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Post subject: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 5:39 pm
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Hello,
Thought I would share this since I couldn't find anything similar to it.

I had recently picked up this guitar, a 60th anniversary Mexican Stratocaster, obviously customized, from Sam Ash Music in Indiana.

The neck and fretboard are maple, the body (underneath the tolex) is alder. The pickups are original and coverless (which is a little weird) the volume and tone knobs are brand new.

The guitar:
Image

60th Anniversary logo:
Image

If you are wondering, this is actually similar to a guitar posted a couple years ago, it was a Telecaster that was nicknamed the, "Amplicaster" because of borrowing materials used in a standard Fender amplifier.

Yes, this is similar. While the Tele had mostly the grille portion of the amp as the main body and the tolex being used as the pickguard, here on the Strat, its the total opposite. The main body is covered in tolex, and the pickguard is made of the grille portion.

And the Fender logo, from the amp:
Image

It's a very unique and interesting guitar, but the tolex and the pickups aren’t my fav thing. Let me know your opinion on it.

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Last edited by Spunfused on Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 2:41 am
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A tolex covered guitar...

Most guitar player look for a thin skin guitar, no thick polyurethane for the best tone and somebody build this guitar with tolex on.
:lol:

A very nice job, picture on the back please.


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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 4:31 am
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I think that looks pretty cool... :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 6:47 am
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The back:
Image

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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 6:50 am
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stratele52 wrote:
A tolex covered guitar...

Most guitar player look for a thin skin guitar, no thick polyurethane for the best tone and somebody build this guitar with tolex on.
:lol:

...


That was pretty much my first thought. It is certainly an interesting looking guitar but I would perhaps consider it more appropriate for a collector, as wall/glass case art, rather than to actually play.

Really none of its unique features will do anything to add to the playing experience. The tolex is likely to change the sound and the grill cloth will catch on your pick/fingers etc and start to look very shoddy after playing for a short period of time.

Art - Most certainly

A tool for making music - Almost certainly not

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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 10:40 am
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John Sims wrote:
...and the grill cloth will catch on your pick/fingers etc and start to look very shoddy after playing for a short period of time.


+1

My very first impression.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 10:59 am
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John Sims wrote:
stratele52 wrote:
A tolex covered guitar...

Most guitar player look for a thin skin guitar, no thick polyurethane for the best tone and somebody build this guitar with tolex on.
:lol:

...




That was pretty much my first thought. It is certainly an interesting looking guitar but I would perhaps consider it more appropriate for a collector, as wall/glass case art, rather than to actually play.

Really none of its unique features will do anything to add to the playing experience. The tolex is likely to change the sound and the grill cloth will catch on your pick/fingers etc and start to look very shoddy after playing for a short period of time.

Art - Most certainly

A tool for making music - Almost certainly not


+1


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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 11:40 am
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This has been done before.
I first saw the "Amplicaster" roughly 7 or 8 years ago.
I found it to be so interesting that I grabbed the pix and saved them for myself.

I think it's a really cool idea for a showpiece guitar.
I'm not sure I would want to gig with it.

Image

Image

Image

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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 11:48 am
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Possibly the coolest part.

Image

If memory serves I believe this was a Master Built.

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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 1:00 pm
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Possibly the coolest part.

Image

If memory serves I believe this was a Master Built.


that is very cool the jewel light, and the pick guard tolex make more sense than grill cloth

mud


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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 7:34 pm
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mud wrote:
BMW-KTM wrote:
that is very cool the jewel light, and the pick guard tolex make more sense than grill cloth


Eminently practical as well......think of all the money to be saved by not having to buy guitar polish.

:P

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 11:07 am
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i would think that if you really wanted to play it vice wall art, you could shoot the grill cloth with clear lacquer to prevent snags and wear.

Both guitars are tres cool playable or not.

8)

T2

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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 3:14 am
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T2Stratman wrote:
i would think that if you really wanted to play it vice wall art, you could shoot the grill cloth with clear lacquer to prevent snags and wear.

Both guitars are tres cool playable or not.

8)

T2


I wondered about that but it wouldn't work for me.

I will often rest the back edge of my hand on the scallop of the pick guard in front of the bridge (perhaps that's partly why it is the way it is - awesome design ). This soon gets dirty and sweaty as a result. The feel of the cloth would really annoy me and, even lacquered, would accumulate unpleasant sweaty crud in no time.

I am also surprised how much the face of the guard gets scratched. I notice this particularly on my black guards. I'm not an agresive player but, considering why the guard was scratching, note that the nails of my little and third finger will often brush against the guard. Perhaps it is a subliminal depth stop for my pick. Either way, the feel of the cloth would pretty much render the guitar unplayable for me.

However, you could swap the guard for a photo laminated plastic reproduction of the cloth.

You could even hydrofilm a conventional body with the image of tolex to avoid the inevitable unsticking at the seams through use.

All of this may seem a bit over the top but you could then keep the original in pristine condition and legitimatly have a reproduction to play; because you own the real thing.

So, in summary, do not play it. It won't play nicely any way and you will ruin it.

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Post subject: Re: Part amp... part, Strat?
Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:10 am
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I think Both of those guitars still look kind of cool...
Playable or not, They would make great wall hangers... :roll:


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