Non ADA Gear > Guitars
Custom Build Stratocaster
rabidgerry:
Hi guys, I'm looking to off load a few guitars from my collection with the intent of picking up some more desirable axes. However, the ones I'm chasing I'm kinda sick of waiting on and I can never find one in the right condition or the right price.
So I've taken an executive decision to build my own from parts that can be bought.
I don't want to get into finishing, I simply want to buy a body, buy a neck, add hardware etc myself.
I also want to keep the cost down.
So I've settled on a body I think. Buy I'm looking for a neck fitted with a locking nut or at least has a slot big enough to accommodate a locking nut.
Can anyone recommend anywhere online I can get necks to fit the bill? Guitar Fetish website has one neck that I might be into but I am interested in other options possibly should I find alternatives elsewhere. All suggestions welcome, and remember I'm looking to have to do very little to this project other than assemble and may be a little bit of drilling.
This is the body I've settled upon
https://www.guitarfetish.com/XGP-Premium-Alder-Floyd-Rose-ST-Body-Atomic-Red_p_47825.html
Thinking about black on red colour scheme soo black scratch plate, pups and hardware.
rnolan:
Hey RG, well these days there seems so much to choose from. Be very mindful of the dimensions (The neck pocket is routed to a vintage correct 2 3/16" width, 5/8" deep and 3" long), so it seems you'll need a vintage neck :dunno: . What FB'd radius do you want? some of the vintage radiuses are 7" circle (bent notes buzz out up high :facepalm: ), and also 12th fret width is narrower (on say bullet stats), so bridge is narrower. Harley can probably help more as he's our "strat" guru. I suspect you'd like a 22 fret neck (strats traditionally are 21) thus FB continues over the end of the neck for 22. And what neck profile do you like? (I like the Anderson V contour personally). And what frets do you want? Stew Mack sell some nice looking Fender necks, but maybe you should get one made to exactly your taste ?
rabidgerry:
If I'm honest I never gave any thought to the profile of the neck from behind. However I would not accept anything less than a 12" radius. If I was really fussy also I'd want the compound type too. I can't live with fret choking.
I'm happy to get a vintage spec'd neck to fit with that body. I don't see that as a problem. It would just have to be finished, require only hardware be fitted, perhaps the odd hole drilled, have medium jumbo or jumbo frets, and a fairly flat fretboard radius.
GF has this which is a possibility. Mind you drilling the holes for the neck terrifies me a little bit.
https://www.guitarfetish.com/XGP-Floyd-Rose-Routed-Maple-22-Fret-Strat-Neck-Maple-Fingerboard-_p_47857.html
I also have never had a maple fretboard or light coloured wood fretboard so I kinda fancy the change. However not essential.
rnolan:
Hey RG, you'll also need to get the right FR for it, they come with different string spacings and also the saddle heights are for different radius boards.
E.g. I installed a sunken Schaller FR on my Tele, I copied the routing from my Anderson, the saddle width and nut width were fine but the Tele's radius is probably 8" or 9". So I had to buy some shims to go under the saddles. Also the sustain block was too deep and poked out the back (designed for top mount not sunken), so I bought a shallower brass sustain block to fix that. So careful FR selection will save you grief.
Re maple FBds, they get quite slippery when you sweat under lights etc. so while they look nice, maybe that's not what you want? Also unfinished FBds resist you a little, which I prefer. So I'd go for this one https://www.guitarfetish.com/XGP-Floyd-Rose-Routed-Maple-22-Fret-Strat-Neck-Pau-Ferro-Fingerboard-_p_47858.html My Anderson has a Pau Ferro FBd which I really like, Rosewood FBds suck tone a bit (which is why Leo Fender used a really thin (almost) veneer of Rosewood and curved the maple underneath.
You'll also likely need a peg hole reamer https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-tuner-installation/peghole-reamers as most decent machine heads are 10mm not 9mm like Kluson style. I use a small hand drill to drill the machine head screw holes similar to https://www.bunnings.com.au/craftright-8mm-chuck-drill-hand_p5610142 so you can control the hole. You need to pre-drill the MH screw holes and you need to over drill them by using a ever so slightly larger drill bit (1/64th bigger than the screw, IIRC I used a 5/64th bit for 1/16th screw. Otherwise you risk snapping the head off the screws, they break off really easily (learn't that the hard way and don't over tighten them). Also you set the depth with a bit of masking tape around the drill bit. Similar approach is required for other screw holes e.g. scratch plate/jack plate screws etc.
You'll also need to pre-drill the neck screw holes and not go too deep, also best done slowly with a hand drill.
Anyway enough crap from me, looks like an exciting project :thumb-up:
rabidgerry:
--- Quote from: rnolan on January 17, 2023, 02:33:59 AM ---Hey RG, you'll also need to get the right FR for it, they come with different string spacings and also the saddle heights are for different radius boards.
E.g. I installed a sunken Schaller FR on my Tele, I copied the routing from my Anderson, the saddle width and nut width were fine but the Tele's radius is probably 8" or 9". So I had to buy some shims to go under the saddles. Also the sustain block was too deep and poked out the back (designed for top mount not sunken), so I bought a shallower brass sustain block to fix that. So careful FR selection will save you grief.
--- End quote ---
I personally didn't know they had different radius, I thought a standard floyd was a standard floyd? I know there are other versions like 7 string and lo pro and others but I'm aiming for the original spec here as that will be most common to find. So I know that body is routed to a accommodate a standard floyd. And since I'm after a 12" radius (seems most likely what I will end up with) I thought the standard Floyd's saddles were also to the same radius?? Having just breezed on their site I see there is a new version to me called the hot rod which seems pretty much the same but with slightly narrow string spacing.
--- Quote from: rnolan on January 17, 2023, 02:33:59 AM ---Re maple FBds, they get quite slippery when you sweat under lights etc. so while they look nice, maybe that's not what you want? Also unfinished FBds resist you a little, which I prefer. So I'd go for this one https://www.guitarfetish.com/XGP-Floyd-Rose-Routed-Maple-22-Fret-Strat-Neck-Pau-Ferro-Fingerboard-_p_47858.html My Anderson has a Pau Ferro FBd which I really like, Rosewood FBds suck tone a bit (which is why Leo Fender used a really thin (almost) veneer of Rosewood and curved the maple underneath.
--- End quote ---
Hmm this is something to think about. I like Elixir strings for the slippery effect I get from them when I start to sweat, but sometimes it can be a little too much as my hands to perspire excessively when I am warm due to a circulation condition called Raynaud's syndrome. Anyways I still enjoy the slickness, I even use string glide to start me off before I break a sweat. Plus winter time there aint much sweating going on at practice.
Never heard of Pau Fero before. I ignorantly would have just thought that was Rosewood also, so you learn something new everyday. I might have a think about this a little more, perhaps super slippery will be too much.
--- Quote from: rnolan on January 17, 2023, 02:33:59 AM ---You'll also likely need a peg hole reamer https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-tuner-installation/peghole-reamers as most decent machine heads are 10mm not 9mm like Kluson style. I use a small hand drill to drill the machine head screw holes similar to https://www.bunnings.com.au/craftright-8mm-chuck-drill-hand_p5610142 so you can control the hole. You need to pre-drill the MH screw holes and you need to over drill them by using a ever so slightly larger drill bit (1/64th bigger than the screw, IIRC I used a 5/64th bit for 1/16th screw. Otherwise you risk snapping the head off the screws, they break off really easily (learn't that the hard way and don't over tighten them). Also you set the depth with a bit of masking tape around the drill bit. Similar approach is required for other screw holes e.g. scratch plate/jack plate screws etc.
You'll also need to pre-drill the neck screw holes and not go too deep, also best done slowly with a hand drill.
Anyway enough crap from me, looks like an exciting project :thumb-up:
--- End quote ---
For this I'd either get Kluson locking tuners which do the 9mm ok or else I'd ream them out a little larger as you suggest.
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