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Thought I'd start a thread for your entertainment and to document progress - as mentioned on another thread, I've started a project to build a strat style partscaster - currently I have a beautiful gold-finished body and a nice rosewood board, 12" radius, jumbo frets Allparts neck. So far I've spent a bit of time sanding the sides and base of the neck pocket to allow the neck to fit snugly and well, but not too tight.
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06-12-2018 10:36 AM
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All the other bits I need have been ordered - I'm basically copying this look, so it's going to be my version of a boutique Suhr on the cheap!
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Thank you for the likes TedBPhx and John A ! I think I should have put this in "The Builder's Bench" section though, so I'll let this thread end here and start something new in the correct place.
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Way cool project
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On second thoughts, I guess I'll keep this thread running - The Builder's Bench section of the forum is stated as being "all about lutherie" and the one thing this project isn't is lutherie. What this is is choosing and fitting together parts that other, more talented people have already made
with the odd bit of bodging to make it all fit, and it would be entirely wrong for me to claim luthier status. So, the thread continues here, unless any objections
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Looks good Meggy! As you point out there are a lot of parts, and decisions about parts to be made on the way. As I made a similar journey on a parts tele about a year ageo et me say to be sure to include a decision on copper foil treatment of all the cavities. I missed this when first out and had to come back at do it.
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Nice look,
go Stratocaster!
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Thank you Ozoro - this is build number 5 for me (including 2 previous strats) so I guess I kind of know what I'm doing. Still waiting for all the remaining parts to arrive at the moment (hoping the pickguard and backplate may arrive today) but I do have some copper foil in my spares box, so the next job might be shielding the body cavity. I also have to level and dress the frets, make a bone nut, and enlarge the headstock holes to 10mm for modern sealed tuning machines. Plenty of stuff to be getting on with already...
Originally Posted by 0zoro
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Looks great so far. I've done one similar. here it is:
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Woah! That's really beautiful! Hope mine comes out as good. Originally Posted by TOMMO
Looks great so far. I've done one similar. here it is:
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It might also look nice with a Tortoise pick guard. Nice job!
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Thank you, and do I agree it would - that did cross my mind in fact, but I already ordered an ivory pearl pickguard and backplate, so that's the way this one is going. This one scratches an itch I have for a pearl pickguard guitar, plus I already put a strat together with a tort pickguard, so that influenced my decision (excuse for photo of previous build...). Originally Posted by P.J.
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Thanks Meggy! ^That's another beauty for sure there! ^ Originally Posted by Meggy
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Pickguard and backplate have just arrived - if honest not quite sure at the moment, and I wonder if I should have gone with white, rather than ivory pearl. Perhaps looking a bit OTT, but also perhaps the chrome hardware and black pickups/knobs will tie things together and calm the looks down a bit. It's not going to be shy and retiring anyhow
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Personally don’t care for the pearloid on gold look. Maybe black?
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Thanks! As it happens I already have a spare dark tortoiseshell guard and backplate in my spares box - I just tried these, and it definitely works, for my taste anyhow, with the gold. I guess a similar effect to your black suggestion, and nice to know I have a fallback option. But I'm not convinced I don't like the pearloid so far - I'll press on and see how it looks with the chrome hardware and black pickups. Tastes vary with these things of course. Originally Posted by TedBPhx
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Strats are infinitely customizable, one of their endearing qualities.
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It appears from the pics there's not yet any finish on the maple neck. Originally Posted by Meggy
Even thin lacquer will have enough film thickness to where it needs to get accounted for in making neck pocket adjustments. In other words, if you are going to add finish on that neck, you will revisit this pocket sizing step.
I have one particluar spare neck that I use as my "standard" to size the pocket on a new body, and I will make adjustments on new necks to have them end up the same. This allows interchangeable necks/bodies if I ever want to mix things up. I want a tighter fit, but not so much as to risk a finish chip.
John
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I was thinking *all* black hardware might look very cool.
Or, sorta the opposite of this.
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You are correct - I'm planning to use Tru Oil or Danish Oil, probably Tru Oil. I will be going for a thin, smooth, satin/natural wood kind of feel, but I guess you're also right with regards to the neck pocket fit, and likely need to do a little more on the pocket sizing. A fair point, and a good consideration for me to keep in mind, cheers John. Originally Posted by john_a
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Thanks WS - black with gold is a natural fit, I'll grant you, and good examples you post there. I do still think adding the black pickups and knobs will help, even with the pearloid plate - the Suhr I took inspiration from seems to demonstrate this. So, staying with the pearly look for now, but if it does become apparent that it's not working (for my taste) further down the line, then, yes, there are options. Originally Posted by Woody Sound
I was thinking *all* black hardware might look very cool.
Or, sorta the opposite of this.
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Still not had time to do any proper work on the build - it looks like I need to sand a mil or two off the underside of the 22nd fret extension on the neck, to allow clearance for the pickguard. Also a small shim at the body end of the neck pocket will probably be required - I try to avoid this if possible, but no big deal. Probably will have to take a couple of mil off the edge of the pickguard where it butts up against the end of the neck - this sort of stuff is pretty normal when using parts from various sources (or sometimes even the same one).
All the parts have arrived now though, and I couldn't resist doing a quick mock-up. Looks great to me anyhow - my earlier doubts have vanished, it's the ivory pearl pickguard all the way - as hoped, the black and chrome parts seem to add the necessary contrast, and tie things together nicely.
Last edited by Meggy; 06-15-2018 at 03:55 PM.
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Proper work finally starts on this build - first job was widening the holes on the headstock, as I wanted to fit modern sealed type tuners - I am not a fan of the Kluson vintage type. Just did this with a round-section file, and it took ages. Not the best or approved way I know, but I felt it was a method I could safely use with the tools I have, and my limited skills, and I have got things to where I wanted to be.
Next up will be making and fitting a bone nut - this needs a 12" radius curved base to fit the slot in the Allparts neck, so perhaps a tricky one, but I have found some helpful advice on the web (how did we manage without it?) - I already have a couple of bone blanks, also pictured. Then yet more jobs on the neck - fret level and dress, taking a bit of thickness from under the 22nd fret extension so the pickguard can fit under there, and of course applying a finish.
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Work on making and fitting a bone nut - cut a bone blank in half, then sanded to thickness using 250 grit taped to my leveling beam (as a reliably flat surface) then put a 12" radius curve on one edge using 250 grit taped to the fingerboard. Took eons, but it has worked, and I think that's the tricky bit out of the way - still have to finish shaping the nut and cut slots of course.
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Pardon the ignorant question -- are you cutting the radius into the bottom or top of the nut? Both? For some reason, I was under the impression that the nut slot is flat on the bottom, and the bottom of the nut is cut square to match that, with radius cut on top to match the frets? Originally Posted by Meggy
Work on making and fitting a bone nut - cut a bone blank in half, then sanded to thickness using 250 grit taped to my leveling beam (as a reliably flat surface) then put a 12" radius curve on one edge using 250 grit taped to the fingerboard. Took eons, but it has worked, and I think that's the tricky bit out of the way - still have to finish shaping the nut and cut slots of course.
John
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