Gold strat build - now complete!

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  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    Looking really nice.  Just been through my first tele build/assemble I just didn't think about loads of things, having to fit a nut, drilling the neck screw holes, forgot to order string trees and pickguard screws.  Fitted the neck with a very slight gap making it hideous to set up.

    All finished now though.  One step I skipped as per your build was I bought a pre-finished allparts neck which added about £70 to the build but I could not have finished as well, especially in nitro.
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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    munckee said:
    Looking really nice.  Just been through my first tele build/assemble I just didn't think about loads of things, having to fit a nut, drilling the neck screw holes, forgot to order string trees and pickguard screws.  Fitted the neck with a very slight gap making it hideous to set up.

    All finished now though.  One step I skipped as per your build was I bought a pre-finished allparts neck which added about £70 to the build but I could not have finished as well, especially in nitro.
    Cheers @munckee - agreed it's easy to forget details with a build, I've done most of those myself in the past. I wouldn't want to try doing a nitro finish myself either - part of the art of partscaster building is knowing one's limits I think. Allparts necks do seem excellent to me though, and well worth the money. :)
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  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    Did you oil the fretboard, I used dr duck's ax wax all over the guitar when finished and to reduce the stickiness on the rear of the neck, I didn't specifically oil the board though.
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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    I'll use a bit of almond oil (similar to lemon oil) sparingly on the rosewood fretboard when I get to the final assembly and setup - I normally apply a  bit of this to rosewood boards occasionally anyhow - it just stops the wood getting too dry and keeps it looking nice. The thin Tru Oil finish on the back and headstock seems pretty un-sticky anyhow, so I'll probably not bother doing anything else with that - but of course the proof of the pudding will be using the guitar in earnest, so who knows, and I'll bear the Dr Duck's Ax Wax in mind - not heard of that one before.
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  • ChalkyChalky Frets: 6807
    Excellent thread!
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  • paulnb57paulnb57 Frets: 3044
    Ive used many Allparts necks and am a fan, like you I know my limits and go with just two coats of Tru Oil,, sometimes Ill paint the headstock black or body colour first I think it feels great, Ive never felt the need to add wax and it's never sticky feeling....Liking this build a lot, great colour combination....
    Stranger from another planet welcome to our hole - Just strap on your guitar and we'll play some rock 'n' roll

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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    Chalky said:
    Excellent thread!
    Thanks you @Chalky ;, appreciated :)

    paulnb57 said:
    Ive used many Allparts necks and am a fan, like you I know my limits and go with just two coats of Tru Oil,, sometimes Ill paint the headstock black or body colour first I think it feels great, Ive never felt the need to add wax and it's never sticky feeling....Liking this build a lot, great colour combination....
    Great minds I reckon! and cheers @paulnb57 ;
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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    edited July 2018
    Got some more stuff done...

    Copper shielding



    Wonky pickguard edge in front of trem:


    And made un-wonky with careful filing - a fussy job, but I think these things make a difference in the end:


    Was hoping I might just avoid it, but the neck absolutely needed a shim, so made one out of some spare ash veneer I had. Not a big deal anyhow:


    The nut is gradually getting done, still some shaping required and the slots taking to correct depth, but getting there...

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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    Changed my mind about the wiring circuit I'm using - I'm now going for this one, found on the GuitarNutz2 forum:



    ...which has meant drilling another hole in the scratchplate for a mini-toggle:


    - could have used a push-pull pot I know, but I just don't like the things. It's only a slight aesthetic compromise anyhow. :)
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  • DougDoug Frets: 172
    edited July 2018
    Megii said:
    Changed my mind about the wiring circuit I'm using - I'm now going for this one, fou

    ...which has meant drilling another hole in the scratchplate for a mini-toggle:


    - could have used a push-pull pot I know, but I just don't like the things. It's only a slight aesthetic compromise anyhow.
    Bloody lovely!, I know you said you don't like the push-pull pots, but the Yamaha push-push pots are nice, easier to use, anyhow you're sorted with the mini toggle, stunning job
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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    Doug said:
    Megii said:
    Changed my mind about the wiring circuit I'm using - I'm now going for this one, fou

    ...which has meant drilling another hole in the scratchplate for a mini-toggle:


    - could have used a push-pull pot I know, but I just don't like the things. It's only a slight aesthetic compromise anyhow.
    Bloody lovely!, I know you said you don't like the push-pull pots, but the Yamaha push-push pots are nice, easier to use, anyhow you're sorted with the mini toggle, stunning job
    Cheers @Doug - and no harm in mentioning the Yam push-push pots - a long time ago I did have one fitted on another guitar, and it worked great, they're good I know. I've got the mini-toggle positioned so that I'll be able to engage it at the same time as switching the 5-way to the bridge position if I want to, which could be useful. Still have to do the actual soldering on the other side of the scratchplate - kind of on hold until the pickups arrive.
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  • BranshenBranshen Frets: 1222
    Are you planning on rolling the fretboard edges? Or is it too late now?
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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    edited July 2018
    Branshen said:
    Are you planning on rolling the fretboard edges? Or is it too late now?
    Cheers, not too late no, and that idea had occurred to me - I think it's one of those things that's easy to overdo though, and I've been kind of holding off doing that until I have the guitar together and can see how the neck feels to play without the edges rolled. Which I can say is actually pretty good, as I got it assembled and set up (minus pickups and wiring) yesterday. Maybe some subtle edge rolling anyhow - do you have a preferred method @Branshen?
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  • BranshenBranshen Frets: 1222
    I buy off the rack guitars and dare not attempt to roll the edges on them.

    But I've always been intrigued that high end guitars tout this as a feature. The idea seems simple enough! 
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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    Branshen said:
    I buy off the rack guitars and dare not attempt to roll the edges on them.

    But I've always been intrigued that high end guitars tout this as a feature. The idea seems simple enough! 
    I've done it on some other builds in the past, just carefully running the edge of a craft knife along at a right angle to the fretboard edge - kind of using it a scraper I guess. Not done it on a rosewood fingerboard though, so I am a bit cautious about it. Also, to be honest, I don't find any problems with using the guitar as it is, and it seems perfectly comfortable to play. So no big rush about it anyhow.
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  • paulnb57paulnb57 Frets: 3044
    Ive done it as described above using a Stanley knife blade as a scraper, difficult to overdo it...
    Stranger from another planet welcome to our hole - Just strap on your guitar and we'll play some rock 'n' roll

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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    paulnb57 said:
    Ive done it as described above using a Stanley knife blade as a scraper, difficult to overdo it...
    Fair enough - I guess I'll do a bit of subtle softening of the edges, but it's not a big thing for me, as the guitar already feels nice enough to use.

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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    Got the nut slots cut to depth and final shaping of the nut done also, a couple of days ago. Have just been playing the guitar acoustically since - it's nice, with a good, lively acoustic tone.



    And great news, a package arrived from Croatia this morning - so looks like soldering is on for this weekend. :)




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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    Just a few more pickup pics - got them fitted on the scratchplate, and soldering in earnest will begin (and hopefully end) tomorrow, when I'm focused and ready. Don't solder when tired is one lesson I've already learnt... Forgot to take a pic of the box, so bunged that in one of the shots, just fwiw - the pickups look to be very carefully made, and are nicely presented also - overall very good value for money (about £75 posted), and all these things do give a feeling of having made a wise purchase.



    I will at least draw up my wiring diagram to work from, this evening, so I'm ready to go with the soldering tomorrow. :)
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  • sawyersawyer Frets: 732
    I always seem to do soldering when slightly hammered :) Dutch courage ha. Slightly hammered as we speak! Nowt to solder though:)
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