Stratotone H44

[helectrix]

Hi all !

Don't you just love these?



I do. Iconic lil' guitars, hard to find these days.
I normally build my own designs (apart from some tele's obviously :) ) but since a Dutch luthier recently drew a very accurate plan of the H44/88 and H42, I just had to build one.

Wood: lot of variety there for the bodywings, they used whatever was available, two or more pieces for the wings. Main feature they all had in common: one piece neck through maple construction.

Some light weight leftover Sipo Mahogany for the wings



Neck through in the rough



and glued together



Bandsawed the body and made a template.



Ready for routing:



and done...

[62 Jazzmaster]

I haven't succeeded in finding one yet, but a Stratotone is on my GASlist.
What does your version weigh? It's looking good!!

[helectrix]

Made some more templates: for the headstock and the pickguard.

Freehanded the pickup up routing.



Rounded the edges, still needs some ellbow grease





Prepared a RW fretboard, made a bridge... and most importantly: I got hold of an original DeAromond Rowe pu. Facebook can be a great thing. a far friend let me know he had one, it was dead though. Coincidentally he appeared to live nearby my friend Oigun (known around here I presume... :), by the way, vote for his TDPRI challenge tele now! :)
A day later Oi had it working

he's testing it here on that gorgeous tele he just finished




and a couple of days later this was in my mail!

[IMG][/IMG]

[helectrix]

Originally Posted by 62 Jazzmaster

I haven't succeeded in finding one yet, but a Stratotone is on my GASlist.
What does your version weigh? It's looking good!!

can't tell yet, haven't done any neckshaping yet. But it will be lightweight anyway, these are tiny guitars.

and I cheated....

yes, there is a truss rod inside... original ones usually have a fix steel rod in 'm. Vintage correct is all good and well but an adjustable TR is weller ... :)

[IMG][/IMG]


that's it for now

cannot continue: need frets and binding. I want to prepare the fboard fretted and bound before it goes on the neck (that has been routed to correct width already (because of neck through etc...)

[Mightyaxeman]

I get a kick out of the prices they ask for them at guitar shows. Every vintage dealer has one on display for one or two grand. Nice build!

[PapaLion]

What is the scale and approximate total length & width... would like to see a pic next to a Tele for fun. PU sound pretty keen.

[stijnkenens]

Nice, I've got my plan tomorrow ...

would build one to maybe ...


s.

[guitarbuilder]

That's a cool one. I also like the Kay sizzler which is a little bigger but the same basic concept. I've got a pickguard and pickups for that one. I started a drawing but that got shelved for a while.

[helectrix]

at papalion:

here's a line up next to a tele and some other usual and unusual suspects



scale is 25 1/4, length and width, have to check that out when I'm home.

at Stijn: really is a joy to build with such a plan, must say i've never done that before, but feels really comfortable having all the right measurments etc...

[bingy]

It's a lovable little guitar.

[gitold]

Helectrix...I love that little Supro Tele thing you have on the far left. To bad your in Europe cause I am gassing for that guitar. What a cool idea.
My girl friends in Belgium next week. Any cool clubs or fun spots she should see away from the tourist haunts?

[helectrix]

Originally Posted by gitold

Helectrix...I love that little Supro Tele thing you have on the far left. To bad your in Europe cause I am gassing for that guitar. What a cool idea.
My girl friends in Belgium next week. Any cool clubs or fun spots she should see away from the tourist haunts?

normally I'm not too fond of hybrids but that supro tele bastard came out really nice. here's a short sample i did after stringing it up for the first time. waiting for the lollar pu's that'll come in it.



Belgium cool spots? taste the food! :) there's Brussels, Bruges, Leuven, Antwerp, Gent: big cities (to our standards) but fairly small and historically interesting centres. I like the Belgian coast area: Ostend, De Panne ... on a good day you can see the cliffs of Dover :)

[Maricopa]

Cool build, I love those old Harmonys too! This isn't one but is in the same vein. Planning on building one based on it someday.

[Pelliparius]

Sweet project! Harmony's are amazing, especially the originals from Chicago. Damn that's hot. Did you find a Hershey bar pickup for it?

[oigun]

Cool!***searching for the LIKE button***

[helectrix]

ah Oi, see you moved to Seattle, how's the weather over there

at Pelliparius: info on the pu in post #3

[oigun]

Sun is shining overhere But it's still a bit chilly...

[guitarbuilder]

We should have a made in Chicago build. I have a variation of a Dual Tone that I've made for a while. I call it a Cool Tone...LOL.

For some reason I need one of these.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Kay+s...9,r:3,s:0,i:80

[guitarbuilder]

Originally Posted by Maricopa

Cool build, I love those old Harmonys too! This isn't one but is in the same vein. Planning on building one based on it someday.

That's like the evolution of the lap steel to a guitar.... Jimi!

[PapaLion]

Thanks much, pics next to a Tele tell the story fine...scale is everything huh?

About the size of my old Supro... add a brass nut, ivory saddles some hvy strings tune to open E... recipe for Elmore James:)

for last years challenge 2011 I built a little guitar called a Steeler...just to have a pocket battleship of my own