C18Q1 - eSullys partscaster rework

eSully

Here we go, this was an impulse buy off ebay a year or two ago. It arrived pretty much unplayable with dodgy wiring/pickups and unable to stay in tune. I never did get around to fixing it so my mission for the challenge is to turn this strat/tele thing into a playable guitar:





Plan is:

• The maple neck needs a fret dress. New nut and machineheads are essential (both removed now)
• Decent quality saddles for the bridge
• Replace pickups, pots and wiring completely. Perhaps scratchplate too
• Refinish the body. 

The body is one piece of Idigbo and has had a very light coat of something on already (perhaps linseed oil?!). I'm toying with the idea of re-doing it as a goldtop with natural back and sides, perhaps with some kind of binding. Otherwise I will try to tru-oil slurry method I read on here before to finish it.

Opinions welcome!!

Rocker

An interesting project my friend.  I like the 'square' sides of the guitar body, makes a change from the 'roundover' that most guitar bodies get.  I would be inclined to fit a good real Tele pickup on the bridge plate, unless the pickup already fitted is of decent quality.  Good luck with the challenge, I will be watching with interest....

markblack

how about burgundy mist with gold 'top' back and sides...

 


Saw this CS in coda a few weeks back, lets just say interesting

eSully

Rocker said:

An interesting project my friend.  I like the 'square' sides of the guitar body, makes a change from the 'roundover' that most guitar bodies get.  I would be inclined to fit a good real Tele pickup on the bridge plate, unless the pickup already fitted is of decent quality.  Good luck with the challenge, I will be watching with interest....

Thanks, it's actually a perfect guitar to mod really. The pickups in there were pretty rubbish last time I tried them tbh, in fact pretty much all the hardware was poor but the neck/body are quiet nice so I'll shop around for everything else soon.

markblack said:

how about burgundy mist with gold 'top' back and sides...

Saw this CS in coda a few weeks back, lets just say interesting

Interesting indeed ha, not sure the Burgundy mist is my scene BUT that white binding and gold back/sides is fantastic and has reinforced my interest in doing a gold top/binding/natural back. Cheers

paulnb57

Nice project with loads of potential...

TTony

eSully said:

The body is one piece of Idigbo and has had a very light coat of something on already (perhaps linseed oil?!). I'm toying with the idea of re-doing it as a goldtop with natural back and sides, perhaps with some kind of binding. Otherwise I will try to tru-oil slurry method I read on here before to finish it.

Opinions welcome!!

I'm not normally a fan of solid/painted finishes, because I prefer to see the beauty of the grain of the wood instead.

But, without wanting to sound rude, a solid finish on that wouldn't do it any harm.  

Sparkly!!

eSully

TTony said:

eSully said:

The body is one piece of Idigbo and has had a very light coat of something on already (perhaps linseed oil?!). I'm toying with the idea of re-doing it as a goldtop with natural back and sides, perhaps with some kind of binding. Otherwise I will try to tru-oil slurry method I read on here before to finish it.

Opinions welcome!!

I'm not normally a fan of solid/painted finishes, because I prefer to see the beauty of the grain of the wood instead.

But, without wanting to sound rude, a solid finish on that wouldn't do it any harm.  

Sparkly!!

Sparkly gold!!! hmmm maybe. I am thinking it would make my life a lot easier just to spray the whole body gold and forgetting the binding/natural back!!

TTony

eSully said:

I am thinking it would make my life a lot easier just to spray the whole body gold and forgetting the binding/natural back!!

Absolutely - but this isn't about doing "easy"

markblack

double bound gold - bit of relic? (yes I have gone down a double bound fender internet wormhole).



with TV jones'

eSully

markblack said:

double bound gold - bit of relic? (yes I have gone down a double bound fender internet wormhole).



with TV jones'

Hot damn, those are stunning. Cheers for sharing @markblack ; - Ok, you've convinced me, I'll definitely try to do some variation on that theme but with a maple fretboard. Haven't decided or looked into parts/pickups yet! No reason I couldn't put humbuckers/p90's in with a different loaded scratchplate. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure due to the routing I need to go with a strat style though!

markblack

I'm sure the Oil City G-Style would be a strong contender?

http://www.oilcitypickups.co.uk/gstyle.html

I have a single Oil City P90 in my parts caster.

eSully

That's lovely @markblack ;; - Will certainly consider those pickups!

Stripped the body earlier and this is what I have to work with 





So, baring in mind the routing already done these are my initial two ideas for a rough layout



*missing pickup toggle




Very much open to change. I haven't my mind firmly set on anything yet however the first layout is my favorite right now. Away for a week next week so I won't get started until mid-January on this (by the looks of it a few of the other projects will be finished by then!!!), Plenty of time to change everything

WezV

the first one  looks great.   familiar yet different

markblack

I like v2 - kind of a telecaster but the three way switch looks better up on the top horn IMHO.

markblack

Love modding cheap guitars... I did a BC Rich Bich, great fun for not much cash. Alas no space to do any more

From this...



to this...




Oil City Pickups yet again...

eSully

Not a guitar I ever thought I'd like but you did an amazing job there @markblack - Those saddles on the tunomatic are unusual, did you do that yourself?

I know what you mean about the pickup toggle on the top horn, I do already have a telecaster JA-90 with the pickup selector in that position. I'd quiet like to stick with the tele/strat matchup though. I'm thinking my V1 design could have a pickup toggle instead of the third volume/tone knob!

TTony

eSully said:

So, baring in mind the routing already done these are my initial two ideas for a rough layout


*missing pickup toggle

I like that,


Except ..

I've never found a Tele neck p'up that I like, that gives enough output to match anything other than a standard (aka weak) Tele bridge p'up.

Unless you get something "special" in the neck of that design, it might be a mis-match against the bridge HB unit?

But the aesthetics work very nicely.

eSully

TTony said:

I've never found a Tele neck p'up that I like, that gives enough output to match anything other than a standard (aka weak) Tele bridge p'up.

Unless you get something "special" in the neck of that design, it might be a mis-match against the bridge HB unit?

That's a very good point. I was realistically only thinking of aesthetics there, A more reasonable neck pickup might be a humbucker sized P90 with chrome cover!! Wouldn't quiet have the tele/strat mashup look but it would probably be a more practical solution, Plus a double humbucker sized strat scratchplate would be far easier to get!!

markblack

All the brass came from guitar fetish in the US.

http://www.guitarfetish.com/XGP-Brand-SOLID-BRASS-Slick-Guitars-wraparound-Bridge-_p_13877.html

Sourcing unusual parts of the but I love best. 

eSully

Tiny bit of progress yesterday, the binding is done, not perfect by any stretch but for my first time doing a binding I'm pretty happy with how well it came out.










and of course, me being me, I had to mess up one bit, over heated the plastic when I was bending it and it warped a little. Been at it with a scraper since though and it's fine now

paulnb57

eSully said:

TTony said:

I've never found a Tele neck p'up that I like, that gives enough output to match anything other than a standard (aka weak) Tele bridge p'up.

Unless you get something "special" in the neck of that design, it might be a mis-match against the bridge HB unit?

That's a very good point. I was realistically only thinking of aesthetics there, A more reasonable neck pickup might be a humbucker sized P90 with chrome cover!! Wouldn't quiet have the tele/strat mashup look but it would probably be a more practical solution, Plus a double humbucker sized strat scratchplate would be far easier to get!!

Creamery do a Tele neck size P90 which is very nice....