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Post subject: Brazilian Mahogany Home Built Strat - Restoration Project
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:50 am
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I told Andy and koz I'd post some pics of what a non-grain-filled piece of mahogany looks like sanded back and cut into a rough shape of a strat

Here it is in bad light

Image

front (look at those fingers in shot.... I aint no photographer thats for sure)

Image

and back

Image

Its rough, and it's a work horse. Grain clearly doesn't match, it's lost its shine, its scratched to $@!&. Absolutely perfect :D. Can't complain at all really ;)

Dan

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Last edited by Impulse7 on Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:31 am
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Yeah, thats the one! :D

Great looking Strat mate. Thats the only problem with an oil finish, it needs more maintenance than most. But then like you, i like it when they start to show signs of use.

I forgot that is was a hard tail. Any noticeable in sustain?

Thanks again

Andy

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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:39 am
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That's a good looking hard tail impluse7!! 8)


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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:41 am
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It used to sustain like a mutha but it's been regulated to 'learn the songs' guitar.

Which means it sits by the PC on a stand, and when the band has a new song (2 a week atm) i learn it on this guy. Strat and tele stay in case for band rehearsal.

Shame really, I should do it up and give it a new lick of oil. New screws for the pickguard... New saddles.... New nut.... New neck :p. It's got a set of stewmac golden age pickups in it that I got whilst in uni. She sounds really good plugged in... That's it I'm gonna sort it out!

Restoration project here we come!

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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:47 am
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Impulse7 wrote:
Restoration project here we come!

Hehehe! :lol:

Good man! I just love the way that worked out.
Impulse7 wrote:
Shame really, I should do it up and give it a new lick of oil. New screws for the pickguard... New saddles.... New nut.... New neck :p. It's got a set of stewmac golden age pickups in it that I got whilst in uni. She sounds really good plugged in... That's it I'm gonna sort it out!

Quailty! Post away dude! :D

Andy

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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:55 am
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Impulse7 wrote:
Restoration project here we come!

Hooray! Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes! Way to go! :lol:

You have hereby entered yourself in The Nutter's Build Thread Listing!

;-)

Let it roll!


-Nutter

PS: Mahogony rulez! 8)

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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:38 pm
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Thats a lovely looking strat :) I quite like the non grain-filled look too, especially that mahogany colour!

Drew 8)


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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:32 pm
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Beautiful guitar,mahogany has such a lovely grain.

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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 2:29 pm
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guitslinger wrote:
Beautiful guitar,mahogany has such a lovely grain.

+1

Looking forward to seeing Impluse work his work his magic! 8)

Andy

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Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:46 pm
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HAHAHA Limited magic will be worked. but lets get cracking on a list of tasks, and order they will be done in.

So, the main thing is bringing the body up to scratch. I remember long ago it used to shine in the light. now after years of sweat and abuse it's a bit on the dark side. First order of business will be to refurb the finish.

I want it to pop something like this (not my pic, not my guitar, found it on the net)

Image

That will be first on the list, I will be consulting my woodworking friend Dr Prince (who you will be seeing some more of shortly) as to the best method of doing this. This weekend we'll be spitballing ideas on that one.

SECOND on the list. The neck. Whilst I love the feel of the neck, it's in a bad state, I'll have to take some photos tonight, but it's a bit warped, in two directions, not good :). Also the frets have had it after 12 years of constant use. So if I can sort out the straightness issue, I'll attempt a refret, if not then it's new neck time.

Tuners are Gotoh's that I put on there about 2 years ago, their all good. Saddles in the bridge need replacing. I'll have to measure it again cos I don't know the width. I'm also thinking about getting a bridge cover for it. Finally, I'm feeling the need for double humbuckers.... thats last on the list if it needs it.

So to RECAP:

    Body refinish (keep original style)
    Neck (realign and refret or just get a newy, will let ya know)
    Saddles
    New pickups perhaps


Alright. First installment of actually doing stuff to come in a couple of days. Cya soon.

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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 3:18 am
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That wood looks so nice!
Must be heavy, no?

-T

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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 6:16 pm
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Hey Tyronne,

Yep, it's pretty damn heavy. I'll weigh it before I refinish it. I used to think it was the heaviest strat you could get. Then I got one made out of Jarrah....

SO Update on PHASE ONE:

Today I will be going and purchasing some mineral spirits, some fine sandpaper and some.... danish oil. After discussion with the professionals (we all have professional friends dont we. Well, Ceri is probably the exception) danish oil is the god.

So expect to see a repeat of the Big Hairy finishing process :) Pictures starting tomorrow.

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Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 1:03 am
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Hi Impulse7,

I'd recommend adding some 0000 wire wood and some furniture wax to your shopping list. I've applied a very very thin coat of wax with wire wool to my Strat and then buffed it to a satin sheen with a clean cloth and it looks the business! It does dull the oil finish to start with but a good buffing with a cloth soon brings it back and the body now feels like silk to touch. Here's a pic that shows the waxed oil finish after buffing.

Image

Looks nice, doesn't it? :D

Its also easier to maintain as when the body sheen starts to dull you can just buff it up with a cloth or add a small bit of wax again.

Enjoy! :D

Andy

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Post subject: Re: Brazilian Mahogany Home Built Strat - Restoration Projec
Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 12:59 am
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Well, wasn't this a long time ago :)

I joined this forum when I bought a strat, I originally only had the guitar above (which I built) and , had a frankenstrat made for me and then fell in love with teles. This mahogany strat sorta ended up in a case and forgot about. Well I have since sold me Candy Cola Strat and my HRD pictured here:

Image

I will miss em, but the HRD really wasn't cutting it in the band and I needed a better amp, since I was favouring my teles I decided it was time for the strat to go. Heres what I use now

Image

I know, teles on a strat forum GAHHH. Point being I got the hankering for a strat tone about a month ago so I busted out the mahogany home made one again. Whoooo, man I missed that sound. Very vintagey pickups in it (Golden Age), took it down to rehearsal and it really made the night. Unfortunately that bridge pickup didn't really cut it in the band. So I had a Lil Scream'n Demon that I'd been given as a present, that I had in my real strat but took it out before I sold it. So in that went. Its a humbucker tone, single coil size. Now this strat comes out for gigs with me. Who knew that 2 years ago (nearly to this day) I was saying it had been regulated to a rehearsal guitar, and now its out and about gigging.

I took some happy snaps of the guitar today and measured the pickups for those gearheads out there.

Image
Image
Image

As you can see, that rear pickup tears my amp a new one. Its sounds good, it doesn't sound GREAT but I suspect thats down to 2 things

1) A 250K pot for the single coils
2) the fact it aint a real humbucker.

But you know what? Straty blues tones on the front pickup, Nice strat quack on the 2 and 4 positions with the ability to crank down to a hotwound humbucker tone pickup that cuts it, thats what I've been missing since I sold my real strat and this cuts it for me.

Keen eyes may also note that all the old rusted screws on the pickguard and completely cleaned up the fretboard. The old girl got some love and while the body didn't get refinished, the guitars back up and running and thats all that really counts in the end :)

Obligitory photo of animal that helped during the soldering and cleaning phases, Trev:

Image

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Post subject: Re: Brazilian Mahogany Home Built Strat - Restoration Projec
Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 2:59 am
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Hmm...!!! Looks like the helper has had it with those Flatted Fith's...... :lol:

I missed this the first time around, Nice One.... 8)
I'm wondering, have you considered trying out a TBX tone pot to give that bridge pup a bit more versatility...... :?:

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