What should I do with this guitar?

Jalapeno

Leave it.  It's perfect !

ESBlonde

Apart from the weight, what does the neck and fingerboard play like?

If the answer is great, then sort the PUs and Trem and play it. If the answer is that it is just average, then the chances are putting money into it is dead and you still won't gig it. In which case leave it as the loved tribute to your gigging years that it clearly is.

ESBlonde

monquixote said:

I would like to strip and oil finish the neck though as unlike a relic it has a shit load of knocks and dings that I'd like to sand out.

 

Nick rather than sand a bunch of flat spots into the neck, there is a luthier trick to steam out the dents.

It is not fool proof, but if you are removing the present neck finish you could try it. Essentially you place a damp cloth over the dent and apply heat to the point of the dent (a soldering iron?) for a few seconds without drying out and burning the wood. You might not get 100% and it sometimes takes more than one go.

You should then find that any residual dings are hardly noticeable to the touch and won't really show through the new finish you apply.

There are probably one or two Ewe Choob how to thingies out there. I accept no responsibility for you f#cking it up mind you.   

monquixote

ICBM said:

Nothing. It's absolutely fine as it is.

Well, if it was me I'd put the trem springs straight first , then get rid of the Wilkinson (yuck), fit a US Std bridge and I'd dump the Lil 59 (which I hate) in favour of a Lil Screamin' Demon (which I love) but that's about it.

Done!

It's funny I'd never do it like that, but it's always been like that and I just haven't changed it. 

The Wilkinson needs to go as it creaks and isn't smooth anymore (I assume the knife edges are knackered), but they were the shiznit in the mid 90's. Interestingly I do have a US Standard trem in my bits box so I could give it a go though I didn't especially like it on my Standard (It wouldn't stay in tune and the trem arm was miles off the body). 

The Lil'59 is not great and it's overpowered by the Locos so I'd like to swap it. I'm kind of worried that all of the strat sized HBs will be crap though as they are all ceramic. 

monquixote

ESBlonde said:

Apart from the weight, what does the neck and fingerboard play like?

If the answer is great, then sort the PUs and Trem and play it. If the answer is that it is just average, then the chances are putting money into it is dead and you still won't gig it. In which case leave it as the loved tribute to your gigging years that it clearly is.

It plays very well. The fingerboard edges are nicely rolled over and it's had some decent fretwork done. The neck is very chunky which I like and though it doesn't overly bother me it would be nice to get some of the dings out. 

Jalapeno

monquixote said:

ICBM said:

The Lil'59 is not great and it's overpowered by the Locos so I'd like to swap it. I'm kind of worried that all of the strat sized HBs will be crap though as they are all ceramic. 

Cool Rails/Hot Rails are superb - see what Mojo or Oil City could do for you too.

Bellycaster

@monquixote

Nice feature having the split.

I know Scott Grove is not everyones cup of tea(if you know who he is?) and he certainly isn't mine all of the time but I watched a lot of his vids with his Strat collection and he knows just about everything there is to know about them.

I remember watching something with him showing one of his Dan Smith Era ones and him mentioning them being made out of Ash for the bodies. Same source said that some had a less severe radius on them and were built between 1981 and 86 IIRC.

I'm not doubting the authenticity of your Strat, it certainly is a Strat, but as you may know they were known for the guitars having the wrong year prefix on the serial number.

EG: An E4 prefix did not always gaurantee the guitar was built in 1984 etc.

I think Fender have a Serial Number Checker or something.

S.G quotes the only way to be sure is to remove the neck and look at the date on the base of the neck, you may have done this already but if you didn't know I am just throwing some second hand knowledge your way.

Sorry for rambling but you might be like me and think Strats are things of beauty(even though I never got on with playing them) and I am glad I watched a lot of this guys vids not only for his knowledge but also to lust at his collection.

That guitar of yours is a treasure, don't go seperate ways.

 

ICBM

monquixote said:

The Wilkinson needs to go as it creaks and isn't smooth anymore (I assume the knife edges are knackered), but they were the shiznit in the mid 90's.

Probably. They weren't ever very good.

monquixote said:

Interestingly I do have a US Standard trem in my bits box so I could give it a go though I didn't especially like it on my Standard (It wouldn't stay in tune and the trem arm was miles off the body).

What post spacing is on the guitar? The Wilkinson was designed to fit a variety - hence the one circular and one straight knife edge - and the 'standard' spacing was the same as the US Std bridge, but if it isn't you'll have to plug and redrill, which is a pain.

You can bend the arm to the right height using brute force .

monquixote said:

The Lil'59 is not great and it's overpowered by the Locos so I'd like to swap it. I'm kind of worried that all of the strat sized HBs will be crap though as they are all ceramic. 

The Lil' Screamin' Demon is still good .

Move the Lil '59 to the neck (they're less crap there), put the LSD - or a JB Jr, which is good too - in the bridge, and either leave the single coil in the middle or fit a Vintage Rails or something if you want hum cancelling.

ThePrettyDamned

For the trem, I was going to suggest a wudtone one, but it'll need a fair bit of work I suspect, so maybe just replace with a Wilkinson. They're not my fave, but if they work for you!

Other than that, nice guitar. Dings in the neck make for accurate relic, people would pay good money for that (in seriousness, I've heard the steaming trick can work for dents). If not, sanding them out won't be too hard.

impmann

Junk the Wilko. Personally, I'd bank on having to dowel and redrill, which isn't a major ballache really... Then *personally* I'd fit a six screw US spaced Strat trem (my preference is Callaham, but other brands are available), as I firmly believe that a well made, well fitted one works better than the two post (less chirping when you dig in) and sounds better. The Wilko always robbed the guitar of... "something" IMHO.

Bridge h/b on a strat - well, each to their own I guess. Frankly, I'd fit an uprated/fat single in there - poss talk to Ash about a Hardman. This will match to the singles in there much better.

I'd leave the finish alone, but the knobs  would *have* to go!!!   

In all, I think its a goregeous guitar that just needs some de-ninetiesing. 

ICBM

impmann said:

The Wilko always robbed the guitar of... "something" IMHO.

Tone?

impmann said:

Personally, I'd bank on having to dowel and redrill, which isn't a major ballache really... Then *personally* I'd fit a six screw US spaced Strat trem (my preference is Callaham, but other brands are available), as I firmly believe that a well made, well fitted one works better than the two post (less chirping when you dig in) and sounds better.

If you need to do that you're probably better putting on a Wudtone - the steel plate on the body not only makes the trem work better, it should guarantee accurate positioning for the new screws.

monquixote

ICBM said:

monquixote said:

The Wilkinson needs to go as it creaks and isn't smooth anymore (I assume the knife edges are knackered), but they were the shiznit in the mid 90's.

Probably. They weren't ever very good.

monquixote said:

Interestingly I do have a US Standard trem in my bits box so I could give it a go though I didn't especially like it on my Standard (It wouldn't stay in tune and the trem arm was miles off the body).

What post spacing is on the guitar? The Wilkinson was designed to fit a variety - hence the one circular and one straight knife edge - and the 'standard' spacing was the same as the US Std bridge, but if it isn't you'll have to plug and redrill, which is a pain.

You can bend the arm to the right height using brute force .

monquixote said:

The Lil'59 is not great and it's overpowered by the Locos so I'd like to swap it. I'm kind of worried that all of the strat sized HBs will be crap though as they are all ceramic. 

The Lil' Screamin' Demon is still good .

Move the Lil '59 to the neck (they're less crap there), put the LSD - or a JB Jr, which is good too - in the bridge, and either leave the single coil in the middle or fit a Vintage Rails or something if you want hum cancelling.

When I got the guitar it had a Floyd Style Kahler so I don't know if you can deduce what the spacing would be based on that? 

I was thinking I'd be best off with a Blade Runner as they have wide slots so there is a bit of wiggle room.

I always used to love the wilkinson because it had a very light touch, a plugin arm, and exceptional stability, but it's only ever had that trem so I do wonder if that's why I find it tonally lacking next to my US Std. 

ICBM

monquixote said:

When I got the guitar it had a Floyd Style Kahler so I don't know if you can deduce what the spacing would be based on that?

Not sure - I think those came with Fender vintage spacing - in which case the US Std won't fit - but I could be wrong. Easy enough to check if you've got the other bridge to hand.

monquixote said:

I always used to love the wilkinson because it had a very light touch, a plugin arm, and exceptional stability, but it's only ever had that trem so I do wonder if that's why I find it tonally lacking next to my US Std. 

Probably. A friend of mine (he's a member here, he may confirm) has an Eggle Berlin Pro which came with a Wilkinson Converter. It drove him nuts, so I put a US Std bridge on it - the improvement in tone, sustain and stability (as in lack of warble rather than outright holding tuning) was staggering.

monquixote

I can easily try and fit the US when I next restring it so that's an quick way to find out.

DrBob

Dude, was this the guitar you were thinking of sticking my Oil City's into ? I only ask because I might be selling them again

monquixote

DrBob said:

Dude, was this the guitar you were thinking of sticking my Oil City's into ? I only ask because I might be selling them again

Yep!

PM me if you are so inclined. 

DrBob

Okay man, I'll let you know

ChrisMusic

ESBlonde said:   Apart from the weight, what does the neck and fingerboard play like?

If the answer is great, then sort the PUs and Trem and play it. If the answer is that it is just average, then the chances are putting money into it is dead and you still won't gig it. In which case leave it as the loved tribute to your gigging years that it clearly is.

This is just my opinion, so take it however you want, but if the guitar is not an investment piece, just a good player, then it makes sense to make it whatever you want at the time, and that has to remain flexible over time too.

It has already had a life and a few mods, so if it were me I would probably take it into someone like Dave at Waghorn in Bristol (at I think around £35 per route), and get a swiming pool route like the Strat Plus had, and Warmoth give as an option called universal >Link Here<.  Then you have the wide world of pickups at your feet.  Strat SCs, P90s, HBs whatever style and mix you feel like will just slot in with a few judiciously chosen pick guards cut to suit.  And its easy to add toggles or push/push switches for all sorts of options.

You can always swap it back if you keep your original stuff, and the route is hidden under the pick guard so no one else will know.

The National Trust take a property and pickle it in asapic, it becomes a frozen time capsule.  That may have it's positive side, but I think it is so much more interesting for a things to continue to evolve and have an ongoing history.  That is why a lot of older properties have so much character, which is why we find them interesting after all  

That Strat could then become part of your ongoing history again.  Just a thought.

@Bellycaster said:   I know Scott Grove is not everyones cup of tea(if you know who he is?) and he certainly isn't mine all of the time but I watched a lot of his vids with his Strat collection and he knows just about everything there is to know about them.

He makes a lot of sense most of the time IMHO.  He has had two strokes so it may affect some of his style and delivery a bit.  There is a lot of rambling, so go get a cup of coffee and be prepared to take some time over his videos.  He also very obviously gets a lot of shit from some of the dicks on the web, but he does admit to courting a bit of controversy to make people sit up and question their preconceptions, so that colours some of his output.  All in all I have enjoyed a lot of what he has to say though.

An acquired taste, maybe, but I recon he is one of the good guys out there.

samzadgan

so...dont pay any attention to what i would do...because i'm not a strat guy, but here it is anyway...

I'd replace the bridge with one of PRS type stop-tail bridge where the string wrap around...or just plain old tunomatic brige and stop tail

i'd put a Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge - zebra

I'd put a P90 in the neck - cream

replace the switch with a tele style 3 way switch

Separate cream volume knob (MXR Style) for bridge and neck and no other knobs.

Phil_aka_Pip

Gold hardware & Bigsby