Partcasters - Your experiences

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  • AlnicoAlnico Frets: 4616
    Sassafras said:
    If it really bothers you, you can always stick a Fender decal on it and then only you will know it's not the real thing.
    Heres what I did for a headstock logo.
    It's only a mock up in this photo as the string retainers weren't fitted at that point either.
    When the guitar comes back from Steve I'll fit the badge with some 3m double sided tape.

    It's an original badge from the 60's/70's I got from eBay for about £4.
    I wanted something on the headstock and this just made me smile.

    http://i.imgur.com/vQ4wUbu.jpg


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  • GagarynGagaryn Frets: 1553


    A Telecaster for example you can easily get CS quality for a quarter of the price.  What you won't get however is the aged Nitro finish, which probably accounts for much of the labour costs of the CS guitar.  Personally I prefer oil anyway, which is easy to do and feels great.

    Plenty parts casters with aged nitro - mine for example! :-)

    http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/106350/paint-checking#latest
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  • AlnicoAlnico Frets: 4616
    ^ That's lovely!

    Is that Teal?
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  • SteveRobinsonSteveRobinson Frets: 6914
    tFB Trader
    @Alnico I've been working on your Telecaster today and just got the strap locks to fit now.

    The string trees are a bit closer together than your mockup but your badge will fit just fine of course.
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  • AlnicoAlnico Frets: 4616
    @Alnico I've been working on your Telecaster today and just got the strap locks to fit now.

    The string trees are a bit closer together than your mockup but your badge will fit just fine of course.
    Wow...........

    That's fantastic, thanks Steve.
    Yes, the mockup was only that, just to see what the headstock would look like with it all on.

    By all means put in an opinion on the guitar here if you like?
    So far I've always thought it was a good one considering it was built from parts but your opinion counts just as much.
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  • RiftAmpsRiftAmps Frets: 3113
    tFB Trader
    I did a partscaster a few years back because I couldn't buy a Strat off the shelf in the spec that I wanted. As it's just a glorified meccano set I've been able to swop things out until I've got it where I wanted without reducing it's resale value (because it really doesn't have one). I've been through a few different necks/pickups/hardware sets and just sold the old ones off. Right this minute I'm having a new hard-tail body made for it by a local chap. Will it improve it? Probably. Will it inspire me to play it more? Definitely.
    *I no longer offer replacement speaker baffles*
    Rift Amplification
    Handwired Guitar Amplifiers
    Brackley, Northamptonshire
    www.riftamps.co.uk

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  • dean111musicdean111music Frets: 278
    RiftAmps said:
    I did a partscaster a few years back because I couldn't buy a Strat off the shelf in the spec that I wanted. As it's just a glorified meccano set I've been able to swop things out until I've got it where I wanted without reducing it's resale value (because it really doesn't have one). I've been through a few different necks/pickups/hardware sets and just sold the old ones off. Right this minute I'm having a new hard-tail body made for it by a local chap. Will it improve it? Probably. Will it inspire me to play it more? Definitely.
    Nice one Chris! That's a big thing you can swap things around that you don't like and not care regards to resale! All my fenders cs I have had I wouldn't of dreamed of modding.i just sold them off! But now I guess I wouldn't need to ;). In the long run I'll be saving loads of money! 
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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    Alnico said:
    Sassafras said:
    If it really bothers you, you can always stick a Fender decal on it and then only you will know it's not the real thing.
    Heres what I did for a headstock logo.
    It's only a mock up in this photo as the string retainers weren't fitted at that point either.
    When the guitar comes back from Steve I'll fit the badge with some 3m double sided tape.

    It's an original badge from the 60's/70's I got from eBay for about £4.
    I wanted something on the headstock and this just made me smile.

    http://i.imgur.com/vQ4wUbu.jpg


    A few years back I spent many hours on eBay looking for badges which might be suitable for headstocks.  I'm not a fan of "Fecker" transfers and things like that, but I don't like the look of a bare headstock.

    There were - maybe still are - some sellers who had all these fantastic old enamel badges from Eastern Europe, corporate stuff, things from trade shows, all in that retro-futuristic 50s/60s style.

    I never did find anything which was quite right - they were always too small or too big - but I did buy some cool little badges.
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  • AlnicoAlnico Frets: 4616
    I spent so many hours trawling eBay for badges and there are millions out there.
    When I found this one, it just instantly appealed to me and I was a prefect at school so after not being able to find anything else that would work, I went for this.
    The Telecaster is (For me) perfect and I'm not the cleverest person on earth, especially when it comes to academia so the misspelt word 'Perfect - Prefect' kinda fits too.
    The badge looks old because it is and on the guitar, it fits the mild relic that the guitar is too.

    I think I know the badges you're talking about though, I saw thousands in those few days I was looking.
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3132
    Just to add my two pennies worth, I'm in full agreement that the secret is in a pro setup. I've found this to be the case with fenders, Gibsons and bitsas (particularly Gibsons, though that's a different thread). Yes there's a risk that the component parts you've picked won't be quite right but you can change them without the fear of devaluing your instrument. Mind you, most of my guitars are so heavily modded that I realise I've come to view the whole process, as one of finding guitars I like and then using them as a test bed for changes.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    I've done a few. Apart from fretwork I tend to do my own setups, which largely go fine.

    I really enjoy doing partscasters and they tend to be at least as good as a commercial equivalent, if not better. Parts selection is important but can be controlled with some careful research.

    I am about to do a discardocaster using old used parts and will do a thread for it if anyone is interested in watching progress?
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  • AlnicoAlnico Frets: 4616
    I've done a few. Apart from fretwork I tend to do my own setups, which largely go fine.

    I really enjoy doing partscasters and they tend to be at least as good as a commercial equivalent, if not better. Parts selection is important but can be controlled with some careful research.

    I am about to do a discardocaster using old used parts and will do a thread for it if anyone is interested in watching progress?
    There's quite a few of us that will be interested in that man.
    Definitely do a build thread!
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    edited July 2017
    If you spend enough time working on 'casters, you should gain some sense of which woods work together well, which neck profiles suit your hands, which pickups please your ears and where you prefer the controls to be positioned.

    Armed with this experience, it ought to be possible to choose the off-the-shelf components that are most likely to result in the instrument that your desire. The one thing that you cannot do with mail order parts is tap test for resonant qualities.

    Combining "better" hardware does not necessarily add up to a better instrument. Sometimes, a simple, stamped steel and rod saddles bridge makes for a more convincing sound than a modern, machine-from-solid one.

    Obviously, it helps to have access to numerous pickups. That way, it is possible to mix 'n' match until you arrive at your idea of the most suitable combination. In my opinion, the easiest approach is to assess the natural acoustic qualities of the wooden parts that you have assembled. Then, choose pickups to compliment what the instrument can do.

    Attempting to impose your will on these inanimate objects is very unlikely to succeed. 
    Be seeing you.
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  • GagarynGagaryn Frets: 1553
    Alnico said:
    ^ That's lovely!

    Is that Teal?
    Sherwood Green
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  • AlnicoAlnico Frets: 4616
    Gagaryn said:
    Alnico said:
    ^ That's lovely!

    Is that Teal?
    Sherwood Green
    It's only in recent years I've come round to green as a guitar colour. 
    I recently fell in love with sea foam green on a Jem and now I keep seeing other shades of green I like too.
    That sherwood Green is lovely aged.
    Nice one.
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  • sawyersawyer Frets: 732
    edited July 2017
    I say do it. You get a tremendous feeling of accomplishment assembling something yourself  to your own specification . I've built a relic Strat with nickel covered Irongear paf at bridge + two hot singles,so looks traditional but is actually quite an animal. Also built a ash bodied strat with blackplate and single humbucker ,locking tuners and 80's Rock attitude. Fantastic fun!That's them in my avatar. Just finished a GSPBASSES Double cut Junior which is just fabulous thanks to Grahame and the body/neck he supplied me. Looks like a vintage junior loaded with Faber wraparound bridge,oil city p90 kluson tuners. Wish i could figure out how to post a picture of it! Im quite proud of it.Everything you'd like Gibson to sell you but for some reason won't. That's a part of it too. You can build what you want without compromise. As far as not getting your money back. Well that's not what its about. The value is building something yourself and the pleasure of knowing it. If you think about it,if you bought a brand new Fender/Gibson and sold it,would you get your money back? Both my Strats were about the £450/500 mark. Junior £600ish.Money well spent. Three good guitars for price of one and all the fun building them myself.
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  • GSPBASSESGSPBASSES Frets: 2335
    tFB Trader
    Photo of @sawyer LPJ before and after.




    Your life will improve when you realise it’s better to be alone than chase people who do not really care about you. Saying YES to happiness means learning to say NO to things and people that stress you out.

    https://www.facebook.com/grahame.pollard.39/

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  • AlnicoAlnico Frets: 4616
    ^oooofffff

    Nice one @sawyer

    WOW !!!
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  • sawyersawyer Frets: 732
    Thanks Grahame for posting pics:) I just cant get me head round it,technophobia i think.  Thanks Alnico:) im very pleased with it. Get building people! Its such fun!
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    I'm far more likely to keep something I've made to my own spec than some off the shelf guitar, so resale value doesn't really come into it.
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