Building a Strat

[VulfgangPfuck]

Re: Building a Strat

Here's a Mighty Mite Strat I did for my dad. It cost just a pube over $500.00 (without case)

It's actually the first guitar to bear my new logo (and "company" name) T.Ryan Custom Guitars (after my son Trevor)

It's a Foto-quilt over hard ash, but decent quality. The overall guitar came out really heavy though. Plays like a dream, and this thing honks! Dunc Pearly Gates in the neck, and Hot rails taking up the middle and neck pos. Coil tap on the PG to single that down. All parts vintage trem, and Sperzel lockers round it out nicely. I'm impressed with the quality.

[BallsOnParade]

Re: Building a Strat

wow, Warrior, that guitar is NICE...

[HATEMASK]

Re: Building a Strat

I have owned 20 strats and never really felt that"monster" tone from one of them.Although i would buy a GMW rock replica.

[VulfgangPfuck]

Re: Building a Strat

[ QUOTE ]
wow, Warrior, that guitar is NICE...

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks Balls....not bad for my very first Strat "kit"...I was impressed with the quality overall (for the money that is)

[texasfury]

Re: Building a Strat

Are there any tips to making sure a project guitar has decent sustain? Reason is way back in 1989, I pieced together my first guitar because I couldn't save up for the one I wanted. I bought a Warmoth alder strat body, Explorer neck from Music Emporium (rumor was they were unlabeled Kramer necks - still have it - can post a pic if wanted), Kahler Pro, Carvin M22SD, and Schaller M6s. I had the local guitar tech assemble it, and it was the thinnest sounding, shortest sustaining thing I ever played. A Fender Squier Bullet played better. That turned me off from messing with assembling guitars again.

I ended up trading the body and Kahler, but kept the rest. Now I have this idea of finding another body (a Floyd routed V sounds good) and slapping the neck on. I know this is little info to make a scientific analysis, but what do you think might have gone wrong in the assembly that turned out a crappy playing guitar, despite using quality parts?

[Bengal65]

Re: Building a Strat

Kahler + M22SD = Disaster [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Really, your choice of woods sounds good. I'm assuming the Explorer neck was maple? What was the finish? Any paint in the neck pocket? Were the neck bolts sufficiently torqued as in a good fit between neck and body. That combination should have been OK set up right and a different pickup, like a SD JB-4, DiMarzio Super Distortion, or Super 3.

[texasfury]

Re: Building a Strat

The neck appears to be maple, with a rosewood fretboard. The finish was Dupont Automotive paint of the time. I don't recall how clean the neck pocket fit and finish was (and don't have the body anymore). I realize now that it makes sense that getting the firmest contact between neck and body wood is important for sustain, that could have been the weak point. I went with the M22SD because my guitarist in my previous band (when I was a bass player) had a V220 and it was a great sounding guitar. I guess I'll buy a V body and try it again.