I'm still fairly new to guitars and trying to learn this game. My biggest problem is right now I have a BC Rich Virgin which I had purchased mainly because I figured if I wanted to learn, I wanted to make sure it wasn't something I was going to drop a bunch of money into only to bail on it within a few months. It's gone beyond that and although I don't think the BC Rich is a bad guitar in itself (aside from the paint mostly), I don't feel comfortable with it. Recently over at a friends house, he had a Fender Stratocaster that I could pick up and it just felt much more natural, but it didn't feel perfect for a reason.
I'm wondering if you guys know of any books or good references to the history on the Strat, I'd like to know every inch about them and piece one together myself. I'm sort of picky so to say because if I haven't touched every single part of, and know exactly what everything does, I'm not happy with something I own and I'll just get rid of it. So if anybody knows some good references I could pick up so I could research and understand this a little better before I start building, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks!
Aircooled - I like your name. Welcome.
Just saying hi for now, let the others have at it, with their welcomes and whatever words, wiser and wittier than mine. :lol:
Now that I've had my play with the letter "w" as in w-acky, w-hy don't you look up Ron Kirn in Jacksonville Florida and see if you can get his older, but never outdated little book for a start, on how to build a solid body electric guitar?
http://stratoblogster.blogspot.com/2009/02/ron-kirns-strat-build-tutorial.html
Other wisdom will follow I'm sure, and I have the standard Stratocaster Book too, but it doesn't say how to build one, it's about the history and specs, with plenty of pics.
From this link, make sure you see the 3 pages of books to the right, the Strat Book by A. Duchossoir and the one in red, with set up and maintenance information.
http://www.amazon.com/Stratocaster-Chronicles-Celebrating-Years-Fender/dp/0634056786#reader
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
Wow, anybody here have a guitar by this guy? I'm just curious to know if they play as well as he claims. I've been on his site for over an hour now.
Thanks!
Wow, anybody here have a guitar by this guy? I'm just curious to know if they play as well as he claims. I've been on his site for over an hour now.
Thanks!
Well, speaking for myself, no I don't have a guitar from Ron Kirn. But we've talked, especially about his early days with Ronnie Van Zandt, Gary Rosssington and Lynyrd Skynyrd; he made me a couple of custom serial # neckplates, and kindly sent me his book for free. That's how I know he has a good, pertinent book.
His guitars would no doubt be immaculate or flawless, impeccable, and play like a dream, not unlike those from Jay Monterose.
But, I already knew Bill Nash, see link below, and was building a couple of Strats by mail with him, when I got the plates from Ron Kirn.
http://www.nashguitars.com/gallery/s_series.html
In the S-series pics, I built a similar white and gold replica of the David Gilmour serial number 0001 guitar myself, also a similar but not identical '65 replica Strat to the turquoise one, mostly with Nash's finishing help - meaning the guitar's finish itself - then I built it with my 5 year old daughter to teach her. I did get from Bill Nash, 100% and complete, his only-ever Custom Shop Strat on the planet, not distressed, Silver Sparkle serial number 0001, ash body, nitro-painted by Leo Fender's and George Fullerton's painter from G & L in California, matching pickups from Rio Grande/Texas, Wilkinson/Gotoh trem-equipped, Warmoth maple neck with chrome Sperzels, and generally just nice and tight. :D
Below, there's 5 Strat's I'm working on, with 2 partially mocked up. One gets finished as a version of the '63 in the centrefold of A. Duchossoir's Stratocaster Book, except in a frosted pearl with all-different pickups plus a push/pull or pop up blender; and below is the Nash one-off monstrosity that is mine, a dream at the time.
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
You got quite the Strat factory there Bluejay!
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
You got quite the Strat factory there Bluejay!
Hi again, yes, I appreciate your comments. I don't want to get off topic, and will get back to our friend's topic, but I have 30 or more Strats at present, down from 36 a year ago, and who knows before that? I have been downsizing, and am presently stuck, only willing to part with a couple more. I had many more before this time, since there's nearly a 40 year span. So, I didn't want to post all of it on the "Show Your Gear" thread, adding 5 Teles, and the other assortment, or a fairly broad range and sampling, for variety and experience. They are not something I need. It is a collection.
On topic, I just showed these important parts, while the majority of what goes into the integral components of piecing together a Strat involves so much more, if you count pickups, pots, jacks, tuners, knobs, switches and screws. So, just the basics above, and a repeat of my '63 near-copy w/some departure, also the short line of (Burgundy) Midnight Wine. The '62-ish on the far right is an intentional, artistically interpreted IMO reversal of the '63-ish airplane clone - explanation below. FWIW, I try to have a theme or purpose, it makes it interesting, if you're into it, and think you can do it. Pieces of art w/many decibels of tone? I try.
They are all different, no two alike, like different people altogether no matter how many you know, and that's part of what makes building challenging and fun, and the results worth having. For instance my Mary Kaye tribute has been in the works for nearly two years, while I have all the parts, including crossed Stratocasters and an Epitaph on the neckplate, it just isn't happening. But my own Hendrix reverse model was probably done by me in just a few days, maybe one day? It just took me a year or two to decide & get the Cam Atkinson, Canadian pickups. :lol:
And also, that 1963 replica shown is partially a tribute to the red & white RCAF CT-114 Tutor Jet, circa 1961 - 66, the one on the bottom, see #8 on tail, which crashed here is 2005. I went to the site with my family, after the formal investigation, and picked up the pieces with my Dad, and the girls, specificially rooting in the ground for good wires, which I used in the Strat, to give it ongoing life.
The jet.... and then the pieces. This is the ejector handle, wires and some cockpit material for the second, or unused rocket-powered ejector seat. Had some beautiful silver aviation wire, some burnt, and some intact with white coating, also some oversprayed in baby blue:
And lastly, you've brought up doing guitar things for a good cause too. I built a Strat with a blind man for several months - he specified I wasn't to have any hands on - only his! That applied till final setup and intonation, which I desribed to him, and he felt, but he had already built his own personal guitar without sight. :D
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
And lastly, you've brought up doing guitar things for a good cause too. I built a Strat with a blind man for several months - he specified I wasn't to have any hands on - only his! That applied till final setup and intonation, which I desribed to him, and he felt, but he had already built his own personal guitar without sight. :D
I am in awe sir. Wow!
In Space, no one can hear me sing!
