More renovations

This is a hardtail strat I built in 2019. (all non-PBG parts)

Attachment 40805

It has been through a couple of changes recently. Most significantly a neck refinish.
It was the last neck I had sprayed with acrylic lacquer, and I just didn't like the feel of it even after a good "de-gloss".
So I pulled the frets and completely stripped it, re-stained with FW Golden Teak, re-fretted and sprayed with satin poly.
Satin poly has been my go-to for necks since building this strat.

Most recently I rewired this (and a couple other ST's) with Leo Fender's PTB (Passive Treble Bass) Circuit. However, I have one more revision planned. I've ordered a single humbucker pickguard (also black pearloid) and a Tonerider Alnico II F-spaced bridge humbucker.

I am generally not a humbucker guy, particularly neck HB's, but I do like the sound of a bridge HB. So not having a "one pickup guitar" (and having multiple 3-pickup strats) I'm going to convert the Green Machine into one.

The pickguard I've ordered has a single control hole for volume, but I will be adding a tone control as well. I just like the idea of having it there rather than not.

It's obviously a slow news day, as I'm posting this mostly just for something to do while having a coffee... (and it's raining!)

I wondered about why you would need three strats...and then I realized I have three p-basses in a quest to get one just right...

Part of the genius of the strat is that they are almost infinitely configurable and reconfigurable. The colors are great on that guitar. Will the new pickguard be the same black pearloid?

Interesting idea McCreed for a strat. Really like the finish on the neck. Reminds me of the J Mascis Jazzmaster head stock and neck colour.

I bought a V set neck guitar with a one humbucker route that was in the specials bin here at PB. I had the idea of routing out a neck pick up for it. Then thought, no bugger it...I have 4 guitars with 2 humbuckers. Went with a Rebel 90. Sounds great! Just volume with treble bleed, kill switch, blower switch and a momentary switch. It will make a good back up guitar for my sons band.. ;)

Keep us posted when you finish the mod..

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I wondered about why you would need three strats...

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There may or may not be more than three...

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Will the new pickguard be the same black pearloid?

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Yes, different retailer and manufacturer, so will a variation of black pearl.

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Just volume with treble bleed, kill switch, blower switch and a momentary switch.

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That's way to complicated for my needs. I'm having pangs of guilt just considering a tone control for a single 'bucker.

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Originally Posted by Rodc

treble bleed, kill switch, blower switch and a momentary switch.

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Now I feel old and left out. ;)

I don't know what any of those things are.

Treble Bleed = resistor and capacitor wired across a volume pot's input and output to preserve the treble frequencies when you turn the volume pot down. This can be either a capacitor on its own (can be overly bright at low volumes), a resistor and capacitor in series or a resistor and capacitor in parallel.

Kill Switch = Switch or push button that grounds the guitar's output so you can get a stuttering sound (can get the same effect with a pickup selector toggle switch with one pickup turned off).

Blower Switch = Switch to bypass the volume and tone pot so the pickup is directly connected to the output. This gives a bit more output and more treble. Like having a guitar that goes up to 11, when other guitars just go up to 10.

I don't know what a momentary switch is in this context. I'd have thought it's another name for a push-button kill switch myself.

In general, a momentary switch is one where the switch momentarily makes electrical contact with the solder terminals when it is actuated, a good example is a push-button switch, when you push the button down the switch closes and current can flow from one solder terminal to the other, a built-in spring forces the contacts apart when you release pressure on the actuator button.

Well, my Tonerider HB (had to order from UK) and 1 x HB pickguard are both in the country and have now made it to Brisbane.
Not sure how quickly they'll both make it to my door, but it's a moot point as I'm having knee surgery tomorrow and will be off my feet for a while. Repairs and mods will just have to wait :(.

The upside is I'll have to spend time sitting and playing some of my other recent "re-models" :cool:.

Also, when I am back in action, I'll have a collection of parts waiting for me on the bench to play with!

Hope all goes well!

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Thanks dozy!

You mean with the guitars, right? :p

Best of luck with the knee. Presumably the other one will need work on it too at a later date?

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

Best of luck with the knee. Presumably the other one will need work on it too at a later date?

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Always a possibility the way things are going.
My cunning plan is rebuilding myself one part at a time :o.

McCreed upgrades. Alnico V knee joints instead of ceramic maybe?

A full strip-down and respray next?

Just another "Partscaster"!

Good luck with the op. Sounds horrible.

Pickguard arrived yesterday, humbucker coming today!
Pickup will likely arrive while I'm under anaesthesia, so don't know how soon I'll get to installing it...

Something to look forward to!

Currently pre-op fasting, and I'm bloody starving!!!

Best wishes for the op.

Best of luck!

He's already had it, Drew, and is fine.

Thanks for the well wishes.
I'm a bit sore and sorry for myself today, but otherwise fine.

I'm a terrible patient, as I lack patience and want an instant recovery. I mean seriously, is that too much to ask???

(I'm still 21 and bullet-proof in my brain sometimes :o)

Same here.

You’ll soon be leaping over tall* buildings in a single bound again.
c
v
c
v
c
v

*anything up to 70cm

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*anything up to 70cm

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That my old "limbo" record!

I doubt I'll ever that again either!


edit: If this was anyone else's post I'd feel bad for the hijack!

Well, not much to see, but I finally got around to doing the 1 humbucker strat project the other day.

I put in a Tonerider AC II (F-spaced) and it sounds fantastic. I also opted to put in a tone control and glad I did.
This is my first single pickup guitar and I'm having a blast getting a range of tonal variety just by using the tone control and my fingers. I know that's not unusual with any guitar, but having only the one pickup really makes me think more about how I'm playing and creating the sound.

This is definitely a Rock Machine:

Attachment 40982

Cool.

Have you wired the tone control in the modern or vintage style?

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

Cool.

Have you wired the tone control in the modern or vintage style?

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60's style.

So wired to the volume pot input rather than the output. I'd have thought you'd have gone for the more interactive LP Jr style.

TBH, it's still a work in progress and I'm thinking about trying the 50's style. It's easy enough to swap, and I can get the pickguard off without completely removing the strings.
I've not tried it before and not sure how I feel about the tone pot also affecting volume. So I went 60's to start with.
I used 2 log pots and a .033uf tone cap and like the way it feels atm, but open to experimenting.

I've got myself into a bit of a pickle by having 4 guitars undergoing various mods all at once, so I'll play this one as it is then revisit.

I think I’ve said it before, ‘two pickups is one too many’. I like the less variables approach and making use of what you have. It also gives you an excuse to build a second (or third) guitar to achieve a different sound. 👍

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It also gives you an excuse to build a second (or third) guitar to achieve a different sound. 👍

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Hah! Like any of us needs an excuse! You're funny...