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**SARJ** · 10-13-2003, 04:10 PM

Need opinions......modding my Strat

I have a current year model MIM Standard Strat in sunburst with rosewood neck. Below are the mods I want to make,

1. White pearloid Tom Delong Model pickguard with the one humbucker and one volume.

2. 1 Seymour Duncan TB-4 JB humbucker in white.

3. 1 Chrome dome knob

4. All the stuff to hook up, 500K vol pot, wire, etc.

5. Sperzel locking tuners in chrome.

I think It would be better than the Tom Delong Strats I've had. Adding the trem and locking tuners combined with a much better sounding JB humbucker and a flatter radious neck would make for one killer axe that can fill the role of shredder. The reason I bought the sunburst model is the fact I can see the wood and it looks to be no more than 2 pieces of real alder. This should cost me about $140 bucks. When I do it I will have some one take the pics for me and have one of you guys host em for me.

Comments please.

**sully** · 10-13-2003, 04:22 PM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

sounds awesome, post pix, and lemme know if i can help ya!

sully

**sully** · 10-13-2003, 04:22 PM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

sounds awesome, post pix, and lemme know if i can help ya!

sully

**SARJ** · 10-13-2003, 10:53 PM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

Thanks Sully. The more I think about it the more I can't wait to do it. I sure do have an eye on yer Sully Guitars though. Next free $1000 I have I'll give ya a call. By the way.......do you do blood splatter or blood run finishes? I have a Warlock that really needs some blood. How much would that run (no pun intended)?

**SARJ** · 10-13-2003, 10:53 PM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

Thanks Sully. The more I think about it the more I can't wait to do it. I sure do have an eye on yer Sully Guitars though. Next free $1000 I have I'll give ya a call. By the way.......do you do blood splatter or blood run finishes? I have a Warlock that really needs some blood. How much would that run (no pun intended)?

**Shawn** · 10-14-2003, 08:32 PM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

Hey Sarj,

I picked up a Delonge strat yesterday, and I really dig it. Love the crunch, and the neck feels great to me. Also think the green is cool looking. Question on mods:

#1-Get rid of the Delonge neckplate-Where do I find one that will fit?

#2-Also want Sperzel tuners-Do you know which ones I should order, where to get them, and is installation a big deal? I am not super handy.

Your strat plans sound great. Ya know, I have been wanting an LP, was ready to buy one, and it finally occured to me, I am a strat guy and just dont like LP's. If I want one down the road, I will buy one, but for now, it's Charvels, Jacksons, and Fender Strats and Tele's.

Getting quite the collection going for only having started playing 6 months ago!

Anyway, Thanks man.

Shawn

**Shawn** · 10-14-2003, 08:32 PM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

Hey Sarj,

I picked up a Delonge strat yesterday, and I really dig it. Love the crunch, and the neck feels great to me. Also think the green is cool looking. Question on mods:

#1-Get rid of the Delonge neckplate-Where do I find one that will fit?

#2-Also want Sperzel tuners-Do you know which ones I should order, where to get them, and is installation a big deal? I am not super handy.

Your strat plans sound great. Ya know, I have been wanting an LP, was ready to buy one, and it finally occured to me, I am a strat guy and just dont like LP's. If I want one down the road, I will buy one, but for now, it's Charvels, Jacksons, and Fender Strats and Tele's.

Getting quite the collection going for only having started playing 6 months ago!

Anyway, Thanks man.

Shawn

**jr73** · 10-14-2003, 09:29 PM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

i always like tortose shell on bursts or those aged looking pickgaurds, also ide steel wool the neck & oil or satin finish & maybe gold hardware just think it looks great on bursts.
sperzels arent hard to install all u need to do i drill one small pilot hole for each tuner, just make sure to check size if it has vintage tuners U may need to widen the tuner holes as well.

**jr73** · 10-14-2003, 09:29 PM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

i always like tortose shell on bursts or those aged looking pickgaurds, also ide steel wool the neck & oil or satin finish & maybe gold hardware just think it looks great on bursts.
sperzels arent hard to install all u need to do i drill one small pilot hole for each tuner, just make sure to check size if it has vintage tuners U may need to widen the tuner holes as well.

**SARJ** · 10-15-2003, 01:10 AM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

Jaime is correct. I have had 3 Tom Delong Strats. The tuners are copies of vintage Schallers I believe. I would take it to a qualified luthier. There are several here who can do it and a are darn good at it too. Keep the neck plate. Nobody is going to see it anyway. You can buy Fender neck plates from any Fender dealer or after market neck plates from Warmouth and a few others.

Here's something of interest. I bought a surf green Tom Delong Strat when they first came out. It had a C shape neck like a 60's Strat. The second one was the same. I bought a black one in January this year and it had the modified C shape. The fretboard radius wasn't as flat as a Standard Strat either. I would think since the Tom Delong model seems to be a way for Fender to use misrouted bodies. If the CNC machine puts the wrong route in a body and as long as there is a humbucker route in the bridge they can make a Delong. I'm not saying they are bad guitars, but after cracking em open to check em out I found some crazzy routes like hum bridge, hum middle and neck single. Strange stuff. With the pickguard on it's no big deal. I filled the routes with spray foam and carved off the excess. I didn't notice much difference, but at least it made me feel better. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I can't wait to get going on this. I already started getting the parts together. I should have it done by next month. Another issue I had with the Delong's I had was that the feel was all wrong for me. For some dumba$$ reason I just gotta have a trem. I guess I'm making a Delong my way.

How are you getting along with the Invader pickup? Is there a capacitor on your volume pot? I can suggest one mod if there is one on it. Take it off. I have read a few reviews on www.harmonycentral.com where a few Delong owners found that there is a capacitor on the volume pot and went ahead and removed it. They said they got alot more balls out of the Invader..........like it needs more. Next time you change strings take the pickguard off and check the routes on the body and let me know if they are strange configurations or half done, etc. I'm curious.

**SARJ** · 10-15-2003, 01:10 AM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

Jaime is correct. I have had 3 Tom Delong Strats. The tuners are copies of vintage Schallers I believe. I would take it to a qualified luthier. There are several here who can do it and a are darn good at it too. Keep the neck plate. Nobody is going to see it anyway. You can buy Fender neck plates from any Fender dealer or after market neck plates from Warmouth and a few others.

Here's something of interest. I bought a surf green Tom Delong Strat when they first came out. It had a C shape neck like a 60's Strat. The second one was the same. I bought a black one in January this year and it had the modified C shape. The fretboard radius wasn't as flat as a Standard Strat either. I would think since the Tom Delong model seems to be a way for Fender to use misrouted bodies. If the CNC machine puts the wrong route in a body and as long as there is a humbucker route in the bridge they can make a Delong. I'm not saying they are bad guitars, but after cracking em open to check em out I found some crazzy routes like hum bridge, hum middle and neck single. Strange stuff. With the pickguard on it's no big deal. I filled the routes with spray foam and carved off the excess. I didn't notice much difference, but at least it made me feel better. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I can't wait to get going on this. I already started getting the parts together. I should have it done by next month. Another issue I had with the Delong's I had was that the feel was all wrong for me. For some dumba$$ reason I just gotta have a trem. I guess I'm making a Delong my way.

How are you getting along with the Invader pickup? Is there a capacitor on your volume pot? I can suggest one mod if there is one on it. Take it off. I have read a few reviews on www.harmonycentral.com where a few Delong owners found that there is a capacitor on the volume pot and went ahead and removed it. They said they got alot more balls out of the Invader..........like it needs more. Next time you change strings take the pickguard off and check the routes on the body and let me know if they are strange configurations or half done, etc. I'm curious.

**SARJ** · 10-15-2003, 01:16 AM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

Hey Shawn...........another thing. The Delong Strat has been compared to a Les paul in several reviews. You got the best of both worlds there. I got to AB my Delong and an Epiphone Les paul I had. The Delong blew it away..........even in the sustain dept. Surf Green was my favorite. The black one I had was cool, but the green.........man I miss it. I would still have my first one, but bills overwhelmed me. As far as my last post please don't get the wrong idea. I'm in no way trying to talk down about your axe. After owning 3 of them and taking em apart and making a few observations I found the weird pickup routes. Other than that they are excellent guitars. Don't worry.

**SARJ** · 10-15-2003, 01:16 AM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

Hey Shawn...........another thing. The Delong Strat has been compared to a Les paul in several reviews. You got the best of both worlds there. I got to AB my Delong and an Epiphone Les paul I had. The Delong blew it away..........even in the sustain dept. Surf Green was my favorite. The black one I had was cool, but the green.........man I miss it. I would still have my first one, but bills overwhelmed me. As far as my last post please don't get the wrong idea. I'm in no way trying to talk down about your axe. After owning 3 of them and taking em apart and making a few observations I found the weird pickup routes. Other than that they are excellent guitars. Don't worry.

**Shawn** · 10-15-2003, 09:58 AM

Re: Need opinions......modding my Strat

Jon, Thanks for all the advice.

What exactly would the restrictor look like?

As far as the invader goes, I think it kills. It is just nasty and snarly, which was exactly what I was looking for. My Charvel 475 is more of a pretty, smooth drawn out crunch. The Invader is in your face, right now, and unbelievably quiet when your are not strumming.

Anyhow, I am thrilled with this guitar. One Volume, One Bucker, big balls sound, cool surf green finish. Just needs new tuners, thats it, and even that is questionable.

I went to the shop expecting to drop a couple grand on a Paul, and walked away with a $449 Mexican strat that I really like.

Go Figure.

Shawn