Custom HotRod Strat Build.

[Simon Barden]

It does. So it can only happen on systems like the earth, where we have a renewing source of energy via the sun.

[DrNomis_44]

It does. So it can only happen on systems like the earth, where we have a renewing source of energy via the sun.

Yep, and it is plant life that uses that energy from the sun in the process of Photosynthesis, and we all know that Energy cannot be destroyed, it can only be converted from one form of Energy to another as defined by the laws of Thermodynamics, which happens to be what Entropy is a part of, I think I am starting to understand things a bit better now, sometimes I have days where everything is crystal-clear to me.

[ILRGuitars]

But the Sun itself is in a state of entropy. It will eventually burn itself out, expand to a giant red star state, envelop the Earth, explode and release it's remaining energy and material back into the universe. Much like my head is starting to feel now.

[andrewdosborne]

Hey Doc you've lost me on the entropy thing but glad too see this Strat up and running, great job!

Sent from my Moto G4 Plus using Tapatalk

[DrNomis_44]

Hey Doc you've lost me on the entropy thing but glad too see this Strat up and running, great job!

Sent from my Moto G4 Plus using Tapatalk

I'll let you in on a secret, I get lost on the whole Entropy thing too, so you're not alone mate, I'm glad that the Strat is up and running too, I actually went through a guitar-playing withdrawal period for a few days till I bought some new strings, I was close to getting the DTs....hahahaha..j/k.....,sometimes guitar playing can get a bit addictive, I'm sure you know what I mean and can relate to that, I think when you pick up a guitar and play it, you tend to feel good because it releases Endorphins in your brain, along with Serotonin (which is what makes you feel good).

On another note, I'm going to be making the first of two layby payments on the Christmas present I'm buying myself next fortnight, I was going to do it this fortnight but I had to pay my internet bill so I was a bit short of money, I won't need to pay it again till next month though.

I guess you're wondering what I'm buying myself for Christmas this year?, it's a new Joey Jordison BC Rich Warlock II Electric Guitar, I have always wanted a BC Rich Warlock guitar ever since I first saw one in one of my guitar magazines I used to collect back in the 90's, but I could never afford to buy one, the Warlock II guitar I'm buying was originally retailing for about $770.00 or so, if memory serves me right, but I talked to one of the shop assistants and asked them what sort of deal they could do for me on the guitar, they said that they could drop the price down to $720.00, so I got them to put it on hold for me, here's what the guitar looks like:

[DrNomis_44]

Thought I would start doing the Floyd Rose Trem setup tutorial in this thread.


I've read lots of posts on the internet where people were saying that the Floyd Rose Trem system is a hard one to set up, but the thing is, when you know how to, it can actually be no more difficult than it is to set up a traditional Strat-Style Trem system, here's how, using the Trem system installed on my HotRod Strat as an example.


1, The first thing I do is an initial set up of the two bridge pivot-posts, this involves placing the bridge in the bridge route on the body of the guitar, without the three springs, or the strings installed, on the low E-String side of the bridge, I set the bridge pivot-post height so that the edge is about flush with the body if the guitar has no scratchplate, if it has a scratchplate like a Strat, I set the pivot-post height so that the edge of the bridge is about flush with the surface of the scratchplate, I do the same for the high E-String side of the bridge except that I adjust the pivot-post height so that the edge of the bridge is roughly 1mm higher than the surface of the body, or scratchplate, doing this gets the action at the 17th fret in the ballpark so that you only need to worry about intonating each string.

2, Next, I install the Trem springs, and then I put a small piece of wood in front of the sustain-block so that it prevents the spring-tension from pulling the bridge into the body bridge-routing, the piece of wood is cut to a thickness that gets the bridge sitting parallel with the body, it is essential that the bridge is sitting parallel to the body rather than at an angle, this ensures that the bridge will come back to it's neutral position easily.

3, After I've set the bridge so that it is sitting parallel to the body, I tighten the tension on the springs by tightening the two spring-claw screws so that the spring tension holds the bridge in place.

4, Next, I install all the strings on the guitar and tune them up to pitch, the tension on the Trem springs should be enough so that the bridge doesn't lean forward towards the neck under string tension.

5, Doing all that first takes two adjustments out of the equation so that the only adjustment you have left to do is the individual string intonation, there's a special little tool called The Key, which you can order online from Stewmac.com, it makes setting the intonation on a Floyd Trem much easier, and more accurate, and I strongly recommend buying one, I ordered one online from Stewmac.com, and this is what it looks like:




http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools...s/The_Key.html


6, Finally, once I'm happy that I have the intonation for each string set correctly, I will loosen-off the spring-tension so that the piece of wood used to get the bridge sitting parallel to the body, just falls out from where it is placed, this will indicate that the spring-tension equals the string-tension, and the bridge should now be floating parallel to the body, which is what we want.


To illustrate my method for setting up a Floyd Rose Trem, I will be posting some pics of each step in the process, later on.

So stay tuned.

[Dedman]

Embrace Wabi-Sabi. The perfection of imperfection.

[DrNomis_44]

Embrace Wabi-Sabi. The perfection of imperfection.

Yep, I quite like the whole philosophy behind the concept of Wabi-Sabi, I guess you could say that I have implemented the Wabi-Sabi concept with the body finish, incidentally, the body of my HotRod Strat has acquired some small dings in the time i have been playing it, I'm not really going to worry about the dings so I'll consider them custom-relicing....which means that it is adopting the Wabi-Sabi philosophy.


Wabi-Sabi:

The beauty in impermanence, imperfection, and incompleteness.

[Zandit75]

I've only just come across this philosophy on the acoustic forum I am a part of. One of the master luthiers on the site is trying to build a guitar to this technique.
It's an interesting read with everyone's input.
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=450198

[FrankenWashie]

Oh Zandit, Zandit, Zandit...why did you post this. and why oh why did I click the link. I am utterly engrossed in that build now. Not to mention the philosophising surrounding it. Wonderful, wonderful stuff. My faux lamentations aside, most sincerely I thank you.