My custom guitar... To be continued..

Norman86

Consists of:

A Warmoth body
Maple Neck with slight flame fingerboard by BvanS (Neon Gecko)
Paint (to be decided) by Neon Gecko
Cream pickguard, vintage 8 screw, countersunk screwholes.
Fender Custom Shop Custom 54 Pickups
Gotoh/Wilkinson VS100 Trem
CTS pots
0.047 Orange drop cap
CRL switch
Switchcraft mono jack
Tusq XL white nut / string trees
Sperzel Trim Lok tuners
All hardware in gold..
Pickup covers / knobs in white!

The body is in transit..
the neck being made...

but here is the body:

warmoth mock up with parts and almost the paint job im looking for...

paint similar to what im going for:

So it should look something like this, just with a darker red burst...

So i'll update as i get updates too ?

But for now, its a waiting game...
Hopefully done before Christmas...

And if anyone wants to buy my current strat, let me know ?

Attila

that's gonna be real sweet

AlanRatcliffe

I gather that's a chambered body? Nice grain all around, but you might have to go dark on the edges - that ugly by the forearm contour...

guidothepimmp

Dayum, a top like that should never be routed that way let alone be covered.. that is a great piece of lumber

makepeace

guidothepimmp wrote: Dayum, a top like that should never be routed that way let alone be covered.. that is a great piece of lumber

You guys just don't get the normal classic looking Strat thing hey.. ?

Quite a pretty body :yup:

Not to derail, but this is interesting:

I found that I quite like the faded clown burst - where you age the first couple of coats of nitro (which means you have to use nitro) for a couple of hours in the sun.

This is a before and after:

The guy was going for a relic look, so it can look way better than this.

Here is the finished guitar for some perspective:

Norman86

when i saw that body, i just had to have it!
love at first site :-[

yes, its chambered.. didnt realise how you figured it out, till i saw the "c" in the pocket! haha
the burst is going to hopefully be a darkish red anyway, so the ~~third boob~~ 11th toe wont be an eyesore!

and thanks atilla and guido...
this is my take on the fender select strat, so pickguard is mandatory!
i maybe would have considered otherwise if it wasnt already routed though...

i was upgrading components on my strat anyway, but when i saw that body... well.. thats what tipped me to just go for it! and considering its going to be my only guit, its gotta be special right?!
so im treating myself ?

anywho.. 2 of the nicest strats have always had me wanting more..
so thanks to mikem and deefstes for the gas!
but after this, its finished for a while!

Norman86

hey makepeace..
thanks for that.. for a while, i was leaning more towards a more traditional tobacco burst..
but i changed my mind :-[
i really really really like the dark cherry burst instead! especially with my gold hardware!

and lastly, i know nitro is not wayne's favourite paint.. and personally, with him doing the paint, and the thickness he does it at, i dont believe nitro will make much of a difference..
i think id prefer the poly anyways, to keep my baby looking good forever!
but thats just me.. im not a fan of the relics! but nos... any day ?

AlanRatcliffe

Norman86 wrote: yes, its chambered.. didnt realise how you figured it out, till i saw the "c" in the pocket!

Actually, I didn't get it from that. 3lbs 2oz is too light for an ash Strat body with a bold grain like that, especially with a maple cap.

[deleted]

Pretty!

Congrats...

Can I recommend a Callaham bridge?

You wont be sorry.. everything else is well... (politically correct) okaaaay..

I find it a very, very, very important part of a stratocaster ?

Norman86

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
Norman86 wrote: yes, its chambered.. didnt realise how you figured it out, till i saw the "c" in the pocket!
Actually, I didn't get it from that. 3lbs 2oz is too light for an ash Strat body with a bold grain like that, especially with a maple cap.

ah... very observant! ?

Brentcgp wrote: Pretty!

Congrats...

Can I recommend a Callaham bridge?

You wont be sorry.. everything else is well... (politically correct) okaaaay..

I find it a very, very, very important part of a stratocaster ?

thanks brent!
i'll look into it if i find the bridge block lacking! i know a few people who are very happy with their vs100's though! but will ultimatelu see when shes pur together!

whys the rest only "politically correct" okay? lol

Norman86

nevermind.. would rather not want the backlash..

AlanRatcliffe

Stratocaster is a registered trademark, and Fender and their agents are legally bound to pursue all misuse, big and small. So posting it on a forum their distributor frequents is probably not the smartest thing you've done today..

If you're happy enough with Neon Gecko's work for him to make the neck and do the finish (the two most difficult jobs in assembling a guitar), put his logo on the front.

ezietsman

+1 Alan

I thought the same thing. Rather make it unique.

Sean

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: If you're happy enough with Neon Gecko's work for him to make the neck and do the finish (the two most difficult jobs in assembling a guitar), put his logo on the front.

+1
I love the fact that my "Strat" has the name of the person on the headstock who built/assembled it. I like the uniqueness ?

aubs1

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Stratocaster is a registered trademark, and Fender and their agents are legally bound to pursue all misuse, big and small. So posting it on a forum their distributor frequents is probably not the smartest thing you've done today..

If you're happy enough with Neon Gecko's work for him to make the neck and do the finish (the two most difficult jobs in assembling a guitar), put his logo on the front.

+1 Alan ..... absolutely.

Neon Gecko does the work, don't "hide" his logo on the back, it's almost an insult! :-[

Norm, if it's really important what name goes on the headstock, then buy the "real" thing ..... sorry, no offense intended .... ?

Norman86

no offence taken...

im looking to do something in a similar style though...

disclaimer: it was just an idea, nothing in stone, as nothing has been done yet...

Gearhead

Norman86 wrote: nothing has been done yet...

Oh no not one of those dreamy threads... Will it actually happen or not?

Reinhard

Gearhead wrote:
Norman86 wrote: nothing has been done yet...
Oh no not one of those dreamy threads... Will it actually happen or not?

Norman86 posted the body is in transit and the neck is being made. Should he be screwing the pickups into his coffee table and stringing it up? ???

Gearhead

Reinhard wrote:
Gearhead wrote:
Norman86 wrote: nothing has been done yet...
Oh no not one of those dreamy threads... Will it actually happen or not?
Norman86 posted the body is in transit and the neck is being made.

Squooze me. Not read all. Humble apologies :sorry:

Norman86

Norman86 wrote: no offence taken...

im looking to do something in a similar style though...

disclaimer: it was just an idea, nothing in stone, as nothing has been done yet...

Gearhead... its happening!
what i meant with that post was that i am only playing around with a headstock design ?
sorry for the confusion!

i must just mention, the folks at warmoth are fantastic! reallly great friendly people!

also, i spoke to wayne last night, and no bvans logo will go on, which i completely understand and am happy with.
the reasoning behind it, its just a neck, not the whole guitar they are supplying!

i have however decided on a "logo", but will reveal that in the future!
no, its not stratocaster ? lol..

sheesh, thought i would be burnt at the stake for that! not as if i dont have licenced parts... but anyway..

if all goes well, i should have the body by the weekend ?