simple 7/8th (super)strat ...

[rockandroller]

So, so, so very SLOW on this, but today I finally pulled all the parts out, and the first coat of conductive shielding paint is drying in the control cavity now. Resizing pics ( phone pics too big to post) ... Will add shortly!

(parts just laid in place)


(closer look)


Those are rubber knobs...


pretty much all the parts (I just have to round up some pickup mounting screws...)
** oh and come to think of it I do not have the "behind-the-nut" string lock - have to order another one!
Maybe I'll get most of this done before Monday (I don't really have a workbench to set up my soldering station, etc)

 

[teleme01]

Looks like a shred is bruin

 

[rockandroller]

Well, after sitting in my basement for nearly a year, I noticed a considerable amount of "fret sprout" (ouch!). So I made a quick trip to Canadian TIre to grab a small "mill bastard" and set to work cleaning it up ( along with my trusty-but-rusty Stew-Mac fret file ). Much better! But then I noticed that Warmoth actually put zero bevel on those frets! Out came the files ( and scotch-brite, etc) one more time to put a little bevel on them...

OK, certainly not "Dima Sushkov" quality fret-end work, but it'll hafta do!

 

[rockandroller]

aaand... got those locking Hipshot machine heads in (piece of cake).

 

[rockandroller]

and now I have to decide how best to orient the black metal logo...


or

 

[supertruper1988]

I would have the logo follow the curve of the headstock

 

[PFDarkside]

I would have the logo follow the curve of the headstock

After seeing Strats for most of my life it just seems natural to follow the bottom line.

 

[rockandroller]

Making a little progress... Finally got to pick it up and get a feel for it! A little neck heavy right now, should be perfect after loading with pickups, controls, and the Kahler

 

[PFDarkside]

This is going to be awesome.

 

[Eddie-Applegate]

This kicks ENORMOUS amounts of butt

 

[rockandroller]

more progress

Pickups are in... wiring next!


Tuned up!!!


Well, the modern construction is cool, but would be easier to put together if I had a workbench.
With much careful fussing, I got the Kahler placed and screwed it down.
Put a string on ... er - TRIED to put string on - discovered that Fender Bullets DO NOT FIT IN Kahler (doh!!).. I had to dig thru gigbags to scrounge some regular ball end strings .
Put a couple strings on, realized the Kahler needs more "break angle!".
Unless those saddles are cranked up a couple mm - it buzzes like a sitar!
So I shimmed the neck a few degrees (see last pic).

Got it tuned up, noticed the truss rod was very loose (way too much relief!)... OFF WITH THE NECK! (Again)
Cranked the main rod pretty good, neck back on, strung it up, tuned it up.. relief is much better now.
Probably the side adjust might be enough to tweak it to perfect - BUT I DON'T HAVE METRIC HEX KEYS (not small enough right-angled 3mm, anyway). Man, how I miss a truss rod that can be adjusted with the neck on (Maybe next 7/8th will have no neck pickup, and a big slot in the body for truss adjust!)

Anyway, plenty of work to do yet!
But the cool thing is how great this guitar sounds (acoustically!).

Even with the mid-fretboard relief sitting higher than I would like, I played it for about three hours tonight and am really getting to enjoy this thing. Neck feels amazing, (my first raw neck in decades!) and even though I haven't done any fret leveling at all, I can bend strings all over the neck and no fretting out.