Building a strat with vintage parts

Devon8822 · Post by **Devon8822** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 6:46 pm

I have been looking into getting a vintage strat for a while. I noticed It might save some money if i buy all the parts from vintage strats from around the 60s. And put it together myself. This my save some money but what Im wondering is if it will work. Will the parts just not love eachother when put together... because they have been on different body their whole life. Would it not have as nice a tone as a guitar that has been together with all its parts all these years. And will it cause bad tuning stability, stuff like that? Thanks Mates

MacGaden · Post by **MacGaden** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 6:53 pm

How old are you ?

Devon8822 · Post by **Devon8822** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 7:13 pm

Why do you ask?

JimiJames · Post by **JimiJames** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:07 pm

Your q's are valid.
The single most important thing for a Fender is neck/body joint marriage.
Finding a color you like on a body is nice... Finding a neck that's just right takes time.
Be prepared to flip necks untill your satisfied...

A friend of mine was trying to verify the year of a Tele and attempted to pull the neck off.
He stopped dead in his tracks after realizing that 48 years of fusion has happen he would probably loose the Magic if he had done so.
Everything else was reputably verified...

Jimmie K.

Devon8822 · Post by **Devon8822** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:33 pm

Yeah ^^ that was my main concern. It will be risky because Im going to have to get it on fleabay. So either I get lucky or I Shim it right?

And I wonder what is up MacGaden's ass?

JimiJames · Post by **JimiJames** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:46 pm

It's a little luck of course but again it's a marriage of parts. you are going for YOUR tone. another man's garbage/rubbish is another mans rich's.

Even looking for a neck.. It's your quest to find the right feel C,D,V...?
the right size frets... etc
I have done this since day 1 I still have my first guitar for over 35 years now.
I bastardized it from the start. I was crazy back then to have done that on my Tiesco and knowing nothing about guitars, but,
looking at it now says a lot to what I demand in a Factory guitar.
I own pristine examples of Gibsons and Fenders in their most virgin forms.

on the other hand...I have flipped 3 guitars to make one I am comfortable with playing on stage and for recording. Kinda like the E.C. story of Blackie...
eBay is give & take and to a person like me has its advantages to buy & sell so quickly. Sometimes even making a profit...

What you'll be doing is fun and informative to ones knowledge of trial & error.
It will give you focus of obtaining a Factory model of high caliber.

BTW...Everyone has a Frankenstrat !

JJ

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:58 pm

Typically I thought it seemed the individual parts were worth more than the whole unit though.......

MacGaden · Post by **MacGaden** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 4:06 am

Flames1950 wrote:Typically I thought it seemed the individual parts were worth more than the whole unit though.......

Yep ! So If you were to buy a Vintage Strat bit by bit you

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:52 am

I agree with JimiJames, it's so hard to find a neck that is good after you have already bonded with a guitar. I think flames is correct about individual parts costing more. There is gonna be a whole lot of time and money spent before you will be happy. You may learn a little by going this way, but mainly you will learn to never do it again. I would have a competent luthier, or the Fender custom shop to build you one. $4000 will not seem that much to you in the long run.

Devon8822 · Post by **Devon8822** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 9:27 am

Alright thanks alot guys^^^. Helped alot. What im thinking of doing than, is finding a junker on ebay and reviving it. I just saw a 71 strat (shit condition) sell for 1000 bucks. It had like late 60s pickups, one rewound, all new plastic, beaten to hell. So I would just get something that has atleast the neck attached with the body. Mybe, even the origional bridge, and make my own custom strat with humbuckers. BTW I dont care if everone has one. I prefer the tone of fat PAFs of single coils cept I prfer the neck of a strat to a chunky les paul neck. So hey...

JimiJames · Post by **JimiJames** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:36 pm

Devon8822 wrote:Alright thanks alot guys^^^. Helped alot. What im thinking of doing than, is finding a junker on ebay and reviving it. I just saw a 71 strat (shit condition) sell for 1000 bucks. It had like late 60s pickups, one rewound, all new plastic, beaten to hell. So I would just get something that has atleast the neck attached with the body. Mybe, even the origional bridge, and make my own custom strat with humbuckers. BTW I dont care if everone has one. I prefer the tone of fat PAFs of single coils cept I prfer the neck of a strat to a chunky les paul neck. So hey...

My point exactly. It is true that it will cost you more part by part if you were restoring a particular to-year spec.
Keep the parts that you need/like and then flip the rest of that shit...eh... nice stuff back on fleaBay for someon else's project.

It's a constant rotation and is time consuming but rewarding. You'll eventually be satified with what you want in your 60's project.
It can be done. Not cheap but with passion and patience won't be expensive either.
Never mind what Mac says there will be plenty of Mojo

JJ

npminard · Post by **npminard** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 3:06 pm

I think that it might cost more $ to pick up vintage parts than to buy vintage itself. Check out Eddie Vegas Guitars on eBay, I believe the seller I.D. is Guitarville By Vegas. Vintage necks going for mega bucks, $1500 and many times much more. Check this auction.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1962-ORIG-FENDER-ST ... dZViewItem

If I had $5K to drop on a guitar, I'd check out Michael DeTemple Guitars, seems like the best route to go as far as a high end Strat. Althoug not vintage, you get to decide on the neck contour, which is HUGE. Might be something to consider if you don't end up doing a vintage piece together Strat.

worldoftone · Post by **worldoftone** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 4:40 pm

Buy low sell high!

- WOT