I'm going to pick up a used Candy Apple Blacktop Strat with rosewood fretboard today with the purpose of modding. I found one locally for ~$300. I realized there is a lot I like about the Blacktop, except the funky knobs and humbuckers on a strat.

I dig the 22 fret neck, med jumbo frets and 9.5 radius, the body color, vintage style trem and the logo on the headstock. I also like having the truss rod adjustment by the nut. I don't mind the universal pickup route, as it was used on the old Strat Plus and Deluxe guitars and they still fetch a nice price and play well.

For the mods, I'm going to throw a set of Texas wound single coils in it and some vintage style tuners using conversion bushings. I guess it will look a little like a 60s series when I'm done. I may go with a tortoise pickguard and trem cover. I'll put up some pics later after I pick it up. I'll order the parts after I get it home. I've been itching for a simple fun project, and at this price I could always re-sell it to get my money back if I don't end up loving it. I recently sold off my Sherwood Green Tele project guitar and the money has been burning a hole in my pocket.

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Hey Kong have you every heard of this site?
http://www.greasygroove.com/categories.php. Just a thought.

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"Bring me four fried chickens, and a coke."
HOUSE-OUT!

I really like the blacktops too. I want to do something with a Floyd Rose Strat. Warmoth makes pickguards for strats. I think a black pearl would be nice.
Dimarzio pickups and pots and regular strat knobs.

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/fenderguitarandamp/

I picked up the Strat this a.m. I'm pretty happy with the fit and finish on this. The neck and frets feel great, the finish is dynamite. I think it will be a great platform for the mods I'm doing.

I do wish I had done a bit more research though, I did not know the blacktops come with the crappy thin zinc trem block. I'll be putting in a full size GFS brass block along with the other mods I mentioned (vintage style tuners, Texas wound single coils, tortoise guard and trem cover). I put the loaded HH pickguard up for sale on craigslist.

I'll post pics of the completed project when I receive the new parts and get them installed.

For now here is the guitar as is:

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Kong,

Great pics, and I think that it looks awesome. Sounds like it will be killer when you finish modding.

Mine came with a full sized cast bridge block. I have read that earlier models may have had the thinner blocks and different electronics. I thought that the one that I played at GC had the cheaper feel to the selector switch and expected the same on mine, but mine came with a decent switch that I think is the same as Mex Std or Am Std.

It would be cool if you post some pics of the underside of the guard, and soon I will post the same shots of mine when I change strings. Here's a shot of mine which shows the bigger block.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Send me those tuners. I don't have the money and I need a new set.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Kong!

Good to see ya back man. TERRIBLE NEWS ABOUT THE TELE!!!!!!! I aint the easy come, easy go type. Once I got em, I hold onto em At least ya still have the sherwood strat

This is looking good man, I agree about the knobs on these. Completely useless. I'm swapping em out on my tele.

Looking forward to this mod mate, remember proper build threads have shots of cats and beers

Dan

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

Hey Dan, my wife thought I was nuts to sell the Tele. The guy who bought it LOVES it. I don't think a few mods qualify as a proper build, but I'll try and comply with a kitty or a beer pic.

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It's not a big deal to sell if it gets a good new home.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Hi Kong; personally I agree about those knobs not looking right on a Strat - though of course that's a matter of individual taste. On the other hand, before you sell them they might look very nice on a pedal - ever thought of doing a Build Your Own Clone (.com)? Just an idea...

Otherwise, the guitar looks very nice. Waiting with interest to see this thread develop.

Now. Where's the beer?

Cheers - C

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Hey Ceri,

I had not heard of BYOC before- thanks for the tip!! I'm intrigued. Before I went to the site I was thinking how nice it would be to have a tremolo pedal. They have a kit for one of those. I may have to piggy-back a tremolo pedal build onto this thread. My parts for the Blacktop will be here in a couple of days. If I do the pedal, I'll try and record a sound clip of the Strat through the pedal to tie the whole thread together.

P.S. will be stepping out for beer in a while, stopped in a store very near me with and amazing selection recently.

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It definitely makes it easier to let it go ...

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I think you should pick yourself up a DG20 pick guard and make it into a Gilmour strat!

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I actually have a Strat with EMGs and a Gilmour vibe.



I had thought about swapping the EMGs into the candy apple Strat and buying the EXG and SPC controls. I have the regular pots in my black Strat. The rosewood fretboard would bother me though if I was going for the "Red Strat" look.

For some reason I feel compelled to put a tortoise guard on the candy apple. I have not seen too many like that and I love the look.

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By the way, I've been a little busy ...

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