Ok guys so after seeing the man salmon thread I think it's about time I went about my dream of owning a man salmon guitar. However the only pink strats I've ever seen are the cheap squier or custom shop, and I don't like the shade of pink of the squier.

SO option time. I'm in London for a couple of days, do I trawl around looking for a cheap pink body somewhere I can rip the electronics off of and transplant my CV 60's electronics into. Or do I get my blue affinity body and strip and refinish it into a shade of pink I really want?

Then the question is do I upgrade the electronics while I'm at it, I love the pickups so I wouldn't want to get rid of them. Also I love the neck from the CV so much I want to keep that for sure.

But then do I leave my CV intact as I really do love it and then get a new CV neck from eBay and use it on my refinished affinity body and route out a HSS configuration and just build an entire new guitar.

I think I'm hedging on the last option. It'll take time and ill have to do it in parts due to money but I could end up with a guitar I really love.

I know there are some experienced heads around here, what do you guys think?

Oh ,man - this salmon certainly makes waves
I have no experience with the Affinity strat - others than I once set up one for a friend. But I think it is slightly thinner than the Fenders ? Or even than Squier Standard/CV ? That might get you into some trouble routing it - for i.e. new bridge. I would go shopping for a new body , and take it from there . You're the MAN ! (salmon)

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A-man

Hmmm not sure on the size, I'm still unsure about the humbucker anyway, because I love my bridge pickup and when its run through my DS-1 and a very slightly overdriven amp it sounds brilliant. I'm thinking a humbucker may be unnecessary. So many desicions to make!

if you love that CV, dont pull it apart for the sake of a pink bitsa.

Yeah I agree if it aint broke and all that.

So I think maybe refinish the body off my old affinity, source another CV neck and build a new guitar instead.

I agree with the latter option. If you are especially happy with your CV, and considering how relatively inexpensive they are, you could also buy a whole new CV and refinish that body. This way you'll have the electronics, as well. Or use the affinity body and sell the as-new CV body to cut your losses.

Actually, a CV neck and a nice set of pickups might still run cheaper.

Just food for thought, have fun with the new project Snowjoe!

Yeah I think a new neck on the body then some nice pickups is the best option. I already have a CV so making another one seems a waste, may aswell put together something new.

I suppose you know that shell pink is an old strat color. I always thought it looked good.

Indeed it is probably my favourite strat colour aside from maybe Surf Green, however at the moment the only Shell Pink numbers I have seen are running at around £2500 as they're custom shop, so I figure why not make my own, I know we could do with some more building.

Oh and fear not guys, I won't forget the duty that will be bestowed on me that requires me to include many photos of my cat, socks and the odd alcoholic delicacy.

Poor Chet, he was away for so long and all he wanted to do was show his newest addittion.

Your project sounds pretty good.

Right so this is probably the point where I'm gonna need some more technical input, I'm going to assume that I should start first off with stripping and refinishing the body as from what Ive read into other builds this takes ALOT of time, which I can use to get together the other parts I need.

I understand with a thick horrible poly finish I need to go careful with a heat gun to strip it off, making sure I don't scorch the wood, but if I'm going to use a nice light colour like Shell Pink can I go right onto wood or is it worth the extra time to spray a white base coat and then put the Pink on top? I'm guessing a base coat is a good idea.

Also toying with the idea of going with a matching Shell Pink front on the headstock and adding a custom decal, adds more time but I really think it'd be worthwhile, also from an OCD point of view it'd feel so wrong having a Squier name on something that isn't a Squier.

The more I think about it the more comes up I need to think about, but it sounds like a great learning experience ending in a guitar I love that I couldn't get in a shop, so bring it on!