Stratocaster Rebuild/Redesign
Luthiery Project
Luthiery Project
While on holiday break from college, a close friend gave me a disused, dilapidated, and nearly destroyed Fender Stratocaster. The guitar, a cheap flat body beginner model, was in terrible condition: The electronics had been completely destroyed by what looked like a small fire created by an amateur soldering job. The original finish had been covered by hot pink spray paint, which was peeling and bubbling all over the body. However, despite all of its condition issues, there's one thing it had in my eyes: potential. The neck was straight and true and the body was free of any major damage. So instead of throwing it in the dumpster, I decided to give this guitar a new life.
The final product of this project is a Lake Placid Blue Stratocaster (or "Strattoncaster" as I like to call it) with a 1960's style Contoured Body, 1970's style hardware, and modern pickups and switching. What was once a pile of scrap wood destined for the trash, is today a true workhorse instrument, and still the main guitar I play.
Raw body is stripped of poor quality finish, reshaped to 1960's spec contours, smoothed and filled.
1960's Spec Contours are more comfortable against the players body and allow for better playability.
Bolt-on neck is re-fitted for a firm, snug fit. Tremolo cavity is filled with a hand carved piece of hard maple to prepare for 1970's style hard tail bridge.
Bridge position is carefully marked and appropriate holes are drilled.
Body is primed in preparation for new nitrocellulose laquer finish.
Finished Product: Lake Placid Blue Stratocaster, or "Strattoncaster" as I like to refer to it.
Detail of through-body bridge ferrules.
