Hi guys,
I have a 50s Classic Player Strat, one of the Custom Shop Designed models. I was thinking of swapping out the neck for a roasted maple C shape, switching out the bridge and adding some new pickups.
Question is, is this a worth* investment or is it worth buying a new Strat?
With the mods in mind the only original element would be the body and wiring, two elements I don't believe make a huge different tonally. What are the benifits of this outside something that I could design from the Fender Custom Shop?
*The idea of "worth" is subjective, I know. I guess being my first Strat mod I'm looking to hear some opinions. The guitar is worth around £600-700 resale, neck would be nearly £300 and pickups anywhere from £150-300, maybe more if I opted for a Tomatillo set. So I'm looking at a total spend of around £1,300, which brings me in line with something price wise of a second-hand American Vintage series.
Cheers,
Shaun
Comments
throwing 1300 quid at it to me would be a waste and other than on a mental level is roasted maple that much better when you bolt it to a 3 or 5 piece spread body, again are you improving the wiring and to me those fenderpickups are over priced
but if it floats your boat do it but you will probably be better off saving the old parts and putting it back to stock if you want to sell it as you never get much back for what you put into upgrades better off usually selling them stand alone.
Just to point out, I wouldn't be throwing £1,300 at it. That would have been the total amount spent including the price I paid for the guitar. It's about £600 of upgrades. The neck upgrade is more for the shape as I'm not a huge fan of the V. I guess i could round the edges of it to make it more comfortable.
Would investing in something like a mexican Roadworn or AVRI be a better use of funds than upgrading what I have?
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
What's so horrible about it?
My current Fender has Shoreline gold finish wish I really like, hence I'm thinking of keeping the body and upgrading the rest of it. I guess the Aztec Gold in the AVRI range comes close.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I guess, if the maple has already been kiln-dried, roasting it further holds no benefit?
Guitar playing is 50/50 looks vs. playability no?
Kiln drying replicates natural drying, just in a speedier and more controlled manner.
There are many benefits/disadvantages to air/kiln drying depending on the wood you have and the usage you need it for
As long as the wood gets down to the same moisture content, you can pretty much treat it the same once it's in its final plank and acclimated to it's it's environment.
Torrification is about changing the woods structure altogether, replicating ageing, not initial drying. Wood does change as it ages. It loses its hygoscopic abilities making it more stable and it becomes stiffer. It loses some of its internal tension, and can become more brittle.
There are various levels and if you take the roasting too far it definitely weakens the wood... Well, too far and it's just charcoal. A light roast is just a little past the initial dry state of the wood
Either way, you need to be aware there are some risks due to the process. It is definitely more likely to split or chip out when working.
Its also going to be more likely to snap if it suffers a hard knock, precisely because it's stiffer and has lost some of its ability to spring back
I still like the stuff.
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I think a partscaster or even custom shop might be the way forwards as I'm very peculiar about neck shapes. Failing that, If I can get my hands on a Ernie Ball AL model, I may be able to sell most if not all my guitars. Keeping this strat stock seems the best move.
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