Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion Off-Topic Forum Rebuilding my Strat

I'm in the process of refinishing my 1971 Fender Stratocaster, and it's turning out SO well. I've finally got it down to bare wood, and I've got all the necessary materials, including the anyline dyes, grain filler, nitrocellulose translucent blue paint and nitro laquer. I am so excited at how well it's turning out! It's a really slow, painstaking process, if you do it right - it takes at least 4 coats of grain filler, 4 coats of sanding/sealer, 5-15 coats of translucent color, then finally 4-8 coats of nitro laquer to give it that 'foot deep' finish. I've even got replacement 'Fender' logos for the headstock and custom shop hand-wound pickups and kluson tuners to finish it off. Here are some 'work-in-progress' photos, I'll post more when I get further along. Wish me luck!








She's a beauty, isn't she? I've had her for over 20 years, and it's going to be SO cool to have her like brand new again!
Rob

That is way too cool ..

and as Bob Marley would say:
"One good thing about music, when it hits - you feel no pain”

It's a beauty, Rob!

I can't wait to see the finished product.


Spenser23

I do a little woodwork Rob. One of the best ways to fill the grain and seal for final finish is to use a super blonde de-waxed shellac.

Anywho, I for one will be real interested in seeing your final product! Show us the steps along the way too will ya!

Can you rebuild my strat after you're done

Chris, I can only handle one project at a time, and since the painting/drying/curing process with nitro-based laquer requires a full month (sometimes more) I won't be done with this one until late January, maybe even early February. I'll send you pictures of how it turns out, and if you're still interested, I could take a look at your strat. What kind of condition is it in, now? Does it need a total rebuild, meaning body/neck refinishing and new electronics, new bridge and tuning hardware, or are you just needing a paint job? If it's just painting you need, I could do that for you. It will mean being without your guitar for a month or two, and the materials aren't cheap. For example, just the paint & laquer order I put together was over 100 bucks, and I've dropped probably 40 bucks on stripping/sanding materials, and I haven't even started to replace the tuners or pickups, yet. You might want to consider doing it yourself, though, if you like woodworking. There is an AWESOME website that supplies all the materials you need along with detailed instructions on 'doing-it-yourself', it's called the Guitar Reranch, click here:

Guitar Re-Ranch

Thanks for all the positive feedback - I'll definitely keep you posted with pictures throughout the process - it's really kinda fascinating how it becomes something so beautiful with just a little elbow grease and a whole lot of patience...

Rob

By the way, here's a picture of a Yamaha Strat-type guitar done in the color I'm painting my Strat, though this guy put WAY more paint on then I plan to - mine will be about the same color, but considerably more 'translucent', meaning you'll be able to see the subtleties of the grain much more clearly when I'm done. Pretty color, huh?



Rob

Beautiful....I need to redo my steps, any wedsite that I could go to?

Sure is Tia.

www.woodworking.com Home improvement folder.

Thanks Ken, I'll have to check it out.

I was just ribbin' ya Rob :p But it sure could use a new set of pickups, it isn't nearly as bright as it could be. It is an early 90s model, with a floyd rose bridge I already tweaked.

Good luck with it, looking forward to seeing how it turns out

Chris,
Are they single-coils, humbuckers, or a combination of the two? I can definitely point you in the right direction to get you some brighter pickups, and as long as you're replacing them with the same type (meaning putting singles back in single-slots or humbuckers back in humbucker slots) then replacing your pickups is a breeze. All you need is a 30watt pencil-type soldering iron and a little manual dexterity. It all depends on the sound you're looking for. If it's heavy-heavy metal you're after, say Zakk Wylde's sound, you'll want to look at EMG's. Many people, however (myself included), find EMG's lacking in 'character' and a little too sterile. If you want a warmer tone with much more versatility, you'll want to consider Seymour Duncan's. They have a pickup for just about every application, and they are, in my opinion, the best mass produced pickups on the market today. There's always DiMarzio, but they've kinda gone downhill in the last few years, due to over-automation. The best pickups you can get are going to be 'hand-wound', and those are gonna cost you a pretty penny - as much as 400-500 bucks for a set of 3 single-coils for a standard strat. I've been building and rebuilding guitars for many years now, and have encountered just about every pickup made today (except some of the really high-dollar ones) and in my humble opinion, you can't go wrong with Seymour Duncans. Let me know what kind of pickup configuration you have and I'll recommend some replacements that will get you back the sound you want. Fenders made in the late 80's through today are beautifully made guitars, but they are sorely lacking in the pickup department. All their standard pickups (except those made in the custom shop) are wound overseas, mostly in Korea, and the quality and tone of those pickups leaves MUCH to be desired. That's why most serious players will replace the pickups first thing when they get the guitar home. Plan on spending about 50-75 bucks per pickup, depending on the style. Nothing will bring your guitar back to life faster, though. You'll be wanting to play that thing all day long, once you get it refitted, guaranteed!

Sorry for the novel, I can talk guitars all day long!!! :p :p :p

Rob

A pair of old humbuckers if I recall. I haven't played in a couple years, have stuck with piddling about on my bass.

I really want a "bright" sound - so no EMGs. Classic Clapton-esque.

Looks great! Fun project!

Does playing help keep your fingers loose? Mine, on my left hand, keep locking up on me.

I bought my son a little cheap beginner guitar for CHRISTmas (didn't want to spend a load until he shows a real interest) and was thinking about getting myself a guitar so we could learn together.

We homeschool so I am adding this to the curriculum we already do.

I was looking at the Esteban course advertised on TV these days.

Absolutely, yes. It keeps your fingers limber and your wrists, elbows, and to some extent, your shoulders. Get yourself a light guitar, though. If you're thinking electric, a strat or semi-hollow body guitar is a good choice, or any acoustic guitar would do the trick. A really great choice for an acoustic would be a 'Celebrity' which is made by Ovation - beautiful guitar with an awesome sound. Great deal for the money.

Hope this helps!

Rob

Thanks! I just saw your reply to my thread in the general forum.

Chris - look into the Seymour Duncan "Custom Customs". Great tone, lots of bright highs & mids, all around great pickups. Here's a link to a place you can pick them up, but there are many places you can get them...

SD Pickups

Look around that page - you'll find many different humbuckers that have all kinds of different sounds. My favorites are the Custom Customs, but there are many to choose from.

Rob

Very cool! I redid an old rogers snare drum I had and gave it to my daughter. She treasures it even though she does'nt play it. Cant wait to see how it turns out. A Gibson SG might be a good guitar if your fret hand is giving you problems. The strings are very close to the fret board and they just seem easy to play(this is from a drummer so its an opinion). Peace, Thak.

Thakman, you're right about a Gibson SG, and the same goes for a Les Paul - they're famous for their 'low action' and ease of play. I've got a beautiful LP that has that 'magic' combination of low action and playability - it's a 'SmartWood Exotic', made from exotic African Hardwoods (from renewable forest sources). The carved top is made of Peroba (on a mahogany body, like all LP's) and the fretboard is Curupay. Gibson only made a few thousand of these beauties, and they're destined to be collector's items, but that's not why I love it - It's just SO easy to play - like butter. I also have an Ibanez Presige series II with an exotic top - this one is made of Bubbinga, another renewable hardwood from Africa. It has a 'Wizard II' neck, also famous for it's low action and ease of playability. Here's a pic of my babies together, and another shot that shows the detail of the bubbinga top on the Ibanez. These 2 are the ones I play the most, simply because they are so easy on the fingers.





I sound just like a proud parent, don't I? LOL
Although I love these 2 guitars, neither can hold a candle to my darling strat, however. I just hope when I'm all done it will be as beautiful as these 2.

Rob

Hi Rob,
Wow I just realized I should check out the off topic posts here!...I've been missing out!..I just clicked on and saw the great job you're doing here with your 71' strat...man, that is going to be really nice when you are all finished! Very cool! I love strats too..especially older ones....I had a pre CBS 66' for a long time (Olympic white like Hendrix' model) not strung left handed tho..it was right handed model..wish I never sold it....I've let a few Guitars slip thru my hands that I wish I had kept, and that one is #1. I sold it to a student in trade for a 76' Telecastor Custom (which I still have) and like 500 cash. Man I wish I had that guitar back!....the Tele is sweet too tho...ash body, maple neck,humbucker,single coil pick-ups and close to mint. I also have a 1969 Guild T-100 Jazz Guitar that is my main ax that I play everyday....needs a little fret work now but still plays nice..tobacco sunburst....and my most cherished Guitar is a 1928 National Silver tri-cone Wild Rose style 2 1/2. My uncle gave it to me about 5 years ago....my Aunt found it at a pawn shop back in the 50's for 10 bucks! Can you believe that?! I was floored when I saw it! Lastly, I have a 1980 Fender P Bass in bright red....I play Bass too so I keep it close by. I am thinking about getting another Jazz Guitar these days....how do you like the older Guild Starfires? I like the thinner body on those...I love the Gibson 175's but the price is way too out there. I was thinking maybe the Gibson 125 tho? Have you heard of the book called "Bluebook of Guitars" by Steven Cherne?..Its more like a dictionary of Guitars....I've been going thru it and checking out all the possibilities....its a great book!I've got the 4th edition and there is probably a newer one out now.... a ton of of Guitars and prices for every vintage year etc.
Your Ibanez and your Les Paul look great! What year is your LP? You've got a really nice assortment of guitars!I bet they play nice! Looking forward to seeing the 71' when its finished! You're doing a great job!
Thanks for posting all the cool Guitar pics and info Rob! I'm way into talking Guitars too...there are just so many cool ones!

Peace,
Jonathon

I'd like to know what year the les paul is too. In 85, les paul did a showcase edition of various guitars-one for each month of the year. 200 distributed in the states, don't know how many internationally. He had the March. Unfortunately during some bad times, we had to pawn it, and were unable to get it back. We don't talk about it much.

He found it difficult to play though, because of the thick neck. The sound was better than his cheap ibanez, but he followed more of the style of Randy Rhodes, putting classical to a heavy metal edge.

That was one of the things that made me fall in love with him, His long black hair and the way he played. We'd sit for hours in his room with him practicing and me laying on the bed watching him. We were broke and happy. Hey....we're still broke and happy.....guess some thing never change!!

He can't play anymore. It's too painful for him. I've tried to get him back into it, even before he got really sick, but he says when he lost that guitar, a part of him was lost too. It wasn't just the guitar, it was that at 15, he worked his a** off with part-time jobs to buy it. It was more sentimental.

Sarah

Sarah, You got me wondering what year my LP was made, and while surfing the internet, I found the formula for determining the year, day, production number from the 8 digit serial numbers stamped on the back of post 1977 Gibsons. Here's what I found out:

Gibson Serial Numbers, 1977 to present.
All models, 8 digit number impressed in back top of peghead in the following format:
YY (1st and 5th digit) = year
DDD (digits 2-4) = day of the year,
001=Jan 1st, 365=Dec 31st.
NNN (digits 6-8) = rank of instrument for that day.
Example: 80012005 = 5th instrument made in Kalamazoo
on the first day of 1982.

Mine reads 92758573, meaning it was made on the 275th day of 1998, and was production number 573. Pretty interesting, huh?

I'm sorry to hear your hubby cannot play anymore - that sucks. On days when I feel particularly sore, I play the Ibanez - That WizardII neck is only 1.1 inches thick at it's thickest point, and that is including the fretboard. He might find a really thin neck like that and still be able to play. Has he been to a music store in a while? You might try to get him to the local guitar store, and see if it gets him "in the mood". I know I get all giddy in a guitar store like a kid in a candy store (or a woman in a diamond store.. he he)

Take care,

Rob

Another thought, Sarah, I don't know if it's feasible, financially, but you could pick up an Ibanez with one of those wizardII necks in a lower-end model for about 500-750 bucks, or a used one even cheaper. That sure would look good under that Christmas tree! The WizardII is 21mm and the original Wizard neck is 19mm - very thin, super easy playability.

OOH! I'm sooo excited! Today is the day I get my check from disability, and I get to order my new parts for my old strat! I'm getting new pickups, a Seymour Duncan TH-11 'Custom Custom Trembucker in Black, and two SD vintage strat reissue single-coils w/black p/u covers, along with all new electronics: new matched 250K pots (CTS, of course - they're the best), a Hovland .22ur paper-in-oil capacitor for the tone roll-off, all the wire in vintage 'cloth wrapped' insulation, new switches, jack, and jack-plate, and some beautiful abalone-capped dome knobs to replace those crummy fender-style knobs strats usually sport. It's gonna cost me a bundle, but I got a reprieve on my debt pay-back this month, plus I'm getting a big SSD check, because the folks at SSD determined that they've been underpaying me all year! Who-hoo! I know this sounds like gibberish to most of you, but you guitarists will understand that I'm about to turn a guitar that already played and sounded great into a 'lean, mean, rock-n-roll machine'... he he... I'm giddy with anticipation!!! Just a few more hours til my SSD check is deposited into my account... I'm tempted to stay up late and order all that stuff the minute it hits my account... (I have online access to my accounts, and my SSD check is automatically deposited in the early morning hours of the second wednesday of the month. WOOT! I'm happier than a lawyer in a 5 car pile-up!

Here's a pic of the knobs I'm going to use - the black ones on the end are the ones I'm getting:

And here's a pic of the TH-11 SD pickup for the bridge position:


And here's the neck pickup, vintage flat-pole for strat:


And finally the center pickup which is the same as above, but reverse-wound/reverse polarity (RWRP), which has a hum-cancelling effect in the 2nd and 4th position on the strat's 5-way switch:


Once I get the pickguard wired up, I'll post a picture of how it looks - it's gonna be sweet! All black except the abalone on the tops of those volume/tone knobs.

I'm also ready to start spraying sand/sealer nitro on my neck tomorrow, which is the first step of painting my baby! I simply cannot wait!!!

<sigh> God grant me the serenity, etc. etc...

Rob

Rob! Oh Rob! Calm down there before you go into a full blown tizzy. You're worse than a kid at Christmas, that still believes there is a santa.
I am happy for you, but don't go getting into some trance that makes you unfit to work on it when it comes, you know, where you just sit and look at it, afraid to touch it.

Not to worry, Johnnie - I am very serious minded about this project. Yesterday I put the first sealing coats on the neck, and today I've got some grain-filling to do on the body. You'd be surprised how good the neck looks after just two sealing coats of that nitro laquer! Now I understand why they use this stuff on guitars - it's a breeze to apply (although it's pretty flammable and I've got to wear a respirator) but it already looks amazing. It produces such a glass like finish, after only 2 coats - I can only imagine what it's gonna look like with 10 or 12 coats. It really will look a foot deep. I got all the parts ordered, too, and everything is on it's way but one pickup (which is back-ordered for 3 or 4 days) and one switch, which is going to ship today. You needn't worry about me getting worked into a tizzy - I'm very level-headed and patient. When working with these long-drying materials, you have to excercise a huge amount of patience and do it just a little bit at a time. The hardest part was the prep work, which I've already done. Today I start putting the 'neck amber' color on the neck, and start the 'grain filling' on the body. It's good that it can only be done in little increments, since I can't stand for hours at a time. After the neck coloring, which will take another 2 days, I'll start putting the final laquer coats on it, which will take another 3 days to apply and then another week to dry, then I'll be ready to apply the headstock decals and then clear coat them, which will take another 3 or 4 days. I'll have some more pics to share in about a week and a half. Stay tuned, guitar fans!

Rob

Rob, you don't have to be a guitar fan to share your excitement for this project. Your enthusiasm literally flies off the page! Don't let anyone dampen it. It's great!

Thanks for sharing your passion with all of us.
I can't wait to see the next step.


Spenser23

Thanks, Spenser!

Rob

Now Rob, you heard me, calm down. You know I was extremely serious with that post and just was waiting for the reply I got through you from him Go, get wild, and do your thing, but don't get hasty and mess something up.

Rob, although musical instruments are not my calling, I like to see someone take pride and do something to the best of their ability.A job worth doing is a job worth doing right.
Thumbs up.

Thanks, Mike! My thoughts exactly. I decided to wait an extra day before putting the color on the neck, because the 'experts' say wait 24 to 48 hours for the sealing coats to set up, and I decided to 'err on the side of caution' and wait the full 48. It's interesting, after I had sanded the neck down, the stains on the back from years of play apparently disappeared, but once I sprayed the nitro laquer on, they came RIGHT back! I'm glad, to tell you the truth - I was kinda sad to see those stains disappear. I used to show them off to other players, kind of like a badge of honor... :p They gave the guitar character, and showed just how much I had played it over the years (which was a LOT!) I read that it's pretty common, since the finish is oil-permeable, and stains from the oil in your hands can make their way to the wood after a number of years. I've done a lot of reading on the subject, and most people agree that it's better to leave the stains, as they authenticate the age of the guitar and give it 'personality', though they can be removed with wood bleach if you really want to get rid of them. Stay tuned for more photos!

Rob

Man, oh, man! I just put the first coat of 'Fender Neck Amber' on my guitar's neck, and WOW what a difference already! If any of you know woodworking, you know that a fine piece of maple has what's called 'figuring' or 'quilting' in the grain. It's absolutely beautiful, but almost invisible on the bare, prepped wood, but once a stain (or in this case an anyline dye) is applied, it just 'appears', from out of the wood. After just one very light coat of this amber dye, the figuring is just jumping out all over the neck, especially on the sides of the headstock and around toward the sides of the neck, closest to the fretboard. I could see it somewhat in the neck before I stripped it, but it had become obscured somewhat by the aging and discoloration of the original finish (which was probably applied back in 1970 or 1971, when the guitar was originally built back in the Fender plant. '71 was one of the last years that Leo Fender (the 'godfather' of Fender guitars), was actually in the shop, laying hands on every single guitar that they built. He was very 'anal' about the materials and workmanship that went into those beauties, and it shows in the choice he made for this particular neck. Shortly thereafter, in 1972, Fender was bought out by CBS, and they went from custom-building every guitar with hand-selected and hand-matched materials to a highly automated, much lower quality manufacturing process, and to many guitar conniseurs, that was the 'death' of the original Fender guitar. This strat is special, because it's a 'pre-CBS' model, and worth a ton of money to a collector (as if I'd ever sell it! Not for all the tea in China!)
Anyway, I got off track there, sorry... I have to shoot 2 more coats of dye today, each separated by 3 hours of drying time, and then I have to let it dry overnight and repeat the same process tomorrow, if it hasn't reached the 'appropriate' color by then. After that, I'll put 3 to 6 coats of clear nitrocellulose laquer on it, and apply and clear-coat the replacement 'Fender Stratocaster' logos on the headstock, and the neck portion of my rebuild will be complete. I'm going to get some pictures of that awesome 'figuring' tonight, and hopefully, if I'm not too wiped out, I'll post a couple, so you can see what I'm talking about - it really is something to see! OK, I've babbled enough for now - Rob Out...

:p

Msjay waits, tapping her fingers, counting from 1000 backwards, naming all seven dwarves, anytime now there, Rob. wouldn't want to rush you

Ok, here we go. Before:





Now with 3 coats, so far:







These pictures don't do it justice at all, they were taken in the dark with a bright halogen light. Also, once the clear coat is on, it takes on a whole new look. You can already tell how nice it's gonna look, though. Trust me! I'm gonna put a couple more color coats on tomorrow, then start the clear coating. It's painstaking, but it's worth it! The best part is I am enjoying the hell out of this project. I haven't had this much fun in ages!

Rob

Ok, a new photo to share! I know, you've been on the edge of your seat, waiting, right? (right...) Anyway, I finally got to the stage where I put the headstock logo decals on. Check it out:



As soon as that dries, I'm gonna start clear coating it, and then I have to wait 4 weeks (!!!) for the laquer to cure, then I can sand and polish, and it'll look killer. Stay tuned, more to come!

Rob

Its looking great Rob,
You're doing a beautiful job on it!
I know there's sure lots of steps involved and it
takes time for each one before you can move ahead.
Looking forward to seeing more pics
as you proceed on in the upcoming here.
When its all done its gonna be awesome!

Thanks, Jonathan! I'm done clear-coating the decal and am prepping the body for coloring, which is going to take some time... I've never worked with grain filler before, and it is a royal pain in the arse! Talk about sticky! It goes on like peanut butter and dries like silly putty... The pros recommend I do it twice, and I'm going to follow their directions - but it is gonna take some time! I should have some more pics in 2 or 3 days, hopefully. Thanks for the encouragement, I can use all of that I can get!

Rob

Its looking great Rob it will be well worth all your hard work when you get it completed and start jamming with it! Terry

Its looking great Rob it will be well worth all your hard work when you get it completed and start jamming with it! Brad

Rob,
It is just beautiful!!! Maybe there is a way for you to record yourself as you play and link it to us?! Good job!

Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement. Here are a few new pics, with 4 coats (so far) of the translucent blue color on the body. It still looks a little green, but it's getting darker with every coat. These pictures don't do it justice, it is so pretty in person...









I'll be putting more color on tonight and tomorrow, and I'll post some more pics soon!

Rob

Rob,
Man its really looking great! I love the translucent finish, awesome color, and the way it compliments the wood grain. 4 coats looks fantastic, can't wait to see the upcoming pics with even more coats.
Thanks for posting the pics,
Beautiful work!

Hey that shade of blue looks great Rob your going to have a fine crazy piece to jam on when your done! Terry

Thanks, guys! I really like it, but I want to go darker, and I ran out of paint last night, so I'm gonna have to order another can of dye just to put 1 or 2 more coats on! Oh, well - what's another 20 bucks? LOL So far I've spent 140 bucks on paint and laquer and over 300 on pickups and parts, so I'm not gonna groan too much over 20 more dollars. That should be the last of the money I have to spend. Unfortunately, the only place to get this anilyne dye is mail ordering it from ReRanch in Texas, so the project will be delsyed by a few days while I wait for the UPS truck... I should have it by monday or tuesday, so I'll be posting more pics mid-next week sometime. Thanks for the encouragement!

Rob

just for grins, I took a couple of pics of the body as it is now - keep in mind the photos make it look darker than it is - it's actually still a little green. Anyway, here are a couple of body shots, as it is now...





More to come mid-next week!

Rob

looking great!

I'm glad I bought the guitar package. I have found it really relaxing to pluck away. The first song the DVD teaches is molygania (sp?) and next will be greensleeves.

Plus it's really gotten the kids into music.

Hi Jay great to hear your family is enjoying the great inspiration of music. I know for my self music played a big role in my growing up I used to love playing and writing music as a teenager with our local Church's youth group. Those were some great times growing up many friendships were formed and most of all it kept me from getting into to much trouble too! Rob that color of blue is absolutely amazing cant wait to see it after you add a few more coats. Terry

That's great, Jay. How is the guitar - is it well made, from what you can tell? I was always a little leery of old esteban - he seems like a bit of a shyster in that informercial... But as long as you are happy with it, you got a good deal, right?

Rob

It is looking great Rob.What type air gun are you spraying it with? What is the approximate pressure range? I haven,t sprayed in a few years but I still have my equipment and I want to refinish some gun stocks.Seeing your work, gives me the incentive to do them.I have been working on two guns that are over 40 and 60 years old.I unlocked the bolt on a Russian Mosin Naget.And repaired the cartridge guide on an old Winchester 94.It is amazing how you can find the parts on the internet. Best, Mike

Mike, believe it or not, I'm not using a spray gun at all. I'm using aerosol dyes and nitrocellulose laquers with special spray tips, all of which I got from an outfit called The Guitar Reranch , which sells the highest quality anilyne dyes and nitro- laquers in 12oz. aerosol cans. They are a great alternative to buying all the equipment (compressor, guns, dryers, evaporators, etc) normally necessary to do a great finish. I have, so far, achieved excellent results using their products, and I would highly recommend them, if you are interested in doing any refinishing yourself. As you know, nitrocellulose laquer is among the hardest of all finishes, and while it takes a long time to cure (as long as 4-6 weeks in most cases) it is well worth the time & effort to get that 'foot deep' finish. It also requires wet sanding and polishing after it cures, but there is no substitute for a true nitro finish. It's a great alternative to the nasty poly- finishes most folks use. (I hate poly! It's plastic! Yuk-O!)

Hope this helps!

Rob

Its looking sweet Rob!
Are you putting the stock pick-ups back in or are you going with a different set-up?
The foot deep finish is gonna be awesome.

Thanks, Jonathon! I'm going with a H-S-S setup, all Seymour Duncan. I've got a SH-11 Custom Custom trembucker in the bridge, and two Vintage Strat singles in the middle and neck positions. It's all wired and ready to go, as soon as I get the body finished, I'll just pop in the pickguard and be ready to rock. I'll post a pick of the electronics in a bit.

Rob

Here you go!

Look closely and you'll see two mini switches between the 5-way and the knobs - those are to switch the humbucker in/out of phase and to tap the coil (make it sound like a single coil, orignal strat pup)





I can't wait!!!

Rob

Great pick-ups you chose, I've always really liked the sound of Seymour Duncans. The mini switches will be really handy right there inbetween the knobs and the 5 way. Its neat you have it all ready to install once the finish is dry, that will sure save alot of time. Setting up the action just right will no doubt be alot of fun too and when you first plug it in and crank it up that will be a real special moment. What amp will you be playing thru mostly?
Thanks for posting those pics Rob, looking forward to the next ones. Really sharp looking ax!

I primarily use a Vox Valvetronix AD120VT , which is a wicked cool amp - 120 watts of pure tube power with valvetronix amp modeling built in. It has a power soak (thank God) that allows me to dial it down to 2 watts without losing any of the tone while cranking it up - good for family relations... :p It will break windows on full power (120 Watts) if you turn it up past 1 or 2. It's a great versatile amp, and it's got great effects built in - 3 kinds of reverb, chorus/flanger, digital and analog delay, and a ton of 'built in' stomp box effects from crazy distortion to auto-wah. I'll post some sound samples when I get the Strat back together. It's going to be a long month while I wait for that nitro to cure!

Check out these sound samples, so you can get an idea what the amp sounds like, if you're interested:

AD120VT Sound Samples - Very Cool!

Rob

Here's an MP3 that shows off all the Valvetronix's many 'moods' - very cool!

Valvetronix Demo mp3

Rob

Thanks for posting the links Rob,thats definitely a cool amp. Wow at 120 watts its got more power than a Marshall stack! Vox has sure come a long way over the years.I like the power soak idea,and the built ins, no need to plug in alot of extra gear. I'm going to have a listen to the link you posted right now. Its amazing how much power that amp puts out and all the neat stuff they built into it. I'm going to mention this puppy to all my guitar friends, they will want to check it out for sure.

Really awesome sound! Thats a neat demo clip. I'm gonna have to go check one out at Sam Ash or Guitar Center here. Thanks again for sharing the links! Way cool!

I have owned dozens of amps over the years, including marshalls, peaveys, crates, fenders, and this VOX is the best one I've ever played through, bar none. I highly recommend it!

Rob

Rob,
Can you play Creep like Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead does? This is one of my all time favorite guitar tracks ahead of Nirvanas, Smells like Teen Spirit. I love the quiet and then the loud style of both those songs and how the guitar rips into the moodiness of both songs.

Radiohead-Creep - youtube

Christie

Yeah, I learned that song within about 5 minutes of watching the video. I had heard it before but never tried to figure it out - it's really easy - about 6 different chords, is all - and there are great patches on this amp, I was able to get almost the perfect sound within about 2 tries. It's a simple song, but a good one. I can play Smells like Teen Spirit, too... That one is also pretty simple (not to sound like a guitar snob, but I can play just about anything I hear - I play by ear and have been playing for over 30 years now) One of my favorite songs to play for people is Jimi Hendrix's 'Little Wing', that one never fails to impress, and my favorite 'acoustic' song to play is 'Mood for a Day' by Steve Howe (YES). That one always makes the girlies swoon... (LOL) "Wow, you're really good!" (I can't get enough of that...)

Hendrix\'s Little Wing

Mood for a day - Just a sample, but you\'ll get the idea

Rob

Rob, I was gonna post this on my last post here and then I got side tracked. Here's one of my favorite Guitar players. The Audio clips are mp3 format.

http://www.dannygatton.com/av.html

also here's some excellent slide guitar by Sonny Landreth, cool stuff :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwsBe13mzGA&mode=related&search

Sonny Landreth ROCKS!!!

Rob

that strat shore is purty!!!

how's she sound?

I'm kinda new around here, posted a few times but am happy to discover some fellow guitar players here!

How many players do we have here? How bout drums and bass? Do we have enough to start a band?

-J

She sounded awesome before the rebuild, and I expect her to sound even better when I'm done. I put all new pups and electronics in, and a nitro finish is guaranteed to improve the sound, as well. I'll post an mp3 of me playing her once she's reassembled. It'll be a while, though - the nitro has to cure for 4 weeks before it's ready to be polished. It'll be a long wait, but well worth it, in my opinion.

Rob

I was just checking out this Steve Vai video. The tune has got a Hendrix Little Wing feel to alot of it. His technique is simply awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwUBBzzrQTg

Ahh, progress! I finally have the body where I want it, color-wise, and have begun the arduous process of clear-coating with nitro. The pictures don't really do it justice - it is the most beautiful shade of royal blue! The difference in shades is due to different lighting and flash/no flash. All these pics were taken in the dark with a 1000 watt work
light - not ideal conditions, but I will take some better ones in the daylight tomorrow.

Here you go!





More to come!

Rob

Beautiful!

Looking awesome Rob!
Thats an amazing shade of blue!
How many clear coats of nitro are you going to do?
Thanks for posting those.

3 coats a day, spaced 3 hours apart, then dry overnight. Repeat until you run out of laquer... :p It's had 3 coats today plus one last night, so I'll probably get between 12-15 coats, maybe even 18. I have 2x16oz cans of clear nitro for the body and about 1/2 can left for the neck, and I'm roughly 20 percent done, so. If I had paid attention in algebra I could possibly be able to give you a definite answer to that question, but I'm glad you asked! :p :p

Quick answer: As many as I can, I'll know when I'm out of laquer.

Rob

OOPS double post!

OK, the clear coating is all done! I got 11 coats on the body plus 1 on the front (12 total), and about 8 on the neck. Now I begin the waiting game - 4 weeks! Here are the last pic's you'll see until I'm done with the final wetsanding and polishing.





Time to exercise a whole truckload of patience!

Rob

Looking super fine!
Yeah I can imagine it will take patience to wait 4 weeks, well worth the wait tho. Looks like all the steps are going great, can't wait to see it all together and ready to plug in. What gauge strings will you be using? I've always used D'Addarios mostly...I like the .009-.042 set the best for my Tele & Guild. When I had my strat I used the same gauge on that as well.
Those pics are real nice Rob, she's a beaut!!
Thanks for posting those!

Thanks, Jonathon! Yes, I use 9-42's as well, usually GHS or Fender Super Bullets on my electrics and 10-43's on my acoustics (I do use D'addario's on those). 3 days down, 25 to go!

:p

I HATE WAITING!!!

Rob

That's looking real good Rob. I've sent that cat on the fan video to most of Arizona. Thanks.

Thanks, Crusty. Yeah that video is so funny I almost choked and puked when I saw it... (I was taking a drink of water at the time) I'm afraid they'd be lying if they said no animals were harmed in the making of that video - I don't think the cat came out so good... :p

I wanted to see a few minutes more. It would have been funnier if it had shown the cat running away and okay so there was no guilt about all the laughing.

Man, I am flippin out!!! I just found out that my 1971 strat may in fact be a 1957 strat - all the parts are period correct, plus the serial number on the back plate dates it to late '56 or early 1957... I have to have it professionally evaluated, but if it turns out to be true, it may have just gone up in value from a few thousand to upwards of 25-30,000+ dollars!!! Not that I would ever sell it, but it sure would be cool to know that my 'Lady' (that's been her name ever since I first got her) may be older than I am! Of course, since I have essentially gutted the electronics and repainted it (many times), it's not worth the 50-75,000 bucks it would have been, but nonetheless, I am seriously buggin out, here. I've got an appointment with a professional guitar appraiser two weeks from tomorrow, and I'll be able to tell you more then, but I'm excited! Hell, I was happy that it was worth a few grand, now it may be worth so much that I'll have to get a rider on my homeowner's insurance just to cover it! LOL

I'll keep ya posted on what I find out,

Rob

PS for all you Fender afficionados out there, the serial number is 13698, and is stamped on the neck-plate. Look it up! Woot!

I checked the antiques roadshow schedule and the closest they get to you this year is Kentucky and Texas. They usually have some great experts to look at instruments. I have this old violin I've wanted to get looked at for a few years. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I don't think it's a Stradivarius. I'm pretty sure it's German and it's very, very old. The reason I'm so curious about it is because it has folk art on the back of it. It's old enough to have grooves worn in the finger board. The paper on the inside was removed before I got it. Maybe I'll put pics up later if I can get to it in the back room. I have it's original handmade case too. Very neat.

Sooooo..cool!

Years ago, my Mother-in-Law bought a drawing singed by Walt Disney at a garage sale for $20...She kept it stored away. Then she took it out and we were looking at it and realized it was an original conceptual drawing by Disney himself.I think it was Peter Pan....anyway..and auction house sold it for $12,500. What a sweet deal!

Hi Rob,
Wow...I just looked up your serial number, here's the link I used http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html#serial

it shows the serial #'s 9000 - 16000 to be 1956!
Man you've got one valuable ax there! I've seen some from that pre cbs time period on ebay going for amazing amounts. This link also mentions on pre cbs they put nail holes in the body under the pickguard for painting on a lazy susan, does yours have those nail holes too? I guess they stopped doing that after 1964.You must have been floored when you found out how old it really is! Have you got the original case too? That is really super great news!

Yep, It's got the nail holes, all right. That was the same question the guitar appraiser asked me, then he was all excited and said "Hang on, I'll see if I can work you in". First he said he was booked up until march, but then he said he could see me 'two weeks from thursday.' No, I don't have the original case, but it's still gonna be worth a bundle, I'd guess. Not that I'd ever sell it - I've been through too much with this guitar... I love it like a family member!

Rob

Thats great its got those holes! I know exactly how you feel about hanging onto it. I have the same attachment to my instruments. Neat to have it appraised tho just so you have the documentation. Best of luck when you go for your appt. with the appraiser. Looking forward to hearing about what he has to say. Good stuff!

Hi again Rob,
I was talking to a friend of mine who builds guitars and he asked me if your strat neck is a round profile? He said if it is, that would help identify it as very old. Just thought I'd mention. Looking forward to hearing all about the details when you find out.

Tell him it's got a great big 'ol honkin' boat neck. I love it - it fits my hand like a glove! I talked to a lot of people since I last posted, did a ton of research, and here's what I've come up with. The neck is almost certainly a 1965 custom shop Fender neck, available on only a few models, because ebony was not a widely accepted fretboard material back in the 60's. It has, since then, become one of the most sought-after fretboard woods because of the combination of warmth and tone. The body, I believe, is a real Fender 1956 stratocaster body, but it's not worth much, because of the modifications done to it over the years - routing for a Floyd Rose tremolo system, routing for humbucking pickups, etc. It doesn't matter to me, however - I know it's a 'muttcaster', and I love it just the same. I've had this guitar for 24 years, and I've played so many gigs with it and written so many cool songs on it, that I wouldn't sell it, regardless of the price (well, maybe for a million bucks, but, you know...) I'll know for sure next week, I'm gonna show it to a professional guitar appraiser, and he's gonna tell me the low-down on all the different parts. I'll let you know what I find out, but I think I've got her pretty much identified.

Two weeks from today, I'll be doing the wetsanding and polishing, so get ready for some pics and sound files!!!

Take care, and thanks for all your interest!

Rob

Wow, that is sooooo cool, Rob.

Who knows, some day, God willing, the provenance of your having owned it will add to the value too!

So, when do we all get to hear you play your "Lady"?


Spenser23

1 week and 6 days from today, I'll be putting her back together! It's getting closer all the time! I'll post pics and an MP3 or two as soon as possible!

Rob

Good to hear!
Really anxious to hear what she's gonna sound like Rob. I know its gonna sound great with all the new work you've done and new pups, wiring, switches etc. You'll enjoy setting her up too no doubt, getting the action just right etc. thats fun stuff. It will be hard to put her down after you plug in for the first time. Talk about fun!
My good friend Lennie I was telling you about is really good with vintage Fenders so if you ever need any info his email address is telestrat47@hotmail.com you can write him anytime with any questions about your strat or amps. He's very knowledgeable and would be happy to help. He's way into details and stuff etc.
Can't wait to see the new pics and hear the sound files! ...and up goes the volume thats gonna be really neat!

Hey, all - finally got the verdict from the vintage guitar guy - Turns out the "Lady" is a 1965 Stratocaster, circa November-December 1965. The body, neck, & tuners sealed the deal. The neck plate was a mystery to me, because it dates back to 1956, but they explained it to me, and now I understand. In those days, Fender was stamping out those plates by the thousand, and they used to keep all the neck plates in big 'laundry' type bins, and whenever they assembled a guitar, they'd just go over to the bin and grab a plate out, put the neck on, and go from there. Every couple of months they'd come and dump a new batch in on top of the old ones, and it was not uncommon in those days for a plate manufacured 5 or even 10 years earlier to go on a guitar made that day. That's what happened with my guitar. They must have been getting to the bottom of the bin, and just grabbed a plate (manufactured in Nov 1956) and put it on a 1965 stratocaster - 4 piece Swamp Ash body, standard neck with ebony fretboard (which was rare at the time, but a few thousand were made that way) and out the door it went! Now if it was in mint condition, without any repaints or modifications, it would be worth somewhere between 25 and 35 thousand dollars. The value has been greatly diminished, since it's been changed so much, but he suggested that for insurance purposes, I should value it at somewhere between 5 and 8 thousand, just because of the body and somewhat rare neck. He suggested that I sell the neckplate and tuners at auction, but I'm going to hold on to the tuners for now (they're worth the most - perhaps as much as 1000 bucks, and he said fair market value for the neckplate was only 300 bucks, since they're very hard to validate and there are so many fakes out there. I was offered 225 bucks by a member on another board (music forum), and I sold it. What the hell - 225 bucks for a little piece of metal with 4 holes in it? Hell yes! I'm going to put the money in a fund for my next guitar - I'm saving for a Gibson Explorer right now, and I only need another 775 bucks... :p Anyway - sorry it took so long to post the results, but I just heard from him yesterday with the news. He asked me if I would consider selling the guitar for 7500 bucks, and I told him 'not for all the tea in china!', and he laughed and said "I don't blame you one bit, hold on to it, it's only going to go up in value"... Only 4 more days til sanding and polishing!!! I cannot wait!

Rob

Its great you got all the detailed info from the appraiser! Thats really interesting about the neckplates and how they kept them in the barrel like that. So if your guitar is a 1965 its still a pre CBS, cool! I believe that was the year Fender was bought out by them . I had a 66' and they were still using some of the pre cbs parts in 66', but after 66' things changed alot. Its great that now you have an accurate year and value on her. I know you won't ever sell her,(I wouldn't either if she was mine)but its neat to know all the fine points etc. If you ever have any questions down the line, don't forget you can always talk to my friend Lennie Joseph, he's on the east coast and is an authorized Fender repairman...Lennie has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Fender stuff too. He builds really nice guitars. He's always happy to offer advice and information. (I'm always asking him stuff lol)...I've learned alot of neat guitar and amp facts from Lennie.
Really good to hear you're coming along nicely with getting her completed and ready to play! Looking forward to hearing her and seeing more pics!
Its really neat reading all the info you posted about her..makes me want to buy another strat like today! Cool stuff!

Rob here's a cool site about Sonny Landreth.

http://www.sonnylandreth.com

A friend told me he found an old double album from 1978 that had Claptons back up band with Leon Russell, JJ Cale, and Sonny at 20 years old playing on the album...Sonny had already developed his style of slide playing by then. Wish I had known about him then. Best slide player I've heard.

Ahhh. She's coming together! The worst part is over - I've cleared the wetsanding hurdle... The scariest part is the first couple of grades of sandpaper - 400 and 600. After that, the sandpaper grades just polish, and remove little actual material, so I don't need to worry anymore about sanding through the finish. I got interrupted mid-job and had to quit for the night, but not before I got a wicked mirror shine on the neck and all the neck parts (tuners, bushings, nut, & string tree) installed. Just a few more passes on the body and it will have that mirror shine too! I anticipate no problems, and the Lady should be fully assembled and set up by this time tomorrow. It's coming along beautifully - the color is exactly what I'd hoped for, a rich royal blue, and the finish is super thin, somewhere around .005" thick. Stay tuned for pics and sound files ASAP!

Rob

TA DA! Put your hands together, ladies and gentlemen, for, "THE LADY" (applause, the crowd goes wild!)







She turned out just beautifully, as I had hoped, and she sounds even better! The Humbucker is split (via the mini-toggles) and can be setup as 2 single coils (out of phase) and she can go from sizzling heavy metal to quacking like a country duck. (wack wack) I'm just pleased as hell, I gotta tell ya. Now I've got the fever - I can't wait to start on my next project! (As soon as I recover, financially, from this one, ha ha)
I'll record some sound files this weekend and post them as soon as I can figure out how. (If anyone has any suggestions about this, let me know - I'm not sure how to do that, yet)

Rob

Hey congrats! She sure turned out nice Rob! You did a real fine job! I'll bet it was fun to plug in for the first time. No doubt a major difference in sound with the new pups. I wish I knew how to post sound files on here, but posting links is about all I know how to do. Hopefully someone will chime in here that has some tips on how to get that up and running. I hope you can get the sound files hooked up on here soon, would sure love to hear her sound.

....Really beautiful shade of blue and love those mini toggles! Everything really turned out super fine. Looking forward to hearing the Vox also...I can tell it cranks!
Nice to see shes all finished now.
Cool stuff!

Here's a link to my 'band' website (actually it's just me and my bass player), but I did post one song we did a few years ago, and it is my strat, but before I rebuilt her. She sounds good in this song, but even better now... I'm going to re-record the guitar tracks and upload it to the site soon, so you can hear the difference between then and now. Tell me what you think!
Rob\'s Music Site

It's a rough recording, instrumental only (no vocals or guitar solos), but I had to upload at least one song to activate the account, and this is the only one I had in MP3 format, so there you go! I'll be uploading new stuff just as soon as I get it done. I'm already laying down drum tracks for another of my songs called "Throw the Dice", and It'll be done within a week or so. Check back for updates!

I hope you dig it, if you do, download it and keep it for free - I'm not in this for the money, I just love making music! Thanks to all of you who have encouraged me throughout this (seemingly) neverending project - I can't believe it's finally done... Now I'm playing the Lady all the time - I am getting callouses on my callouses! LOL

Take care,

Rob

Thats a very cool tune! Good energy and real nice guitar work. The strat sounds really good. Did you use the vox on this one? The bass lines are cool too. Looking forward to hearing more Rob, with the updated new strat sound now that she's all finished, can't wait to hear it! She turned out neat. Love that deep blue color and black pickguard combination, very sharp looking ax.

Way to go Rob. If the expert offered you 7500,
He knows that he can get more I bet.Mabey much more.
Best, Mike

Rob, you did a helluva restoration job, my friend!! BEAUTIFUL!! Congrats!!


Spenser23

Looks great. I have to confess that I kept my finger on the volume control in case you played really bad but didn't know it. You're good though. Finger off volume control.

Very Cool Rob!It turned out nicer than I imagined.

Thanks, everybody! It really did turn out even better than I had hoped. I'll get around to recording some sound files as soon as I can - right now I'm being visited by the 'flare' fairy... Wouldn't you know it's my left shoulder (right where the strap rests) that's hurting the most... Damn the luck! I'm still trying to get a half hour or so of playing in each eay, but rrecording is pretty much out of the question, since I have to stand up to do that, because my computer monitor makes my guitars hum like crazy, so I have to push the 'record' button and then hop away from the computer as quick as I can so the noise doesn't get recorded. Hopefully I'll be back to feeling better soon.

Anyway, thanks a ton for all your encouragement and nice comments!

Rob

Sorry to hear about the flare Rob. The shoulder is a real bad place to have one going on, especially when it comes to guitar. I know what you mean, it seems like these flares always show up at the wrong time. I have the same problem with flares lately and when it happens things just have to be placed on hold until it eases up, the pain just won't have it any other way unfortunately. We'll look forward to hearing your sound files soon when you're feeling up to it.
Hope to hear you on Spenser's Podcast coming up real soon btw! That will be very cool! Looking forward to that. Feel better.

I did submit that one song, and Spens told me he'd love a couple more, but it's looking like I won't have them ready until the second 'cast. At least I had the one MP3, though!

Rob

Good to hear you got an mp3 ready for Spenser's upcoming Podcast Rob, the way time flies it will be time for the next Podcast before we know it, sure seems like time has speeded up or something, maybe its just me. These flares we get can sure be a nuisance and it seems like they always arrive at the wrong time. Looking forward to hearing your mp3 on the Podcast. I hope that flare eases up real soon, I know exactly what you're going thru with it, I get that shoulder flare thing alot, right now I am battling a knee flare again. Take care.

I emailed Spense my CD when he mentioned about the Podcast. I just put my CD on Soundclick a week ago, here's the url http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=674188

Jon -
I love that smooth jazz! I turned it up really loud and cranked my amp (actually my POD through my stereo) and was wailing along with you on my Les Paul, I chose a cool 'tape echo' setting with a rectified amp (like a mesa boogie) set to overdrive, and flipped the pickup selector to 'rhythm' (you know the sound I'm talking about)... I had a blast playing along with your music. I just played one song after another, and by the time I got through all of them, my callouses hurt!!! LOL Anyway, I really enjoyed your music! It's not my usual 'fare' but I really enjoyed playing along with it - I'd love to get together one day and jam... I wish we lived closer - I don't think I'm up for a 24 hour drive... :p

Take care, keep on jammin - it sounds great!

Rob

Hey thanks Rob, I appreciate that! I finally figured out how to get my CD converted to mp3 on here so I could upload that on Soundclick recently. Thats my lighter side of playing on that CD, I also play alot of Blues,rock, and fusion type stuff,also working on Scotty Anderson 'double stop' playing. Yeah it would be great to get together some day and jam. If I ever travel back your way that would be very cool, or if you get out this way sometime in the upcoming. I really like the tune you have up on Soundclick btw. Very tight.