robs STA-1 - Lyn #6 (Serenas Strat)

[robin]

rob's STA-1 - Lyn #6 (Serena's Strat)

Back Story
Well folks, it's time to start my next build. As you can probably tell by the name, this one is not for me. Serena plays guitar with me at our church, and over the past year has helped me through bit of a rough patch.

Serena's first foray into electric guitars was playing the one and only electric guitar I had ever owned at the time, my treasured Gibson Les Paul. Being influenced by my admittedly biased preference for Gibson's, when it came time for her to buy her own guitar, Serena went for humbuckers.

Since discovering PBG I have discovered the crystal clear sounds of single coil guitars. So which guitar to build for her 21st Birthday? I suggested a 'Strat' style guitar. She thought that was a good idea, especially as she would NEVER buy one for herself. So the reputation of Fender (and all single coil guitars) now rests delicately in my fumbling hands. So no pressure there. lol.

At this stage I have no idea of colour, finish, hardware or even headstock design, as I have left all these decisions to Serena.

So this will be my first 'customer' guitar, and letting go of the reins will not be easy. But there is no way my old fashioned ideas will appeal to the younger generation.

The Build.
The STA-1 kit (like some other Ash kits) is affected by glue, filler and knots. Another problem to overcome will be a neck heel that is not flat and will need some sort of shim to get a good fit. But I am sure that all these issues can be overcome.

The photos below show some of the problems. They are not meant as criticism of the kit, but only the 'before' photos to hopefully show that even amateurs like myself can overcome these minor hurdles.

All in all I'm looking forward to the challenges of this build.

Cheers
rob

[robin]

Just a couple more 'before' shots.

[Tim]

Great reason to build someone a guitar Robin.
Look forward to your build and how you tackle
these minor hurdles

[robin]

Thanks Tim. Actually it was Serena and Bec that help me get through. Bec got the IB-5 bass and now its Serena's turn.

Hopefully Serena will get the guitar that she deserves.

rob

[robin]

Time for a quick update.

Serena has given me quite simple instructions for this build.

1. No Fender headstock.

2. Satin black finish.

Seeing as she explicitly told me she has NEVER wanted a Fender style guitar I had better deliver on these or I'm in big trouble.

Serena chose a G&L design for the headstock, so chore 1 complete.

I have finished attacking the glue and filler, with mixed success. But I think its just about ready for the next step.

I decided to make the forearm and tummy cuts a bit more exaggerated and I made a rebate for the rear Trem cover.

So far so good. I have spent over 10 hours on the body, neck and headstock. I have bought some Feast Watson Black Japan dye, so will start on that tomorrow.

rob

[robin]

and a few more

[wokkaboy]

looking good already Robin, I like the headstock shape and the recess for the trem cover. Also like the additional tummy and forearm cuts, looks like an older style strat. Look forward to seeing it after the 1st coat

[robin]

Thanks Warren, the exaggerated cuts weren't in an attempt for a vintage style, heck, I didn't even know that Fender had changed body shapes through the years. Lol, I have so much to learn.

Not too sure how the black dye will go, as it's a pretty big departure to my usual offerings of more natural wood finishes. I thought I'd go with a stain/dye as against a paint to try and get some feature out of the Ash grain. But Serena was very specific with what she wanted, so we'll see how it turns out.

rob

[wokkaboy]

Hi Robin,
seems a real waste of beautiful grain to hide with paint, if the black dye entirely covers the grain I'd buy a ST-1 kit and build that for her. Serena must have seen Bec's IB5 and the popping grain, covering that ash grain could get you a long stint in the naughty corner ! haha

[WeirdBits]

It's looking great Robin, it'll be interesting to see how the dye turns out. The recessed trem cover is a nice touch, what is your clearence like with the trem block? Depending on the block it can sometimes be a pretty tight fit under the cover, especially when the bridge pivots.