Metropoulos Forum

They have many guys here making them over the past 3 years. Post your photos -show them off!

BTW for the guys have made them, is the Asuza KNE body the best body for Franky? What is the best maple cap/ quarter sawn neck? Musikraft?

One quick shot for now anyway.

That's not a completely up-to-date picture, but close enough for the moment.

Click for a 3/4 body shot...

Looks great...

For me..I never got trying to duplicate all the scrapes and rust...but it's so cool and wonderful craftmenship. I am the kind of guy who want a perfect version of those guitars...no paint overspray..scratches..swirl marks...I want a nice glossy finish..But that is just me...I am a bit of a bug. I surely can appreciate the hard work and effect not to mention talent that went into make that...awesome!

couple of pics of my frankenwolfie. this site needs to update so we can post higher res pics.

Cary, do you mean guitars that are essentially self made 'strat bastards' ?

Functionality is first and foremost, forget the paint. I like a hb'er in the bridge of a strat (like Ed) BUT, I like a neck single coil ( love Hendrix, Blackmore, Roth, Norum,Malmsteen, SRV, etc).

Also, a Fender 6 screw bridge, with the ball end going ALL the way through the block, is ESSENTIAL, to getting sustain, width and overall MOJO, when talkin FRANKEN- STRAT.

I'll load a pic or two when I can find the camera.

cant speak for KNE Azusa but Musikraft's azusa is awesome. best I've worked with. Their red frank neck is now perfect. Divebombs neck is perfect too.
I've posted shots of my B&W frank so wont repeat. red Azusa frank in the works. pics coming.

BTW posting @ 525mph @ 37k ft. wifi airlines. FInally!

YMI5150? wrote:cant speak for KNE Azusa but Musikraft's azusa is awesome. best I've worked with. Their red frank neck is now perfect. Divebombs neck is perfect too.
I've posted shots of my B&W frank so wont repeat. red Azusa frank in the works. pics coming.

BTW posting @ 525mph @ 37k ft. wifi airlines. FInally!

Your black and white is the best I've seen. It inspired me to pickup Azusa body from musikraft as well.

This is my Franken-Blackie. (This was originally an early 90s "Blackie" Eric Clapton model Fender Strat). My drummer found this in a pawn shop in Austin,TX with a white pickguard and the regular Clapton model electronics (which I hate), but I bought it from him and added a SD '59 and a black pickguard, one volume pot (with old strat Tone knob) VH-1 configuration. It sounds and feels great and stays in tune perfectly. It has the Sperzel Locking tuners which came on the Clapton model and my tech has set up the vintage trem perfectly-stays in tune whether I bend or dive and I can make super wide left hand bends with no tuning issues.



I would really like to get a real deal Asuza body and a Musikraft neck with an accurate headstock, Gibson style arrow pointer under the knob, accurate pickguard, better pickup, perfect paint job,Gibson decal, etc... but this gets the job done for now:)

grockr1 wrote:couple of pics of my frankenwolfie. this site needs to update so we can post higher res pics.

Grockr1, did you sand all the finish off and re paint? What paint did you use and what clear coat?

Steve_U1S wrote:One quick shot for now anyway.

That's not a completely up-to-date picture, but close enough for the moment.

Click for a 3/4 body shot...

THat looks killer man! What paint did you use? Is there a clear coat finish on it? or laquer? Did you use tung oil on the neck?

Cary - Krylon paint all the way. No clear coat whatsover... and definitely tung oil on the neck - my favourite neck finish, and with my favourite neck, the beak (though the real one actually has a gloss finish on it) =]
This, my aptly-named '#2' build thread, was the origin point of the term used by all the body makers now for the previously-overlooked characteristic the I featured on this build, the 'ghost routs' =]
... and the broken CRL, terminals on wire ends, etc.
... and I was the first to put a correct set of reflectors on the back, after having jumped through hoops to acquire the real deals... and photos of THAT were what brought someone to find a source for them still with stock...
I've got shots of this beside 2 different EVH/Fender replicas.
I have a very detailed build thread that's parked on another forum.

Thanks for the kind comments, and always glad to answer questions.

Cheers =]

CARY THATS NOT A OFFICIAL PEAVEY THEY DONT MAKE LEFTYS. BUT IT HAS PEAVEY SPECS. I GOT THE BODY AND NECK FROM SCOTT FLETCHER. ALDER BODY WITH NO PAINT ON IT. THEN DID JUST WHAT ED DID KRYLON SPRAY CANS TAPE AN LOT OF PATIENCE AND TIME. I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO THE NECK OIL WISE JUST LETTING MY OIL FROM SKIN SOAK IN. ALSO NO CLEAR COAT. ONE THING I DID NOTICE IT TOOK ABOUT THREE MONTHS OF LEAVING THE GUITAR OUT OF THE CASE BEFORE THE PAINT FUMES WENT AWAY COMPLETLY.

Tone Slinger wrote:Cary, do you mean guitars that are essentially self made 'strat bastards' ?

Functionality is first and foremost, forget the paint. I like a hb'er in the bridge of a strat (like Ed) BUT, I like a neck single coil ( love Hendrix, Blackmore, Roth, Norum,Malmsteen, SRV, etc).

Also, a Fender 6 screw bridge, with the ball end going ALL the way through the block, is ESSENTIAL, to getting sustain, width and overall MOJO, when talkin FRANKEN- STRAT.

I'll load a pic or two when I can find the camera.

Okay, I am a floyd rose person and always hated the response of these types of bridges but I will go with it and order an azuza from KNE. I am not understanding the right kind of bridge to use for this other than the 6 screw holes. Can you provide a link on where to buy one? I do agree alining the tuning peg holes to the nut slots is paramount. It makes perfect sense to me. I wonder if KNE will do this for me? (Kinda thinking out loud here)

If I were you I would go with a KNE Azusa body and a Musikraft neck.

In regards to the bridge decision...

I've purchased a few strat bridges from GuitarFetish and they have worked flawlessly, well built, well specced and wont break the bank. However if you are building a '78 Frankenstrat the vintage trem is sort of paramount to the vibe but it is not essential if you want a floyd then get a floyd, although you could also get a 2 point more modern fender style trem and get something you are more accustomed to performance wise and kinda keep the vintage look.

Personally it didn't matter that much to me when I built my '78. My paintwork was not exactly accurate and it ended up with clearcoat over it. I also put a neck humbucker, compensated nut and locking tuners on it. It came to the stage where I decided... im the one who is playing this...

When I embarked upon RWB Frankenstrat though that was a different mindset altogether.

Star*Guitar wrote:

Tone Slinger wrote:Cary, do you mean guitars that are essentially self made 'strat bastards' ?

Functionality is first and foremost, forget the paint. I like a hb'er in the bridge of a strat (like Ed) BUT, I like a neck single coil ( love Hendrix, Blackmore, Roth, Norum,Malmsteen, SRV, etc).

Also, a Fender 6 screw bridge, with the ball end going ALL the way through the block, is ESSENTIAL, to getting sustain, width and overall MOJO, when talkin FRANKEN- STRAT.

I'll load a pic or two when I can find the camera.

Okay, I am a floyd rose person and always hated the response of these types of bridges but I will go with it and order an azuza from KNE. I am not understanding the right kind of bridge to use for this other than the 6 screw holes. Can you provide a link on where to buy one? I do agree alining the tuning peg holes to the nut slots is paramount. It makes perfect sense to me. I wonder if KNE will do this for me? (Kinda thinking out loud here)