Monterey Pop Strat build thread.

PVO_Dave

Following this thread (Monterey Pop Waterslide graphics), I had a bit of a 'bee in my bonnet' about how I could get a decent Monterey Pop inspired Strat.

The initial plan was to source a Strat body, get it painted (by the very talented @lamf68) up to the pre clear layer, get it posted back, I'd get a local arty friend to paint it by hand, then ship it back to Rich to get it clear coated.

With a price for the spraying agreed, I sourced a Strat body from here, very rough round the edges, but a decent price with the bridge etc..

I got this shipped over to Rich and then started looking out for a neck, before even trying to see what was around, I pinged a message to @GSPBASSES as luck would have it, he had two Strat necks available

The obvious downside (for this build) were the big headstocks, Grahame was confident he could get it to the 'normal' shape, so I picked neck 2 (22 fret top adjustable truss rod), Grahame worked his magic and adjusted the headstock

Neck paid for, I then ordered up the vintage yellow Wudtone kit (after posting on here for examples of it being used).

In the middle of this, myself and Rich were talking via email and he fancied having a go at doing the Monterey graphics, the original plan was to free hand, then Rich saw the graphics I'd done and we went back to the waterslide route, but with the colour sections hand painted in (so the blues would show up properly.

So, graphics sent to Rich, also bought a new scratch plate and some paint from the Warhammer shop in Watford (I thought model paint might be a good bet, not sure Rich agrees now ) - check out the names! lol

So, with Rich starting to prep the body, I got on with the neck, heres the first shot to show the contrast between the plain maple and the first coat of vintage yellow (I apply Wudtone very thin)

Fast forward a few steps, I ordered up a Waterslide decal, applied and applied more clear, here's the neck finished

Close up of the decal

PVO_Dave

@lamf68 being the perfectionist that he is, has painted this body about 6 times until he was happy with the right period red

Then came the schemantics of how to get the white burst over the red (as per the original) without too much, or too little overspray, the end results speak for themselves though

PVO_Dave

With the body nearly ready, it was time to deal with the graphics. I'd been doing some more googling whilst Rich was doing all the hard work and found an eBay auction selling a spray paint template for Monterey Pop graphics, it was for a variation on the design, but I loved the idea of it, as did Rich once I sent him the link.

So, we got in contact with a vinyl graphics place and I gave my self a crash course in Illustrator, I generated templates for paint from the graphics I had for the waterslides. After a bit of messing about (think it took around 2 weeks, with them sending the complete opposite of what we wanted template wise first) with the graphics company, we finally got the templates.

The vinyl supplied was not the low tack stuff we asked for, but the stickiest sticky stuff known to man, after exchanging a few ideas about how best to get this vinyl accurately in place, Rich went for it

We were now past the point of no return, we only had the one set, the paint went on

Thankfully, the planning worked out - This is how things looked after Rich wrestled the sticky sticky vinyl off (you can see all the goop it left behind)

After letting the paint dry, the body and plate were then cleaned up to remove the goop

Look how clean those lines are

Next.. the colouring in! (more on this to follow later )

jd0272

Really rather top notch!

PVO_Dave

So, with solid black lines in place, colouring in time.

I was toying with the idea of ordering some 'inverse' templates (basically the lines that have already been painted) to give something to colour into, but Rich cracked on by hand. I suspect my name is mud in the Rendall household as the previously mentioned 'nerd troll paint' is hard work, coupled with the fact that there are some very tight lines to paint between.

Coat one however is now complete and things are really starting to come to life

The body and pick guard together

That's it for now, next steps are another couple of individual colour coats then once complete a coat or two of clear on top. Once done it's back to me to get the guitar built up.

Tonight, I've ordered the neck plate, plastics and wiring kit.

Yet to decide on pickups, I think an email to @TheGuitarWeasel is in order, got a real fancy for something like Bare Knuckle 'Mothers Milk' pickups, so open to suggestions

Next update on here once the clear is done.

Roland

Pics not showing on iPad.

PVO_Dave

Showing on my iPad

Jookyjr

I can see them and they are awesome. You did use flammable paint?

dafuzz

Brilliant stuff!

jd0272

Jookyjr;786031" said:

I can see them and they are awesome. You did use flammable paint?

Yer on ya game kiddo!!!

paulnb57

Have a Wow!

Christ* on a bike, that is awesome!........

*Other Religious icons are available.....

usedtobe

Wow, that's fantastic!

shaunyshaun1234

That isounds unbelievable!

Where did you get your decal from?

stickyfiddle

That's fecking brilliant. Though I'm slightly disappointed you didn't just use sharpies

monofin

That's gonna be a cool guitar

lamf68

What you can't see in the pics are the tears, the millions of tears!

PVO_Dave

Jookyjr said:

I can see them and they are awesome. You did use flammable paint?

I hope to not find out. Me not burning this won't be the only difference between what me and Jimi can do with a guitar. 

shaunyshaun1234 said:

That isounds unbelievable!

Where did you get your decal from?

Found a scewed version on the net, tweaked it, corrected colour, resized to fit. Then simplified the lines for the vinyl template(s) 

stickyfiddle said:

That's fecking brilliant. Though I'm slightly disappointed you didn't just use sharpies

If a bright blue/turquoise would have shown on the red, I'd have been up for it! The blue would have got totally lost on the red sadly. 

lamf68 said:

What you can't see in the pics are the tears, the millions of tears!

Happy to pay extra for some tissues

impmann

Great looking guitar.

I reckon a set of Stone Tones from OCP would be the kiddie for that...

PVO_Dave

Pickups now ordered - Have gone for Oil City (again, 3rd set from @TheGuitarWeasel )

They are based on similar spec to the Mothers Milk pickups, prototypes of the new OCP Masterwound pickups

OilCityPickups

Thanks for the mention Dave, I will be doing a photo story on winding these in the Made In UK section ... They are based on some 1966 originals I rewound for a customer a while back (with a slightly over-wound bridge unit). One of my favorite vintage Strat pickups.

PVO_Dave

The first round of clear coats have now gone on, it's had a wet sand and a buff. Some more to do though, just to make sure my hamfisted playing / handling of the guitar doesn't wear through to fast and damage the pattern.

Again, superb work by the very talented @lamf68

The rest of the parts to put this together are turning up now too, can't wait to get it together