Re-doing a custom Strat

lee

My first guitar build was in 2009 and like a lot of people it was a strat style.


It still plays well and it is a great guitar however.... Its just not a good looking guitar with its plain Sapele body. Also its very heavy. So time has come to make a new body for it. Still using Sapele but chambered to lighten it a bit and painted 70's Olympic White just because Ritchie Blackmore is my hero and him late Rainbow strat was this colour.
I have started with a one piece Sapele body blank. Marked a centre line then using 1970's start templates mark out the outlines and then marked the chamber areas. That's it so far. I plan to get the body done for summer so I can spray in the summer heat.





BTW I'm using the original neck and my posts are photo heavy.

lee

This is the body I'm going for. Its my Ritchie Blackmore Strat I made last year. The colour will be the same.

Roland

No picture Lee. Photobucket is saying the urls don't exist.

lee

I copied the link from photobucket so I dont know why its not displaying the photos.
Any help on this?

revsorg

These are links to your pictures on Photobucket:
Pic 1 | Pic 2 | Pic 3 | Pic 4 | Pic 5 | Pic 6 | Pic 7

Andyjr1515

I can see them OK

lee

I have changed from Photobucket to Flickr. Its a bit of a faff on but got there in the end

lee

I've started hogging out the body to reduce the weight. Just started off with a hand drill and will complete it with a router. Nothing fancy as it will all be hidden once the top is on. No fancy tools either. Toolstation cheap brad point drill and £3 router bits for this job.

lee

Decided to make the top today. I have had a bit of Korina in the shed for years so decided to use it up.
Cut it into 3 then jointed it on the table router but I was not happy with the joint line so I sanded the edges with a spirit level and then glued them up.

lee

I have hacked out the chambers to reduce the weight and rough cut the top.
Tomorrow I will drum sand the top of the body to ensure it is flat and also the underside of the drop top then glue them together.

lee

I have drum sanded the top of the body flat and the underside of the drop top flat. If your mating parts are not flat you will have gaps between the body and top. I leave it to the last to ensure they are flat before gluing them up.
I was happy the way the top came out. It was flat and when the underside was sanded its very hard to see the joint.

lee

After unclamping I have marked it out first using a outline template and then a cavity template. Aslong as you get the centre lines matched up everything is bang on.
 I will be hogging out the cavities next.

lee

I have ran the body back through the drum sander to flatten it out. I'm happy with the glue joints on the top. Cant tell where the joints are unless I look at the end grain. Good job.

I'm also happy with the top joint.

I used a 4 blade top and bottom guided bit and template to route out the body shape.



Finished result.

lysander

Lovely stuff. I like the grain of that top.

lee

Thanks Iysander. It was just a bit I had in the shed. Its korina and is very stable but alas the whole body is going to be painted vintage white. However Im starting to think of matt black and cherry red also or even Yngwie yellow.

paulnb57

Looking great!

fftc

Great stuff.

lee

Thanks for the comments.
Not much to report other than I have ran it through the drum sander for final 45mm thickness and put a large 70's radius on the profile. Its also a nice weight now.

prowla

lee said:

Thanks for the comments.
Not much to report other than I have ran it through the drum sander for final 45mm thickness and put a large 70's radius on the profile. Its also a nice weight now.

Looks like it's got a spot of woodworm there!

lee

Aye some big worms around with all this not weather!

lee

Had a few hours today so I have cut the neck pocket and cavities. Just line up the centre lines with the centre lines on the template and there you go. You just need to get the depths right.