Esquire GAS

[mijstrat72]

For some reason I have developed some hardcore Esquire GAS.

So I was looking at my shivering strat and thought "how cool would an Esquire'esc strat be"? One angled pup, one vol. one tone and a switch on the pickguard strat style.

Your thoughts.

[JamonHamon]

Sounds good to me but I'd do it a Esquire Neck pickup

[Rob DiStefano]

I went in the literal other direction ...





... Virtual Vintage pup, no-load tone pot, 11-50 flat wound strings. Yeah, that fingerboard needs a drink of oil ...

[johnnytronics]

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

I went in the literal other direction ...





... Virtual Vintage pup, no-load tone pot, 11-50 flat wound strings. Yeah, that fingerboard needs a drink of oil ...

Man! You do some tasty stuff!

[stantheman]

Rob, She reminds me of a super classed-out Musicmaster II with a proper input for a cord. What a sweet Geetar for Jazz and Blues! I'll show it to my pal Ralph who's a "strictly neck pickup guy". He's gonna freak!

[Rob DiStefano]

I'm in the same camp as too many other bluez 'n' jazz Strat users - the neck pup gets most of the attention ... so why not do a neck pup only Strat? Moving over to flatwounds on a permanent basis was the next best conversion, too. I've got a double gig back that now sports this Strat and a very tasty Esquire - front and back ends of the sonic spectrum covered perfectly.

[thekillingjoke]

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

I went in the literal other direction ...





... Virtual Vintage pup, no-load tone pot, 11-50 flat wound strings. Yeah, that fingerboard needs a drink of oil ...

Very cool, Rob. I wouldn't mind having something like that and an actual Esquire. I'm curious what the neck pickup on a Strat would be like with Esquire wiring.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by thekillingjoke

Very cool, Rob. I wouldn't mind having something like that and an actual Esquire. I'm curious what the neck pickup on a Strat would be like with Esquire wiring.

Personally, I don't like anything about vintage or modern Esquire wiring. It's all about introducing caps that just add varying degrees of mud tone and I'll never ever use those sounds. Instead, my Esquire uses just a master volume and a no-load tone pot, no pickup switch wanted or needed.

[Ron C]

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

I'm in the same camp as too many other bluez 'n' jazz Strat users - the neck pup gets most of the attention ... so why not do a neck pup only Strat?

For most of 06 and 07, that's what I did with both of my hardtail strats. Funny thing was that my playing improved markedly during that time. I think that not fiddling with switches and knobs helped!

It also made sense to me since I hadn't found any bridge pickups that did what I wanted (noise free tele-ish tones). But now that I use a Lawrence 298 bridge, that's all changed. Rob, thanks for that recommendation.

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

...I've got a double gig back that now sports this Strat and a very tasty Esquire - front and back ends of the sonic spectrum covered perfectly.

My Gator double gig bag was one of my best gear investments. And nowadays the backup strat doesn't get used much, so I'm looking to do something Esquire-ish, like what mijstrat72 is doing. I have a lovely DiMarzio EJ Custom bridge bucker laying around - it's a very low output, bright bucker that twangs and growls nicely, but ironically, it will make this look like a shredder's guitar.

[Rob DiStefano]

L298TL in my Esquire!

[mijstrat72]

Rob, that neck only has slammed me back into reality...I love it. Now you have me wanting to buy another strat so I can make one.

I love the blue Esquire as well. I would also run any Esquire ish guitar I had with no switch, my buddy had that cap stuff going on and neither of us liked the sound, so his 52 got the modern wiring.

I enjoy the lack of knobs and switches, my friends laugh when I pull out my kramer F1000 wannabe...but it has a secret...pull the one and only knob and now you have tone adjustment. Genius.

[Rob DiStefano]

A new and pro quality neck-only-pup Strat can be had on the cheap and low tech via one of those excellent $100 Bullet Strats, change the tuners, pull the loaded stock pickguard and replace with a custom neck-pup-only one from WD or Wartmouth or wherever, load it with yer fave pup and a pair of pots for volume and tone (no-load tone optional), replace the Asian jack with a Switchcraft, set 'er all up with the strings of yer choice (in my case, 11-50 Daddy'O Chrome flatwounds). If ya haven't already, do try a set of flatwounds with any of yer Fender type guitars - I recommend the D'Addario 10-48 Chromes, they have a glassy super slick feeling and the tone is perfect for most any style of music and man can they *twang* - you may never wanna go back to round wounds again.

[mijstrat72]

I finally just put some flat wounds on my epi p bass and WOW are they cool! I should have done that years ago. I've been playing my bass alot more, and take after take studio time doesn't destroy my fingers like it used too either, so I'm looking for some for my guitar now.

I've just finished another bullet build, and seeing what you have there makes me want to put the duo sonic on hold, and I just love modding these bullets...too much fun.

Ron C, I agree with the fact that having less makes you a better player, I think however it's more related to the fact that you have to articulate your single pup into differnt tonal qualities by using your fingers, palm and attack... not a knob or switch.

I have several single pup fiddles, and I love all of them the same, but I think I'm going to have to go the other way like DeStefano, I found blank pickguards on the bay' so there's a nice starting point, my buddies will go nuts!!

[rhh7]

Rob, can you tell us what diameter the tuner holes on the bullet are? Are there any tuners that would mount without drilling new holes?

Thanks a million!

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by rhh7

Rob, can you tell us what diameter the tuner holes on the bullet are? Are there any tuners that would mount without drilling new holes?

Thanks a million!

Any 11/32" "vintage" tuner will retro fit. You must remove the stock tuner bushings, as they're smaller throat size won't work with vintage Gotohs or Klusons. For modern, sealed tuners, the headstock tuner holes need to be drilled or reamed out with a 25/64" ot 13/32" drill bit.

[Doug Ferguson]

Rob, that's too cool! I'm going to have give that a go.

[rhh7]

Rob, I can not find a pickguard already routed for neck pickup only. I can find a blank Strat pickguard. How exactly would you make the opening for the pickup? With a dremel?

[mijstrat72]

I use a dremel and two very steady hands!

[Doug Ferguson]

Originally Posted by mijstrat72

I use a dremel and two very steady hands!

That's definitely a goo approach. I'd "rough" it in with a dremel, then use a fine hatched file to get it to size and smooth the edges.