Hello to all of you,

I have a question that has been burning my head for several days now.4 days ago, I was looking the strats. and I stumbled upon Dave Murray's custom stratocaser and at that moment I had a choice. BUT since I am a lefty I would like to know if it is possible to make the exact replica of Murray's guitar left handed?

Thank you very much
Up the Irons
Maiden fan666

Do you mean if it comes in a left handed version.If so I would hate to tell you I dont think so. Unless you got one from the custom shop.But I am not even a big Maiden fan but that ax is so slamming I want one myself. It used to belong to Paul Kossof before Murray bought it.

Hi Maiden Fan666, welcome to the Forum.

Well, the Dave Murray signature guitar is essentially a modded '57 Strat, isn't it? Here it is:

http://www.fender.com/products//search. ... 0118802806

So all you need to do is pick up a black left-handed guitar at a price point to suit your wallet and then mod it with the same add ons as Dave's, right? Essentially, those DiMarzio pickups.

It gets a bit more complicated at that point, because if you require the nitrocellulose finish the American Vintage '57 is where you would look - but it is not currently available in black. And if it was you'd find the pickup cavities are routed for single coils, not humbuckers, so some woodwork would be necessary.

Further down the catalog neither the Classic '50s nor Classic Player '50s Strats are available left-handed, so that doesn't help.

If you can live without the nitrocellulose then according to your pocket you could look at either the American Standard or the (Mexican) Standard Strats, which are both available left-handed and in black with maple necks. (The MIM Standard has the "authentic" 21 frets.) You'd need to check with Customer Services to be absolutely certain, but I'm 95 percent sure both of those come with HSH routing under the pickguard too, so no carpentry required.

Then you just buy yourself an HSH pickguard, those chrome humbucker rings and the appropriate pickups - and Bob's your uncle!

'Course, neither of those guitars come with the V-shaped neck of the Dave Murray sig. If you must have that and the nitrocellulose then I'm afraid it's either a Custom Shop order or a self-built partsocaster for you!

Wow. A long post - but I think that covers it?

Good luck - C

I can tell you that the 2009 Standard MIM I modded on Sunday is routed HSS.

Ha! Thank you for that info.

Well, this is a vital point to check before purchase if tiresome carpentry is to be avoided.

Cheers - C

Yes, I was considering doing a Dave Murray or an HH configuration myself, so I was interested to see what was under there.

Here's mine made from a Highway 1. I built this about a year ago. Someday I'm going to get a new neck so it looks exactly like his.

_________________
2 Customized Strats w\DiMarzio's
07 SG
Modded DSL50 w\Mercury OT,PT & Choke
Carvin 2x12 V30's
Pitch Black Tuner-EH LPB-1,TS-808
Mxr 108 EQ-Modded Phase90
Carbon Copy
George L cables-Voodoo Power 2 Plus
Pedaltrain Board

I'm compiling my list of parts needed as we speak... And I'm a lefty. I will be modding my 2004 MIM strat. I figure it will cost me between $400-500 just for parts and thats changing every thing except neck and body, including frets.

_________________
08 American Strat - Blizzard Pearl
04 MIM Strat - Black Maple Neck
07 Gibson SG - Heritage Cherry
11 Gibson Les Paul Studio 60's Tribute GT
Martin Acoustic - 00CXAE
Marshall Class 5 Head
Blackstar HT5 Combo
Mustang V Head
Behringer AT108

Hi Ron: I've looked at that picture of your DM several times before, but this is the first time I've noticed what appears to be a conflict between the volume knob and the humbucker ring. Am I seeing that right - was there a problem with that?

Might be useful information for others on this thread...

Cheers - C

Yes and no. If you look at Dave's original Strat you will notice that the Volume knob sits on top of the mounting ring, just like mine. I went through alot of trouble to make sure the body was as close as possible to the original. The older 8 hole guards seem to have the volume closer to the pickup than the regular 11 holers. I also cut the pickup holes myself and routed the body so the pickups were closer to the neck and bridge respectively. Fenders Sig is close but not quite exact. There's too much space between the bridge and pup, and the same with the neck pup and fretboard. I'm glad I made my own instead of spending $2100. Although I am going to get another neck for it someday, probably a Roadworn so it has the correct radius and 21 frets.

_________________
2 Customized Strats w\DiMarzio's
07 SG
Modded DSL50 w\Mercury OT,PT & Choke
Carvin 2x12 V30's
Pitch Black Tuner-EH LPB-1,TS-808
Mxr 108 EQ-Modded Phase90
Carbon Copy
George L cables-Voodoo Power 2 Plus
Pedaltrain Board

I think that It might be easier to make Janick Geers's replica. You don't need to drill anything.

I've converted my 03 MIM Standart into Hot H-S-H style guitar but with rails type Duncan JBJr Humbuckers and single coil in middle (I still have to change middle pickup or something AlNiCo).

I'm not really sure what Janick uses in his black strat but I'm pretty sure these pups are JBJr's. I found that he uses JBJr for bridge. I'm not really sure for neck pickup but JBJr works well for more chunky and midrangey cleans and heavily distorted solos.

Also my strat looks completely different than Janick's. 3 Tone Sunburst and white moto pickguard. I've swapped everything excluding, neck, frets, nut, body, bridge and jackplate.

I'm going to put Duncan SSL-1 Vintage for strat in middle.

It will be everything axe. Depending on amp used. It can do hi gain stuff, classic rock, jazz, country, blues....everything. I've never thought that you can get so many useful sounds from one single guitar.

It only doesn't sound like Tele. That's why I also have one MIM that I want to modify using Texas Tele pickups.

Janick uses JB Jr's in the neck and bridge on all his guitars. The middle pickups are stock Fenders.

_________________
2 Customized Strats w\DiMarzio's
07 SG
Modded DSL50 w\Mercury OT,PT & Choke
Carvin 2x12 V30's
Pitch Black Tuner-EH LPB-1,TS-808
Mxr 108 EQ-Modded Phase90
Carbon Copy
George L cables-Voodoo Power 2 Plus
Pedaltrain Board

Let me just say they have to be kidding not to offer some lefthanded models.I sure as hell would be p!ssed. Ron you did an outstanding job my man that ax is smoking. I have reviews of the two Maiden models at home in Guitarist magazine and they did not do exact replicas of these axes they just came close and wanted the vibe.So until I can check the review again I am not sure if Murrays real ax even has a V neck as they list the specs of his real ax so unless the V neck is more what you are comfortable playing I would not change anything because it looks great. Maidenfan just go the route Ron did and there is your ax .

Thanks, I appreciate that.Yeah Dave's is definitly not exact, but Adrian's new Jackson model is darn close, they based it off of the Somewhere in Time Tour model but without the built in synthesizer (spell?) unit onboard. There's probably some cosmetic differences (like the pickguard) but the pups are the same and the materials too, I beleive.

_________________
2 Customized Strats w\DiMarzio's
07 SG
Modded DSL50 w\Mercury OT,PT & Choke
Carvin 2x12 V30's
Pitch Black Tuner-EH LPB-1,TS-808
Mxr 108 EQ-Modded Phase90
Carbon Copy
George L cables-Voodoo Power 2 Plus
Pedaltrain Board