workin' on an old strat copy! (pictorial diary!)

kranog

Seeing someone post up a similar topic recently...thought I'd throw up my own work!
My first guitar is actually a guitar my brother bought for himself but never learned to play so I kinda inherited it when I got into my teens.
It's a "Lead Star" 1981 Strat copy.
It's really heavy (about as heavy as my les nearly!)
It was originally red with a white scratchplate - Hank Marvin style...
Years ago, I chiselled out a humbucker size slot for the bridge and threw in some cheapo pup...did the job, I then covered the whole thing with black sticky contact tape and pin badges nailed into the body....very punk rock indeed!
Recently I found her lying around my studio, I'd forgotten all about her for years.
Feeling nostalgic and hating to possess a guitar I'd never use, I set about making things right!

First step was to straighten the neck...that was easily done.
I then hammered the frets even...lightly!
Next came the horrible part...sanding.
I started taking pictures from this point...this was a terrible job...but I got through it with some help from my dad...an experienced carpenter!



After many hours of sanding and buffing....I then applied the coat of grey primer to the guitar body and headstock



I allowed the primer to dry for a whole day before a very light sanding and then came the first black gloss coating.
I left each coat dry for a full day before applying the next.
I applied 5 coats in the total.




After the fifth coat of paint had dried, I set about the tedious job of clear coating it all.
Allowing a full day between coats...I had to be VERY careful as you cannot sand between coats during this process...if you cause drips...they are staying unless you cut yer losses, sand and start again!
Just keep the can a good foot away from the body and it should apply fine, nice thin coats!
I appied 14 coats in all



Then I got all my components together that I had purchased online while doing the bodywork.
My budget was 200 blips and my shopping list was;
Red tortoise shell pickguard for HSS config
Red tortoise shell spring cover for back of guitar
Top loading black hard tail bridge piece
3 Black metal knobs
500K Strat harness with hovcap
1 Seymour Duncan Parallel Axis Trembucker Distortion (Bridge)
1 Seymour Duncan Vintage Rails (Middle)
1 Seymour Duncan Classic STK S1N (Neck)
1 Black string nut (original was damaged during sanding!)
Set of vintage style genuine Fender strat machine heads
1 Black input jack plate
Clack Warwick strap locks
Hardcase
"Fender" logo decal for headstock

My bill came to 232 blips....so a little over,
But well worth it I think!
What do ye reckon?
Chris

kranog

Post wouldn't allow me to put all in at once...so I'll put the last few here for ye!

domrush

wow .......... that is pretty amazing i gotta say. Did it take up a lot of your time? did you ever do anything like before?

kranog

Well...I always do my own guitar maintanence I suppose...I do enjoy getting my hands dirty with this stuff....but I've never actually done any bodywork on a guitar before really...
I completely overhauled my Yamaha Pacifica into a cool hot rodded piece.
It was plain black and boring...
I then put two white Seymour Duncan Invaders into it, 500K pots, all black hardware and Bettie Page decals and even a laser cut Bettie Page neck plate.


But the complete work on the strat, I've never done before but I would recommend it to anyone as a project, it was fun!

thegom145

Kudos dude, that's a nice looking guitar - what does she sound like with the duncans?

Also, is that a couch with the skull and crossbones that the guitar is resting on? If so you are officially the coolest person ever and also I want that couch

kranog

The Trembucker sounds vicious....really meaty...it's awesome!
The Vintage Rails is so hot aswell...in fact when you use the 2nd and 4th position (middle blended with either bridge or neck), it kinda outperforms the other two...but again, it sounds immense!
The real surprise for me is the Classic STK neck pup from Duncan....Strat how it's supposed to sound....really lush, it's just perfect!

Nah...my couches are cool...but they aint that cool!
That's just a throw that covers my couch!

thegom145

Thats sweet, I've been thinking about doing up my old esp super-strat (and by doing up I mean paying Xmusic or some other shop with a repair centre to do it up) for a while now, and replacing the muddy stock p'ups with duncans has been at the top of my list

Even if its just a throw thats a still a pretty rockin couch

kranog

Ah mate....don't spend money on that stuff....if ya need a hand installing the pickups...gimme a PM and I'll give ya hand sure!
Ebay is the way to go to get your pickups real cheap!

FruscianteFan

Fair play to ya for doing it yourself not many people in Ireland do it and they should!!
But i have some bad news for ya.......
ONCE YOU START YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO STOP!!!!!
I started taking apart guitars and playing arpund with the wiring at 15, then I started refinishing guitars, then I built my first guitar (using an allparts neck but I made the body myself), now im making a guitar completely from scratch and am getting the wood that will do 5 guitars (tele deluxe, start, telemaster, jaguar and what ever else comes to mind) next weekend.
By the way Im only going to be 17 in October!
In 2 years it has completely spiralled out of control!!
But man is it fun! Have a look here http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot there are a load of people making guitars and documenting how they do it! If you think its cool playing a guitar you finished yourself, play one that is handmade by you, the only one in exsistence! Its pretty cool! Even cooler than the skull couch! :cool:
If you do get into building give me a shout and I could give ya some advice and some good sites for getting parts etc.

kranog

That's very cool of ya mate....and I may take ya up on yer offer.
I'd love to build my very own guitar....I just wouldn't know where to start and moreover....I don't know anyone with the tools I'd need to shape and mortes the guitar body (I think I'd rather buy a warmoth neck!)
Thanks mate...
Chris

OK-Cancel-Apply

Awesome guitar man. Coolest looking strat I've ever seen

Johnny Storm

Those pickups really look the business

MetalDawg

Love it man, great work.