Flame Top Stratocaster Build

[Guitarnut]

With volume, bridge tone and neck tone added. I'm not sure about how I'm feeding the tone controls. Any input or corrections welcome.

[Greg M]

Looks like yours is pretty darned close. Nice looking build Mark.

[Guitarnut]

An alternate on the tone controls.

[Guitarnut]

Originally Posted by Greg M

Looks like yours is pretty darned close. Nice looking build Mark.

Thanks Greg!

[kwerk]

Staring at my strat right now and looking at yours, I can't see a difference..

[Guitarnut]

Originally Posted by kwerk

Staring at my strat right now and looking at yours, I can't see a difference..

[Guitarnut]

After posting my control layout over in the Project Guitar Electronics forum, Ripthorn was good enough to confirm my suspicions about how I was feeding the tone controls.

Feeding them from the output side of the switches placed the 2 circuits in parallel which meant they would combine their results, as well as affect all pickups...not good.

So, I created paths from the input side (green traces) of the respective switch to feed each tone circuit independent of the other. If I understand it correctly, this is how it's done with a 5-way blade switch which has 2 banks, each with 3 inputs and 1 output. The output feeds the vol control but the tone feeds are taken from the input side thru internal connections in the switch.

So, applying this to my setup...The North coil of the bridge PU is always in play when the bridge PU is being used, so I took a path from the input side of it's switch location. The second pole on the coil tap switch of the neck PU was unused so I jumped each state of the PU across and used the output of the switch to feed the tone circuit. I think I'm on the right path here...comments and corrections welcome.

[Guitarnut]

Next thing was to mount the bridge and drill the string thru holes.

After drilling the tuner holes in the neck, I started by installing the E string tuners and setting up a simple jig that lets me put tension on the strings while I slide the bridge into place. The piece of MDF is drilled at Strat string spacing if you continued the lines past the bridge, and countersunk on one side to keep the string balls from digging into the top.

The neck is clamped into the pocket. I line it up so it looks best visually to start. If all works from there, then I know I'm good later on without having to wiggle the neck around in the pocket to line things up.





After locating the bridge, I remove the jig and drill the mounting holes for the bridge. Before screwing it down, I open up the string holes to make sure I can get an 1/8" bit thru them. Then screw the bridge down.



At the drill press I can use the bridge as a drill guide and drill the thru holes half way thru the body.

[Guitarnut]

I used the pin register method of lining up front to back. I always place tape over the mounting holes to keep the pin from settling in one of them by mistake.





Still using the pin in the front holes, I widened the back for the ferrules.



I also took care of the HB screw issue by cutting 2 pockets under the screws with a Forstner bit. You can see them in the last pic below.



I also drilled paths for the output wiring and bridge ground wire.

[parsaver]

I am kinda confused on the using a pin for the ferrule hole drilling. Ive seen other people mention it as well, whats the benefit of this....or why does it help?

[adirondak5]

Nice clean work as usual Mark , you make it all look to easy.

[Guitarnut]

Originally Posted by parsaver

I am kinda confused on the using a pin for the ferrule hole drilling. Ive seen other people mention it as well, whats the benefit of this....or why does it help?

This might help.

Step 1, is a piece of MDF attached to the drill press table. An 1/8" bit is lowered and drills a pilot hole.

Step 2, a pin is inserted into the hole...could be the shank of another 1/8" bit.

Step 3, after the holes are marked and drilled half way thru on the front of the body, the body is flipped, the pin is set into each of the holes and one at a time the holes are completed from the back of the the body. Since the pin is perfectly aligned with the bit in the chuck, the holes meet up.

The same 1/8" pin is then used in the holes on front again to open up the rear holes for the ferrules. The pin assures proper alignment.



Mark

[Guitarnut]

Originally Posted by adirondak5

Nice clean work as usual Mark , you make it all look to easy.

Thanks Herb!

Mark

[Snyder]

has anyone done a laminate top guitar with forearm controu where you cut the forearm angle first, then applied and bent the laminate to match?

[Guitarnut]

I have the rough carve of the neck done. This one's getting close to prep for finish.

[parsaver]

Originally Posted by Guitarnut

This might help.

Mark

Sure did!

For some reason i had it in my mind that this was some sort of depth stop. I thought it seemed kind of redundant with tape on the bit, travel locks on drill ect. I never though about it as alignment guide. Too easy.

Thanks for the info.

[kwerk]

Originally Posted by Guitarnut

This might help.




Mark

That's the most succinct explanation I've seen of that process. Well done!

[Guitarnut]

Originally Posted by kwerk

That's the most succinct explanation I've seen of that process. Well done!

[Guitarnut]

Not much to report on this one but it's ready for finish prep. I have made some changes to the electronics design. With the help of some very knowledgeable folks, I've corrected some major design flaws.

First, I decided there would be functionality in 2 volumes and a master tone. So, I have a volume on the bridge PU and a shared volume for the mid/neck PUs.

Here's the first revision of this approach.

The biggest issue I had was the 2 volume pots were inteacting to the point that if one was turned all the way down, the other would be at zero also...not good...guitars are supposed to make noise.



Second revision... The bridge volume pot was placed before the switch to eliminate the interaction with the other pot.



Next issue: the way the tone is connected, it was shorting the volume pots together. So, the tone is now fed from the output jack which is after both volume pots.

Other than the possible addition of a treble bleed on the HB, I think this is the final revision...Of course, now that I said that, I'll get some bad news. Fingers crossed.

[Holyoli]

Hi Guitarnut, very nice strat going on!

About your last wiring schem : I've looked quite a bit over the net as I have just wired my tele with 2 volume, no tone, and a 3 way switch.

It's seems that connecting the pickup to the wiper (as you do it with the hb) is not recommended. You won't have the interaction with the other pickup (= when one vol is grounded the two are grouded so you have no sound... ) but it will suck the tone of the pickup.
Excepted in rickenbackers and some basses that don't have a switch, you won't find this type of wiring in les pauls for instance, or on seymour duncan site where there are a lot of wiring diagrams. One can reasonably think that Gibson would have done it stock if it was the solution.
So it seems like a necessary compromise, but it works within its limitaions (at least for me:-)

I also did some test with different treble bleed values, so if you are interested I'll be glad to share.
Good luck.