New Build - Stratelecaster - Strat & Tele Hybrid

[Mark Crenshaw]

I didn't start a thread here for this one because I guess I thought folks were getting tired of Telecasters. This one's a bit differetnt. It's body is 75% Tele and 25% Strat. I used the lower horn of the Strat to accomodate a Strat pickguard. I'm spraying clear coats today as I type this.

The complete build is here (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/205073-stratelecaster.html).

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/body79.jpg
http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/body80.jpg
http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/body81.jpg
http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/body82.jpg

Peace,
Mark

[Dave MacArthur]

Really nice, enjoyable thread to read!

[Mark Crenshaw]

Really nice, enjoyable thread to read!

Thanks Dave!

Mark

[Van Huskey]

Also always very very nice.

[Mark Crenshaw]

Also always very very nice.

Thanks Van!

Peace,
Mark

[Joe Cunningham]

Rockin' Mark. You could have put the Strat headstock on it too. :D Then everyone would be really confused.

A guy in my guitar class is building a sweet rosewood Tele. Can't wait to see that one with finish on it.

[Steve Milito]

Mark,

Would it be crazy to build a guitar if you don't play? Are there luthiers that aren't musicians?

[Mark Crenshaw]

Mark,

Would it be crazy to build a guitar if you don't play? Are there luthiers that aren't musicians?

Hi Steve. There are many guitar builders and techs who don't play. There is an advantage to being a player in knowing how components interact with eachother, but I don't think it's crazy at all to build a guitar even though you don't play. Go for it!

Peace,
Mark

[Mark Crenshaw]

Rockin' Mark. You could have put the Strat headstock on it too. :D Then everyone would be really confused.

A guy in my guitar class is building a sweet rosewood Tele. Can't wait to see that one with finish on it.

Hi Joe. Thanks!

I didn't want to stray too much from the Tele...just enough to add a Strat pickguard and pickups. I do have a flame maple Strat neck that's sitting in the closet. Might be worth a look.

Peace,
Mark

[Matt Walton]

I also notice that it's a Strat Bridge. I like it! are you going to have whammy/tremolo bar?

[Mark Crenshaw]

Just a quick update. I have all the clear coats sprayed. I've been very happy with the way the EmTech water based lavquer lays down...just beautifil. It sprays like nitro, flows out smoothly, and cures very quickly. Of course, I've added a bit of help in the curing dept.

I hang the guitars in my studio closet and I've placed a small space heater ( no extention cords involved...keeping it safe) in there with them...it keeps the room at about 100 degrees F. That coupled with the dry air indoors from the A/C really help the spraying schedule.

I spray 2 double coats, place them in the hot room for an hour, spray 2 more and so on. It's been great. And when they come out of the room for another few coats, they're quite warm and the coats flash very quickly...allowing the double coat process to go very quick without fear of sags or runs.

This will also allow me to speed up the cure time...normally fully cured in 100 hours. I used this hot room on my $210 Challenge entry and buffed it out the next day...only 20 hours after the final coats were sprayed.

http://www.crenshawweb.com/all07.jpg

Now I just need to wait a few days for "baking" and they will all be ready for buffing.

[Mark Crenshaw]

I got started on buffing this morning. I started with 1000 grit, then 2000 grit wet sanding. Then buffed with fine ColorTone compound. I switched from my small buffer to a foam pad. It worked beautifully. It took only seconds before I had a smooth mirror shine...something the small buffer took much longer to accomplish.

I was sanding/buffing 4 guitars this morning, so this is only to fine compound. I need to make a pass with swirl remover and then hand polish.

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin01.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin02.jpg

After a pass with swirl remover...

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin03.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin04.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin05.jpg

[Mark Crenshaw]

I started assembly on this one today.

I'm going with the Guitar Fetish Super Strat wiring kit. I've the pickguard and kit sitting on a shelf for over a year now. I figured since this is a cross between two models of very different sounds, why not give it the widest range of sounds I could without buying another wiring kit.

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin06.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin07.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin08.jpg

I had to do a fair amount of sanding on the neck heel and pocket to get it sit there properly...I'll have to rebuff the heel once I get it all tweaked in.

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin09.jpg

I hope to get it finished, but I have to level some ground in the backyard for a swimming pool. ech!

[Mark Crenshaw]

Well, after a day of shoveling dirt, grilling burgers and a brief afternoon nap, I was able to get this one wired up this evening. I'm not diggin' the switches...guess it takes some getting used to. It's a nice look. I just need some practice with them.

I'll post some sound clips tomorrow. I still need to set up the bridge and file the nut.

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin10.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin11.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin12.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin13.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin14.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin15.jpg

[Mark Crenshaw]

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin16.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin17.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/stratele/fin18.jpg

[Michael Stanley]

WOW.......I want that!!!!!!!!! :D
It would fit beautifully with my small collection.

[Jim Becker]

Outstanding, Mark. That finish really buffs up wonderfully!

[Mark Crenshaw]

WOW.......I want that!!!!!!!!! :D
It would fit beautifully with my small collection.

Thanks Michael! I'd be happy to build you one. :D

Mark

[Mark Crenshaw]

Outstanding, Mark. That finish really buffs up wonderfully!

Thanks Jim.

I've been pretty happy with the WB lacquer. I had a few missteps getting started with it but, overall it's been wonderful to work with. And, like you said, it buffs very nicely...and easily too.

Mark

[Seth Dolcourt]

Mark,

I'd like two scoops of that in a waffle cone. Sweet build!

Great idea for the hot box, though my wife would have my head on a platter if I did that in the closet. Maybe something knock down and garage based.

Hmmmm.....

Cheers

Seth

[Mark Crenshaw]

Mark,

I'd like two scoops of that in a waffle cone. Sweet build!

Great idea for the hot box, though my wife would have my head on a platter if I did that in the closet. Maybe something knock down and garage based.

Hmmmm.....

Cheers

Seth

Hey Seth. Thanks! I use water based finishes so it's a non issue bringing them in the house. I don't think my wife even knows...:D

Peace,
Mark

[Mark Crenshaw]

Here we go... audio of the Stratelecaster.

Setup:
Line 6 FlexTone II, a bit of reverb and some delay. Gating and compression on the dirty lead parts.
Single SM57 slightly off axis about 6" out
Helixboard 18 pres into Cubase SX3

I threw these together in the hour that I had to myself this evening. I realized after the fact that the pre on my I/O converter might have been a bit hot. Still. you get a good feel for how it sounds. I don't have the phase side of the switches hooked up yet so this is the 9 main sounds of the switch combos. I only did each of the 3 PUs on the dirty lead parts...ran out of time.

The PUs (StewMac Golden Age) have a nice dynamic range. You can hear in the rhythm clips that the picked notes articulate nicely, then the strummed chords break up the amp pretty good. They have plenty of power for the dirty stuff and back off nicely for the clean parts.

Rhythm
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/bridge_r.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/middle_r.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/neck_r.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/bridge_mid_r.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/mid_neck_r.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/bridge_neck_r.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/all_r.mp3

Clean Lead
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/bridge.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/middle.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/neck.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/bridge_mid.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/mid_neck.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/bridge_neck.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/all.mp3

Dirty Lead
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/bridge_l.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/middle_l.mp3
http://www.crenshawweb.com/audio/neck_l.mp3

Peace,
Mark

[Jim Becker]

Very nice sound, Mark. Thanks for sharing those clips!

[Dave MacArthur]

Great sound! Good clips too, really nice to hear the guitar after following your build project--makes me feel I was right there with you start to finish. Super thread, thanks for sharing!

[Mark Crenshaw]

I got this from Target Coatings today. You guys who use their products may have already seen it but I just had to gloat a bit. The StraTelecaster was featured in their email newsletter.

Ear:D:D:D:DEar


http://www.crenshawweb.com/target.jpg

Peace,
Mark

[Seth Dolcourt]

Mark,

I've been noodling around Target's website. I'm looking to try out EM6000.

What is your take on brushing the product? Currently, I have no spray gear at all, so given your knowledge of the product, what are the chances of success with brushing?

Cheers,

Seth

[David Christopher]

I got this from Target Coatings today. You guys who use their products may have already seen it but I just had to gloat a bit. The StraTelecaster was featured in their email newsletter.

Ear:D:D:D:DEar


http://www.crenshawweb.com/target.jpg

Peace,
Mark


Mark, congrats on the advertisement, BTW thats a beautiful guitar

[Mark Crenshaw]

Mark,

I've been noodling around Target's website. I'm looking to try out EM6000.

What is your take on brushing the product? Currently, I have no spray gear at all, so given your knowledge of the product, what are the chances of success with brushing?

Cheers,

Seth

Hi Seth.

I haven't used it but Target sells a retarder that is specifically intened to slow dry time for spraying, brushing or wiping of it's products. Look in the Additives section of their site. I think it's called SA5 or something like that. Should be just what you're looking for.

On EM6000 itself, it's a joy to work with compared to the toxic nature of nitro. Easy cleanup, no nasty odor and it's dry and ready for buffing in 4 days. The only issue I have with it is it has a blue hazy look to it while in the can which can make tinting a challenge. They recommend their EM1000 sealer as a tint base but I've had issues using the 2 products together. If the EM1000 isn't fully cured before EM6000 top coats, it can react and cause crazing.

Best of luck. The folks at Target are very nice and offer great service.

Peace,
Mark

[Mark Crenshaw]

Mark, congrats on the advertisement, BTW thats a beautiful guitar

Thanks Dave!

Peace,
Mark

[Seth Dolcourt]

Awesome advice, Mark! That's what I was looking for.

Cheers,

Seth

[Will Boulware]

Very nice! Love the pickup switching setup!