New Surf Green Parts-0-Caster project

[Red Barchetta]

OK folks, yet another of us dashing himself on the rocks of the "build your own strat" shoreline!

Yes, I'm gonna do it...I started out intending to build a throw-together Strat for a friend of mine's son to have a decent guitar to take his lessons with....(he's playing his Dad's old 60's "Teisco Del WTF"). Well...as I thought about and began planning the project, I started thinking (dangerous)...hey, I've always wanted a Surf Green Strat with a mother-of-toilet seat pickguard...hey...this would be cool if I added...hey, what if I....you get the picture. Anyway, long story short, I'm building this Strat for ME. The kid is gonna get a Squire hardtail I've got kicking about that someone gave me....its much better than what he has.

Anyhow, for those who are interested, I'm gonna post a photo essay as this project moves along....

First up, the assembled pickguard...the pups and controls are from my 19 year old American Standard Strat....they came off some years ago when I put a pre-loaded Fralin Blues Special setup in my axe. Nice thing is, the pup covers and knobs are all pre-aged (natural gig aging) and a bit grimy, so they've got the old vintage look going. Here are a few pictures....

The body (MIM 57 reissue) should be coming tomorrow, so the trem (57 reissue)will go in, and I'll wire it up....

More to come as I do it!

RB

 

[Red Barchetta]

Alright! Stage two....

I got the body in...here it is:

I decided to shield the control cavity with copper foil...I've got the separate foil shield behind the pickguard...

Here are two views with the pickguard, jackplate, temolo, and strap buttons on....

Now...just waiting for the neck...after I get that, I need to pick out some tuning machines and string trees....got the trem back cover on the way...

Makin' progress!

RB

 

[Platypus]

awesome... my favorite color on a fender!

can't wait to see the progress, also nice to see you back around here RB!

I've got a surf green jazzmaster and its killer

 

[Red Barchetta]

Thanks Plat....more to come!

RB

 

[Don]

Looks great!

Maple fretboard or rosewood?

 

[Red Barchetta]

Rosewood on its way.

RB

 

[Don]

Great! You can't go wrong either way on this guitar.

 

[Red Barchetta]

Okey Dokey...

Here it is with the neck bolted on...a MIM Fender replacement. I'm fighting a bit of the flu or something, so it will likely be the weekend before I get some tuners on there. But, she's starting to look like a guitar!

RB

 

[gonzo]

SHIELDING.....
is always worth the trouble!

 

[gonzo]

congrats on diving in and doing it!

i did one, a couple of years ago....
all USACG parts, bill lawrence pickups, etc....

 

[Red Barchetta]

I like it, gonzo...what kind of bridge is that? Wilkinson? D'Pergo?

RB

 

[gonzo]

THAT'S A HIPSHOT 2-POST TREM.

very smooth, i like...

it's got the nice steel block too....

 

[MesaENGR412]

Looks great man, i really like that color. As for tuners, I'd try to get some staggered tuners, maybe Fender or Schallers, and eliminate the need for the string tree(s). Those trees were one thing i never really cared for on either of my Stratocaster styled guitars(one real, one Cort replica). They always seemed to make the guitar go out of tune with vibrato use. Just a thought....

hope you feel too man, it always sucks to be sick.

-AJH

 

[Red Barchetta]

Thanks for the get-well wishes. I'm gonna go to the shop Saturday and see what they have...was thinking of the sperzels...but that remains to be seen....

 

[Red Barchetta]

Alright, Boogie Buddies....

She's DONE. A friend had some Fender tuners at his shop, so, slapped those suckers on there, strung 'er up with some D'Addario 10's, intoned, did a little mild fret dressing, installed the backplate for the trem cavity, and awwaaaayyyy we go...

Here are a couple of pics (looks a lot like the last one) second one is posed next to her sibling....(89 Am St. w/ Fralin Blues)

She sounds a bit brighter than the Fralin equipped one, not as hot p'ups, but really has a more "traditional" Strat vibe going. The trem works really well...so far so good.

I'll maybe do an update after a week or so to give some further opinion.

RB

 

[Platypus]

looks great!