Hi Guys,

I'm new to posting on this forum, but a long time reader so I know how much you guys like pics of guitars, especially strats and also some custom builds. So I thought I'd post you mine. First is my one and only Strat, 09 Am Standard Candy-Cola.



Thats my #1. For a while there I didn't like the single coil sound, and it was all about high output metal, so I used to gig with a couple of cheap Godin's loaded with seymour duncans. Good way to get that mid-crunch metal tone. But when I finally understood what tone actually was it was time to get the strat. Here it is hooked up to a HRD on the first day I got it



On a side note: I got that amp before I got the strat. I spent a good 2 hours in a local music store in perth playing my #2 through everything from vox nighttrains to Orange 30watt combos to DeVilles, Twins the whole lot. I ended up choosing the HRD loaded with a Jensen P12N. Sounds fantastic to my ears. Then I found out first hand whats wrong with the HRD (sheesh). Any way, 3rd time swapping it back from the shop, this ones a keeper. IMO if you're getting an amp and you think the deluxe is the way to go, get the DRRI instead and just live with how freaken heavy it is, it'll save you the hassle of the amp failing on you... constantly. Trouble is I'm addicted to the tone... damn it!

BACK to the guitars. So, the first electric guitar I ever owned (which is now my #2) was one I built myself. This came about from me buggin my parents (isn't that how we all got the first one?)

"Can I have an electric guitar?"
"No"
"Can I have money to build one?"
"Yes"

Well, as luck should have it, highschool had an after school workshop on building guitars. 25 students all built EXACTLY the same guitar. Everyone chipped in their $200 to get a trunk of brazilian mahogany sent over. Planed it down, bookmatched it, stuck it on a template, routed, sanded (see any of Ceri's threads if you don't know how it's done) OILED the guitar for a natural finish. An heres the finished product











And heres the chunk that came flying out of it whilst I was routing the bevel around the edge of the guitar.



So yeah, gets a bloody good sound that guitar does, comparable to the strat, has the mojo but just not the exact right tone. It's got a StewMac Golden Age setup of pickups in it which are a really really really good tone for the price IMO. Only thing that I could fault would be the Neck which we all purchased at build time. it aint fantastic, but I've learned to live with it. Should probably buy a new one for it . So yeah, thats a $200 guitar with $200 worth of money spent on it in 15 years.... and it's still gets gigged at least once a month. Thanks mum and dad.

Any way, there you go. Sorry about the quality of the pics, IPhone is the only camera I got at the moment. The NEXT set of pics coming (in a week or two) will be complete build pics from block of wood to finished guitar. I didn't do it, so I can't take credit, but it's an eye turner of a guitar.

Dan

_________________
My Rig: Guitar into Pedals then into Amps and out into Speakers.

Thanks for sharing!

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Simply lovely-nuff said.

_________________
'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I think the one you built looks really nice,I like the finish.
The Candy-cola is a cool color....and I usually don't like red.
Good job.

I love that mahogany strat! Looks awesome!

And I really dig the Candy Cola! Looks just like mine

Candy Cola is real nice...but that mahogany Strat is awesome.

_________________

Appreciate your sharing the story and the pictures of both strats. I would never get rid of the one that you built in shop. Very nice looking!! You've got a nice rig now. Something to be proud of and to pass along to your children!! Cool!!

I have the exact same: American Standard Strat Candy Cola I bought Feb . 26th 2010.[/img]

_________________
billritt

Am Std Strat
Am Std Tele
Martin D-18
Vibro Champ XD & Mustang I

+1

Impulse 7 your mahogany strat is stunning. I love that natural finish you have achieved. Award yourself 50 Points!

May i ask what oil you used for the finish? Also did you use grain filler? Its just that I've made a mahogany strat body (I too had a few bits fly out when routing the edges!) that I gave a satin finish and i'm not happy with the results. So i'm going to sand it down and start again. I'm thinking of using tru-oil or gun oil. I'd welcome your thoughs on this.

Thanks

Andy

_________________
Pending Greatness

Awesome!!! The Brazilian Rosewood almost has a Bubinga vibe going on with the visual appearance and those Tele style string ferrules through body must give it some great sustain!

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Hi Impulse7: wow, nice bit of timber! Very pretty.

Regarding the tear-out on the edge: I think we've all been there on that one! Glad to see you found the piece amongst the chippings.


Well... then make one (dear Liza). No?

Very cool work, any way you cut it. Congrats to you. What a great school project. Wish it had been like that in my schooling. Did your teacher just happen to have all the right templates, or did the project involve making those too? My kinda teacher, either way.

BTW: I feel there's some hidden message in your title, but I can't quite fathom it...

- C

Sweet guitar!!!! Good job.-N

Wow, thanks for the feeback everyone



Unfortunately between age 14 and now I have sunk my fair share of G&Ts (incase you're wondering: 1/2 tanqueray, 1/2 tonic, slice of lemon) so that memory has be blissfully swept away. I do remember not using any grain filler on it at all, but the actual oil we used to finish it... no idea sorry mate.

If you're unhappy with your finish then by all means sand it down and start again. If theres anything I can't stress enough though.... sand till its smooth as, get that raw wood as smooth as you can. Once you oil it up (again) you don't want any roughness what so ever. When doing some research for another build, I found that Tru oil is extremely popular for it's ease of use. If you do end up choosing that route, check out this page http://www.lmii.com/carttwo/truoil.htm. Nothing like a complete step by step guide on how to use a product.



Ahhh, back in the day when I had an entire school workshop at my disposal, I still wouldn't have to the skills to make a neck.



Our shop teacher's friend was a luthier, so he had borrowed strat templates off of him and we went from there. Although - Making templates, making necks... all of these things will be addressed in my next build post (coming shortly).



Ohhh it's a subtle message alright Looking forward to seeing your completed build Ceri

Sorry about the quotes though guys, not quite sure how to make the person I'm quoting name appear above the quote block [/quote]

_________________
My Rig: Guitar into Pedals then into Amps and out into Speakers.

I really love the look of natural finished guitars.

_________________
"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul..."

-Emily Dickinson

Right - well now this thread turns serious!

Hot damn, that's a strong G&T!!! Streuth!

Does anyone like me keep their vodka and gin in the freezer? I love the thick, oily character that imparts to the movement of the liquid.

Some people like to add a drop or two of Angostura Bitters to a gin & tonic for a "pink" G&T. My variation is a dash of peach liqueur for a "Bellini-meets-G&T". Particularly good for helping out some of the cheaper more flavorless gins, or with a vodka & tonic instead. I think lime is sometimes a nice alternative to lemon, too.

There ya go - a Ceri Cocktail.

Cheers - C