DETAILED PLANS FOR MY AXE
1) Body Style. As you can tell form the pics on the previous page, it is designed to look like a Fender Stratocaster. Of course, it is not actually a Fender Strat, and should never be confused for one.
2) Finish - I plan to perhaps stain the guitar and then give a nice coating of nitrocellulose for shine. I like the look of the natural wood. Besides, I got very lucky to get this gorgeous hunk of Mahogany. I want to show it off!
3) Pickups - already routed for 3 single-coil pickups. If I feel ambitious, I will get the pickups and do the wiring/soldering myself. I am thinking about the Texas Specials, but I am not 100% sure yet. I am open to recommendations.
If I feel lazy, I will get a pre-loaded pickguard from Stew-Mac. (Keeping open the possibility of upgrading at some point in the future.) Mind you, I have never soldered anything in my life! This will be a first.
4) Pickguard - this will be black Vinyl, with black control knobs. Of course, I gotta get my mitts on an original Fender pickguard.
5) Tremolo system - "vintage" style trem system. I got my mitts on a brand new "vintage style" Fender trem system. The whammy bar has a black tip. (To match the black pickguard and control knobs that I do not yet own.)
6) Neck Plate - Chrome, with the pad underneath. (Don't want to mar that nice mahogany!)
7) Trem Cover - Probably gonna keep it black - it comes in the kit with the black pickup covers and switch accessory set. Unless, I can find a nice chrome one.
8) Strap buttons - gonna go with the Vinage
9) Tuners - Vintage Kluson style. Sorry, but I have to go with the locking tuners, even though they did not have them way back when.
10) Neck - I'm open for suggestions, but I think I am going to go with a Warmoth custom neck. Strat style headstock, maple neck (single truss rod), with a Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard. My hands are small, so I am going with a "custom" shape back of the Ibanez "wizard" neck. (I currently play an Ibanez, and I'm pretty comfortable with it.) For an "extra" touch, I am going with either Mother of Pearl or Abalone inlays.
A small detail on the neck is the string trees. (Not to be confused with the String Cheese Incident.) I do not like the Vintage string trees. I feel that they actually tear the strings and do more harm than good. I like the look and function of the trees on the American Strats. So what if I go American Modern on these with the rest having a "vintage" style. Sue me. It's my friggin' guitar.
11) LEARN TO PLAY! When this awesome axe is complete. I will have to learn how to play something other than "Smoke on the Water" and ripping through the A Minor Pentatonic Scale.