datsunfreak Posted March 30, 2019 Report Share Posted March 30, 2019 (edited) I know this is stretching the "non Datsun project" thing, but I was bored and wanted to share a few small non-car projects I am working on... I like building things, making things, and occasionally playing music. I am a big fan of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, and really lust after his famous black Fender Stratocaster. Now you can buy a signature Gimour Strat from the Fender Custom Shop for the princely sum of about $4000, or better yet, his actual guitar goes up for auction next month, but it's expected to fetch north of $100k. So what is a cheap-ass Datsun guy to do? Make one... 😄 Acquired a used black Fender body from ebay, and a crap load of new parts from Fender. This gets me the best of the best parts, but for maybe 20% of the cost of an actual loaded Fender Stratocaster... Replaced the cheap Chinese bridge with a Fender "vintage" American Standard bridge. The new bridge is beefier, heavier, and made of much better materials, as well as having better build quality... Unfortunately, being bigger/thicker means I can no longer use the rear cover. Oh well, David Gilmour doesn't use one either... 😄 Rather than using Fender wiring, I elected to upgrade and use an Art of Tone wiring/switch/pots/cap instead... Got a new pick guard and a set of Fender "Tex-Mex" pickups. I like David Gilmour's sound, but I like a "Texas Blues" sound more... 😎 And yes, I know one pickup was upside down in that pic. I fixed it after I took the photo... 😅 New fender input jack and jack plate, new screws, new Fender tremolo arm, and I replaced all the plastic trim pieces with a set of "Aged White" pieces Fender sells to replicate an older guitar look... Got a custom 50s style neck in all maple, applied a tinted clear to achieve a more "aged" look, and found a decal supplier that has the late 50s decals, just like David's guitar... Still need to wet sand and polish the headstock, but it should be complete and playing by this time tomorrow. What I was going for was a guitar that looks like it's from the 50s, but plays like a new "best of everything" guitar... Next up on the bench is to finish my Telecaster. But I really messed up the body, and so today I ordered a new one so I can start over on that one... 😛 Edited March 30, 2019 by datsunfreak 1 Quote Link to comment
KELMO Posted March 30, 2019 Report Share Posted March 30, 2019 I know of at least one other member on here that has dabbled (or maybe it was a large part of his career) in guitars. I have played on and off since sometime in the 1970's. Not really all that good at it and no one really would want to hear me play. But sometimes it is fun to turn on the old tube type Fender amp and rattle the windows a little. You are going to post pics of the Strat; right? Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted March 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2019 4 hours ago, KELMO said: You are going to post pics of the Strat; right? Do you not see the pics in my post? Or do you mean finished pics? Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted March 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2019 70s style neck plate is my favorite, so... First time trying the Fender locking tuners and I already love them. Makes changing strings a breeze... Picked up some D'Addario XL flat wound jazz/blues strings for it today... It sounds amazing! Now I can really see just how crappy my little practice amp is... 😃 1 Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted April 1, 2019 Report Share Posted April 1, 2019 I play some. Great idea to get an inexpensive quality ride. :) I have a Fender Squire Strat that I beat on. You should check out Fisch's Hello Kitty guitar build on Instagram, it is a hot rod lol 1 Quote Link to comment
KELMO Posted April 1, 2019 Report Share Posted April 1, 2019 Actually, I think I meant pics of the Telecaster...…. 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted April 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 On 4/1/2019 at 5:55 AM, KELMO said: Actually, I think I meant pics of the Telecaster...…. Will do. Waiting for the body to show up now, then the fun starts... The Telecaster was a basketcase when I got it. I ended up repainting the body, replacing the neck, electronics, and a few other bits to get it to here... Then I decided it was too plain and I wanted to jazz it up. Shaved the top down a few millimeters and put a flame maple top on it, dyed dark green. That didn't go exactly how I wanted and I ended up doing a dark blue burst all around... That didn't go exactly as planned either, so I am starting over with a new body. The new one will also get a flame maple top but done differently (knowing what I know now). It will have it's control cavity routed from the back, and Gibson humbucker pickups fitted. I basically want to build a guitar that sounds (and sort of looks) like a Les Paul, but plays like a Telecaster... 1 Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 Where are you getting your basket cases? Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted April 10, 2019 Report Share Posted April 10, 2019 Edekalil I'm pretty sure builds guitars. Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted April 11, 2019 Report Share Posted April 11, 2019 I worked at Fender for years and played professionally for a number of years, as well. I have a lot of guitars and a few amps laying about.. 3 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted April 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2019 On 4/3/2019 at 9:57 AM, ]2eDeYe said: Where are you getting your basket cases? Pawn shops are the best place. There's really no shortage of cheaply priced guitars that need a lot of work... 😄 But after building the Strat, I have found that it's a lot easier just to start from nothing and build it yourself. 👍 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted April 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2019 9 hours ago, Duncan said: I worked at Fender for years and played professionally for a number of years, as well. I have a lot of guitars and a few amps laying about.. I see you really like Marshall's... 😀 Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted April 12, 2019 Report Share Posted April 12, 2019 15 hours ago, datsunfreak said: I see you really like Marshall's... 😀 I really do. I also have some Fender and Vox amps, as well. I got most of those in the 80's when guitar players all decided to get rack equipment and ditch the tubes. I got a lot of that stuff for pennies on the dollar. I've been pairing some of that down, and they have been fun investments, kinda like our Datsuns.. 1 Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted April 12, 2019 Report Share Posted April 12, 2019 Man I would love to have one of those old tube amps. Could never justify the $ they pull now though lol Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted April 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2019 (edited) On 3/31/2019 at 8:19 PM, ]2eDeYe said: You should check out Fisch's Hello Kitty guitar build on Instagram, it is a hot rod lol What is his username? I really want one but they are getting stupid expensive thanks to collectors driving up the price. Hell, if I could just find the pick guard (the only really unique part on it), I'd just build my own... 😄 Edited April 14, 2019 by datsunfreak Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted April 14, 2019 Report Share Posted April 14, 2019 art.cars.guitars is his account. :) Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted April 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2019 1 hour ago, ]2eDeYe said: art.cars.guitars is his account. 🙂 Thanks! 👍 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 On 4/1/2019 at 5:55 AM, KELMO said: Actually, I think I meant pics of the Telecaster...…. Finally finished the body. More pics of it as it gets closer to completion... 1 Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted July 18, 2019 Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 Racing stripes make it faster! Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted January 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 Nowhere near finished, but starting to look like an actual guitar now... The body is mahogany with a maple top. still trying to decide if I want to do actual binding on it, or a "faux" binding like this... 1 Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 I like the way binding looks, but top-bound guitars bug the shit out of me as it scrapes my arm. I have a natural Korina Robben Ford model that was made for me, and I have only played it once at a gig due to the binding. The natural binding looks good, and you can roll the edge ever-so-slightly so it doesn't irritate so much. Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted January 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 20 hours ago, Duncan said: I like the way binding looks, but top-bound guitars bug the shit out of me as it scrapes my arm. Same. 😃 They are good sit down guitars, and terrible stand up guitars. 20 hours ago, Duncan said: The natural binding looks good, and you can roll the edge ever-so-slightly so it doesn't irritate so much. I think what I am going to due is a step beyond that with similar results. I ordered 20, 30, and 45 degree chamfer bits for my router so I am going to stain the whole thing, then run the chamfer bit around the edge to expose the raw wood underneath, and hopefully increase the comfort level at the same time. I see a few acoustic builders doing this now for the same reasons you described. Except mine will go all the way around... 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted January 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 One last mock-up before drilling holes that can't be undrilled... 😁 After drilling holes for the pots and pickup switch I attempted my first rear cavity route (that sounds dirty), and it went decent... 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted January 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 I made a cover plate for the control cavity, then did the bevel route on the back side, then stained both cherry red, and put on a couple of coats of lacquer just to protect the stain from scratches. Should start on the front tomorrow. 2 Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted January 27, 2020 Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 That's looking real nice. Good job. 1 Quote Link to comment
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