Haematoxylin Statocaster (ST-1)

[fender3x]

Is that Pandora's box I see with the lid open? ;-)

Very cool build. And the result is just great!

[DarkMark]

Ok, looks like it was only a matter of time. Kit arrived last week to build one for myself. Similar but different. I’ve altered towards the heal of the neck and plan nut modifications. Looking forward to this. Inspired by listening and playing some Echo and The Bunnymen, wanted single coils and the whammy bar.

[Trevor Davies]

Hi Mark. I'm glad you are getting to build one on these for yourself.

[fender3x]

Should be a great build, and just in time if FMC has it's way ;-)

Any interesting colors planned? Had to go back and listen to some Echo and the Bunnymen. Took me back to my college radio days (daze?) ;-)

[DarkMark]

Hi guys, still got a bottle of Haematoxylin in the shelf. It’s going to be purple, more or less the same as the previous build but with some modifications. First thing I had to do was fix up a repair job in the rosewood at the first fret. I can see someone has fix damage with glue involved. It felt a little rough under the fingers but a little rosewood dust, superglue and sand/scrape back has improved the fix. Shaping the headstock today if time permits. I’ve altered the heal of the neck so it’s less square edged.

[fender3x]

It's a great color! Do you still have access to the original? One of the things I have wondered is whether the color has changed any with time. That was a problem with some of the old DingoTone stains IIRC.

Looking forward to seeing what you're doing with this one. The previous one was such a great gift. I had a feeling you'd want one too ;-)

[DarkMark]

I don’t have access to the OG guitar, but I understand the colour is stable. Part of the reason it is used in pathology I suspect. Head stock not shaped, but out with the old nut and in with a zero fret glide nut. Hopefully this will aid return to tune along with locking tuners when I use the whammy bar. Note to difference in string spacing. That’s fine with me because I have fat fingers.

[DarkMark]

Ok, forgot to upload the photo.

[fender3x]

I hadn't seen a zero glide nut before. That looks really interesting! Have you used them before? It looks like a great idea, and should make getting the action right a breeze. Does it brighten the tone the way a brass nut does?

...Note to difference in string spacing. That’s fine with me because I have fat fingers...

I resemble that remark ;-)

[DarkMark]

I have never used a zero fret before and I had completely forgotten I had brought it for another project years ago. I was a bit nervous about how low it would be at the nut until someone pointed out what happens when you put your finger down on the 1st fret. I’ve checked with a fret rocker and the zero fret is ever so slightly, slightly higher (literally half the width of a bee’s d,!&) than the first fret, so I think that must be spot on. Easy to install as you cut behind the nut into the fret board instead of in front of it. I assume the action will be nice and low.
Right now I’m wishing I kept a record of the wiring I did before. From what I can find it looks to me that the yellow wire from the middle volume pot tab and one of the black wires on the back go to the output. The other black wire on the back of the volume pot goes to the spring claw.

Ps. Well played against Australia in the World Cup last week.