Tuckstir you might wanna take advantage of our upcoming AMA and pose the question to @AlanRatcliffe in that thread.

So I'm Finally finished but..
so I've decided to change the Volume pots to Push-Pull and do coil splitting, which is next months budget.
but for Now Its playing..

So, as a family holiday Bonding experience I have gotten some more Guitars from the guy with the black beard who lives in a den..

The Strat Been Mine
and the JEM the Missus.
still 2 more to come ....

You have a lucky Missus. I have looked at those, wondering whether it would be worth the effort to assemble and "upgrade". What is the neck width at the nut and at the body fret? Any idea what sort of pickups are included?

Alas, seeing as I sort of have one of each, I am not biting. My "JEM" is amazing, powerful, very flexible. The bridge design is silly. But patience work here. My "Strat" is waiting for more small electronic components (caps, resistors) before I strip down and re-wire with new, expensive "Malmsteen" low friction pots and a new 5-way switch, I might add two tremolo springs to tighten up the rear end for supposedly better sustain (? Maybe stiffer springs eat less string vibration energy. I would have thought lighter springs will "give"more in sympathy with the string vibrations, to "pump back" into the strings. ?) and a general re-think of wire layout and connections. Of course, that is step 1. Step 2 is new tuning machines, these are rather worn (and cheap), but finding items that will fit the present screw holes might be a problem. Step 3, bringing the old worn guitar almost to new spec at a fraction of the new price for a similar item, would be a neck sand and re-fret. Which I should apparently not see as a Friday evening job. Might have to farm that one out to a specialist. Apparently a "solid" trem block also works magic. That I could machine from any material on hand, Brass? Steel?

modulator
the sizes of the neck at the nut 42mm and 56mm at the body fret.
as to the Pickups supplied, besides the H-S-H configuration i'm not too sure what type of pickups they are..and am sure will be upgraded in time, maybe something like Irongear pickups.. but that said, my other blackbeard kit The SG, I'm for now very happy with the Pickups.

I'm looking to add more strings to the Strat out the Box Softer Springs will flex or give under vibration, robbing the string of energy.. I want more sustain and stability out of the strings and was abit shocked at the pricing i saw for 3 springs.. R350 off RARU for something I know i could have made up for between R5 and R20 each..but would need to take quantities..
As to the tremolo block from the bit of research I have done, if you can stay away from brass.. its of a much lower density, not as solid and absorbs more energy, Robbing you of Sustain, rather go for Stainless Steel

Tuckstir Cool to see you got more kits in - more UK flags to come? I still dig the SG's finish - Like a mini with a Union Jack on the roof, it just works!

The strat geeks were drooling over callaham blocks (non leaded steel) : https://www.callahamguitars.com/tech_blockdetails.htm. That's one thing still original on my strat (possibly the only thing ?)

Terryd.co.za do have trem springs (if in stock - https://www.terryd.co.za/gptsbrie.html), it'll be a LOT cheaper that Dimarzio re-branded ones. Gear Junkie also keeps the terryd springs in stock.

Thanks V8 will Definitely Keep those Links in Mind.

Lol no More Uk Flags think I'm all done there.. i Have a much simpler Idea for the Strat,
but at the same time trying something New.. Will upload picks as I go.

For My other yet to be Purchased build I'm Busy Experemnting with diferent Ideas and techniques.. but heres a hint

and just for you to perv

Yeaaahh! That distressed look on the SG came so sweetly, I really dig the way the coats under the read and white show through a little here and there - kinda relic'ed but more distressed antique. I prefer that to my heavy handed attempt(s) at relic'ing ?

What comic/[graphic novel is that from? It's familiar artwork but unfamiliar characters...it's bugging me! ?

V8

Witchblade Comic book series

Tuckstir Aha, Marc Silvestri influenced art - that's what was bugging me. I've bunch of Image (circa mid 90's) and batman's (80's-90's). Between him, Jim Lee and Todd Mcfarlane - they
redefined comic book art at the time.

Back to springs - One could tool up and wind them for cheap-cheap, but the question becomes "is it worth my while?" With springs available, even at silly prices, no. I have had to wind springs for unuobtaniums in the past, the choice being a) Broken tool which you cannot but need/want to use, b) get someone else to tool up and make it and pay his/her time, c) hand over to the specialists who will not have the spring, will in all probability not wind the correct item, and install what is available from the scrap bin or such, which is what caused the problem originally. In such cases, well worth my time to tool up for one spring. Trem springs? Yes, well, possible, if you like to do bends by hand in music wire to form the end loop. I do not enjoy that much. And making up the winding jig for one or two items, no. Maybe later.

modulator

Having Reversed Engineered enough springs it shouldn't be too difficult get right, important factors would be wire gauge, number of turns , diameter overall length and the end hooks,,

personally would have it made out by one of our spring suppliers, but would need to have about 100 made up to make it their worth while, for when I need 5 springs.. doesn't seem worth my while,

or maybe.. I don't know.. exploring still

Tuckstir I really don't want to do a run of the mill x-men/ batman style.. so Witchblade for now

I hear ya, a while ago (it didn't seem that long ago), I did a batman inspired build with the Gear Junkies : https://community.guitartalk.co.za/d/24083-project-bat-strat

Was a helluva lot of fun, actually came out quite sweetly and played/sounded better than we had hoped. Was gonna follow it up with a Star Wars one, but we never did get around to it

V8 Was gonna follow it up with a Star Wars one, but we never did get around to it

You should do one.. a light and the dark guitar would be cool, Jedi on the front, Sith on the Back

Tuckstir I could make allllll sorts of excuses, I suspect my time of modding for the sake of modding are largely over. I'd need some motivation - a guit/bass that screams for some love. I've always got time for a beat-up MIJ noname brand 70's junker... ?

so still experimenting and going through ideas....

for a scratch plate.. what do you think?

Tuckstir I'd love to see that!

Tuckstir Checkered plate? I've seen a few that have used the vinyl stuff to cover a old scratchplate - though that never really looked great to me.

What happened to the comic idea?