Shall I hit the buy button? - Strat related

SexyGreyFox · 15 Oct 2006 at 20:09

My mate is a Luthier and he reckoned about a month ago that my 79 Strat is the best he's ever played. He used to borrow it for studio recordings in the early 80's and I let him use it now and then for gigs. I told him that I had wrecked the guitar by putting a locking trem on, new pickups, changed the wiring and slammed it into drumkits a few times and it was virtually unplayable now.
I decided to let him see it and he nearly cried that somebody could mistreat a classic so much. He took the guitar away because I said i wouldn't mind a price on a customisation but he would have to fill a big hole in I made for the trem.

Anyway, in steps the wife yesterday saying that she never knows what to buy me and since she bought the guitar in 1979 for me (it cost £330) that it was worthwhile to get it back into shape. I rang up my mate and told him that money was no object (within reason) and he could turn it into his dream machine. He sent me this list -

Shopping Cart
Axesrus Guitar Parts UK Contact Axesrus Guitar Parts UK
Product Quantity Update Cart Price Amount
FENDER CUSTOM SHOP 69'ER's (set) ABIGAIL SIGNED 099-2114-000 £117.00
(STAINLESS) 20 OFF RAISED HEAD HALF INCH STAINLESS PICKGUARD SCREWS APS 62 £2.80
AGED WHITE (CREAM) USA STD SCSCSC 3 PLY PICKGUARD USA AW(CREAM) £15.00
STRAT FENDER/ALPHA WIRING KIT 250K (1XA250K 2XB250K .022 ORANGE DROP , WIRE, MONO, FENDER 5 WAY) KW1 £19.00
099-2049-000 GENUINE FENDER USA CHROME Vintage style USA trem unit AHW117 £75.00
FENDER AGED WHITE ACCESSORY KIT 099-1368-000 £16.00

Total : £244.80

He said it would sound like Hendrix/Blackmore and the neck was already the best he'd played on.

Shall I press the BUY button?

SexyGreyFox · 15 Oct 2006 at 21:26

Guinny said:
I was looking for a place to have mine proffesionaly set up....is your mate in the Staffs area?

He's in Normacot.

Cybermyk said:
Then do the same for the Yammy SG next year

No chance, its already perfect.

SexyGreyFox · 15 Oct 2006 at 22:01

The missus says "YES".

SexyGreyFox · 16 Oct 2006 at 19:21

Tax Evader said:
Those 69'ers signed by Abi... are they wound by Abi too?

Each pickup is created, dated, and initialed by Abigail Ybarra who has been winding pickups for Fender since the late 50's.

SexyGreyFox · 4 Dec 2006 at 14:36

Well it took me long enough but I hit the buy button yesterday

My mate is really made up and he's already asked to use it for studio work when he's finished it.

SexyGreyFox · 4 Dec 2006 at 16:29

banja said:
Can I borrow it?

If you're in Stoke you're welcome.
I lend everything else out.

SexyGreyFox · 4 Dec 2006 at 22:22

Here is a picture of it before I gave it to him.
It doesn't look that bad but believe me its unplayable.
You can't see it in the pic but the neck is in a bad state too.
Around 82 I decided to take a chisel to it and put in a cheap copy of a Floyd Rose whammy bar.
I also changed the bridge pickup and rewired the guitar with a gizmo that I can't remember what it did.

SexyGreyFox · 4 Dec 2006 at 22:47

Blackvault said:
Weeps at the wrecked guitar. Mine is two years older I don't even like the colour. Get a respray while its in for work.

Blackvault

I love the colour but I'm not sure about the aged white parts he's going to put on. He reckons it will look amazing.

SexyGreyFox · 5 Dec 2006 at 18:10

Wow, that was quick.
I pressed BUY at about 10 pm sunday night and this arrived today -

SexyGreyFox · 5 Dec 2006 at 23:42

Blackvault said:
I'm not sure the white will work with the sunburst. I think that the black pick guard is better looking. I have walnut colour and black suits it. Although I do like the '69 pickups.

Blackvault

I'm with you on this one and I argued the point but he reckons it will look amazing. I must admit I can't see the Sunburst working with Aged White parts but it will only cost £30 to swop over if I don't like it.

naffa said:
Just out of interest, what's the name of your luthier friend?

His name is Julian and you've got no chance of knowing him.
I think the word Luthier is a bit of an exaggeration on my part although he really knows his stuff. I've known him since he was a boy and he's the most talented musician I've ever come across. He can play in any style and can play guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, banjo, mandolin, pedal steel etc to a pro standard.

SexyGreyFox · 9 Jan 2007 at 21:01

I had a phone call last night telling me the guitar was finished and that it was having a road test tonight at his bands rehearsals where he plays in a Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band. I got there about an hour into practise and I watched them through a crack in the door. After the song they were all going on about hows its one of the best sounding strats they've ever heard. I walked in and Jules doesn't want me to have it back and neither do the band. He offered me £650 but I just smiled. He carried on and did a couple more songs and it nailed the Jimi Hendrix/Ritche Blackmore Live In Japan sound. It sounded truly awesome and £250 well spent. I'll have to take a better picture outside but this is what it looks like before and after -

SexyGreyFox · 9 Jan 2007 at 21:27

cokecan72 said:
i put some custom shop 69-ers in my cheapy squier strat a year or so ago, they dont half roar with a bit of overdrive on compared the stock ones lol

Thats what Jules kept on going on about how the single coil pickups were so loud.

naffa said:
Just on the off chance, I know it's not very likely, but is this Jules' second name Reason?

Julian Mills - you definitely won't know him.