Tom Bradovich
Iron Range Born & Raised
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2021
- Messages
- 623
That is a really REALLY beautiful job you've done. And the pick guard is perfect for it. Great work on your part.
74 today! Think I'll build a guitar!
- Thread starter Lewguitar
- Start date
Lewguitar
Old Know It All
Thanks! Have a lot of time into it but it was worth it.
DreamTheaterRules
Blistered!
- Joined
- May 4, 2023
- Messages
- 2,534
Wow! That's looking great, Lew!
Lewguitar
Old Know It All
Well I got it all together and played it last night for the first time.
Wow!!! What a resonant guitar. Sustain forever. Just fabulous!
The Sperzels were a PITA both to install and then to string. I'm blind in one eye from the steroids I've been on for the Lymphoma I'm fighting, and could not do it by itself. Maybe in sunlight. Laura Lee had to help.
Love the Fender American Standard tremolo! Comes back in tune and I can do those Jeff Beck whammy bar tricks and play melodies with harmonics more easily than with any other Strat or Silver Sky I own. Uses three springs. One right down the the middle and other two wide on the block and then in a V shape at the claw.
Really good sounding, easy playing 2 point tremolo.
To day is Thanksgiving and while Laura Lee is cooking I'm going to spend some time setting the guitar up a little better.
The action is extremely high at the nut, so I think I'll just file the very shallow grooves away and set it up for the string spacing and distance from the edges of the neck that I prefer.
Feels like Christmas!
Now I'm going to build another just like it but with a non-toxic finish. All oil.
The nitro I sprayed as the final three coats did kinda get to me.
Not good for a 74 year old guy fighting cancer....
Wow!!! What a resonant guitar. Sustain forever. Just fabulous!
The Sperzels were a PITA both to install and then to string. I'm blind in one eye from the steroids I've been on for the Lymphoma I'm fighting, and could not do it by itself. Maybe in sunlight. Laura Lee had to help.
Love the Fender American Standard tremolo! Comes back in tune and I can do those Jeff Beck whammy bar tricks and play melodies with harmonics more easily than with any other Strat or Silver Sky I own. Uses three springs. One right down the the middle and other two wide on the block and then in a V shape at the claw.
Really good sounding, easy playing 2 point tremolo.
To day is Thanksgiving and while Laura Lee is cooking I'm going to spend some time setting the guitar up a little better.
The action is extremely high at the nut, so I think I'll just file the very shallow grooves away and set it up for the string spacing and distance from the edges of the neck that I prefer.
Feels like Christmas!
Now I'm going to build another just like it but with a non-toxic finish. All oil.
The nitro I sprayed as the final three coats did kinda get to me.
Not good for a 74 year old guy fighting cancer....
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Lewguitar
Old Know It All
I can't help but think that the hours I spent getting a tight and perfect fit with the neck and neck pocket is partially responsible for the amazing tone and sustain.
Lots of sanding and scraping. Went through a lot of new single edge razor blades. I buy them by the hundred.
Factories just can't spend that kind of time so there's always a little air and space between the neck and neck pocket.
I used 1/2" x 3" strips of paper between the neck and neck pocket, and if I could pull it out I'd scrape and sand until I got the fit perfect and tight enough that I could not pull that paper out without it tearing.
Time consuming but so worth it!
Guess that's one of the diffs between a partially hand made custom guitar like mine that may have started life on a CNC machine, but then all the final fitting and detailing being done by hand, and one made 100% on a CNC machine.
Lots of sanding and scraping. Went through a lot of new single edge razor blades. I buy them by the hundred.
Factories just can't spend that kind of time so there's always a little air and space between the neck and neck pocket.
I used 1/2" x 3" strips of paper between the neck and neck pocket, and if I could pull it out I'd scrape and sand until I got the fit perfect and tight enough that I could not pull that paper out without it tearing.
Time consuming but so worth it!
Guess that's one of the diffs between a partially hand made custom guitar like mine that may have started life on a CNC machine, but then all the final fitting and detailing being done by hand, and one made 100% on a CNC machine.
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Lewguitar
Old Know It All
PopsDecals makes custom peghead decals. These are what he sent me for approval.
Whatcha think? I want it to look like an old Fender logo but use Laura Lee's name,
These are just mock ups. The real decal will be gold not yellow.
The lettering needs to have a black outline I think.
Certainly not RED.
Whatcha think? I want it to look like an old Fender logo but use Laura Lee's name,
These are just mock ups. The real decal will be gold not yellow.
The lettering needs to have a black outline I think.
Certainly not RED.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Lewguitar
Old Know It All
I like the top one best but I don't like the "L" he used.Top one for me
I used a UK supplier for this custom decal on the Red Alder Strat -
I like yours more. Looks professional. That's more the look I want.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Yeah the guy that did mine, did a really nice job. I was very pleased. The gold is really reflective too.
bodia
Authorities said.....best leave it.....unsolved
I vote top one, as well
Lewguitar
Old Know It All
Pops sent me a third option...
Black outine is a must.
I really like the top one. Except for the weird capital L's.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Just a thought, you could always ask them to do a “mock up” with lower case L and see if you prefer it.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Here’s an idea, obviously needs a black outline.
This is proper Strato font -
This is proper Strato font -
Lewguitar
Old Know It All
Really cool! But I can't see how to get started. Can you give me a little coaching?Here’s an idea, obviously needs a black outline.
This is proper Strato font -
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Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Google search (or whatever search engine you use) - Strato font (the name of the font used on a Strat headstock) .
You should get the option of a Strato font download. Select “preview” and you can have a play about. The capital L on Strato isn’t very inspiring, hence it not being called a “Leo”.
Any problems PM me.
Lewguitar
Old Know It All
Enormous help! Thank you. I'll design this thing myself now and then send it to Pops to make 3 or 4 decals now. Thanks again and if i get confused I'll PM you.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Best of luck
Lewguitar
Old Know It All
Can't get this to work. My own preference gets covered by the preview and I keep losing it. Basically just want a black border around all letters and capital L's of some sort.Here’s an idea, obviously needs a black outline.
This is proper Strato font -
Maybe a little more of a transparent gold so it looks more like an old Fender decal.
Could you set that up for me? Give an old man who's blind in one eye a hand?
