Reverse Headstock vs. Regular

[Xplorer]

also, one thing you can do :

get both styles for the nut, and both styles for the tuners etc etc ...
so you'll make your own opinion. it wouldn't be much more expensive to buy two nuts.

[theactor19]

sorry but, isn't that already answered by several members ? or are you waiting these same answers from some other particular persons ?
no problem to answer anyway but , just wondering ... do you really care about what we're saying ?
looking just at the neck, for your quest isn't enough : change the body, change the bridge, change the strings, change the pickups... there's no need to look for a material copy if you keep these tokai pickups...
obviously you'd need to make your experience with hendrix, and have your own advices, and realise that hendrix strats were all different, with different nuts, pickups, necks, tuners ...
the first strat i've played used to be owned by jimi hendrix, but i couldn't tell you if it was a white tusk or bone nut or f tuners or anything. i was 12.

"while maintaining the hendrix tone/feel?"

it's not gonna make a difference IMHO . difference between hendrix and hendrix ????

actually these specific questions weren't answered, thats why I'm asking. Some people said go with a bone nut, some said otherwise, so I wanted some pros and cons of each. Also, people out there have kluson tuners, so I'm asking for their experience.

[Xplorer]

Some peoples said that the tuners wouldn't make a difference.
about the nuts, my best advice for you would be to test both by yourself, and feel if there's a difference for you, and for your quest. And then you might tell us the result of this experimentation.
about the bridge, as it's an important point, did you see this link about the fatboy shop ? what do you think ??
about the pickups, what do you think ?
this plain steel block would be important for the tone of your guitar, and he'll have good reproductions of the tuners, and of the bridge saddles, etc ... that you're looking for.
no pro/cons , at least from me, it's not the right question. test these stuffs yourself, to answer your questions, you have to feel it by yourself, not through someone else at this point.

[JimiJames]

I concur with Xplorer & Mac.
On the Tuners... I am not going to split hairs but, I think you'd be happy with F' or the K's as long as their not Grovers, lol.
I definitely agree with the bone nut (ex. Ruokangas uses Moose shin bone)
A Solid Steel block is imperative together with vintage saddles. PatPend's or opposing Fender stamp.(or equivalent)

I've played roughly a ½ doz. Crafted in Japan '68's and they ALL seemed to have (too) skinny necks, Leaning towards the modern "C" shape. Both M & R necks. On a positive note good for small hands...?

the john suhr V60lp pickups would be great for hendrix...

That's a good choice as well as I like Landau's for BOG stuff. Michael seems to have that under control (Raging Honkies)

[Xplorer]

Please, how would you describe the landau's compared to the v60lp ?
i think that both are something like a synthesis of the best pickups, from the vintage strat collection of michael, or something like that.
anyway, they're hotter than the slider's i have, which have a lower inductance, maybe more accurate. but both styles are really good pickups, among the best available.there's really a difference from one set to another different set.

[JimiJames]

Mike's using John's pups in his vintage Stratocaster with a HSS config but, sorry, I have not tried or heard the newer singles...
Descriptions are on Suhr's site next to each other explaining that they are very similar but, for tonewise examples; on YouTube in abundance.
They're reproductions from Mike's collection and yes, they are slightly hotter sounding than the more vintage-flavored Classic.
The ML pickups are calibrated for each position too.
Suhr's stuff is Great !

[Tone Slinger]

Besides the holes being just a hair bigger (for the 'F' tuners),,, and the tuner knob shape,etc,, the klusion are basically the same design.

You seem very 'limited' in your teching skills (Hell,, I was too at 26 yrs old !),,, so I'd get as much taken care of in the order as possible.



The guitarist who has the BOG strat (previously,,, UNTHOUGHTFULLY named) is one of the greatest guitarists in the world,, who is very PURE and UNMOTIVATED by fame or MONEY.

Anonimity is very scarce in this world. Owners of 'known' Hendrix' guitars have been harrassed, tormented and ROBBED !

Even references like those made here, could get this person (the BOG strat 'possessor') into uncalled for 'circumstances'.


Be aware of this !

[theactor19]

Thanks for your help guys.

I'm gonna go with the Tusq nut, and Kluson tuners and it shouldn't make too much of a difference.

So here is my order form. I plan to order tomorrow. Let me know if anything is out of line. Thanks!

[Tone Slinger]

That looks correct to me.

I applaud you for not impulsively jumping into an order. You seem to be ready now and have thought this through.

ONE MORE thing.As I recall , they (Musikraft) got my '68 style neck a bit TOO fat, from the bottom of the heel to the top of the fretboard. In other words, the neck sat WAY to HIGH in the neck pocket. Like if you had the neck in your hand and was looking straight at the heel/but, like looking at the truss rod hole, the neck was TOO fat from the part that touches the bottom of the guitar neck pocket to the top of the fretboard.

I fixed it myself, but it SHOULD have been right coming out from thier shop !

I would call Scott at Musikraft and have him call you back, concerning this.

Mine may have been an 'oddball' though.

[theactor19]

Thanks for the advice Tone Slinger.

One last question.. what's the difference between the semi-rolled edged and full rolled. I don't even really know what the terms mean to be honest. I play with thumb over the top method to fret chords a la hendrix, so which would be best for that?

[Tone Slinger]

I think that the full rolled would benifit you, though mine was a semi rolled. They (Musikraft) snipped the fretwire good on this. Full rolled, I dont know, maybe they might not get the edges of the fret wire right ? I dont know.

But if you got that 'big' hand happenin (thumb over the top of the neck), then the fully rolled would be to your benifit. Inquire about this to Scott, as to the quality/accuracy. You've gone this far , I say inquire some more, 'cause a fully rolled will be a better feel, if you are wrapping your hand and thumb around the neck.

I can say that the semi rolled is EXCELLENT, but I have a Randy Rhoads sized hand (pretty small), if I were to have a larger hand and do the 'man handleing' wrap arounds,, the 'softer' edges of the fully rolled, would be welcome.

[JimiJames]

Yeah man!
Running a gamut on the sum of parts is definitely beneficial. Even the chance you might not like one or two micro details; you will have a great reference for the next one....or two or tree !
What did they say the turn-around would be ?

So, TS your saying (in other words) that your saddles sit higher/taller on the bridge than a standard Stratocaster ? Which would also have the pickups up higher as well...?

[Tone Slinger]

The saddles on my old Tokai's (got a '56 and a '62 at the moment, plus a few extra pu's and bridges from previous ones)) have the saddles 'height' screws radiused to a 7 1/4 like the fretboard radius. Tokai speced these out in TOTAL accuracy (I dare say the late '70's to mid '80's Tokai strats parralell or even rival that of even pre cbs Fender in overall build quality and consistancy).

On some 'aftermarket' necks, the specs of the necks heel/butt, were just a hair off of vintage spec. The REAL deal vintage Fenders, seem to have a slightly more shallow neck pocket, which leaves alot of after market necks sitting 'too high' for the saddles to overcome, which means 'shim' or neck/body modification. Also larger, non vintage, style frets can make this even worse.

Warmoth seems to have thier specs as close to vintage Fender as ANYONE. USA custom (very good as well) is maybe 2nd and Musikraft 3rd, this is by my experience, I'm sure others may be different (experiences).

I still have my '68 relic Musikraft neck, but it is no longer on my '68 olympic white' reliced '56 Tokai body.

I simply put some longer saddle height screws in my Tokai Tremelo.Now I can get a better set up when using bigger frets as well as a flatter neck. I'm currently likeing the 'modern' Fender radius (9 1/2). Best of both worlds. I'm currently waiting on a '10 radiused Warmoth neck at the moment.

[theactor19]

I was checking out Warmoth and it seems a whole lot cheaper. Although is it possible to get a big CBS headstock with the vintage 7 1/4" neck radius at warmoth?

[Tone Slinger]

Yeah, you can get that, but ONLY the Musikraft has the 'round lam' or vaneer (both terms used for the same thing).

If you go Warmoth (I have been most pleased, have hasd SEVERAL over the last 20 yrs or so) get the 'vintage modern' CBS style.

They are 0ne piece with the skunk stripe in the back. Pay the upcharge for the straight 7 1/4 radius.

It will have a tiny 'walnut' plug at the top of the headstock where you can adjust the rod (This is much easier to deal with, as oppossed to taking the whole neck off for an adjustment.

Fender actually had a neck similar to this in EARLY '71. The tooling was changing over for the '3 bolt bullet' rod necks, so Fender had just stopped doing the maple/maple vaneer (though they continued for the rosewood boards).

The necks were like the one piece '50's style maple neck (walnut stripe, with 'plug' at the top of the headstock) EXCEPT, that they had the large 'Fender Stratocaster' decal/cbs headstock. Very cool, and very few made. By mid '71 the bullet rod was launched.


So, if QUALITY is of the UTmost importance, I'd say go Warmoth, If accuracy is('68 era) , then Musikraft is the only place that does this vaneer board.

I have one of the above mentioned necks (Warmoth, except '10 radius) on the way. My Tokai '68 relic has shifted more towards '77 era EVH as of recently. Not the paint though, a dimarzio super distortion hb'er at the bridge. The original Tokai neck is back on it (though boy, does it need a fret job).