1985 MIJ Strat Mod

HNB

I am working on my 1985 Fender Stratocaster.

List of mods:

Added TBX tone knob.

Added Push Pull knob to make a seven way switch.

Wired one master tone and removed the second one to add a killswitch.

Added gloss black pickguard... sort of. (Standard one doesn't seem to fit and I can't seem to fine anywhere that sells one that will fit with that cool and rather large bridge.

I still need to get a pickguard that fits and I also plan to add three Hot Rail pickups. 😉 It is coming together. I will probably keep the beat up white volume and tone knobs. (Aren't on because I need the picguard still.)

SeriousCat

Good luck with it, keep us updated........ 😀

I'm also gonna put 3 Seymour Duncan hotrails in another Strat soon. (i already have a mexican one tunend to drop C with a DiMarzio XN2 humbucker and a Metallic Purple USA Strat which i'm planning on selling instead of modding it. Because it just doesn't play that well like my Mexican for some reasson. I think it's because it still feels like a new one and i don't like new guitars.) 😆

HNB

It is strange how sometimes the cheaper guitars have a better feel or sound. My Peavey Patriot is a fun guitar and I got it at a pawn shop when I was in high school. My jagstang and stratocaster were also used. I don't think any of my guitars have been purchased new now that I think about it. I think a new guitar might have some sort of stigma that makes it hard to be comfortable with them like a used one maybe. All of my guitars had little scratches or a paint chip or two. Helps me relax when playing instead of worrying about bumping and scratching it.

How do you like the sound of the XN2?

SeriousCat

True, most guitars that i have are brought under the 500,- euro price tag.

The only real expensive guitars that i like are Les Paul/SG Standards at the moment.

I don't own a Standard, but i do own a Les Paul Studio which is a great guitar btw. 😀

That's the only guitar that i hate myself for when i bump it against something. I don't have that with my Fenders. I think i see them more as Punk guitars so i don't really care when i bump one against something. 😡😆

To be honest, i don't really like the sound of the XN2. I brought it because the info/reviews said that it would be good for drop tunings. It just lack character in my opinion. I love my Seymour Duncans more. Altough i still want to try out some other DiMarzio pickups to see if i like them.

If not, Seymour Duncan FTW!!!!!!!!!!! But that's just me. 😀

HNB

You might have been here already, but SD's website lets you hear sample sound of their pickups in the different positions in clean and dirty mode. A link is below. I like that you get a chance to hear them before buying them.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/audio-samples/strat_replaceme/

feedbackismyfriend

looks sweet dude

HNB

Thanks! Just trying to find a pickguard. It is sounding like I will need to make a tracing and send it in to a place to get a quote. LOL Didn't think it would be so hard to find one...

Edit: This is the site that says they can make me a pickguard using a tracing from my 1985 Fender Stratocaster.

http://www.wdmusic.com/

HNB

Sounds like an older eleven hole template will work with some custom cutting for the huge bridge. (Extra $15.) Not bad at all. I wish they were open weekends. I would have had it paid for already and have it on the way here. Have to wait for Monday I guess.

HNB

It's all done. My push-pull pot ended up being bad and when I drove around to replace it, I couldn't find one right away so I got a mini-toggle instead to do my 7-way switch mod. It has strings again and sounds great! The new pickguard turned out nice.