Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Philly Q on April 08, 2011, 11:06:22 PM
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I've been wittering on for years about one day getting a Relic Strat or Tele, but a couple of things have always put me off.... first and foremost, the price - not sure I'll ever be comforable about breaking the 2 grand barrier. Also, there was the niggling fact that all relic Strats have tremolos, and deep down I'd really prefer a hardtail.
Anyway, just before setting off home from work this evening, I was on eBay and made a spur-of-the-moment bid on this body. I got home to find I'd won it! Pretty good price too! :o Completely unexpected.
I don't know what the quality of the MJT bodies is like, hope they're precision-made with a tight neck pocket and the bridge in the right place! I think it looks good, anyway.
Problem is...... now I need a relic neck, a relic scratchplate, some relic pickups, some relic hardware.....!
Are there any good specialist sites for relic parts? I want decent Gotoh/Fender stuff, but it's certainly not money-no-object. I don't want this to end up costing 2 grand!
And what look should I go for? Random collection of parts or period-correct? The 3-colour sunburst says mid-'60s to me, but it could be '70s too, with the right neck and parts. What d'you think?
(Edit: the scratchplate, bridge and jackplate aren't included with the body, so I'm not necessarily using that colour)
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/KGrHqEOKpgE1qzqsWBNliKBmwQ_31.jpg)
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/KGrHqUOKpwE1rC5occSBNliKM3Ww_31.jpg)
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/KGrHqQOKkE1uduTnMBNliJuzOiw_31.jpg)
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/KGrHqIOKokE1zwhRvjBNliJ-enRQ_31.jpg)
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Tim aged a set of Mothers Milks for me to match a 70s strat I have. Looks really good :lol:
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Body looks nicely reliced. I can't say anything about the quality.
If you're looking for reliced/ aged parts, take a look at rebelrelic.com, they have several things in stock like necks, pickguards, tuners, bridges etc.
Luke Whitfield is American, so contact is no problem.
www.rebelrelic.com (http://www.rebelrelic.com)
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IMO, I'd just use that bridge, etc.
But about the body, I like! It's looks very nice, hope everything goes well Philly and this better not pop up in Seconds Out!
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If it was mine, I'd go insane and rout the body to take a tele bridge pickup and neck humbucker then cut a scratchplate to fit then bung a tele neck on it and forget the Pawnshop '51 entirely.
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That's great Philly, really good look to it. If my opinion is worth anything I would go for a maple neck with the smaller headstock.
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I'm not a relic fan at all, but that looks cool.
Why not buy traditional parts new, then have a go relikkkking them yourself? Might be fun. There must be tips and tricks online on how to do it.
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The body looks cool. The neck pocket on the MJT body I got for that recent Telemaster project was a liitle too small for the Warmoth neck I had but half an hour of careful sanding sorted that out, otherwise everything was good, a nice weight too. For relic parts there's a couple of sites I've used in addition to those already mentioned and they're www.fake58.co.uk and www.wdmusic.co.uk carry Montreux and other relic brands. The thing I had to get from the States for my build were the ferrules to go in the back of the body. Got those from eBay. I've also heard good things about http://www.fatboyguitars.co.uk but haven't got anything from them myself.
Good luck with the project and keep us posted with progress.
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Those guys at MJT seem to do cracking work, if I hadn't got my La cabronita body dirt cheap elsewhere I'd have got it from there. Is it the nitro finished one Philly?
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for your pickguard + pickups needs do bkp not do the pre wired aged strat sets in the aged pickguards anymore?
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I've had some Fatboy stuff before, a relic bridge, tuners, and full plastics. Good looking stuff. Slightly disappointed with the bridge, the relic rusting has left the G strings saddle screw unmovable, and the intonation is slightly off on that one!
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I've dealt with these guys a few times and would recommend them... www.fake58.co.uk
That scratchplate you have on it looks great, I'd just use that.
Needs a big headstock though, maybe even reversed :lol:
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hardtail sunburst strat - makes me thing it should be converted to a jake e lee whitey
i would definitely go for a 70's vibe on this
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A reversed headstock would be badass.
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Thanks for all the comments! :D
If you're looking for reliced/ aged parts, take a look at rebelrelic.com, they have several things in stock like necks, pickguards, tuners, bridges etc.
Luke Whitfield is American, so contact is no problem.
www.rebelrelic.com (http://www.rebelrelic.com)
The body looks cool. The neck pocket on the MJT body I got for that recent Telemaster project was a liitle too small for the Warmoth neck I had but half an hour of careful sanding sorted that out, otherwise everything was good, a nice weight too. For relic parts there's a couple of sites I've used in addition to those already mentioned and they're www.fake58.co.uk and www.wdmusic.co.uk carry Montreux and other relic brands. The thing I had to get from the States for my build were the ferrules to go in the back of the body. Got those from eBay. I've also heard good things about http://www.fatboyguitars.co.uk but haven't got anything from them myself.
I've had some Fatboy stuff before, a relic bridge, tuners, and full plastics. Good looking stuff. Slightly disappointed with the bridge, the relic rusting has left the G strings saddle screw unmovable, and the intonation is slightly off on that one!
I've dealt with these guys a few times and would recommend them... www.fake58.co.uk
Thanks gents, I will check out RebelRelic, Fake 58 and Fatboy - I've heard of them before but never really looked at their stuff. And I use WD all the time, but had no idea they sell aged/relic stuff! :lol:
If the neck pocket turns out to be a bit tight, that'll be fine - better than too big, and at least i won't have to worry about the paintwork if I need to sand it a bit!
Those guys at MJT seem to do cracking work, if I hadn't got my La cabronita body dirt cheap elsewhere I'd have got it from there. Is it the nitro finished one Philly?
Yep, according to the eBay ad it's nitro - pretty sure they only do nitro, from my occasional visits to their website. I wouldn't really mind if it wasn't, though, so long as it looks the part.
Tim aged a set of Mothers Milks for me to match a 70s strat I have. Looks really good :lol:
That scratchplate you have on it looks great, I'd just use that.
for your pickguard + pickups needs do bkp not do the pre wired aged strat sets in the aged pickguards anymore?
Well yes, I was considering going the pre-wired scratchplate route. Slightly annoying when I have so many parts and pickups lying around, but none of it is relic stuff (that's why this is going to get expensive! :lol: ).
They do still list the pre-wired, aged scratchplates in the BKP shop. SSS only, though. I wonder if I could supply my own Fender plate and get them to age it if I wanted to go HSS (sacrilege!)?
Needs a big headstock though, maybe even reversed :lol:
A reversed headstock would be badass.
That's great Philly, really good look to it. If my opinion is worth anything I would go for a maple neck with the smaller headstock.
I'm quite keen on big headstocks - maple board for a '70s look, maybe rosewood for a late '60s look? Probably NOT reverse, though (but hmmmm.... maybe...? :? :wink: ). On the other hand, small headstock would be good for a '60-'64 look, but then we're definitely talking rosewood.
I'm a little bit tempted to go for a proper '64 look, with the small headstock and "transition" Fender logo (I always liked the transition logo, and '64 was the year I was born). But I don't want to get hung up on period details.
Why not buy traditional parts new, then have a go relikkkking them yourself? Might be fun. There must be tips and tricks online on how to do it.
It's a possibility, and there's lots of info online, but I'm worried I would mess it up. It'd be quite easy to get a Mexican Fender neck and try relicing that, but they're mostly poly/urethane finishes, which would make life a bit harder. Maybe even a Road Worn, then half the work's done (but they're 7.25" radius). We shall see....
If it was mine, I'd go insane and rout the body to take a tele bridge pickup and neck humbucker then cut a scratchplate to fit then bung a tele neck on it and forget the Pawnshop '51 entirely.
I don't know if that's a serious suggestion or not, Frank...... but it does have a certain appeal! :wink:
I will almost certainly rout it for neck and bridge humbuckers, just to keep my options open and take a couple of ounces off the weight (it's 4lbs 3oz, fine really but I'd have preferred a few ounces less).
hardtail sunburst strat - makes me thing it should be converted to a jake e lee whitey
i would definitely go for a 70's vibe on this
Definitely not respraying it white! :P But HSS is a definite possibility. I quite fancy a cream Crawler HSS set on a tortoise scratchplate, with rosewood ('60s), or maybe the same on a black scratchplate, with maple ('70s). Too many options!
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oh no, not HSS on a Strat - same with tortoise-shell scratchplates, urgh!!! (vom)
this is crying out for a Mothers Milk set - I'm loving the tone of those in the clips section.
of course, for a 70s Strat, the Slowhand set may be more in order.
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oh no, not HSS on a Strat - same with tortoise-shell scratchplates, urgh!!! (vom)
this is crying out for a Mothers Milk set - I'm loving the tone of those in the clips section.
of course, for a 70s Strat, the Slowhand set may be more in order.
Ha, I love a bit of tortoiseshell! :lol: How do you feel about pearloid?
(Won't be going pearloid on this one though, too pretty)
Slowhand appeals to me more than MM, I want a bit of extra oomph. Which reminds me, I do already have an Irish Tour set looking for a home...
How can you not like this as a colour scheme?
(http://www.themusiczoo.com/images/7-13-10/Fender_Custom_Shop_1960_Stratocaster_Relic_Faded_3_Tone_Sunburst_R46184_1.jpg)
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Check out these on ebay, fatboy http://shop.ebay.com/fatboyfoley/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562 (http://shop.ebay.com/fatboyfoley/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562) and monster relic http://stores.ebay.com/Crazyparts-Web-Shop?_rdc=1 (http://stores.ebay.com/Crazyparts-Web-Shop?_rdc=1). I got some things from them that were good and not over the top in price. I have an MJT strat body and it is spot on for measurements. I have been looking at a couple of the hardtail bodies that they do, as I would like to put together another ht strat.
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You can have the tortoiseshell Philly, but I'm with HTH on the HSS... no way!! :lol:
Get a nice chunky neck with rosewood board and then stick they ITs in it...
Have you got an estimated completion date? (sorry! :lol:)
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Check out these on ebay, fatboy http://shop.ebay.com/fatboyfoley/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562 (http://shop.ebay.com/fatboyfoley/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562) and monster relic http://stores.ebay.com/Crazyparts-Web-Shop?_rdc=1 (http://stores.ebay.com/Crazyparts-Web-Shop?_rdc=1). I got some things from them that were good and not over the top in price. I have an MJT strat body and it is spot on for measurements. I have been looking at a couple of the hardtail bodies that they do, as I would like to put together another ht strat.
Thanks for those links, Phil. It's interesting (already) to see how "exact" the world of relicing is (e.g. "single line" vs "double line" Kluson tuners! I'll be happy with just a set of aged Gotohs). And nothing wrong with that.
Anyone used this place? Prices seem more reasonable than some:
http://www.axetremecreations.com/sections/56/aged_parts/ (http://www.axetremecreations.com/sections/56/aged_parts/)
You can have the tortoiseshell Philly, but I'm with HTH on the HSS... no way!! :lol:
Get a nice chunky neck with rosewood board and then stick they ITs in it...
Have you got an estimated completion date? (sorry! :lol:)
We'll see.... I'm definitely not ruling out HSS!
I have my eye on some Fender necks which would be great, not relics though unfortunately - so do I attempt my own relic job, or perhaps get them stripped and re-finished/reliced. Hmmmm. :?
Completion date...... 2015 maybe? :wink: In the meantime I predict: I'll buy at least 3 necks and 4 sets of pickups, and sell most of them without ever using them.
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Ha, I love a bit of tortoiseshell! :lol: How do you feel about pearloid?
mother of toilet seat? - omg!!!, just awful, that is the worst crime you can do to a Strat.
How can you not like this as a colour scheme?
(http://www.themusiczoo.com/images/7-13-10/Fender_Custom_Shop_1960_Stratocaster_Relic_Faded_3_Tone_Sunburst_R46184_1.jpg)
I'll give you the tortoise-shell, it does look nice in that photo. An aged white one still looks better, imo :D
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Anyone used this place? Prices seem more reasonable than some:
http://www.axetremecreations.com/sections/56/aged_parts/ (http://www.axetremecreations.com/sections/56/aged_parts/)
Those are the folks I bought my Tele body ferrules from. Good service and would buy from them again.
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Nice purchase you've made there.
But please for god's sake do something with it!
A fine addition to the famous Philly Q parts graveyard :P
(http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/flying/assets/plane_graveyard.jpg)
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Anyone used this place? Prices seem more reasonable than some:
http://www.axetremecreations.com/sections/56/aged_parts/ (http://www.axetremecreations.com/sections/56/aged_parts/)
Those are the folks I bought my Tele body ferrules from. Good service and would buy from them again.
Cool, I'll keep 'em on the list! :)
A fine addition to the famous Philly Q parts graveyard :P
Oh yes indeed... :P
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Fatboy guitars - bought loads of bits from him - even prewired scratchplate with BKPs and all top quality - more realistic than the custom shop (and I have a custom shop)
In terms of a neck - I would be tempted by a fender roadworn or a roadworn players neck (9.5") which you can buy off ebay from the US. Not cheap though!
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Fatboy guitars - bought loads of bits from him - even prewired scratchplate with BKPs and all top quality - more realistic than the custom shop (and I have a custom shop)
In terms of a neck - I would be tempted by a fender roadworn or a roadworn players neck (9.5") which you can buy off ebay from the US. Not cheap though!
I'm liking the look of Fatboy - good reviews, no import duty and they sell aged versions of my favourite Gotoh tuners too.
The neck is going to be the biggest problem, I think (unless I spend a vast amount of money).... certainly considering the Road Worns, but the Players are the "Modern C" shape which is just too slim, and the vintage ones have a 7.25" radius :( . A relic version of my Robert Cray Strat neck - chunky and 9.5" radius - would be ideal!
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That looks pretty beat up and bad ass! I like it.... a lot.
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Nice one Philly- I look forward to seeing the finished guitar.
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I don't know if that's a serious suggestion or not, Frank
I resent the implication that I'm ever less than 100% serious on this messageboard!
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I don't know if that's a serious suggestion or not, Frank
I resent the implication that I'm ever less than 100% serious on this messageboard!
Your suggestion didn't sound that bad as well :B
By the way Philly, if you could give me (or us all) the final price of all this, it would be fantastic of you. Would maybe set myself up for something like in the summer. Much thanks! Hope the build is going well!
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By the way Philly, if you could give me (or us all) the final price of all this, it would be fantastic of you. Would maybe set myself up for something like in the summer. Much thanks! Hope the build is going well!
Well, let's see how it turns out!
If the total cost gets anywhere near Fender Custom Shop prices I'll be keeping very quiet from sheer embarrassment...
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By the way Philly, if you could give me (or us all) the final price of all this, it would be fantastic of you. Would maybe set myself up for something like in the summer. Much thanks! Hope the build is going well!
Well, let's see how it turns out!
If the total cost gets anywhere near Fender Custom Shop prices I'll be keeping very quiet from sheer embarrassment...
Even more stories behind it if it ever appears in Seconds Out!
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By the way Philly, if you could give me (or us all) the final price of all this, it would be fantastic of you. Would maybe set myself up for something like in the summer. Much thanks! Hope the build is going well!
Well, let's see how it turns out!
If the total cost gets anywhere near Fender Custom Shop prices I'll be keeping very quiet from sheer embarrassment...
Even more stories behind it if it ever appears in Seconds Out!
If it ever does, it'll be in bits..... homemade Parts-O-Casters don't have much resale value!
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I looks great in this colourscheme. Very early sixties. I would keep it SSS.
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If you decide on HSS, and I'm not strongly pro or anti, have you considered a TV Jones for humbucker? I've been really pleased with how the PowerTron balances with the Mothers Milk neck and middle in my Telemaster. Might be worth considering if you're after something a wee bit different?
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I like this project! :D
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Thanks Fernando! :D
If you decide on HSS, and I'm not strongly pro or anti, have you considered a TV Jones for humbucker? I've been really pleased with how the PowerTron balances with the Mothers Milk neck and middle in my Telemaster. Might be worth considering if you're after something a wee bit different?
Interesting idea. I hadn't considered that, I've been thinking of this as an aggressive blues-rock kind of guitar, no twang, snap, sparkle or shimmer required!
I have actually got a couple of TV Classics lying around (as AndyR and Afghan Dave will NOT be surprised to hear! :lol: ) but they're shiny chrome ones, I'd need to get a relic one if I was going to use it on this guitar.
(Edit: I just looked at the TV Jones website and I see they now make a Dogear ring for their "English mount" pickups. Now that's giving me ideas, but not for this Strat.... :) )
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If you want a big headstock neck, these are decent prices for Fender ones (though they are MIM's):
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Stratocaster-Tom-Delonge-Strat-NECK-TUNERS-/360345677826?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item53e646b002#ht_868wt_905 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Stratocaster-Tom-Delonge-Strat-NECK-TUNERS-/360345677826?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item53e646b002#ht_868wt_905)
http://cgi.ebay.com/2002-Fender-Stratocaster-Tom-Delonge-Strat-NECK-Guitar-/360340758833?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item53e5fba131#ht_848wt_905 (http://cgi.ebay.com/2002-Fender-Stratocaster-Tom-Delonge-Strat-NECK-Guitar-/360340758833?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item53e5fba131#ht_848wt_905)
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Thanks Fernando! :D
If you decide on HSS, and I'm not strongly pro or anti, have you considered a TV Jones for humbucker? I've been really pleased with how the PowerTron balances with the Mothers Milk neck and middle in my Telemaster. Might be worth considering if you're after something a wee bit different?
Interesting idea. I hadn't considered that, I've been thinking of this as an aggressive blues-rock kind of guitar, no twang, snap, sparkle or shimmer required!
Powertron Plus? I believe a Mr W. Gibbons of Texas USA is quite partial and, so I'm told, quite the authority on blues rock tone...
I have the Powertron in my guitar and whilst it's still a bit Gretschy and is perfect for the bitey AC/DC tone and can do the Revd Willie G I don't think you'd ever get mistaken for Brian Setzer with it and the Powertron Plus is even gruntier so might suit you better. Just saying. :)
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If you want a big headstock neck, these are decent prices for Fender ones (though they are MIM's):
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Stratocaster-Tom-Delonge-Strat-NECK-TUNERS-/360345677826?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item53e646b002#ht_868wt_905 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Stratocaster-Tom-Delonge-Strat-NECK-TUNERS-/360345677826?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item53e646b002#ht_868wt_905)
http://cgi.ebay.com/2002-Fender-Stratocaster-Tom-Delonge-Strat-NECK-Guitar-/360340758833?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item53e5fba131#ht_848wt_905 (http://cgi.ebay.com/2002-Fender-Stratocaster-Tom-Delonge-Strat-NECK-Guitar-/360340758833?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item53e5fba131#ht_848wt_905)
Thanks Phil. MIM is fine, and they are pretty good prices, but I don't like the "modern C" shape unfortunately (it would be so much easier if I did!). Looking for something a fair bit heftier.
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I'm a big CBS headstock advocate, but I think you might be able to get away with a standard headstock on that body..
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Yeah, as I've been thinking about it over the last few days I'm leaning more towards the '60 to '65 look. And definitely rosewood.
(And definitely tortoise! :wink: )