Strat project

Fran

I started to put back together the Strat project i started ages ago.

I've toyed around with different ideas on this but basically i wanted a Strat guitar with a quirky twist to it, all on a big budget!!

I designed a SP half Strat/half Jazzy that Aug was good enough to make for me (brilliant job Aug 😉 ), got the neck w/machine heads off ebay for 20 quid and a fully loaded Squier body for 30 quid.

The knobs are off an old 70's 'Top Twenty' guitar, i lost the middle pup (Jaguar influence) and fitted a gibson style toggle switch, i'm still waiting on electronic parts for the rythym section so i've temporarily wired in a 'Killswitch' for some Morello madness.

The pup covers would look better 'vintage white' against the mint sp imo and i'm considering spraying/lacquering the headstock black so its matching.

Here's a few pics...

One other thing i've done, i dont know if anyone has tried a Malmsteen Strat but i quite like scalloped fretboards. So i decided to scallop the 12th fret onwards (like some Ibanez models).

I'll get some better pics up when its complete.

Let me know what you think 😆

Bob_the_godly_dude

It's certainly a very cool idea, although I'd have gone for the metal controll plate at the top horn, like on a real Jag, woulda made it look slightly more streamlined. But damn, it's an awesome project man.

Rick

god, i hate scalloped fretboard. but nice work etc fran. the pickguard seems to work ok. and makes the normal strat body look different somehow

Bob_the_godly_dude

Rick said: and makes the normal strat body look different somehow

Yeah, eispecially the lower horn, it's kinda an optical illusion that makes it look somehow shorter and stubbier. It's cool.

Fran

Bob_the_godly_dude said: It's certainly a very cool idea, although I'd have gone for the metal controll plate at the top horn, like on a real Jag, woulda made it look slightly more streamlined. But damn, it's an awesome project man.

I considered that and it is still an option, i'm keeping an eye on costs though bob. If it turned out to be a nail i dont mind wasting sub-100 pounds just for the fun of the project.

But as it turns out its playing quite nicely albeit the neck wants shimming because the saddles just are'nt getting the action low enough for me, so i may get the laminate trimmer on the sp and buy a chrome plate. 😉

*Edit* Yeah it does work with the body in an odd kinda way. I noticed the middle pup made it look too Strat so i lost that and i also rounded off the sp lower horn like a Jazzy's.

Rick

Fran the man said: albeit the neck wants shimming because the saddles just are'nt getting the action low enough for me

don't you just hate how low the action is above the pickguard on strats, fran? when i had a jagmaster, i put all the saddles as high as they go before the grub screws thread out of the bottom of the saddles, then adjust action above the frets by shimming the neck

Fran

Fran the man said: albeit the neck wants shimming because the saddles just are'nt getting the action low enough for me

Yeah i know what you mean, especially after using offsets for the last few years.

It looks uncomfortably close yet does'nt seem to hinder playing....weird.

dinosaur

nice guitar man, congrats

hey where did you get those knobs?

Tweez

[quote="Fran the man"

The knobs are off an old 70's 'Top Twenty' guitar

Nice guitar Fran, maybe if you use it a lot you could get a better neck for it in the fullness of time, but it's looking really great.

Fran

Thanks. 😁

Lou

that is really sharp Fran.

Fran

Thanks Lou.

Well, i shimmed the neck and its much better. In fact it feels quite comfortable with a 'punchy' sound. The frets need a polish though, they feel a little rough under the fingers.

Rick

Fran the man said: It looks uncomfortably close yet does'nt seem to hinder playing....weird.

oh it does for me. infact the nearest thing i could describe it as would be like playing a jag with a bridge cover on

paul_

very cool, fran. it vaguely reminds me of this flash guitar i built on newgrounds or something like that, i got the link of it from this forum i think.

there are many issues i have with this but that flash site wasn't as articulate as i would have liked... and ignore the f-hole.

Fran

I like that paul, is that a chicken head knob on there? I considered using them myself like they do on some 'Dano' guitars.

As for the rythym section on mine, i was considering a separate circuit with an onboard pre-amp. I'm sure bob posted some kits up a while ago that did not require a 9v battery.

I want that circuit to offer something else, something 'off the wall' that will create some chaotic sounds 😈 . The killswitch can be kept as an extra.

thejimmyjames

I totally dig it!

It could be super awesome to get an aftermarket neck with Fender head... and get a custom decal made with your name in the Fender logo style and

"STRATOMASTER"

Tweez

thejimmyjames said:
"STRATOMASTER"

FRANkencaster

Fran

I saw these on ebay that made me smile...

But on a more serious note i'm thinking of making it a matching headstock without a decal, i would prefer a large 70's Fender type headstock though. They are available from the usa but i cannot afford one yet.

Other than that my missus is having an engraved silver neckplate made for it. 😁

Bob_the_godly_dude

Fran the man said: Other than that my missus is having an engraved silver neckplate made for it. 😁

Nice, with what on it?

Fran

Fran the man said: Other than that my missus is having an engraved silver neckplate made for it. 😁

It was supposed to be a small suprise xmas present so i dont know.

It could be 'Frander Stratocaster' 😆