badsnap

Hey there...I've read this entire thread with much interest but haven't chimed in yet (mostly because I'm only current just now!!). So...I think you should stick with your original plans (if you are able to) and don't worry about the PU placement. I agree with Mickguard...create a unique sound...if you want a strat, build a strat. I can't wait to see the finished product and hear how it sounds!! Very cool and different...Rog

Very nice...you obviously know what you're doing. Any idea on PU's and finish??? Keep us posted...Rog

Great looking guitar...I have a very similar "design" in the works...(we all say that though don't we??). Anyway, I have had great sucess with any # of the variety of humbuckers that are made to fit in single coil space (quarterpounder for example). It's simple to wire a push/push (my favorite) or push/pull pot to give a bucker in one position and a single in the other (wire one position to ground the "tap" of the PU...viola...single coil PU). The buckers in single disguise PUs don't sound exactly like a true single, but they work great for blues and heavier blues/rock. So many to choose from, it's more fun to do your own research. Keep us posted on progress...Rog

Excellent work!!! Awesome finish. How does the piezo bridge sound?? I'm in the planning stages of a single PU (humbucker) guitar with a piezo bridge (I'm actually toying with the idea of a decorative "fake" sound hole) and am curious how much it (the piezo bridge) cost, how easy was it to install, and how it sounds...Rog

Great first build. Beware...it's assembling and customizing guitars that has led me here, and is driving me to make a complete scratch build of my own design. It gets addicting!!...Rog

Earlier in the thread you talked about your PUs being humbuckers and wanting to maybe use lipsticks in a future build. Have you considered using at least one of the strat/tele style humbuckers ie quarterpound etc. This would give you the humbuckers but also decrease the size of the PU routes and perhaps allow a longer tenon to set the neck more stable??? Just an idea!! BTW...love the forum and following the threads...I'm learning a ton and enjoying the heck out of it!!...Rog

Clear green on silver will give more of a candy apple look which IMHO is far superior to a solid metalic...Rog

OK...my $0.02 ... I have done alot of my furniture with nothing but a few coats of dye (stain) and a topcoat (or three) of linseed oil. Works great, lasts great, and is easy to maintain. Just oil it once or twice a year. It's not sticky...it actually is perhaps a bit slick, like a newly "pledged" table. Granted, I haven't tried it on a guitar (at least with a dye or stain), but it should work fine if that's the look you want. I have , however, used linseed oil quite often on my natural wood guitars and it works wonderfully. It is true that it will give a bit of a yellow tone to wood, but it actually looks very natural. More like aging than discoloration...Rog

If you are going darker in color and the finish seems thin enough, you can simply sand the existing finish and apply the new color on top of it. It is even possible to go lighter, it will just take more coats to achieve the color you want. My ears are not this good, but some claim that they can hear the tone difference that finishes induce in guitars, so you may want to keep coats to a minimum...but that's up to you. There is also the weight factor that each coat will add to your instrument. Personally, I don't like to do more than is needed for any given task...less is more school of thought, but once again that is a personal choice. Anyway...back to the subject, you don't need to take the finish off, just rough it up so the new finish has something to grip. Unless you have a high end guitar, factory finishes are generally thin (not too many coats) to keep costs down and maximize profit so painting over the old finish should be fine. This is the easiest way to refinish an instrument IMO...Rog

I have recently read great things about Marine grade polyester resin finishes, from people who use it to finish guitars. Yes...polyester. It's a hard, slick resin used to finish boats and other watercraft. I've never worked with it so I can't give any reviews but on my next finishing endeavor I will definitly do some research and consider giving it a go. Hard, durable and waterproof...what more could a guitar ask for?!? I don't know if a flat or matte finish can be achieved using it though so I don't know how much this post will help in regard to the original topic...Rog

Marine (watercraft, not soldiers) supply stores sell what is known as poyester resins. These are very hard and slick when dry and should suit you well. I have not had the opportunity to use them so I don't know how easy they are to apply. Rog That should read POLYester...my bad!...Rog

Your choice of stripper will depend upon the type of finish you are removing and the surface you are removing it from...in this case wood. The stripper should have a product index and/or website to reference htat should give you all the information you need to know. Research strippers and find which one applies to you. Sorry, I don't know them well enough to simply answer you question. In regard to your neck question...if you are stripping the back of the neck, mask off the binding and fretboard and you should be fine...most fret boards are attached with glues that require heat to remove. Of course, the more you can avoid contact between the solvent and the neck/fretboard joint the better. Rog

Try this website http://www.woodweb.com/KnowledgeBase/KBVen...ufacturing.html

I am currently builing a similar simple guitar and want to warn you of something. I have just changed pickups in one of my custom guitars (which had a great full sound) and in the process thought to totally eliminate the tone pots (wasted space!!). In the process...the guitar tone became incredible thin...like and anorexic telecaster!!! The problem was...I needed to install .02 caps on the volume pot to substitute for a fully open (10) tone pot. Sounds great now!! So, the tone pot does actually alter the sound even when it is at 10, which makes sense because the cap will still pass frequencies to ground even with no resitance to "tune the tank". Rog