GUITAR BUILD PROJECTS, DRUM FETTLING, CUSTOMISATION & DIY TECH
I try to make improvements to the playing "feel", every time I set the guitar up. In fact - every time I change strings - there's a chance to tweak things a little. I've already set the Ash Strat up a few times now. This time - the new body has meant there's a better geometry at the neck pocket, and I can do away with the shim that was there previously. That provides an opportunity to really give things a good shake out.
My Ash Strat is now a couple of years old. As I've built other projects, I've learned a lot - and I'm constantly looking for ways to refine and upgrade previous builds. This being my first real build - I've always been pretty happy with the way it evolved but, compared with some of the Fender bodies I've worked with, the two piece Ash body just feels wrong somehow, and I'm constantly reminded of the small compromises I had to make to bring the guitar together. Time for another upgrade.
With all the modifications in place, I can now setup the guitar. The new setup is going to unstop the tremolo - but since that's something I'll also have to do for the Black Strat, I need to get acquainted with the theory and practice of properly floating a Stratocaster tremolo.
All the groundwork is now done and the guitar is ready for the new pickups and wiring. I just need to check on the scratchplate fit at the bridge first. UPDATE: Idiot wiring mistakes identified and rectified.
I've had the Ash Strat finished for a year now. Part of my approach to guitar building is to develop my own instruments, and to learn how to build and modify them as I go. There are a few bits I want to revisit. Time to upgrade.
The trouble with building a "parts" guitar - is that you have to base a lot of your plans on the specification and performance of various components. Until the guitar is assembled - you can't actually hear what it's going to sound like. Like all kit-build projects, all you can really do is assemble the components and trust they live up to their branded promise. That's definitely the case when it comes down to a guitar's pickups.
Garageland 