@lonestar7703 I'm not sure. Going by pictures on the internet alone I can't be sure the Roadstar 2 is 100% Fender compatible with regard to neck dimensions. If you have a strat neck handy you could always do a very cautious test fit.
after watching your videos im now in the process of buying a warmoth strat bodie and was wondering if theres any disadvantage's for routing out the SWIMMING POOL universal pickup routs..does it mess with sound or clarity or spacing with the pickgaurd to move ? if anything i thought it would be a great idea just due to space for wiring..cheers your a great teacher
@versaldude32 There's no real disadvantage that I can think of, and I seriously doubt that the sound quality would be affected. In terms of space for the wiring, the std routing should be fine though since the only wire that will populate the area in the "swimming pool" is the leads from the pickups themselves. The universal routing is however very nice if you think you might be changing your pickup configuration at some point in the future.
@smbstressfest Thanks for the video :) I really want to make my own custom guitar, but am pretty intimidated by it. I know you say its easy, and you make it look easy, but I'm guessing thats mainly since you've been doing it for so long. I plan on buying all of the parts from Warmoth, as well. I'll give it a try though! Gonna watch all your strat build videos to get ready, haha.
@smbstressfest You should make one. I've been rebuilding a strat and want to install an american standard trem. I think a lot of people want to know this because I find the question asked on forums, but never answered.
@retornaz It's a Warmoth neck. Warmoth is a company that sells guitar parts, pre-made or custom. You can buy from what they have in stock or have a neck or body customized how you want it.
I need a little help regarding measuring and locating the strap buttons on my strat project. How do I measure and position the strat buttons? Also is it better to mount the neck first before mounting the pickguard and bridge etc?
@ckolonko I address that issue later on in the series. Many people "eyeball" the location of the strap buttons, but I try and lay them out with a bit more precision.
Regarding your question about the order in which to mount components, I'd have to first ask whether or not the bridge routs and holes are completed, and also whether or not the pickguard holes are drilled before giving you a good answer.
@smbstressfest Thanks for the reply. Everything is pretty much finished on the body. All the routes are in place. All that needs doing are the holes for the pickguard etc and the bridge. I just need to make sure that the bridge is in line with the neck. and that no strings overhand the fretboard edges.
i've watched all your vids and they were VERY helpful in building my own warmoth strat. pretty well complete, working out a few bugs. one thing: high e string is closer to the edge of the neck than the heavier low e, and tends to "roll off" the edge if that makes sense. seems like the bridge is off? but it's routed for the schaller floyd rose straight from warmoth. is there something i can adjust? the strings are even a bit off over the pickups--not much, but 1/16 inch would really help!
@maskedmillionaire Its probably not the bridge location. Do you have room in the neck pocket to "shift" it slightly so that the high e string isn't so close to the edge? If you recall from the series i mentioned this tendency, that's part of the reason we went with this particular bridge... The spacing is a bit more narrow.
@smbstressfest thanks for the reply! there's not much room in the pocket, but after looking at it, i only need like 1/32" and it'd be even on both sides. The nut looks perfectly placed (even on both sides). Like you say, strats pretty much bolt together. But if I do have enough room to move it, how do i move it now that it's screwed in place--and how do you keep it there?
FYI the vids on cleaning the finish off the frets, leveling the frets, and reaming for the tuners REALLY helped.
Thank You very much for all your guides! It's very helpfull! I want to be luthier in future and Your videos really help me! Especially these about refretting guitar. Thank You again, keep posting videos! Cheers ;)
Ive heard that string trees help to stay in tune. What about the grahite trees? I have one tree on my strat and it seems to stay in tune even with the 10 yr old tuners. I have the original Fender tuners with Fender stamped on them. They are probably made by Schaller. It also has grphite saddles and nut. I really like Schaller tuners. i know people like the classic original Strats. But i think they can be improved with aftermarket parts.
@journeyquest1 String trees are designed to add downforce at the string nut on guitars with non angled pegheads so that the string doesn't want to rattle behind the nut.
String trees DO NOT help you stay in tune, on the contrary they often CONTRIBUTE TO TUNING PROBLEMS ON STRATS. Graphite trees may reduce this tendency, but they're still a poor solution to the downforce problem or a guitar with a tremolo. I avoid string trees like the plague on ANY guitar with a tremolo.
@journeyquest1 If you use staggered tuning machines that give the most break angle possible, a properly made nut from a slippery material and a well designed tremolo you should have a pretty good shot at staying in tune.
Skip to the last video in this series to see the results we got on this guitar using all three of the things I mentioned above, an NO string trees.
To each thier own. Ive heard bad things about stainless frets. Im building a custom strat. Body:Universal route Mex 50s reissue in candy red. Neck:Fender lic maple w/ ebony board & small headstock. Tuners:Fender.PUPs:2 Dimarzio humbuckers & 1 tex mex single for center. Pickguard:perloid black. Bridge:Floyd rose locking. Switches/Pots:5 way rotary, stacked pot for tone, volume. Problems, neck is a little wider than body. Do i sand neck? The tuners have 2 prongs on back. How do i drill? Template?
@journeyquest1 The only real "bad" thing about the SS frets is that they're a real pain to level/recrown/polish. They can also be tricky to install as they may be prone to springing up in the center if you don't radius the wire to match the fingerboard closely.
@journeyquest1 No, I don't think that's true at all. What you hear most often are people claiming that SS frets sound BETTER since the alloy is a bit harder than the 18% nickel silver that's more commonly used. But I'm even hesitant to concede that argument. SS probably does sound ever so slightly brighter, but I don't think it's a difference that most people could really hear even if they say they can. The durability and super slick feel are the key benefits of SS fretwire in my opinion.
I'd probably fix the fit issue by taking material out of the neck pocket rather than the neck itself. And as for the the drilling of the holes for the alignment pins, I recommend making a template first then marking and drilling the holes. You may want to test on scrap first...
@smbstressfest I dont have a drillpress. And i dont want to screw up the neck. What would be a resonable labor price for a tech to do it? Are the Mex Strat body pockets known to be a smaller size or are all the Fender Strats the same?
@journeyquest1 As for what a fair price might be for a professional to mount the tuning keys for you, I couldn't say. I know what I would charge, I'll PM you and tell that that much at least.
If the MIM strat bodies have smaller neck pockets, I wasn't aware of it. I've used USA fender necks on MIM bodies and vice versa in the past without any issues. Your body might be an exception, but I think it's more likely that your neck is slightly oversized.
@smbstressfest Ya, your probably right . It is an aftermarket neck. They are kind of a hit and miss product. Who do you find to make the best aftermarket necks. Im thinking of buying a 24.75 conversion neck since i like the Gibson scale better.
They can be, the important thing to keep in mind is that ANY string tree will contribute some friction and could potentially cause tuning problems. The best option in my opinion is to avoid string trees completely and seek proper downforce behind the nut in other ways. I'll talk more about that when the time comes on the job.
Cool, it's always been a concern of mine getting a vintage strat style trem working properly. I can never seem to get them to stay in tune properly. I'd like to see you discuss this type of thing as well as the downforce issue at the headstock end. Keep 'em coming!
Very cool colors, reminds me of the Tele's color scheme. I agree about the string trees, staggered locking vintage tuners would've been the way to go!
@Peteworth: Right! Colors based on classic "Blackguard" Tele. Staggered tuners a good choice unless the owner prefers the look of the trees(s) to capture the "vintage vibe", yes.
@ShaggyDawg good point...hmmm, I wonder if u can do both, like put a tree on and make sure it doesn't touch the strings, since the staggered tuner will angle the string nicely.
i'm building a V2, do i need solder?
thiagojrs 2 days ago
Cool man. hopefully ill see you at the new location by the mall. Btw this helped me alot
pineapplejuice444 2 months ago
@pineapplejuice444 I'm no longer working for The Musician's Den, so I won't be at the new store.
smbstressfest 1 month ago
what do you suggest for make the 4 screw holes of the neck?
thank you
theberto 2 months ago
awesome tremolo ;)
mortalcrashguitar 4 months ago
It composes the monkey
GLYCEROL123 4 months ago
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Oooooh. I'm gonna watch ALL of these! Fabulous!
MrFrothinger 6 months ago
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@smbstressfest With building a warmoth guitar from scratch what is the list of everything you need. im building a tele
mattsavedbygracengai 6 months ago
@smbstressfest With building a warmoth guitar from scratch what is the list of everything you need. im building a tele
mattsavedbygracengai 6 months ago
What was the code of neck ?
katilzadebalinaefend 6 months ago
how much did you pay for the parts in sum?
MrSounday 7 months ago
@MrSounday I don't think I actually bought any of the parts except for the nut blank, everything else was supplied to me by the customer.
smbstressfest 6 months ago
Will the warmoth strat neck fit an 1984 Ibanez Roadstar 2?
How much is that neck?
lonestar7703 8 months ago
Will the warmoth strat neck fit an 1984 Ibanez Roadstar 2?
lonestar7703 8 months ago
@lonestar7703 I'm not sure. Going by pictures on the internet alone I can't be sure the Roadstar 2 is 100% Fender compatible with regard to neck dimensions. If you have a strat neck handy you could always do a very cautious test fit.
smbstressfest 8 months ago
after watching your videos im now in the process of buying a warmoth strat bodie and was wondering if theres any disadvantage's for routing out the SWIMMING POOL universal pickup routs..does it mess with sound or clarity or spacing with the pickgaurd to move ? if anything i thought it would be a great idea just due to space for wiring..cheers your a great teacher
versaldude32 8 months ago
@versaldude32 There's no real disadvantage that I can think of, and I seriously doubt that the sound quality would be affected. In terms of space for the wiring, the std routing should be fine though since the only wire that will populate the area in the "swimming pool" is the leads from the pickups themselves. The universal routing is however very nice if you think you might be changing your pickup configuration at some point in the future.
smbstressfest 8 months ago
@smbstressfest thankyou jedi master for your words of wisdom
versaldude32 8 months ago
@smbstressfest Thanks for the video :) I really want to make my own custom guitar, but am pretty intimidated by it. I know you say its easy, and you make it look easy, but I'm guessing thats mainly since you've been doing it for so long. I plan on buying all of the parts from Warmoth, as well. I'll give it a try though! Gonna watch all your strat build videos to get ready, haha.
Bludhoundz8 3 months ago
Stratocaster: the AK-47 of the guitar family. Reliable, tough, sounds good, and is simple to assemble.
brapboys503 10 months ago
Warmoth is awesome. I like DiMarzio single coils and EMG 81 humbuckers!
brapboys503 10 months ago
ive watched jason a few times on youtube and think he is a really good guitar tech and is very help full
redfenderguy 1 year ago
Jason,
Have you a demo of drilling holes for the bridge be it 2 post or 6 screw. If so
what part number in you videos.
Thanks
Taylorfreek 1 year ago
@Taylorfreek No, none of my videos demonstrate drilling bridge screw/stud holes. Sorry.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest You should make one. I've been rebuilding a strat and want to install an american standard trem. I think a lot of people want to know this because I find the question asked on forums, but never answered.
MastodonMonkey 9 months ago
Thanks for these videos. I'm starting to put together a partscaster soon and this is helpful.
presto1202 1 year ago
I don't understand the brand of the neck
Thanks
Philippe
retornaz 1 year ago
@retornaz It's a Warmoth neck. Warmoth is a company that sells guitar parts, pre-made or custom. You can buy from what they have in stock or have a neck or body customized how you want it.
presto1202 1 year ago
Hi,
I need a little help regarding measuring and locating the strap buttons on my strat project. How do I measure and position the strat buttons? Also is it better to mount the neck first before mounting the pickguard and bridge etc?
ckolonko 1 year ago
@ckolonko I address that issue later on in the series. Many people "eyeball" the location of the strap buttons, but I try and lay them out with a bit more precision.
Regarding your question about the order in which to mount components, I'd have to first ask whether or not the bridge routs and holes are completed, and also whether or not the pickguard holes are drilled before giving you a good answer.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest Thanks for the reply. Everything is pretty much finished on the body. All the routes are in place. All that needs doing are the holes for the pickguard etc and the bridge. I just need to make sure that the bridge is in line with the neck. and that no strings overhand the fretboard edges.
ckolonko 1 year ago
Fantastic man! Thanks so much for sharing. I am considering of building a Strat.
suaragitar 1 year ago
i've watched all your vids and they were VERY helpful in building my own warmoth strat. pretty well complete, working out a few bugs. one thing: high e string is closer to the edge of the neck than the heavier low e, and tends to "roll off" the edge if that makes sense. seems like the bridge is off? but it's routed for the schaller floyd rose straight from warmoth. is there something i can adjust? the strings are even a bit off over the pickups--not much, but 1/16 inch would really help!
maskedmillionaire 1 year ago
@maskedmillionaire Its probably not the bridge location. Do you have room in the neck pocket to "shift" it slightly so that the high e string isn't so close to the edge? If you recall from the series i mentioned this tendency, that's part of the reason we went with this particular bridge... The spacing is a bit more narrow.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest thanks for the reply! there's not much room in the pocket, but after looking at it, i only need like 1/32" and it'd be even on both sides. The nut looks perfectly placed (even on both sides). Like you say, strats pretty much bolt together. But if I do have enough room to move it, how do i move it now that it's screwed in place--and how do you keep it there?
FYI the vids on cleaning the finish off the frets, leveling the frets, and reaming for the tuners REALLY helped.
maskedmillionaire 1 year ago
It's like your voice makes me listen.
I always wait for you to say something dumb like george bush, but thankfully it never happens.
:P
Emceetem 1 year ago
Thank You very much for all your guides! It's very helpfull! I want to be luthier in future and Your videos really help me! Especially these about refretting guitar. Thank You again, keep posting videos! Cheers ;)
Vladymir1916 1 year ago
im glad i stumbled upon these vids as I'm about to build a strat with a warmoth neck/body...
are the warmoth bodies finished with nitro lacquer?
guitarshredda2 1 year ago
@guitarshredda2 No, they're not nitro lacquer. The last time I checked they were using a UV curable polyester.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
which do u like more the 6230 or 61 30 fretwire??????
kalimoncho51 1 year ago
@kalimoncho51 I don't care for either to be honest with you. But if I had to pick, I'd go with the 6230 because of the extra height.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
Ive heard that string trees help to stay in tune. What about the grahite trees? I have one tree on my strat and it seems to stay in tune even with the 10 yr old tuners. I have the original Fender tuners with Fender stamped on them. They are probably made by Schaller. It also has grphite saddles and nut. I really like Schaller tuners. i know people like the classic original Strats. But i think they can be improved with aftermarket parts.
journeyquest1 1 year ago
@journeyquest1 String trees are designed to add downforce at the string nut on guitars with non angled pegheads so that the string doesn't want to rattle behind the nut.
String trees DO NOT help you stay in tune, on the contrary they often CONTRIBUTE TO TUNING PROBLEMS ON STRATS. Graphite trees may reduce this tendency, but they're still a poor solution to the downforce problem or a guitar with a tremolo. I avoid string trees like the plague on ANY guitar with a tremolo.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest So what is the solution? Is a locking nut the only solution? Thanks for all your help.
journeyquest1 1 year ago
@journeyquest1 If you use staggered tuning machines that give the most break angle possible, a properly made nut from a slippery material and a well designed tremolo you should have a pretty good shot at staying in tune.
Skip to the last video in this series to see the results we got on this guitar using all three of the things I mentioned above, an NO string trees.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
To each thier own. Ive heard bad things about stainless frets. Im building a custom strat. Body:Universal route Mex 50s reissue in candy red. Neck:Fender lic maple w/ ebony board & small headstock. Tuners:Fender.PUPs:2 Dimarzio humbuckers & 1 tex mex single for center. Pickguard:perloid black. Bridge:Floyd rose locking. Switches/Pots:5 way rotary, stacked pot for tone, volume. Problems, neck is a little wider than body. Do i sand neck? The tuners have 2 prongs on back. How do i drill? Template?
journeyquest1 1 year ago
@journeyquest1 The only real "bad" thing about the SS frets is that they're a real pain to level/recrown/polish. They can also be tricky to install as they may be prone to springing up in the center if you don't radius the wire to match the fingerboard closely.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest Ive heard that the tone suffers also?
journeyquest1 1 year ago
@journeyquest1 No, I don't think that's true at all. What you hear most often are people claiming that SS frets sound BETTER since the alloy is a bit harder than the 18% nickel silver that's more commonly used. But I'm even hesitant to concede that argument. SS probably does sound ever so slightly brighter, but I don't think it's a difference that most people could really hear even if they say they can. The durability and super slick feel are the key benefits of SS fretwire in my opinion.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@journeyquest1 regarding the questions you asked;
I'd probably fix the fit issue by taking material out of the neck pocket rather than the neck itself. And as for the the drilling of the holes for the alignment pins, I recommend making a template first then marking and drilling the holes. You may want to test on scrap first...
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest I dont have a drillpress. And i dont want to screw up the neck. What would be a resonable labor price for a tech to do it? Are the Mex Strat body pockets known to be a smaller size or are all the Fender Strats the same?
journeyquest1 1 year ago
@journeyquest1 As for what a fair price might be for a professional to mount the tuning keys for you, I couldn't say. I know what I would charge, I'll PM you and tell that that much at least.
If the MIM strat bodies have smaller neck pockets, I wasn't aware of it. I've used USA fender necks on MIM bodies and vice versa in the past without any issues. Your body might be an exception, but I think it's more likely that your neck is slightly oversized.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest Ya, your probably right . It is an aftermarket neck. They are kind of a hit and miss product. Who do you find to make the best aftermarket necks. Im thinking of buying a 24.75 conversion neck since i like the Gibson scale better.
journeyquest1 1 year ago
@journeyquest1 If you want a conversion neck, I'd pick one up from Warmoth.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
in think i might have tried a FR, because a lot of people use the srtat style tremolo, and i like to be different :)
RevisedTV 1 year ago
This is my son's account. But I just wanted to say how much I enjoy you video's. Thank you. Rob
connerforever 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
do you know of any decent spay paints i could use that i can of ebay for my next steve vai jem guitar project
blackstars26 2 years ago
When is part 2 coming out?
T3BE 2 years ago
parts 2-16 ARE up, click my channel and the "warmoth strat build" playlist to view them
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Excellent vid. Thanks allot for posting this. I'd love to see more builds.
manatarms47 2 years ago
dude. are they oboes in the backround?
Semimentalman2 2 years ago
Close, they're clarinets. I'm primarily a bassist, but I also play guitar and clarinet.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
does it thud...or does it thud? LOL
02stanggt 2 years ago
No in fact it goes either thud or ring,
and if it goes thud it can successfully be used as firewood!
lidesnowi 2 years ago
Interesting project!
How is the tap tone on that body?
lidesnowi 2 years ago
How in the world would you get any kind of sound tapping an 1.75" thick stratocaster body?!
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Does it go thud(BAD) or ring(GOOD)
a real simple test that tell you a lot !
lidesnowi 2 years ago
i was being a smartass....my bad.
02stanggt 2 years ago
No problem ,i get that a lot !
I know some people think I'm nuts but after they played my guitars they go .......
Fuck those guitars sounds fucking amazing!
That's because i have selected the wood for tone and not looks.
The fact is, if a guitar
(SOLID or HOLLOW) don't sound great acoustically it's worthless firewood!
lidesnowi 2 years ago
Are the roller trees a better option?
kortt 2 years ago
They can be, the important thing to keep in mind is that ANY string tree will contribute some friction and could potentially cause tuning problems. The best option in my opinion is to avoid string trees completely and seek proper downforce behind the nut in other ways. I'll talk more about that when the time comes on the job.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Cool, it's always been a concern of mine getting a vintage strat style trem working properly. I can never seem to get them to stay in tune properly. I'd like to see you discuss this type of thing as well as the downforce issue at the headstock end. Keep 'em coming!
kortt 2 years ago
Very cool colors, reminds me of the Tele's color scheme. I agree about the string trees, staggered locking vintage tuners would've been the way to go!
Peteworth 2 years ago
@Peteworth: Right! Colors based on classic "Blackguard" Tele. Staggered tuners a good choice unless the owner prefers the look of the trees(s) to capture the "vintage vibe", yes.
ShaggyDawg 2 years ago
@ShaggyDawg good point...hmmm, I wonder if u can do both, like put a tree on and make sure it doesn't touch the strings, since the staggered tuner will angle the string nicely.
Peteworth 2 years ago
I would look at some Dimarzio Pro track single coils. Nice throaty Hendrix sound. You can search JS2400 on YouTube and watch the first video.
ibanezman007 2 years ago
The trem bridge is similar to an Ibanez Tightend bridge. Great for natural sustain!
ibanezman007 2 years ago
Thanks. I will learn a lot!!
loopie007 2 years ago
hell yeah, I've got first view and first comment...why don't you like string trees?
avhcbeaver1 2 years ago
One word... FRICTION. And friction is your worst nightmare on a tremolo guitar, assuming that you'd prefer to stay in tune.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
hahaha of course not, why would I want to stay in tune? now what about the trees that have the rollers?
avhcbeaver1 2 years ago