Build Thread, Warmoth Strat

Wyatt

Wyatt

Kick Henry Jackassowski
Parts came my my son's build. They were both sale items to keep cost down, otherwise I probably would have gone for the Clapton soft V profile.

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Body
  • Model: Stratocaster®
  • Orientation: Right handed
  • F-Holes: None
  • Scale: 25-1/2"
  • Wood: Alder
  • Rout: Top Rout
  • Pickup Rout: Strat®, Strat®, Humbucker
  • Controls: None
  • Bridge: Vintage 6-Hole Tremolo
  • Jack Rout: Strat® Top Jack Rout
  • Neck Pocket: Strat® Shape
  • Mounting Holes: Standard 4 Bolt
  • Contours: / Tummy Cut / Forearm Contour
  • Battery Box: No Battery Box Rout
  • Top Finish: Black-Yellow Burst
  • Back Finish: Black-Yellow Burst
  • Finish Type: Gloss Finish
Neck
  • Style: Stratocaster®
  • Construction: Vintage Construction
  • Orientation: Right Handed
  • Neck Wood: Maple
  • Fingerboard Wood: Indian Rosewood
  • Nut Width: 1-5/8"
  • Back Shape: Standard thin
  • Fret Size: 6105
  • Tuner Ream: Vintage Style (11/32")
  • Radius: Straight 9.5"
  • Scale: 25-1/2"
  • Fret #: 21
  • Mounting Holes: Standard 4 Bolt
  • Pre-Cut Installed String Nut: No Nut Install
  • Inlays: Cream Face Dots
  • Side Dots: White Side Dots
  • Finish: Vint Tint Satin Nitro
I did buy a Tort pickguard, but we agree the sunburst, rosewood neck, and tort seems very..."brown." We'll probably go mint or black. I may buy all three and so the kid can do a taste test.

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Step 1: fret level and dress.

The frets from Warmoth aren't bad, probably equivalent to most mass-produced guitars. But there are a few that are high. I haven't done fret work in 15+ years, and not doing these ...my son is, but it shouldn't take much to level a new neck. Then, we need to dress the ends and roll the fret board edges.

Before ...

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Taped ...

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Leveling (we really need a workbench)
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Checking
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The 15th fret was particularly high and required specialized attention, then we added some fall-away beyond it once we got it level
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Tomorrow, he crowns.
 
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When do you splash lighter fluid on the face of it and turn it into a Hendrix Tribute strat? I suggest after the assembly is done but before you put the electronics in... just the empty pickguard screwed to the body. :helper:
 
Fret crowning. (He regretted the no shoes choice after stepping on something sharp)
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I butchered the fret ends, then polishing.
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My now-shiny, but poorly shaped fret ends before rolling the fretboard edge.
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And after rolling the fretboard edges...
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Now I need to find my woodwind/bore/fretboard oil and start buying hardware
 
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Your son is one lucky kid. And plus he gets a stellar instrument. Awesome!

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
 
Not much new, before I can install the tuner bushing I need the headstock decal to arrive, then clear coat, cure, wetsand and buff.

I did let the boy install the Callaham, ...
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I did lay a couple of coats of gloss on the headstock, I'll smooth these out right before installing the decal (holding it comes this week).
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On order:
  • Two Seymour Duncan SSL-1, didn't bother with RW/RP, I figure with the humbucker two switch positions cancel hum anyway
  • WD pickguard - Black/Parchment/Black (also ordered a new PG for my '72 Les Paul Deluxe, then old one cracked)
  • Lone Star wiring kit
  • Parchment parts kit
Still waiting on the headstock decal, so we can get the body assembled.
 
Still waiting on the headstock decal. The highly recommended guy running his business on FB seems to have gone to radio silence...go figure.

Prepped for pickguard...
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Drill the holes. It used to be I would mark these with an awl, remove the PG and drill the pilot holes.

But now I use a hinge bit and the PG together to center the holes...
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The boy did the drilling...
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The we moved to electronics, or “why Papa hates 4-conductor 87 AWG wire.” Two SSL-1 and a Pearly Gates Plus.

The boy only burned himself once, and not bad at that. I was too busy help him to snap pics, so like the Iwo Jima picture, this is recreated...
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Semi-assembled. Once he goes to bed, I’m going in with a Sharpie and leaving a “lunchbox note“ in the cavity.

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With neck...
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Nice tip with the hinge bits. I own several but I may need a smaller one for guitar work.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
 
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