Making my MJT look a bit more authentic?

Bucket

So, some of you may remember my MJT Strat, in Candy Green.

My idea was to have an early-60s style Strat with supercharged performance - quite a fat neck, but a flatter fretboard, and 22 biggish frets. It worked, playability-wise at least. Foolishly, I let my undying love for the CBS headstock get the better of me and ordered the neck with one, and it looks decidedly incongruous. The neck is also totally the wrong colour - they sent me all the finish samples and I chose what I thought was a cool one, but I made the wrong decision - it's very dark, smoky orange and just looks weird. Also, I'm not entirely convinced the profile is right, and I think the frets are too big. All of these are my fault btw, and no reflection on MJT or USACG - they built me exactly what I ordered, it's just that I didn't order the right thing.

So I'm going to get a new neck made at some point, not for a while probably. Money is tight at the minute and I have other things to prioritise - but a mate is interested in the neck, so I could sell it to him and use the money to get a new neck made. Anyway...

The main issue bugging me at the minute is the overall aesthetic of the guitar. I love the Candy Green, still, and I was adamant it had to be that colour. To me, it's the best of the modern Fender custom colours that could, and should, have existed in the early 60s alongside Lake Placid Blue and Shoreline Gold etc. But there's other stuff about the look that just... somehow doesn't look quite right. Almost all the MJTs I've seen have resided in this strange uncanny valley of looking so, so close to a CS or even vintage Fender, but are just short of pulling it off entirely. Which I'm sure suits them just fine from a legal point of view, but hey.

I can never put my finger on exactly what it is - I'm pretty sure the body shape is exact, the hardware is all the same, the finishes are excellent. The only thing I can think is that it might be the plastics not looking quite right - the scratchplates and pickup covers. But I don't understand how that could be. See if you agree - here are some pics of my guitar:

http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af347/ConnorF1995/MJT green light relic Strat/DSCF1989_zps97443f0e.jpg

http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af347/ConnorF1995/MJT green light relic Strat/DSCF1987_zps3d264e00.jpg

http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af347/ConnorF1995/MJT green light relic Strat/743c2608-ff97-47cf-b1a9-1b01567f7893_zpsu1amszkv.jpg

http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af347/ConnorF1995/MJT green light relic Strat/20141028_190616_zpscf17ed05.jpg

http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af347/ConnorF1995/DSCF1996_zps00f008c0.jpg

Does anyone see what I mean? I hope I'm not the only one who notices this.

Any ideas? What could I do to make my Strat look a little more authentic? Other than the neck, obviously, I know that

horse

I wonder if you're just not used to seeing strats that colour? That alone could be making the difference?

sawyer

I think it looks pretty good!  I think sometimes when you build something yourself you look at it too hard.Too critically.Focusing on individual parts too much. Leave it a couple days and look at it as a whole thing with fresh eyes. I think it looks right.

guitarfishbay

It looks fine. It'd look cooler with black plastics but I think that about most strats!

sawyer

Actually i like that a lot!

Gassage

Now you're being just silly. It's stunning. If you wanted to be really picky you'd maybe say the checking is more than the wear but that's it.

stickyfiddle

I think the body end looks great.  Just chuck a more trad-looking neck on it and it'll be perfect. I think any non-traditional-ness coming from the body is purely because it's not a 60's colour, but it's only slightly brighter than some sherwood greens, so it's not a problem. 

In terms of new necks I'm keen to recommend MJT again - get a Musikraft neck with the right headstock (small FTW!! ) and exactly the spec you want. Have it shipped to MJT and show them pictures of similar necks that look how you want and they'll do it perfectly. Never understood why they do that mega-tobacco almost brown thing so often.

Dominic

Don't see the issue ........looks great but Tortie guard would look better
the white is a bit harsh against the green

jimmyguitar

I'm with the others... the body, plastics etc look right to me. The neck would actually look right if you lightly sand with wire wool just the back and leave the headstock front. In the late 60's Fender started using poly on the headstock face to seal the decals and it was nitro elsewhere so they tend to have orange headstocks! I like the big headstock, I went similar spec on my bravewood build.
https://i.imgur.com/3wXTHhy.jpg

ICBM

Bucket said:

I can never put my finger on exactly what it is - I'm pretty sure the body shape is exact, the hardware is all the same, the finishes are excellent. The only thing I can think is that it might be the plastics not looking quite right - the scratchplates and pickup covers. But I don't understand how that could be.

It's the 'clay' dots. Seriously. Big headstocks go with pearl dots… always. Clay dots look shit anyway and are only acceptable on '59-'64 replicas because that's what Fender used.

Possible to change, but not a DIY job really - unless you get a new neck. But if you don't want to do that, strip the finish from the back and leave the front face, as jimmyguitar said… give it a late-60s/early 70s vibe. Dress the frets lower if you need to.

Gassage said:

If you wanted to be really picky you'd maybe say the checking is more than the wear but that's it.

That's exactly why it looks right. Real old guitars are almost always like that, rather than the comedy belt-sander jobs you see on most relics.

Sassafras

You've got a deep underlying obsession which if not treated threatens to send you sliding down a spiral of madness.

I think you just want a Fender.

Or more relicing.

Neil

I agree with you OP,  the headstock does look completely out of place.

You want a supercharged '60's Strat?

Sell what you have and get a Fender Classic Player '60's - it ticks all the boxes and not expensive. How much did that neck cost?

Of course it doesn't come in that green, but then they didn't in the '60's.

sawyer

Supercharged 60's Strat = nickle covered bridge humbucker:) ggrrr!

Jack_

Time to get the belt sander out and add some "genuine wear".

stickyfiddle

Neil said:

I agree with you OP,  the headstock does look completely out of place.

You want a supercharged '60's Strat?

Sell what you have and get a Fender Classic Player '60's - it ticks all the boxes and not expensive. How much did that neck cost?

Of course it doesn't come in that green, but then they didn't in the '60's.

Or do what I did and buy a CP60's just for the neck and ebay the rest of it

streethawk

jimmyguitar said:

I'm with the others... the body, plastics etc look right to me. The neck would actually look right if you lightly sand with wire wool just the back and leave the headstock front. In the late 60's Fender started using poly on the headstock face to seal the decals and it was nitro elsewhere so they tend to have orange headstocks! I like the big headstock, I went similar spec on my bravewood build.
https://i.imgur.com/3wXTHhy.jpg

Other way around. 

I think the OP's strat is very nice btw. Swap the neck with someone else's if you don't think it fits your guitar.

axisus

I don't have a problem with that at all, it looks like a very cool strat (other than I'm not keen on the bigger 70s headstock). If I was after a strat and that was for sale I'd be interested. I should clarify though - I don't need one!

Kebabkid

Another +1 for a Classic Player 60's neck. Alternatively, and if you can find one, an MIM Robert Cray neck might suit you more as it's slightly fuller but not a baseball bat.

A more aged pickguard, too, would work on this - it looks too white. Again, look at the Robert Cray one

mudslide73

It's hard to stop viewing a bitsa as a collection of parts and I think it takes time even when you're happy with it. I've always thought yours looked killer Bucket. I'd just try some other necks - my MJT is on its third now. 

jimmyguitar

streethawk said:

jimmyguitar said:

I'm with the others... the body, plastics etc look right to me. The neck would actually look right if you lightly sand with wire wool just the back and leave the headstock front. In the late 60's Fender started using poly on the headstock face to seal the decals and it was nitro elsewhere so they tend to have orange headstocks! I like the big headstock, I went similar spec on my bravewood build.
https://i.imgur.com/3wXTHhy.jpg

Other way around. 

I think the OP's strat is very nice btw. Swap the neck with someone else's if you don't think it fits your guitar.

Yep, you're right!

dindude

It looks great, and if you go with your hunch that the neck ain't right then change it and jobs a good un. We all tend to over think these things, period correct features etc, but when I get obsessed I always think, Jeff Beck uses a 2-point trem, Eric Johnson puts a single coil sized Dimarzio humbucker in his '57 Strat etc etc. It's whatever works for you, not what other people on forums think.

Yours looks way more like a CS Strat than my own CS Strat, which has all the "wrong" features.