Project Anchor

[Molly]

So, I was idly bidding on TM last week and inadvertently bought a '78 Strat. I wasn't expecting much but it's a project. I won't pretend it's the Holy Grail but it's better than received wisdom around CBS Strats would have you believe. I get the feeling this has been somebody's working guitar for the past forty years with tweaks and changes made over time: Fat frets, graphite nut, replacement pickups (bridge sucks but other two sound nice and are vintage output), Schaller tuners, crap attempt to screen the control cavity, replacement trem with brass block, and a replacement pickguard.

Going to go through it carefully and just see where I can get it. Might be the first guitar I attempt a refret on. For today I've screened it so this is the first pic of the work in progress.

[Bg]

sweet, they get a bad rep but fucking hell, they got worse into the eighties... 77 shouldn't be too bad. dibs if you don't mess it up too bad

[Molly]

sweet, they get a bad rep but fucking hell, they got worse into the eighties... 77 shouldn't be too bad. dibs if you don't mess it up too bad

LOL. I'll try not to fuck it up.

[mttn3]

Is it called project anchor because it's a heavy guitar or once it's finished it'll play like the butter?

[olegmcnoleg]

Definitely needs a nice vintage White paint job

[Molly]

Definitely needs a nice vintage White paint job

Indeed. Difficult colour to get right though. Especially if you want to relic it and show lighter areas where it's worn through.

[olegmcnoleg]

Definitely needs a nice vintage White paint job

Indeed. Difficult colour to get right though. Especially if you want to relic it and show lighter areas where it's worn through.

Yep, beyond my skill level. You could buy a nice reliced body from MJT, and at the same time lose a couple of lbs?

[null_pointer]

Definitely needs a nice vintage White paint job

Indeed. Difficult colour to get right though. Especially if you want to relic it and show lighter areas where it's worn through.

Now that's my idea of colour for a Strat

[Molly]

Definitely needs a nice vintage White paint job

Indeed. Difficult colour to get right though. Especially if you want to relic it and show lighter areas where it's worn through.

Yep, beyond my skill level. You could buy a nice reliced body from MJT, and at the same time lose a couple of lbs?

Not a bad idea. I could paint the CBS one at leisure I guess.

[Molly]

Now that's my idea of colour for a Strat

Looks like maybe Olympic white with an amber clear. The nitro I've used in the past wasn't available as a transparent amber. The best they could do was add some ochre but that was just cloudy and you need a lot of it if you're to get the tint you want in a single pass.

That pic is from a company called Revelator Guitars: http://www.revelatorguitars.com/gallery.html They do some fantastic relic work.


Edit:

Thanks Mathew (tonelounge.co.nz) for pointing me towards these NOS gold Fender / Schaller tuners. Snapped-up a set for the project.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/232178047590

[Molly]

Just a wee update.

Binned all the shitty wiring and replaced it with nice new pots etc. from Mathew. Took out the 'rails' pickup and put a BK Veneer in there which better matches the existing pickups (albeit it's not flat pole). Ordered some NOS F-type tuners from eBay (Mathew spied them and sent me the link - cheers again).

Enjoying playing it. It's got character. Needs fret work and a new nut but it's cool just the same.



If you're wondering why the strings are on it's because I stuffed-up and wired one pickup out of phase. Had to go back in and re-do it.

[sizzlingbadger]

Looking good.

[WellyBlues]

Tidy looking soldering by the looks. Nice.

[Molly]

Tidy looking soldering by the looks. Nice.

I tell ya. I've done this dozens of times and always try to match Custom Shop neatness but to no avail. Tis getting better though. Ta.

[MrDINO]

You obviously enjoy the nuts and bolts Brian. However this ends up I'm sure it will look and play great.