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Modifying Strat


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Ok, I have a MIC 1997 Squier Affinity Strat I want to modify. I was looking to do a Frankenstein replica, but decided against making an exact replica of someone's signature. io do, however, want to pull from soem other signature axes, but solely as influences and not replicating any of them. And I definitely want this build to be economical (cheaper the better).

After looking around, I've read that Affinity strats should all be alder. With that in mind, I'm keeping the body. After I strip the pant/sand it, and find out it's not alder, well, we'll cross that bridge if we get there.

I just got me a jackson with a locking trem (will post pics soon :D ), so I'm looking to have this one for drop tunings (if so desired). I basically want an axe to handle sounds like that of Jake E. Lee, Warren Dimartini, Erik Turner/Joey Allen, Mark Slamer, Dave Sabo/Scotti Hill and Jerry Cantrell. However, I also want it to versatile enough to hit tunes like that of Mike McCready and Mr. Wyle alike.

I know i want a H-S-S configuration. The 2 bridge options so far are either a Duncan JB or Bill/Becky Lawrence L500XL. S-S possibilities are either 2 SDS-1's or 2 YJM's.

As for the bridge, I haven't decided on a trem or hardtail. If trem, then either wilkinson, gotoh, or vintage 6-hole.

Definitely want a brass nut and either Grover or Schaller locking tuners.

As stated above, I want this to be an economical build. With that in mind, I'm not sure just yet if i want to get a new neck just yet. If I do, it will be maple/maple,mand possibly scalloped.

500k pots, either 3-way or 5-way selector, and probably 1 volume, no tone.

Not sure about the final paint scheme or hardware color (that's where you guys come in :D )

In mind so far, I'm thinking eith white or ivory with white pickguard. I wanna pull from these 2:

2hdsms1.jpg

2zhgvia.jpg

xp98yc.jpg

As you can see, contemplating the gold or silver hardware with the white paint. May also relic the guitar, too. Please give me opinions.

Edited by Fowl2338
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that pic in the middle is the wrong way round... i am sure it was a lefty when it left me :D

i had one of those kramers in for a re-wire and it managed to really f*** me off. other than that the stars are just plain gayness

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other than that the stars are just plain gayness

How can you be a rock star without stars inlaid on your guitar?

Ever see a completely bad ass guitar you could not buy because of one super gay thing about it?

I implore someone to give this thing a home...I see it on Ebay and I feel sorry for it...sooo badass except for the one tiny problem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=110392469318

A San Dimas Soloist..built in Jackson's days of glory...WITH a kahler pro 2300 trem...for that ridiculously low price...Well,maybe not ridiculously low

Man I feel for that thing..

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That is a perfect example of what makes a collectable item worth X amount of dollars. That same Soloist in a better color would go in a heartbeat at that price. But in pink, no one wants it, even if it is collectable. So the question then arises, if you buy it and refinish it, do you destroy it's value. At this point, based on the model and specs it should easily sell for over $1000, but if you don't want it anymore and no one is buying it, it is a pink paperweight. If you refinish it, you destroy the "Collectors" value. But now you can actually sell it. The sad fact with collectors items is, they are only worth what someone will actually pay for them.

Back on topic, play different guitars loaded with both of those pickups, as they are very different sounding. The JB is known to have more highs and for a lot of people is too bright of a pickup, I personally love it. The L500XL was used by Dimebag Darrell, and has more mids and lows.

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that pic in the middle is the wrong way round... i am sure it was a lefty when it left me :D

other than that the stars are just plain gayness

No, definitely not using the star inlays. Just using that as an example of the gold hardware on the white paint.

Back on topic, play different guitars loaded with both of those pickups, as they are very different sounding. The JB is known to have more highs and for a lot of people is too bright of a pickup, I personally love it. The L500XL was used by Dimebag Darrell, and has more mids and lows.

What did you think about the single coil choices?

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I implore someone to give this thing a home...I see it on Ebay and I feel sorry for it...sooo badass except for the one tiny problem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=110392469318

A San Dimas Soloist..built in Jackson's days of glory...WITH a kahler pro 2300 trem...for that ridiculously low price...Well,maybe not ridiculously low

Man I feel for that thing..

A pink Jackson was good enough for Vai.

http://www.vai.com/Machines/guitarpages/guitar063.html

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No. That's just what I'd go with out of the choices you gave. The YJMs wouldn't have enough output to keep up with a humbucker. Plus p-90 construction sounds better in my opinion(more aggressive, better for rhythm) and won't pull on the strings as much as the YJM would.

edit: And they'll balance with the 500k pots better since they'll be more bassy/middy.

Edited by Keegan
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I'd use two SDS-1s and wire them to 500k pots and have the JB in the bridge.

thats the jake e lee combo. I nearly used that in the 'whitey' replica above that i made from warmoth parts but instead it got a custom 'holdsworth prototype' BKP instead of the JB. oh, and just one 500k pot obviously

those sds1's are beasts

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personal preference.

JEL could do crazy **** without a trem - he divebombed using the tuners and clever technique instead

But it is Jake's development of finger-vibrato and various techniques simulating the effect created by a vibrato bar which are mainstays of his style.

One of Jake's oft-used techniques is the dive-bomb effect-he places his left-hand fingers on the strings between the nut and tuning pegs, presses down and raises the pitch of the strings. With his right hand he taps on the fretboard (usually at the 12th fret) and pulls off. The tension behind the nut is released and as the string is being lowered the dive bomb effect is simulated. The end of Lightning Strikes is an example of this.

Another variation is the simple lowering of the E string via the tuning head and then applying pressure behind the nut or even pulling on the string. At times, Lee will take the low E string, lodge it between the two single-coil pickups and create elephant-like sounds.

And then there are the simple neck-bending routines. I bend it a lot; my roadie is always afraid I'm going to break it.

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personal preference.

JEL could do crazy **** without a trem - he divebombed using the tuners and clever technique instead

So, knowing I want this guitar for alternate tunings doesn't really matter or not if I go with a hardtail or vibrato? edit: To me it doesn't seem like it would matter, but i know most people that use floyds have a hardtail they use for alternate tunings.

Edited by Fowl2338
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