Escribano -> Fender Strat (Nov. 3 2013 19:30:41)
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I have been experimenting with the banjo and after many fairly fruitless hours, I asked myself why not just go back to what I already know? I started on the electric guitar when I was 13 years old and I never 'learnt' the thing nor remember practising that much. Just joined a band and it kind of grew on me organically. A bit like flamenco kids, I guess. Anyway, I gave my 1970 SG to my nephew a while ago and have always hankered after a Strat, so I have been looking on eBay for ages (which sucks for buying guitars untried). Eventually, I looked in my local online classifieds and found a great Mexican Standard. A 2011 model that had not been setup or played much at all. The guy had overtightened the strings so the tremelo/bridge was floating too high and he only wound a couple of turns on the posts, cutting off the excess so it didn't hold its tuning. I knew what the problem was, so I knocked £50 off the asking price and picked it up for £200. It's hardly been used and after a few hours of basic setting up, adjusting the three tremelo springs, innotation on the saddles, pickup height etc. and new strings, I love it. So easy to play. Set of five vintage tremelo springs on their way. Maybe install some Fender Custom Shop '69 or Seymour Duncan pickups and a steel bridge block to give it more character. Before flamenco I didn't like the slightly wider fretboard of the Strat but now it is just fine. Otherwise, I can't be sure if flamenco has made that much of a difference to my playing but I am using my pinky a lot now and thinking more about melody than I did before in my noodlings. Now thinking about assembling my own mega-Strat from a baseline of a decent CNC-routed body blank and finished vintage style neck. Probably go for a tru-oil or light nitro finish for tone and sustain. It's not so much lutherie as bolting on parts and adjustments and there are so many options to choose from.
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