Kirk’s ST-1 Ash Build

Hey everyone,

I purchased the ST-1 Ash Strat model off Pitbull. Been looking at various kits, and decided to try a build on one of their entry level kits. I’m going to use this Build Diary forum to document my process, and my mistakes as a reference for future builds I have in mind. Feel free to follow along and provide any pointers or questions you may have.

First up, I’ve always been an acoustic guitar guy (currently own 9 of them) and they all run in different tunings. The only electric guitar I own is an Epiphone Dot 335. So this Strat is my jump in to understanding all the finer details that make up an electric guitar.

Originally, the plan was to create Excalibur from Waynes World, the “oh yes, she will be mine” Strat in Olympic White. Since then, I’ve set my sights on creating more of what I would want in a Strat.

So the tentative plan is finish the guitar in Sage Green Metallic with a gloss clear coat finish.

We’ll see how close i get to this.

Attachment 34843

That's a nice colour to aim for. There are lots of other choices, but Duplicolor with lots of clear over the top should get you close to that finish. With the right preparation of course. I am learning the hard way that the finish is all about preparation and technique :(

Oh, and welcome :)

Day #1 of Build

After reading through the instructions online, watching YouTube videos, reading forum posts and typically overkilling the information process, I’ve started actually working on the guitar.

The first thing I have done is create some jigs to help.

I created on Illustrator two files, one is a jig for the guitar headstock. The other jig is a notched straight edge that I figured I may need for straightening the neck.

Attachment 34845

The third jig i thought would be beneficial is a notched clamp. That way throughout any work on the neck, I could easily clamp without worrying about damaging the frets. I created this first by aligning a piece of wood with my guitar neck, using a tri-square to line the timber, and then used a coping saw to cut out the notches. After messing up a few of the measurements, I gave up and cut and fixed that line work on a radial arm saw.

Attachment 34846

I decided on going with the 50s Classic Strat headstock, for the most part...I wanted the classic look, but didn’t worry if it wasn’t exact. Good will be good enough for this. I clamped to the table, using the jig and some of the cardboard provided in the box, and used a coping saw to cut the neck to shape using the headstock jig i created earlier. I then used a bobbing sander to ensure i had a straight cut and to sand it down. I’ve yet to round off corners or hit it with anything other than the sander, so various grits of sandpaper await me tomorrow.

Attachment 34847
Attachment 34848

Good fun so far. Tomorrow’s project will be to fit the neck (doesn’t currently fit, so will be sanding the sides of the cavity with a sanding block until the neck fits.) and I’ll be doing a dry fit finishing off with sanding the body down with 180 and 240 grit sandpaper.

Slowly amassing ideas...while i do this, i am retrieving various grits of dry and wet sandpaper’s, researching paints, developing a notebook for the guitar build process, and designing headstock options, laser logo ideas etc.

Stay tuned...

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Originally Posted by jugglindan

That's a nice colour to aim for. There are lots of other choices, but Duplicolor with lots of clear over the top should get you close to that finish. With the right preparation of course. I am learning the hard way that the finish is all about preparation and technique :(

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I plan on taking extra time, just based on what I’ve read on here. Definitely going to hit all the different grit sandpaper’s as well as a solid grain fill. I’m a sucker for the metallic look in the paint, any other colours you would recommend?

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Originally Posted by Retroman33

I plan on taking extra time, just based on what I’ve read on here. Definitely going to hit all the different grit sandpaper’s as well as a solid grain fill. I’m a sucker for the metallic look in the paint, any other colours you would recommend?

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I don't know what colour that is, but I would investigate nearby stores that offer the Dupli-Color Perfect Match paints. They can match pretty much any late model car colour, so the next step is to find a late model car with the colour you want. There are lots of people here that have gotten fantastic finishes with Dupli-Color.

I am not sure where you are, but in Australia both Repco and SCA offer the Perfect Match stuff.

The one thing I don't suggest is what I did. I bought a discontinued Dupli-color metallic blue (seen here) on clearance at $6 a can. This was fantastic value until I needed another can a month or two later. I got lucky and bought possibly the last can in town, but only after a frantic race from one end of the city to another. Not something to repeat.

Of course, in hindsight I could possibly have used the Perfect Match to match it, but I didn't know about that option at the time.

Welcome Kirk. Thanks for starting a build diary, we are all now following along on your journey. What did you do with those designs in illustrator to get them into those physical black jigs? Some sort of laser cut trickery? What material is that?

If your not going to go for Olympic white, then I rekon your metallic sage green is a good one to aim for. Just don't tell Wayne or Garth. Make sure you test all your finishing steps on some scrap first. There are a few current builds going on using metallic under gloss, so lots of trials and tribulations to learn from right now.

Keep up the good work, mate.

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Originally Posted by Bakersdozen

Just make sure you test all your finishing steps on some scrap first. There are a few current builds going on using metallic under gloss, so lots of trials and tribulations to learn from right now.

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Mine is one of those :(

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Originally Posted by jugglindan

Mine is one of those :(

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Correct! And it's going to be awesome when finished, right? And your sharing your learnings for others to learn from too. Good on you mate.

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Originally Posted by Bakersdozen

Correct! And it's going to be awesome when finished, right?

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Hell Yeah!

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Originally Posted by jugglindan

I don't know what colour that is, but I would investigate nearby stores that offer the Dupli-Color Perfect Match paints. They can match pretty much any late model car colour, so the next step is to find a late model car with the colour you want. There are lots of people here that have gotten fantastic finishes with Dupli-Color.

I am not sure where you are, but in Australia both Repco and SCA offer the Perfect Match stuff.

The one thing I don't suggest is what I did. I bought a discontinued Dupli-color metallic blue (seen here) on clearance at $6 a can. This was fantastic value until I needed another can a month or two later. I got lucky and bought possibly the last can in town, but only after a frantic race from one end of the city to another. Not something to repeat.

Of course, in hindsight I could possibly have used the Perfect Match to match it, but I didn't know about that option at the time.

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Thanks for the tip, I am based in Brisbane so I’ll definitely check out SCA and Repco for those paint options, as well as one or two auto paint places to see what they can do. Thinking of buying a litre to use and paint via a spray booth.

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Originally Posted by Bakersdozen

Welcome Kirk. Thanks for starting a build diary, we are all now following along on your journey. What did you do with those designs in illustrator to get them into those physical black jigs? Some sort of laser cut trickery? What material is that?

If your not going to go for Olympic white, then I rekon your metallic sage green is a good one to aim for. Just don't tell Wayne or Garth. Make sure you test all your finishing steps on some scrap first. There are a few current builds going on using metallic under gloss, so lots of trials and tribulations to learn from right now.

Keep up the good work, mate.

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Thanks for showing interest! I’ll appreciate any help and pointers from the community along the way.

The Illustrator files are self created, I just took the templates of the headstock and traced it. I then took a photo of my guitar neck and dropped it into illustrator at 1:1 size. I then created a straight edge notched where the fret bars were located. After that, a bit of 3mm transparent black acrylic lasered did the trick.

If i were to do it again, I’d take the two headstocks lasered, and make them one solid piece that has a bend in it to wrap around the headstock...that way i could easily throw it on, put a bolt through one of the tuner holes and hit the coping saw with complete confidence.

Currently planning for some laser work for the headstock and possibly the back of the guitar neck during the finishing process...

Session #2

Ended up being a bit of a slow day... didn’t get much time to dedicate to the guitar, but managed two things.

1) I hit the headstock with 180 grit and 240 grit, and finally got some of the notches removed left over from some shoddy coping saw work when initially shaping the neck. End result looks good, but more sanding to come over the weekend.

Attachment 34851

2) The heel of the guitar neck did not fit the cavity of the body upon arrival. Forcing it would cause damage to the side of the cavity wall. I needed to sand. I took some 240 or 280 grit sandpaper, and with a sanding block I sanded away both sides of the cavity. I didn’t sand the bottom of the cavity. I also didn’t touch the heel of the neck with the sandpaper. I lightly sanded one side a few times, then the other side of the cavity...then i would try and fit the neck, and repeat the process until it fit. That way i ensured that i didn’t take too much material off one side of the cavity in relation to the other. End result, the neck fit with a very snug fit. Now onto continuing a dry fit and figuring out what on earth i need to do about where to set the neck in relation to the nut and the bridge. More research needed there.

Attachment 34852

Weekend’s plan is to Dry Assemble, mark out that set out with some light pencil work, and hit the ST-1 guitar body with 140 grit and 280 grit using a bigger sanding block to try and not create waves in the timber.

Attachment 34853

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Originally Posted by Retroman33

Thanks for showing interest! I’ll appreciate any help and pointers from the community along the way.

The Illustrator files are self created, I just took the templates of the headstock and traced it. I then took a photo of my guitar neck and dropped it into illustrator at 1:1 size. I then created a straight edge notched where the fret bars were located. After that, a bit of 3mm transparent black acrylic lasered did the trick.

If i were to do it again, I’d take the two headstocks lasered, and make them one solid piece that has a bend in it to wrap around the headstock...that way i could easily throw it on, put a bolt through one of the tuner holes and hit the coping saw with complete confidence.

Currently planning for some laser work for the headstock and possibly the back of the guitar neck during the finishing process...

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Very cool. Do you have access to the laser technology or are you getting them commissioned? We are all here to help, so ask anything you want without fear mate.

I have a mate who has one in his shop. Small one though, so will need to make my decisions before i put it all together!

Current Workings...

I’ve sanded the entire body of the guitar down (minus the cavities) with P280 grit sandpaper, both with the grain, against the grain and in a cross section direction. I’ve also sanded the back of the guitar neck and the headstock to ensure that it has the same feel as the body.

Attachment 34892

I’ve also been playing with branding the guitar, and have tried various logos and fonts...would love some feedback on what you like, what you don’t like and what you see....often times I can get too close to the work and cannot see what others see.

Attachment 34893

Attachment 34894

Attachment 34895

Still not 100% sold on the name and concept, but it was still far better than other options i had created and the name holds sentimental value.

Just wanted to post this to show the various stages of my process and concurrent happenings both on the guitar and away from it.

Looking good. Are you ever only going to make strats rather than any other type of guitar? Remember you have the bug now, so there will be more builds in your future. Just trying to help you future proof your designs.

Maybe change 'Strats' to 'Guitars'? You won't get Fender coming after you then!

Hey Builders,

I have a couple questions about setting up my guitar for my pre-assembly before i remove everything and start the painting process.

I apologise if this information is elsewhere on the forum, but i have scoured what i could for information yet require some more specific instructions to move forward.

1) I’ve set my ruler to run from the face of the nut all the way through my bridge, and I am looking at a 647mm distance. Do I need to have the bridge pushed up against the top of the cavity or do you sometimes screw the bridge on with clearance on all sides of the bridge not touching any part of the walls of the cavity? The parts of the bridge I refer to are the parts that will reside internally. Should the face showing be touching any part of the wall cavity?

Attachment 34906

If I have it touch the wall cavity, then do i retract the springs on the high E string to get it to 648mm?

I’ve taken a series of photos, one with the bridge floating in the cavity at 647mm, another with the bridge pushed forward touching the wall cavity and the measurement being less, and another with the bridge pushed back...

Attachment 34907
Attachment 34908
Attachment 34909

2) How do i make sure my placement of the bridge is correct before drilling the holes and screwing it into the body? Should i move the high E bridge pin completely forward, move the bridge so its 648mm, and then drill and screw it in the there? Or should i be making the bridge sit flush with the pick guard cover and rearranging the high E pin backwards to meet 648mm?

My assumption is that i should attach the pick guard, then attach the bridge so that it has a cohesive look in relation to the pick guard, then adjust the pins...but i want to ensure i am setting up the bridge correctly to avoid unwanted vibrations etc if i make a mistake in this setup.

Thanks!

I’m sure I’ll be making another guitar as I already have one picked out...but I’ll name it something entirely different. These are all one offs as I don’t see myself making more quantities of the same model guitar.

Did you have a preference between the options i posted? Which one did you like the best? I will certainly try “Guitars” instead of “strats”

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Maybe change 'Strats' to 'Guitars'? You won't get Fender coming after you then!

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...I will certainly try “Guitars” instead of “strats”

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Yeah, Fender is less litigious than Gibson, but better safe than sorry.
When I list one of my builds for sale, I post it as something like "S-style" or "T-style" (or ST, TL) just to avoid any problems or misrepresentation.

Looking good though. I like the logo concept and that's a nice looking piece of timber!

Party time! Excellent!

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Originally Posted by Retroman33

Hey everyone,

I purchased the ST-1 Ash Strat model off Pitbull. Been looking at various kits, and decided to try a build on one of their entry level kits. I’m going to use this Build Diary forum to document my process, and my mistakes as a reference for future builds I have in mind. Feel free to follow along and provide any pointers or questions you may have.

First up, I’ve always been an acoustic guitar guy (currently own 9 of them) and they all run in different tunings. The only electric guitar I own is an Epiphone Dot 335. So this Strat is my jump in to understanding all the finer details that make up an electric guitar.

Originally, the plan was to create Excalibur from Waynes World, the “oh yes, she will be mine” Strat in Olympic White. Since then, I’ve set my sights on creating more of what I would want in a Strat.

So the tentative plan is finish the guitar in Sage Green Metallic with a gloss clear coat finish.

We’ll see how close i get to this.

Attachment 34843

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Latest update,

Built a guitar holder with a piece of stud pine and an inanimate carbon rod. =P

Put some alli rod through the neck clamp holes and into the jig.

Hit the guitar with 3 passes of SCA Primer Filler, with the intention of sanding it back with dry sand paper to expose high and low areas in the ash timber. From pics, can already see spots where more sanding is needed. Mainly around the edges, as a better job is needed there.

Attachment 35176

Attachment 35177

Attachment 35178

Attachment 35179

https://i.redd.it/dkg6qam6o6n01.png

I am glad you used an inanimate carbon rod, those animate ones are a world of trouble. Mine wouldn't stay still while I spray, so my guitar holder is a length of chain hanging from a wooden beam in the shed ceiling. A d-bolt lets me adjust the length. The guitar hangs down into my makeshift spray booth (a large cardboard box).

Hi Retro

Just a couple of things I learnt when finishing my ST recently.

You should measure from the nut to the middle of the 12th fret. Then from the middle of the 12th fret to the bridge thingos (adjusting bits - sorry) should be the same. About the middle. You see the bridge already has been adjusted to somewhere near the expected during intonation. I hardly needed to move mine.
As long as the "same" is within the adjustment you should be fine. A PB expert may be more helpful.

Second, if you are going to use the whammy bar make sure you leave at least one mm between front of the bridge and the pickguard. This ensures the bridge does not bind on the pickguard when using it. This mm will of course be part of your setup measurements.

There is a good articles on the StewMac website. You can find great videos on YouTube. Look up fitting bridge.

Greg

Good work Kirk!

But the perspectives of those photos are just doing my head in! Please... no more upside down left side right pics!

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Originally Posted by McCreed

Good work Kirk!

But the perspectives of those photos are just doing my head in! Please... no more upside down left side right pics!

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Doesn't everyone hang their guitar from the ceilingwalls?

You do it on purpose to confuse any paint runs. They don't know which way to go, so stay where they are.

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Originally Posted by jugglindan

I am glad you used an inanimate carbon rod, those animate ones are a world of trouble. Mine wouldn't stay still while I spray, so my guitar holder is a length of chain hanging from a wooden beam in the shed ceiling. A d-bolt lets me adjust the length. The guitar hangs down into my makeshift spray booth (a large cardboard box).

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I’m using the box from my new trolley and chest box. Thing is huge!

I’m starting to like this forum more and more as I drop pop culture references and they get picked up. At first this forum was constrictive, but after a while it’s becoming a part of me.

I’m loading them right off my phone right way up. Then when I post they all are flipping on me! May need to find a hosting site soon.

Ok,
Found quite a few spots where wood grain waves were noticable. So I sanded back with 100 something or other and 240 and 300 something or other sandpaper. Nearly took it all the way back so that I would have all the grain filled. Didn’t take an upside down or sideways picture for that.

I’ve then second coated SCA Primer Filler with better results all around. Still need more attention getting one line of machining out and a couple spots of grain waves.

Here’s some pics in random orientations.

Attachment 35223

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Phones can write data into the photo indicating what the phone orientation was when the photo was taken. Software that understands and pays attention to that data can then make sure the photo is shown the right way up. This is why photos always look the right way around on your phone. But the forum software doesn't check the EXIF tags (which store the information), so photos may look wrong. A hosting site will only help if the hosting site does the rotation based on the EXIF tag data. Another way around this is to only take photos of your build with the phone right side up.

Also, I remember that SCA filler primer colour well. My guitar was that colour for ages :)

Something I have found with the SCA filler primer is that if you live in a humid place, the longer you leave it before sanding the better it is AND.... hand sanding is best, power sanding is too radical.

Another round of primer filler producing better results. May sand back one more time and hit with one more prime filler before I start priming and painting. Still having issues with photo orientation despite taking them right side up on the phone...

Attachment 35248

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Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

Something I have found with the SCA filler primer is that if you live in a humid place, the longer you leave it before sanding the better it is AND.... hand sanding is best, power sanding is too radical.

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Your 100% right Cliff SCA do use a slow thinner in there paint it does take a bit longer to flash off and shrink back if you're getting a lot of shrink back use the etch 1st, if you're using a gun the 1lt 2lt tins are fine I use just about all there SCA range its good gear and cheap I like there 2lt clear I've got 1/2 a dozen tins of it and there thinners in my cub's I mix my own pearls and candy with there clear if your paying anymore for other brands your wasting money, you can get a show finish with there paint pretty easily if you go to there Holden hill store and there out of paint is because I purchased all of it lol I can have 5 guitars on the go at a time

Do you use the etch on timber?

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Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

Do you use the etch on timber?

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Yep its a pretty good sealer

Thanks, I will have to give it a go.