I made a thing

Sarge

I set about this about a month ago mainly because I'd not tinkered with anything guitar related in a long while. 
My plan was to build a strat with a very limited budget for lounge playing and occasional jam with pals so nothing precious as it will get banged and bumped a fair bit. 
So cheap means ebay, and a £18 new body was acquired, "Candlenut wood"..... Yeah, me either. 
Ebay for the neck and the gamble paid off in that it's a decent piece of maple, frets all in the right place and a minimal fret dress. 

I didn't take progress pics of any note but standard fayre grainfill, celly sealer and "old English White" rattlecan nitro. 

Maida Vale a4 neck, irongear texas loco a5 middle and a giovanni artec bridge, cts "dimpleback" pots, oak style switch and all cloth covered wire make up the plate, switchcraft jack, Vanson lefty tuners and a temporary cheap bridge from Alegree. 

 


And the real doozy, the weight....... 

 
The pickups are a bit mismatched in tone and output but that'll be rectified when funds allow, probably from Maida Vale again. 

DrBob

Looks nice man 

TTony

Looks like you made yourself a nice guitar!

phil_b

Got a link to the neck seller please 

Sarge

DrBob said:

Looks nice man 

Thanks

TTony said:

Looks like you made yourself a nice guitar!

It certainly does, thanks.

 phil_b said:

Got a link to the neck seller please 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333565792268

The listing for mine was removed immediately after I purchased it which got me worried, but it arrived in a few days from Dublin. 
This looks to be identical pics to my purchase, but mine was £25

Sarge

I should say a big thanks to @Fishboy7 for donating the brand new Fender neckplate and screws for this, lovely gesture mate, thank you  

hollywoodrox

Awesome

Andyjr1515

Lovely job @Sarge ;

munckee

I’m impressed with the paint job. How many coats and did you sand between coats?

Im afraid you were conned with the neck though, the headstock is the wrong way round!

Sarge

munckee said:

I’m impressed with the paint job. How many coats and did you sand between coats?

Im afraid you were conned with the neck though, the headstock is the wrong way round!

I think it was 3 coats then flatten out the orange peel as the 3rd coat I'd put on the weather was a bit chilly. 
Then one last wet coat, leaving just enough in the can to get 2 coats on the headstock, no sealer there. 

Sarge

The neck was unfinished so I sanded 320g, wet it to raise the grain then fine sanded at 600g. 
I made a tint stain to take the pale maple down a touch then sanded that back a little and burnished it hard with a cotton rag before a rubbing in a very thin Tru Oil coat to seal, once that was fully dry I put on about 6 or 7 coats then flat with 0000g wire wool, and buff to finish. 
Feels lovely

Sarge

Forgot the neck pic

Corvus

 Nice one Sarge, lovely colour that white too

PeteC

Very nice job.  Love that finish you have achieved on the body ( and the neck too tbh ).  That’s a really nice colour on a Strat.   Great build on a budget - shows what can be done 

Jazzthat

It looks cool

Sarge

Thanks chaps 

lovestrat74

Sarge said:

I should say a big thanks to @Fishboy7 for donating the brand new Fender neckplate and screws for this, lovely gesture mate, thank you  

Nice work @Sarge

Another mention to @Fishboy7 I bought a 3 way switch off him the other week and he sent me the entire (quality) harness  

Keefy

Loving the matching headstock! It deserves a nice decal of some kind.

Fishboy7

No worries both - all surplus to requirements 

Sarge

Keefy said:

Loving the matching headstock! It deserves a nice decal of some kind.

Thanks!
I'm in 2 minds about a decal, I do like a naked headstock but a gold or silver something might look nice, but then again I don't have my own design, nor do I name my guitars.
I don't like the silly take on the fender logo "Straponcaster" etc, I'll see if one of my kids wants to design something maybe.