

[ned]

Very nice. Love the color.

 

[gonzo]

thanks guys...

MesaENGR412

the tiltback, feels different, than the staggered poles on the schallers, etc...

there's more down angle...
it makes a big difference with sustain and the general 'feel' of the strings...

it's more les paul-like, than strat-like..

i a/b'd this against the eric j model, and it still felt a 'little' more solid, tho the eric J model has the longer, deeper headstock, which is different from 'stock', and allows a deeper string angle with the addition of the staggerred tuners...

 

[gonzo]

bump for the eric j vs clapton thread...

 

[azazelsmight]

Awesome looking, dude...

 

[gonzo]

thanks man....

i'll tell you, i'm so happy i spent the time researching, playing, to figure out exactly what i wanted.

the usacg neck was the only neck i found, that gave me that wonderful 'tap tone'

it translates into more vibrations coming down the pike...

here's a couple of links to some pics of the raw-wood-to-finished-paint:

http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b219/gonzo-x/gonzos%20guitar%20project/

http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b219/gonzo-x/final%20build%20body%201/

 

[cant play pool with a rop]

very, very nice..its definately got a cool vibe. A pleasure to see

 

[Hobo]

Very nice guitar.
I love the Master Volume & Tone.
The side input jack is nice.

I'm real curious as to how it plays with a Gibson scale length.
How does it affect the feel & tone conpared to a Strat with standard scale?

 

[gonzo]

cant play pool with a rop-

thanks man! it's got sound vibe as well...
the choice parts that USACG sent me, added up to the sonics i was looking for.....





Hobo-
you know, the thing i always hated about a stock strat, was the position of the main volume knob.
i know a lot of people love it there, but the way i palm mute, it's right in the way of my little finger.....
so, having a master vol and master tone, just made sense.... and warmoth custom cut the pickguard for no extra cost, so it was a no brainer.

so, a gibson scale length, is just that...
and it's just like you'd expect..... the feel of the gibson, string-tightness wise, but with a lot of the sonics of the bolt on neck.
a strat is probably a bit more chimey..... and stiff feeling..... at the same time, i think it's one of those things you just get used to, then ignore.

for me, with small hands and finger stretch, it makes a big difference being able to chord certain things.....
and i've played this scale for so long, that nothing else feels right anymore.

i can pick up a strat and play it fine, but i'd rather have my customizations.
thanks for checking it!