Stratobastard

[Mickguard]

Just a little teaser...should have full photos sometime next week

(click)

[WezV]

so is it a relic??

guess we will have to wait and see

[ToneMonkey]

Can't see the pics, but i do like the name

[Mickguard]

so is it a relic??

Nope...at least not yet.

But the headstock has some checking in the finish, I'm not sure what happened there--it came to me that way, the seller said he bought it a couple of months ago, so maybe it got exposed to cold. Must be nitro, to check like that. It's a great neck, made/sold by Goldo in Germany, one of the nicest I've played --the guitar is strung up without the pickups right now so I can get the relief (and the trem king) adjusted. I'm waiting for that to settle in, then I'll get the pickups on there. The truss rod's at the heel, that's why.

As for the bastard part...well, you'll see soon enough...

[Bryan316]

The body is the shape of a fatherless child.

[Dean]

It's probably got that red headed step child look,but coming from Mick I'am sure it will be different.Looking forward to the pics.

[Mickguard]

Okay, it's done

Still setting it up (haven't adjusted the pickup heights for one thing). Sounds pretty great already, very chimy, which is what I was looking for.

That's a faux binding --this is the telecaster I modded a while back, put a maple top on it. Kind of rough around the top, the finish isn't perfect either. But it's 'relic ready' thin nitro finish, so that won't matter in a couple of years. The carve makes it really comfortable to play. Swimming pool route, so it's very lightweight. Great neck (Goldo, 7.25" radius). Pickups are supposedly Fender, but I'm guessing either Korean or Squier (or both). Since this is only a prototype for the 'real' Stratobastard (I won't use the tele control plate, just a standard strat pickguard). I want to build later on, I'll leave these pickups as is. That's a Trem King on there. It works pretty well. The kill switch is fun but dodgy --makes too much of a clicking noise in use. It's nice to have the volume control where it 'should' be.

[Dirge for november]

great looking idea!

[thirdstone]

The kill switch is fun but dodgy --makes too much of a clicking noise in use. It's nice to have the volume control where it 'should' be.

[Geo]

It's a Tel... wait, it's... wait, I'm confused!

Honestly, I would keep the Tele control plate for the "real thing". I think it keeps the guitar evenly balanced between Tele and Strat, whereas a full Strat pickguard will make it a Strat with a Tele shape, you know?

But it's cool whatever you do.

[WezV]

I won't use the tele control plate, just a standard strat pickguard

see, i dont really go for the usual 'tele with strat scratchplates' look... but ii think that looks gorgeous - and i think the tele control plate has a lot to do with that

[Mickguard]

Try a small value cap over the contacts. It should surpress the click noise which is a very small spark.

Is the trem king all they say it is??

Nothing is ever is all they say it is...

but I like the trem a lot. You can get really aggressive--really-- with it and it stays reasonably well in tune --at least, all the strings go out about the same amount. But these strings are already abused from getting things set up, so I won't make a final judgement until I've got new strings on there, a new nut and probably better tuners (these are okay, but I really like Grovers locking tuners better. I need to find a 10mm reamer before I can change them though).

I agree about the tele control plate. I was tempted to incorporate the tele bridge plate in there too.

I've seen a video about using a square button switch from Radio Shack -- it looks more supple than this one. This one is really old--comes from an old Mattel FX box from the early '80s! It has two metal tongues, each with its own contact --when you press the button, it pushes the top tongue down onto the bottom one, shortening the signal to ground. Where would I attach the cap? Just to one of the contacts? To both? It's a fun effect, I have to say...great with feedback.

I don't think I like these pickups all that much --they really lack the clarity I want, they get too growly in the mid-range. I have another set here, so I'll try those out when I change the strings in a couple of days.

[Dean]

It fits you ,man.I like it ,and think the Tele plate adds to the over all look.It just brings out the basterd in it .I had to laugh when I saw it,but thought it was really cool.Maybe get some of those Seymour Duncan pickups that give the strat and tele sound.

[GregP]

+1 to keeping the tele control plate for the real deal. To really do an "attention to details" thing, I'd do a custom scratchplate that mirrors the one you're already using in every regard except one-- shape the cutaway to blend more seamlessly with the rounder tele shape.

Not sure how much it costs to have custom work done, or if you'd just do it yourself, but I know that services and materials are available out there somewhere.

Either way-- looks great! Pretty rare to see those 2 styles blended quite so perfectly!

[Mickguard]

+1 to keeping the tele control plate for the real deal. To really do an "attention to details" thing, I'd do a custom scratchplate that mirrors the one you're already using in every regard except one-- shape the cutaway to blend more seamlessly with the rounder tele shape.

Not sure how much it costs to have custom work done, or if you'd just do it yourself, but I know that services and materials are available out there somewhere.

Either way-- looks great! Pretty rare to see those 2 styles blended quite so perfectly!

Well, I'd really like that upper horn to have the tele shape to it, instead of the strat shape. I like the Strat curve on the bass side, but I see what you mean--it'd look great if the pickguard's curve caught the curve of the body there, so it'd be nice to get that in. Good call.

Don't know if I'd make my own though, I don't like working with plastic....I'd probably have it custom made. But I have plenty of time for that-- I don't really have time to launch a new build this year (got a new band--we're getting ready for our first gigs).

One thing I like about this guitar is that the belly carve makes it more comfortable than a Tele, and the more squared lower bout makes it more comfortable (seated) than a Strat. On the next iteration, I'd want more of a forearm carve too. But still keep the binding -- I really love the look of tele with binding.

[GregP]

I'm with you.

I have a Yamaha "tele", and the belly carve is nice to have. The Yamaha uses pointier bout like a strat and a partial strat-like pickguard (knobs on bare wood, though), but I like your truer "tele" approach.

[Mickguard]

I'm with you.

I have a Yamaha "tele", and the belly carve is nice to have. The Yamaha uses pointier bout like a strat and a partial strat-like pickguard (knobs on bare wood, though), but I like your truer "tele" approach.

I almost bought one of those Yamahas...it was quite cheap (99 euros) and really beautiful (black with white binding). But the wife was with me....

In the meantime, I tried using a cap on the ground leg of the killswitch -- the result is, well, basically an on-off tone control. And it still clicks! So back to the drawing board....

But I also replaced the initial set of Fender (?) pickups, since I really hated the sound. Instead I used a set of pups and harness from a Pignose strat. Except I replaced the bridge pickup with another one I had here --it's from a Mosrite Mark II reissue, so I'm guessing it's a Dimarzio Fs-1. So now the guitar sounds really great -- especially the bridge, which gets closer to a tele sound (especially overdriven) without losing the Strat bloom. I like the Pignose pickups too, especially the neck, which remains quite bright.