NGD - my strat.

Loobs

I don't really like Strats all that much, but that's nice. 

Needs a 3-ply mint green guard though.

Also, put something on the headstock. Looks naked. 

Megii

ThePrettyDamned said:

That's all I'd want, the middle strings have good tension - the top two are nice and slinky, but I don't know... I kinda like a bit more fight. We'll see.

I'd say try going up a string gauge, and see where that gets you.

Loobs

Jazzer

ThePrettyDamned

dindude;459612" said:

Looks ace. Is that trem the Wudtone vintage constant pivot thingamebob?

Been so close to putting one of the two post conversions in my CS Strat but it means drilling holes in my beloved and I'm a chicken.

It is, the vintage style one. Very nice it is. Tuning stability, bearing in mind I've not lubricated the nut, saddles or pivot points, seems... Okay, usable already. It drifts a bit - however, I've got 4 springs on under low tension, and I wonder whether I might be better off using only 3 springs and screwing the claw further in. I'll need to drill deeper for that, though, which will be nerve wracking for the finish... The trem itself is lovely, no play in the arm and very sensitive.

I'll be getting it in the garage tomorrow so will do it then and report back. I'll also lubricate everything so I'm expecting tuning stability to be great!

Loobs;459627" said:

I don't really like Strats all that much, but that's nice. 

Needs a 3-ply mint green guard though.

Also, put something on the headstock. Looks naked. 

Cheers! I'll consider a mint guard, maybe, but... White!

I agree on the headstock. It's pretty lame! I was thinking of a fiesta funkocaster decal. Seems suitably lame.

Megii;459669" said:

ThePrettyDamned said:That's all I'd want, the middle strings have good tension - the top two are nice and slinky, but I don't know... I kinda like a bit more fight. We'll see.





I'd say try going up a string gauge, and see where that gets you.

Naw, I'm liking going down to 10s! But the top strings could use a touch more break angle.

Laugh out loud moment - I'm so used to locking tuners that I had to look up the correct method of restringing. It now looks tidier

hobbio

I see you've gone old skool and decided to fit strings now

That's a lovely bit of kit mate

Megii

Loobs said:

Jazzer

I know, I know! I have 11s on both my strats, one of which has no string trees, and staggered tuners like TPD's - it does have a nice feel to play, honest.

Megii

ThePrettyDamned said:

Megii;459669" said:

ThePrettyDamned said:That's all I'd want, the middle strings have good tension - the top two are nice and slinky, but I don't know... I kinda like a bit more fight. We'll see.





I'd say try going up a string gauge, and see where that gets you.

Naw, I'm liking going down to 10s! But the top strings could use a touch more break angle.

Laugh out loud moment - I'm so used to locking tuners that I had to look up the correct method of restringing. It now looks tidier

Going down to 10s!? Shocking - did not realise I was talking to a fellow 11s user. Stick with the 11s I say Granted 12s might be a tad on the heavy side...

ThePrettyDamned

Megii;459711" said:

ThePrettyDamned said:Megii;459669" said:ThePrettyDamned said:That's all I'd want, the middle strings have good tension - the top two are nice and slinky, but I don't know... I kinda like a bit more fight. We'll see.











I'd say try going up a string gauge, and see where that gets you.

Naw, I'm liking going down to 10s! But the top strings could use a touch more break angle.



Laugh out loud moment - I'm so used to locking tuners that I had to look up the correct method of restringing. It now looks tidier





Going down to 10s!? Shocking - did not realise I was talking to a fellow 11s user. Stick with the 11s I say Granted 12s might be a tad on the heavy side...

I'm usually 12-56, but in flats, so that's 11s standard... So 10s are light to me they were cheap on Amazon, which decided it for me (d'addario too!).

It feels right on 10s actually, but I will get a string tree. I'm looking forward to lubricating everything and seeing how good this bad boy can be.

Hopefully I'll get a clip up tomorrow.

Alnico

I have just fitted 10-52 on my new Strat and it's too heavy.

I didn't read the packet properly and thought they were my usual 10-46 but when i noticed at home i just thought, sod it lets try them. I had to run the string cut off end through the nut on the low E and A strings just to widen the slots a little to get them to fit in.

They just don't suit the Strat and i'm going down to a custom gauge 9-46 (Elixir Custom Lights).

For some reason the 10's feel great on my Tele but on the Strat i tend to play more lead (badly) than i do on the Tele and i definitely hit the Tele harder when i'm playing it so the 9's seem the natural way to go now.

I switched to 10's when i sold my last Strat about 5 or maybe 6 years ago and bought my original Tele. I guess since then i've forgotten what a Strat actually feels like but these i've fitted are chewing my fingers to bits.

Unfortunately i've got one set of spare strings as well which are 10-52 so i think i might try them on the Gretsch which usually uses 10-46 anyway and as it's a shorter scale length it might be ok.

I guess string gauge is very personal and depends mostly on how tough your fingers are and how you play.

Megii

12-56 flats - that sounds like I'm talking to another jazzer? I have a couple of guitars strung with 12-52 (roundwound on one, D'Addario half rounds on the other), 13-56 half rounds at the mo on my archtop, and the strats and tele have 11-49 roundwound. Not that you needed to know that! Donkey's years ago, I used to use 9-46, but recently I tried 10s on one of the strats, and it just felt too slinky - I'm 11s or heavier now, there seems to be no going back. But of course, only joking around, please do fit whatever strings work for you...

Loobs

I hate flats.

I have 12-56 on my jazz guitar. 10-52 on my Ibanez Artist and 10-46 on a Tele.

Megii

Loobs said:

I hate flats.

I have 12-56 on my jazz guitar. 10-52 on my Ibanez Artist and 10-46 on a Tele.

I struggle with flats too - half rounds are quite a good one for me, as they seem to have a bit more of a jazz kind of sound, but retain a good amount of brightness at the same time. What's your jazz guitar btw?

Megii

Alnico said:

I have just fitted 10-52 on my new Strat and it's too heavy.

I didn't read the packet properly and thought they were my usual 10-46 but when i noticed at home i just thought, sod it lets try them. I had to run the string cut off end through the nut on the low E and A strings just to widen the slots a little to get them to fit in.

They just don't suit the Strat and i'm going down to a custom gauge 9-46 (Elixir Custom Lights).

For some reason the 10's feel great on my Tele but on the Strat i tend to play more lead (badly) than i do on the Tele and i definitely hit the Tele harder when i'm playing it so the 9's seem the natural way to go now.

I switched to 10's when i sold my last Strat about 5 or maybe 6 years ago and bought my original Tele. I guess since then i've forgotten what a Strat actually feels like but these i've fitted are chewing my fingers to bits.

Unfortunately i've got one set of spare strings as well which are 10-52 so i think i might try them on the Gretsch which usually uses 10-46 anyway and as it's a shorter scale length it might be ok.

I guess string gauge is very personal and depends mostly on how tough your fingers are and how you play.

It is indeed very personal, agreed - I kind of find it interesting what other people like though. I think I'd find a 52 too heavy on a strat myself - I like the 11 to 48/49 sets, they seem a bit more balanced across the board for me. Sorry for the thread hijack TPD  "> - just an interesting temporary diversion I hope.

Loobs

Megii;459732" said:

Loobs said:

I hate flats.



I have 12-56 on my jazz guitar. 10-52 on my Ibanez Artist and 10-46 on a Tele.





I struggle with flats too - half rounds are quite a good one for me, as they seem to have a bit more of a jazz kind of sound, but retain a good amount of brightness at the same time. What's your jazz guitar btw?

Ibanez AS120, about 10 years old. Semi, but it's enough for me.

Megii

Loobs said:

Megii;459732" said:

Loobs said:

I hate flats.



I have 12-56 on my jazz guitar. 10-52 on my Ibanez Artist and 10-46 on a Tele.





I struggle with flats too - half rounds are quite a good one for me, as they seem to have a bit more of a jazz kind of sound, but retain a good amount of brightness at the same time. What's your jazz guitar btw?

Ibanez AS120, about 10 years old. Semi, but it's enough for me.

Nice guitar, nothing wrong with using that for jazz.

ThePrettyDamned

Well, not a jazzer... Tuned flats

I don't mind flat wound strings though - they make me challenge my playing. But I wouldn't have a guitar permanently with them...

They just drive me mad.

Megii

ThePrettyDamned said:

Well, not a jazzer... Tuned flats

I don't mind flat wound strings though - they make me challenge my playing. But I wouldn't have a guitar permanently with them...

They just drive me mad.

My mistake, having re-read your original post on the subject. Wouldn't want flatwounds on a strat I have to agree - not right on such a guitar surely. Just coming back to your new strat, I think it looks absolutely perfect exactly as it is.

ThePrettyDamned

Megii;459829" said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

Well, not a jazzer... Tuned flats



I don't mind flat wound strings though - they make me challenge my playing. But I wouldn't have a guitar permanently with them...



They just drive me mad.





My mistake, having re-read your original post on the subject. Wouldn't want flatwounds on a strat I have to agree - not right on such a guitar surely. Just coming back to your new strat, I think it looks absolutely perfect exactly as it is.

I've had a cool idea for a headstock logo, it'll take some persuasion of a friend though.

She does wire jewellery. If she can do a nice wire outline of a logo, then somehow get that onto a larger metal plate, it will make a stamp. Heat it with a blow torch and burn on a picture of...

... Well, something. Should/could look good, I think (after some practice. Not sure how graham would feel knowing I'm going to burn his neck...).

And I think I'll put a string tree on. Maybe. I don't know. I've played with it some more and the tuning stability has improved - the strings are settling in, the neck seems to have settled more and everything is quite hunky dory. Once nut-sauced, I reckon this will be a monster. But it looks so naked without one...

@alnico the strings are 10-46. Actually, I already need to bring the treble side of the pickups higher than bass to compensate for output so if I had my usual skinnier top, heavier bottom style set, that would probably be bass dominant with the single coils.

Very comfy to play, though. I'm really pleased at how decent the set up is - I didn't cut the nut, UK I've done everything else and it's rather good, just needs the intonation fine tuning really!

ThePrettyDamned

Aaaaannnd fixed it!

Ground wire in place (after finally getting the solder to take to the claw) and it's quiet and a very toneful guitar.

I'll see if I can bargain for a minute or two of loud noodling so I can stick a mic in front and demo. It sounds really damn good.

Also lubricated all points of contact (and found one that shouldn't be there - the low e makes contact with the fingerboard a bit, so I'll be filing a small notch there), and the tuning stability is very good. Not perfect - it won't dive bomb and return perfectly but it's fairly close, and I won't be using it for that anyway - just a bit of shimmer really. It's set to float, just a little bit, so it can do a very nice shimmery effect without any real effort.

I'm immensely proud. It sounds like a custom shop strat.

ChrisMusic