I'm building a strat....

[Winston]

which is most likely a bad idea, but it should be fun whatever way it turns out. I already have the body, but I need the hardware and electronics. It's going to be a S/S/S layout. Out of these, which would I need? I have a general idea, I just want to make sure; most of you, well, all of you are more experienced with building guitars than moi...These are the parts listed on warmoth, which would I need? I know the obvious ones, but I don't know about the more specific items, like copper shieldings, things like that...Thanks!


Parts/Electronics
Battery Boxes
Capacitors
Copper Shielding
Mounting Rings
Jacks & Jackplates
Knobs
Pickup Covers
Neck & Control Plates
Potentiometers
Screws
Strap Holders
String Ferrules
String Nuts
String Retainers
Switches
Wiring

[bclaire]

I have never copper shielded a Strat. Yeah, single coils hum but that's just the nature of the instrument.

I would recommend going to www.stewmac.com too for supplies and parts. Definitely less money...

What you need for a Strat:

neck and tuners
neck plate and screws (more than likely the plate comes with the screws)
2 strap buttons
tremelo assembly
pickguard
pickguard screws
3 pickups (my recommendation is a set from Lindy Fralin or get them from www.angela.com who stocks the Fralins usually) Also Angela has a LOT of real Fender parts if you want to go that route too... Oh, and most pickups come with mounting screws and springs/ rubber spacers
3 250K pots
2 caps
3 or 5 way switch
get black and white cloth wire- nicer than plastic and you cut to length- push back the cloth covering- solder- and push the cloth back down. Much easier than stripping wire
Output jack and jack plate
3 knobs

Unless you're making a hardtail Strat, this should be what you need...

Download a schematic from Seymour Duncan while you're at it...

[Winston]

Thank you Billy!

[bclaire]

caps should be .047 if I recall correctly...

[Simon Wicks]

Get a nice bone nut too while you're at it.

[LeonC]

I highly recommend the Wilkinson vintage 6-screw bridge. Basically a vintage style birdge, but has a few really nice refinements that will help it tune up better, stay in tune better and are just convenient (like pop-in arm rather than screw-in). 35 bucks at GuitarFetish.com.

[rrrajo]

As far as shielding goes, I had a 80's 62 RI Strat that had a Aluminium guard under the plastic pickguard. I don't know if they use them anymore due to cost, but the guitar was strangely more quiet than most.

[bclaire]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by rrrajo</i>
<br />As far as shielding goes, I had a 80's 62 RI Strat that had a Aluminium guard under the plastic pickguard. I don't know if they use them anymore due to cost, but the guitar was strangely more quiet than most.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

My 66 Strat has one too. I try to use one on every Strat I have...

I'm in the process of building a Tele! We'll have to compare notes along the way. I have the neck and tuners already (from a Joe Strummer) and the body should have been delivered to work today. I have to take a rummage through my guitar parts tackle box and see what I already have for parts. I know there's a spare bridge, and I think pots, too, definitely have caps... but the finish is going to be tricky since I want to do the gold leaf thing on this one. I know I swore I would never do that again, and there's probably a thread on here where I said if I ever get this bright idea again, shoot me. That's going to end up taking a while... plus a lot of $$$ for gold leaf. The only other thing I think I have to order is a vintage pearloid pickguard....