Upcoming NGD and Beginning of Project thread - Blacktop HH Strat

[sunvalleylaw]

I posted recently in the Squier subthread regarding wanting to mod up a guitar into a HH superstrat similar (but not identical) to the one Rivers Cuomo has used over the years. The goal is to have a solidbody HH guitar in a strat form. For whatever reason, I just prefer that form to a Les Paul, and my Hagstrom is close enough with the control layout on that guitar for me. It was coming down to between a Telecaster and Strat. Strat form won out.

As I said, I was looking at Squiers, but was running into issues finding a guitar that had the neck I wanted, (CV level, and preferred rosewood for this one) and was routed for HH. I did not want to go all woodshop on the project. And as I was looking, I found that the Blacktop HH guitars have RW necks AND 22 frets which I started to want for some reason. I will have to learn to incorporate those threads into my playing some day. So, was considering swapping out necks. But necks are expensive. Even used Blacktop ones. So along the way I found a craigslist ad for a Blacktop in the color I preferred for a decent price. Made an offer I expected to dicker from and low and behold, struck a deal! Yay! So, though the initial outlay is more than the squier I was looking at, overall, it will not be all that much more, and will end up with probably a better result. So, presuming the guitar arrives as planned and the deal does not fall through, here is the guitar that is coming my way! These pics are from the seller.









When the guitar gets to me I will post some better pics.

Plans: Pull the current pick ups and pickguard (after playing around with it stock first for a bit), then put in Tone2theBone's Dimarzio Virtual Hot PAF I got from him like nearly 10 years ago to put into a Fullerton strat I had for like 5 minutes. And put in something like a Dimarzio Humbucker from Hell, which is a pretty tonefull humbucker that can have single coil like qualities and sing a bit. Not all crunch. Again, some of this is Rivers Cuomo inspired. Also thinking I may replace the volume pot with one that has a little better taper. Something like a Proline pot. The Virtual Hot PAF is not F spaced, but based on what i have read, it should still work. The bridge is the narrower 2 1/16 so it is right on the line. But lots of folks seem to use regular humbuckers in their strats with no problems, so I will try it. Have been wanting to use this pick up a long time, and it is a very popular one.

Should be fun! I will update as I go! This one may take me a while. for one thing, I will have to dust off my soldering skills!

[tjcurtin1]

Ah, yes - fun to have a project like this to look forward to. Involved enough to keep you busy for a while in the planning and execution, yet not such a major project (routing, etc) to make it a chore. Have fun!

[sunvalleylaw]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWymbWBpqsg

[sunvalleylaw]

Deal done! I have a tracking number!

[marnold***]

Excellent, I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

[sunvalleylaw]

Excellent, I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

Great! Thanks for replying! I was getting a little depressed that there was not more comment on a GAS acquisition!

Also, how are your pickups/switch wired on your Dinky? Still considering ideas for how I will want to wire this.

[marnold***]

Great! Thanks for replying! I was getting a little depressed that there was not more comment on a GAS acquisition!

Also, how are your pickups/switch wired on your Dinky? Still considering ideas for how I will want to wire this.

It's stock. The only changes I made to that guitar were adding a trem stop and a treble bleed cap. The only thing I might ever try is a four-way switch so I could get both pickups in series too.

[sunvalleylaw]

It's stock. The only changes I made to that guitar were adding a trem stop and a treble bleed cap. The only thing I might ever try is a four-way switch so I could get both pickups in series too.

So currently it is a three way?

[sunvalleylaw]

It showed up today! HNGD!! Looks very nice, and not much used. Fret ends need a little polishing. Strings need to be changed. Trem was floating WAY too high. You can see in the first pic when I first pulled it out of the pink peanuts and bubble wrap. I tightened it down a little and it is fine, but thinking I will do a little learning online and do a full setup. I am going to deck the trem in any case on this guitar, and will learn to check and adjust the intonation, relief, and action. I definitely will switch out the parchment PG. It looks pretty cool but is just not my taste. The Dimarzio should fit on there fine, as it looks and turns out. Cool! Project under way!

[duhvoodooman***]

...I definitely will switch out the parchment PG.

Hmm, looks more like mint green to me, but it could just be the lighting. But I'd change it, too--white pearloid, probably.

[tjcurtin1]

Purty guitar - what does it sound like stock?

[sunvalleylaw]

Purty guitar - what does it sound like stock?

Barely got a chance to play it before breaking the old high E string while tightening down that trem and re-tuning. will replace it and find out more. sounded pretty good

Here is a vid that demos a variety of tones:



and here is a vid of a guy that modded his similarly to what I was thinking about doing.



I was thinking tort guard like this one. The bridge PAF from Tone2theBone is a zebra, and I was thinking black for the neck pick up I was thinking of which is the same as he has, the Dimarzio Humbucker from Hell.

Here is the Dimarzio VH PAF that I have to put in the bridge:




And something like this for the PG:



As I said, will at least deck, and maybe deck and block the trem on this one, as I plan on using it primarily for sustainy rock things. And I will do some fret end work, and oil up that rosewood real nice a few times. But overall, it looks great! The thing could be new, other than the fret end work and slightly dry appearing rosewood. Not bad but a little dry for my taste.

And @DVM, I think the PG is parchment and that is just lighting. The fluorescents in my office are really gross. But in any case, I think it is going tort. I am not a big pearloid fan. Though I could see that working if one was.

[marnold***]

So currently it is a three way?

Yessir!

[sunvalleylaw]

Well, it is up on the wall! I took the strings off, did some initial very light file work that I will continue little bit later, did a thorough cleaning, not that it was that dirty, oiled up the fretboard, and further adjusted the trem.

It's action is too high but I don't have the right size Allen keys so will get those so I can adjust the neck relief which is a bit overdone and then adjust the saddles.

I just ordered a new pick guard and trem plate and will soon order the neck pick up. The nut for the truss rod is pretty buried in finish or gunk so will need to clean that out with some compressed air and maybe some unfolded paper clips or something so I can get into the nut better.

The guitar sounds pretty good as is, but think I will gain a little clarity with the new pick ups.

[sunvalleylaw]

Got some tools to clean up the frets which I will do this weekend and adjusted the relief and action. By feel. I now have some proper measuring tools so will double check. Pickups are in the new PG,though I need some longer springs for one so will hit the hardware store. Hopefully soldering today or tomorrow. I like the look so far. Wish me luck!

[sunvalleylaw]

Ok, so soldering day. will hopefully get to the neck clean up as well if I have time. But solder first. I have never really soldered before, other than replacing a battery connector in my old Bad Monkey pedal years ago. I have a serviceable little iron, but not a fancy one, and do not have a nice holder, or a "third hand" alligator clip thingy. So will be doing it by hand, ghetto style. Found some good info here:
http://www.premierguitar.com/article...nt-to-solder-1

And even better here:
Good demo vids on technique lie therein.
http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/th.../how-to-solder

And good info on the overall project here, even if the projects are slightly different.

If I have time, during the project, I will take a couple pics. For those of you that know how to do this, I am sure it seems super basic. but I am hoping it will be helpful to some others who have been reluctant to try any modding, etc.

[sunvalleylaw]

Ok, got the old pickguard off, with parts still on it. But, brakes put on this aspect of the project. My old soldering iron is obviously insufficient as I am spending way too much time with the tip on the part to get stuff desoldered. Will need to get a recommendation for a new iron. Oh well, will move to the neck for the rest of my time today.

[sunvalleylaw]

Well, I tried one more time and it worked. I guess I just did not let it heat up enough. It says in what I have read you don't need an expensive iron for this stuff. and I guess you don't. But one better than my cheapo 15/30 from Radioshack might be nice. I may get a better one for my next project.

[duhvoodooman***]

It is CRITICAL for fine soldering work that your soldering iron tip be (1) clean, and (2) "tinned" before each soldering operation. It's all about rapid/efficient heat transfer between the tip and the substrate. An oxidized or dirty tip won't transfer heat well, but even a clean tip won't work well without a coating of fresh solder to transmit the heat between the two surfaces. The tip should be a shiny silver before each use. As soon as the tip surface dulls or discolors, it's time to clean & re-tin.