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Post subject: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 2:19 pm
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This is my first time building a Fender Stratocaster. I have read a few books and done many hours of research on the Stratocaster, and I am wondering if anyone out there has any tips? I will be using a Warmoth swamp ash body in a nice sunburst. I am trying for a classic look so i will be using a vintage style neck and a vintage style tremolo system. I have found all the internal parts I will need as far as pots and jacks and such. I am still trying to decide what pickups to use. If you have any suggestions for pickups or other changes i could make, Please let me know.


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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 5:52 pm
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You have quite an array of pickups to select from -- everything from Fralin's, Don Mare's, GFS, DiMarzio, Seymore-Duncan, and Rio Grande, to the "usual suspects" from Fender themselves.

For a completely classic (ie: vintage) look, be sure to use a pickguard that has the pickup screw holes and switch screw holes countersunk and install nickel-plated screws throughout.

Many of us here are old hands at assembling "SLO's" (Strat-like objects) so there's plenty of advice to be had. I've built a dozen or so myself over the years and play them onstage regularly.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 6:43 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
You have quite an array of pickups to select from -- everything from Fralin's, Don Mare's, GFS, DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan and Rio Grande to the "usual suspects" from Fender themselves.


Not to mention boutique pickups (Dr. Allen, Suhr, James Tyler, BareKnuckles...)


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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 7:25 pm
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My next strat build will have joe barden pick ups. I put 1 in my esquire build and love it. There not cheap but to me they are worth it.


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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 8:00 pm
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Warmoth? Go for a doubleneck!

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My other guitar is a Strat.

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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:29 pm
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Say what? You've done all this research, and you want to build your own Strat. Got it.

But you have no idea what kind of pickups you want. Okay. So you're asking the forum which ones to get and you don't give a single clue as to what sound you want, or whether you want single coil, noiseless, HSS, etc.?

Why don't you just get some white ones?


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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:07 pm
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siamese wrote:
Why don't you just get some white ones?


The gentleman has in fact asked for some constructive assistance.

Why not try offering some?

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 12:36 am
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Since your looking for that vintage vibe, you could go with the Fender Fat 50's or the 57/62's. I have a set of each on 2 different strats, and both are great pu's

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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 1:13 am
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If price is a concern, and you want the most bang-for-buck, I would suggest Tex-Mex pups. They won't break the bank and they have a very nice vintage-type twang and sparkle, very surprising considering the cost of about $75 new for a set. I actually like the Tex-Mex better than the Texas Specials, which are twice the price. Can't disagree with the suggestion of Fat '50s or '57/'62s either.

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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 4:13 am
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I would suggest you start with a set of American Standard Alnico pickups. This would give you the basic Strat tone you want to hear. The cost is affordable for genuine Fender pickups. After that you can always change them out if you need a variation on tone.


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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 4:58 am
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Leaving pickup choice aside, make sure that the tremolo block is steel.
I've recently replaced the cast block on a Mexican Strat with a steel one (Fender part number 0073943000) and the guitar sounds much better as a result.


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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 7:44 am
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SNick wrote:
I would suggest you start with a set of American Standard Alnico pickups. This would give you the basic Strat tone you want to hear. The cost is affordable for genuine Fender pickups. After that you can always change them out if you need a variation on tone.


Excellent suggestion! Besides, the polepieces are moveable.

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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 8:34 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
siamese wrote:
Why don't you just get some white ones?


The gentleman has in fact asked for some constructive assistance.

Why not try offering some?

Arjay


My assistance WAS constructive. He has given NO information on how he's going to use the guitar...only how he wants it to look. We don't know if he's playing death metal or Texas swing. How is this not like saying, "I don't have car, what kind should I get?". Heck, I dunno, get a Rolls! No, wait...a Fiat!

If you're building a guitar from scratch, it might be assumed you're doing it so you can have it customized to your own needs or whims. If you don't know what you want, what's the point exactly, unless he just likes to play with tools? Don't forget he said he read several books. This doesn't add up.

The simple point, you missed, is that his question is pointless without additional info, as pickups range from high output humbuckers, to vintage single coils, to everything in-between. Yeah, I think the OP should get some help with his question, but tell me how is it useful for everyone to simply suggest their favorite pickup out of the hundreds available? That's different from just randomly choosing a pickup, how?

Lindy Fralin P90's....best Strat pickups ever, bar none! Okay, now I have helped :roll:

And, let's not forget this forum has a perfectly good search function that can access hundreds of thousands of posts. I wonder if pickups have ever been discussed here before.

OP, I heartily and kindly suggest you define what you're looking for in a pickup, utilize the search function, define your objectives to a large and knowledgeable group of players, and be prepared to receive a wealth of help and useful information from this site.

Until then, just get the white ones.


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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 8:49 am
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Dewd ..... please.

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Post subject: Re: Building a strat.... any tips?
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:58 am
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Thanks so much guys for all the suggestions. As one of you pointed out, I did not give information regarding pickups and what sort of sound I am going for. Well I am trying to get a classic fender look and sound (for surf and classic rock), perhaps modeling after an early 1960's Stratocaster, before Fender sold his company to CBS. Now the pickups I have personally looked at in detail are as follows: Custom shop Texas specials, Custom shop 69' , vintage noiseless, Tex-Mex pickups, and 57/62' pickups. I have looked also at EMG and Seymour Duncan, as well as Porter pickups and Lollar pickups. Now I am leaning towards either the Tex-Mex or the 69' pickups. Now that I have expanded my post, I am just wondering if anyone has any input on pickups or how to give it a classic, early 1960's look. (Thank you to those of you who suggested a steel tremolo, I find that type of input very useful.) Once again thank you for your time.


Last edited by 72customshop on Sun Jun 16, 2013 10:29 am, edited 2 times in total.

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