First Strat Build

Hello all

I've had the pleasure of building an acoustic guitar before at Wheelers Guitar Shop in Sydney but am a newbie to solid body guitars. Have just unpacked an ST - 1 kit from Pitbull Guitars and about to do the initial mock up assembly

Just wondering if anyone has any advise regarding positioning the Strat style bridge and saddle. I've watched the video on scale length etc. The guide says not to drill and screw it on for the initial set up but, Im not sure how else you'd fix it in the right place to be able to string up and fit the neck in the right position?????

The kit has a basswood body which is in good nick and I want to do an opaque colour spray with a high gloss finish. Wondering if anyone has any advise on paint products to use to achieve this.

Looking forward to getting into the build and posting some progress photos. I'm a high school teacher and I'm planning to run a a guitar building club with a small group of keen students who are keen to all do their own kit.

Glad to be on the forum and hoping to get a wealth of knowledge and experience from everyone here.

Jon

Hi and welcome.

The Strat kits are reasonably easy for the bridge positioning, as that trem block has got go go in the holes. It's generally best to have as few small holes as possible in the body when putting the finish on, as when wet sanding, unless you plug the holes with wax or something similar, water will get in, expand the wood around the holes and can ruin your finish. Hence the advice not to. But there are those that like to do a full test build first, so it's up to you. Just keep in mind that you'll need to plug those holes with wax before wet sanding.

Screw the neck on. Either Use a straight edge to extend the sides of the neck onto the body and draw two lines either side of the trem cavity, or work out where the centreline of the neck runs and use a straight edge to draw a centreline line at the general bridge location. You can then line up the bridge from those marks. To double check (if you have a large enough clamp), you can then clamp the bridge in that position, fit the two E tuners and run normal thin string down the neck to the two E saddles to ensure that the strings are the same distance from each edge. Adjust the bridge position if necessary and mark the edges of the bridge on the body.

Then for the top/high/unwound E string saddle, wind it forwards so that the intonation screw is only just protruding at the rear of the string cutaway in the middle of the saddle. Then with a straight edge, measure from the flat face of the nut by the high E string slot to the high E saddle, just behind the front of the saddle at the point the string will leave the saddle in its groove. 25.5" scale length.

Move the bridge back or forwards until the saddle is in the right position, and you've now got both the side to side and back to front positions marked out, and you can mark the six bridge mounting screw positions as well.

Double check that the trem block is sitting with space in front of and behind the block in its well. Normal down bends will move the block towards the rear of the cutout, upward bends towards the front, so you don't want the block to be touching either face but somewhere in the middle (though if like me, you don't actually use the trem, then it doesn't really matter, but it's nice to have it right).

This can be done before or after the finish is applied, though if done after, put masking tape on the top and mark that, rather than the finish.

Start a build diary, post photos, ask questions and any problems, we'll help as much as possible.

Thanks Simon for the very detailed help, that just the ticket. Will let you know how I go. Some really good advice there.