There's little point trying to recreate every coat of paint, every mark of the original. Instead, I'll try to focus on applying paint in the right places, and then focussing on a general ageing process to bring out specific details.
The Ash Stratocaster. Finished specification.
I've had the Stratocaster finished and playable for about a month now. I did the project to build a new guitar, but also to learn a bit in the process. So what did I end up with? How well does it play? What do I want to change?
Positioning and fitting the Telecaster bridge plate.
The body blank for the Strummer Tele came with no pre-drilled holes to attach the bridge, and therefore no way to use through body stringing. I need to go back to first principles and work out a way to locate the bridge and drill the holes in the right place.
The “Strummercaster”. Getting the look, and sourcing those stickers.
I need to get the main components in hand, so I can lay out the front of the guitar, and eventually work out exactly where the bridge goes. one of the main parts of the design is the iconic stickers, including the famous, "Ignore Alien Orders". Thank goodness for the Interweb!
Sandpaper Blues. Garageland 2018 style.
Experiments in fucking up a nice, new, shiny guitar body. Full marks for spotting the Mescaleros reference in the post title, by the way. (From 1999's, "Rock Art and the X-Ray Style").
Joe Strummer Telecaster. The basics. Neck and body.
Having spent most of my time trying to make the best job out of everything - eliminating every stray bit of dust, polishing bits until they shine - I now look forward to taking shiny, new parts and letting go a bit. No more Mr. Nice Luthier.
New project. Revolution Rock. Joe Strummer Telecaster.
Surely there's room on the planet for just one more Strummer replica Telecaster? For me - the Fender tribute series just don't cut it for proper, authentic gnarliness. Can I make one myself, that's authentic looking? Truly fucked up, yet still playable?
Fender Nashville Deluxe Telecaster. Modifications and setup
This Nashville Tele has been my main electric guitar for so long now. But I've collected and built a few others, and so it sometimes stays in it's case while some of the others get all the attention. I do tend to rotate the guitars I have to hand, and this one has recently seen a whole lot more play. But there have always been a few things about it that I wanted to change. Easy mods - and a setup into the bargain.
The Ash Stratocaster. Stringing and first setup.
This is the real exciting bit. How is it going to play??
The Ash Stratocaster. The guitar becomes electric.
It's almost an alchemical experience. Wood and wire finished and shaped, and all to accept a simple electric circuit. With it, a guitar becomes electric and, as Frank Zappa puts it, "the guitar can be the single most blasphemous device on the face of the earth" - "The disgusting stink of a too loud electric guitar; now that's my idea of a good time".