American Standard... Heated, blackened, and served...

Although I've chosen to not really post too much on this forum after feeling misjudged and subsequently ostracized, I still wanted to share this project with others that may at some point contemplate doing something similar. I mean... What's an online community if you don't occasionally contribute something? Fwiw... sincere apologies for ever speaking out of turn or for being overly harsh on this board. I honestly never intended to offend anyone.

Anyway... This is a 2014 Am.Std. with solid rosewood neck. Love the guitar but after a few years, it was time for some upgrades. Now that I've had this project completed for a few days and have been playing her almost exclusively, I have to say that the final result is beyond what I'd expected. Although still in the honeymoon phase, this guitar is currently just about my most favorite of the entire family.

FENDER LOCKING TUNERS: The factory tuners weren't the worst but over the years I've just grown to hate wrestling with perfectly wrapping strings around posts. The new Fender lockers are a direct drop/ fit with 2 pins. I had purchased a set of locking Shaller's but even with the seeming direct-fit, they didn't work and left the factory-drilled pin-holes exposed. The Fenders are a perfect drop in replacement and line up precisely. After some initial string stretching and tuning, these tuners seem perfectly stable and solid... 3 long/ 3 short btw although still using the tree. Very happy with these tuners.

GOTOH 510T TREMOLO UNIT: Nothing awful about the tried-n-true factory trem but the arm bugged me... wobbly and hard to keep consistently positioned where I wanted... lost the ball-bearing/ spring tensioner long ago anyway. Very happy with the Gotoh replacement and after comparing it side by side with the Wilkinson VSVG, it was no contest ... Solid, sleek, notched saddles, excellent trem-arm engagement, and I like the little touches like the set-screws inside of the studs that extend down to contact the base of the anchors. All in all, this unit is much more comfortable ( and maybe more performance-oriented?) than the original. One thing that's definitely noticeable, is that when I pluck or strum the guitar while unplugged, it sounds much more resonant and harmonic than it used to... almost like a hollow-body. It's amazing. I also am using Fender Bullet strings for the first time. Whether these strings have anything to do with the increased sustain, I dunno. Fender claims: "patented bullet-end creates sonic coupling between string & bridge block for increased tuning stability and sustain". Before hearing these strings for myself, I would have thought that to be a marketing gimmick.. now I'm not so sure. Regardless... the resonance is much more pronounced and overall this Gotoh 510T is simply phenomenal. Also fwiw, the Gotoh trem-springs are a bit more stiff than the originals so I'm only using two of them along with one of the original Fender springs. I may ultimately switch them out again for 2 soft/ 1 firm for more sensitivity but we'll see. All 3 springs are dampened with silicone tubing. I did this simply to combat any flutter/ noise from the springs.

SEYMOUR DUNCAN SSL-5 BRIDGE PICKUP: This guitar came equipped with CS Fat 50's but I wanted a little more heat and the SSL-5 appeared to have what I was after. For what it's worth: SD recommends reversing the wiring if you're mating it with the factory middle & neck pickups... black to pot/ white to switch. I'm still tweaking the action as well as all 3 pickup heights but at least so far, I'm really digging the SSL-5 over the Fat 50 at the bridge. Driven dirty, the SD definitely sounds more sculpted and warm so consider steering clear of this one if quacky vintage sound is your thing. I'm impressed with the SSL-5 when pushing gain but I was pleasantly surprised how incredible it sounds when clean. Rolling off the volume knob really showcases the tonal aspects of this thing. It sincerely wakes up this particular guitar and produces more pronounced lows/ mids now. Overall I'd say it has much more dynamic character now. It's just about exactly what I was after so... super satisfied with this choice.

FRET POLISH & FRET-BOARD CONDITIONING: While I was at it with the strings removed, I decided to tape off the board and hit the frets with some 0000 wool and finished them off with a thorough polish. Lastly, I hydrated the rosewood board/ neck/ head-stock with some Guitar Honey. Much smoother and supple-feeling now.

CHROME DOME KNOBS: I had intended to simply switch out the parchment Strat knobs for the same style in black. But while the black Strat knobs did indeed look okay alongside the now "more modern" look of the guitar, I ultimately chose to keep pushing the aggressiveness and opt for some generic chrome knurled knobs instead. I'm sincerely satisfied with the metal chrome knobs on this particular axe. They fit in very well with the Gotoh trem and they feel so solid. They're also easier and quicker to subtly manipulate compared to the traditional plastic knobs.

Everything else that I did was simply related to aesthetics/ appearance:

Black generic scratch-plate from Stratosphere
Black pick-guard screws.
Black trem-cover.
Black trem-cover screws.
Black switch-tip.
Black switch screws.
Black pickup covers ( neck & mid).
Black Seymour Duncan pickup cover ( bridge).

For what it's worth: I was going to do a few other things to this guitar but ultimately decided for one reason or another, not to. Plans were cancelled for the: black jack plate, black pickup screws, black strap buttons, TusqXL nut, and graphite saddles.

The obligatory "before" pic:

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...6/100_5288.jpg


Under the knife:

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...6/IMG_3096.jpg


http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...6/IMG_3094.jpg


http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...IMG_3111_1.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...6/IMG_3113.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...6/IMG_3163.jpg

Finished:

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...6/IMG_3129.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...6/IMG_3123.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...6/IMG_3179.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...6/IMG_3144.jpg

HPD,

People spit at each other on here occasionally--we're all passionate about things--but don't hold back on your postings. We get over our disagreements and move on.

Your project looks great. I've used the Bullets before, but I wasn't too sold on them. Then again, I really like GHS and Ernie Ball strings.

I enjoy your posts, so stick around. Consternation is relatively short lived here. We're a forgiving bunch for the most part, whether we're wrong or right.

Thanks so much. I genuinely appreciate the positive vibe here.

I'll be interested to see if I notice any change whenever I decide to re-string with another brand. I'm not necessarily sold on the Fender Bullets as I have no idea if the bullet-ends truly are making any kind of difference ( as it might be the way that the trem studs mate with the anchors) but there is definitely a more resonant sound since completing the project.

Thanks so much for taking a look.

I like the look both ways, but see a more modern, improved guitar. I like it!

Thank you, Don. It was truly a labor of love. I never would have sold her to begin with so making these changes seemed safe/ reversible in case I wound up with regrets. I agree that at least for my taste, style, and equipment, she is absolutely improved now. I was considering before the pickup swap, that I might want to do SSL-1's in the mid/ neck but the more that I listen to her, the more convinced I am that the Fat 50's and SSL-5 are a great match. Really glad you enjoyed taking a look.

I didn't know they made the Bullet strings again. I got them when they first came out and for some reason they went away.

I like the looks of the chrome dome knobs on the black guard. And the regular pickup height screws. Just enough contrast. I want a solid rosewood neck for my next strat build, the one I plan to keep this time

I have been a bit absent from internet fora these last few days. Lots of stuff happening... New girlfriend, new bands, lots of worries at the office. Anyway, I didn't really follow anything bad here.

Hpd, I'll definitely check out what happened to make you feel that way, but in advance I can tell you that I don't think anyone meant to ostracyze you or anything.

This is probably the friendliest guitar forum I ever visited, and it is still recovering from a semi-death... So every member counts, every member matters.

And you are a valuable one. Please, stick around.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan

I didn't know they made the Bullet strings again. I got them when they first came out and for some reason they went away.

I like the looks of the chrome dome knobs on the black guard. And the regular pickup height screws. Just enough contrast. I want a solid rosewood neck for my next strat build, the one I plan to keep this time

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My local shop had these so I thought I'd give em a try... I hate leaving a guitar store without at least a couple picks or a set of strings lol. I'd originally intended for these to go onto my Due Sonic Reissue project but then thought that using them in conjunction with this new Gotoh tremolo might maximize their [advertised] dynamic qualities. Not sure if I'll get them again ( big NYXL fan here) but they feel and sound good enough that I might.

Glad that you're diggin the aesthetics. I honestly never thought that I'd use non-traditional knobs on a Stratocaster although I really couldn't be happier with the feel, the sound, and the look of her now.

I'd love to see your SRN Strat project! Sorry you had to part with your other one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sérgio

I have been a bit absent from internet fora these last few days. Lots of stuff happening... New girlfriend, new bands, lots of worries at the office. Anyway, I didn't really follow anything bad here.

Hpd, I'll definitely check out what happened to make you feel that way, but in advance I can tell you that I don't think anyone meant to ostracyze you or anything.

This is probably the friendliest guitar forum I ever visited, and it is still recovering from a semi-death... So every member counts, every member matters.

And you are a valuable one. Please, stick around.

---

Thank you, Sergio. Your kindness is genuinely appreciated. I really enjoy the ambience of this forum. I realize it's fairly quiet but there's a great degree of sincerity and hospitality here that larger/ more active forums tend to lack. I guess I just over analyze things sometimes and very effortlessly feel like maybe I don't quite fit in. I'm sure that goes back to my childhood when I was picked on and left many times feeling like I was the "odd man out"... I dunno. You'd never know that I actually moderate a forum with almost 52,000 members lol... but I guess that's a bit different as I've been active there for almost a decade now and have been intricately involved with members on so many different levels. Hopefully in time here on TFF, I'll feel more at home. Anyway... utmost respect to you all and thanks again, Sergio for your correspondence and candidness.

I consider you a friend HPD, and I'm sorry if anyone on here was mean to you. Personally, I try to just ignore any such thing and carry on. I'm not trying to tell you how to do your thing, but I understand the feeling picked on feeling. I grew up a smart fat kid who wasn't good at sports and did my own thing, I was made fun of and left out of a lot of social stuff that the other "cooler" kids were part of.


I'm liking the Strat! 👍 Not exactly something I'd do, but I think it looks great! And, it's different which I always applaud. Gotta put your own "stank" on your instruments.

As far as the Bullets? IDK, my buddy played them years ago, but I never much cared for them. I'm into D'Addarrio's on electrics, Boomers if the store is out of my usual.

Ooh, I like it!Sometime we gotta make em our own.I too am glad you're here.If anything I said made you not want to participate, I apologize.

Oh crap... lol at "stank"! I guess that's true though. I often times make modifications to things... to make something more suited for me, or to improve it, or just to add a bit of a personal touch. And with this particular project, I can always take it back to the factory look if I want. I just don't see that happening though. I knew that it wouldn't appeal to everyone but it's cool when we can appreciate diversity and keep an open mind. Thank you.

I can relate to your childhood. My thing growing up, was that I was poor, didn't do too well academically, and was just "that weird kid" without an abundance of friends. Not that there aren't some good things that went along with that but it seemed that I was always struggling in one way or another. I was a kid that wanted to play with the interesting beetle while I was supposed to be catching a pop fly to right field lol.

I thank you for your supportive words. I usually have a much thicker-skin but being that I'm new to this place, maybe I'm just a bit skittish ( like a cat lol?). I'm sure that in time, I'll feel a bit more comfortable. This is a great community here... no matter the size, and I'm grateful to be a part of it. Thanks again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CoyotesGator

Ooh, I like it!Sometime we gotta make em our own.I too am glad you're here.If anything I said made you not want to participate, I apologize.

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Not at all, CG. Thank you for your hospitality. I always enjoy reading your comments and I'm really glad that I haven't worn out my welcome.

Indeed... I had to make her my own! and if I can borrow someone else's words: "She's got my stank all over her now!" haha!

Thanks, man.

Oh, talk about childhood.

Chalk one more up for the weird introspective kids.

I was always the weird boy who had no siblings, not many friends, and liked music and guitars much more than soccer or basketball... PLUS I was the shortest and smallest of the class. EVERY YEAR (I'm still 5'5"). Guess who took epic beatings in a time when there was no such thing as a concept of "bullying" :laughing: It only stopped when I learned to fight back VERY uglily, and learned some judo and boxing, so I made it kinda too expensive to try to hit me, although I hated and still hate violence. I still wonder how I still have all my teeth.

But that was good, it taught me how to take care of myself even if that meant to pick a fight with someone about twice my weight.

Oh dear, I'm afraid we've gone way off topic. I wonder how many of us felt the odd man out growing up. I'm 6'1", but I was picked on because I was odd and pacifistic. That's one reason I turned to music. I felt at home among the heroes I met when I got into rock. I lived in a small Tennessee town during my 4th-8th grade years, and The Beatles made much more sense to me than basketball players, hunters, and fishers that populated the town, and I didn't really believe in the religion most nominally embraced--I'm not against people with such interests; I just didn't fit in with most who had them.

Learning to play guitar, bass, and piano gave me a connection to my heroes, who made me feel a little less weird. After all, how much weirder could I have been than John and Yoko or George? They showed me that it was okay to be different.

Acceptance is why I still love guitar culture and why I hang around this forum. Most of the musicians I've met over the years have been more open-minded than most other social groups I've encountered.

Speaking of appreciating open minds when it comes to gear and playing styles. I really dig seeing the modifications HPD has made to that Strat. I would choose my mods differently, but I have no criticism of these mods. In fact, I embrace all of our wildly different tastes. My own tastes have broadened, partially because of the passion we all have for what we consider to be ideal when it comes to instruments and playing styles.

You look taller than 5'5', Sergio. Maybe it's the way that you carry yourself and that you appear physically fit. Regardless, I would have thought you taller than you are.

I'm about 5'7". I hate that my fiance is taller than me and that she's about as thin around the waist as one of my thighs lol! But we make it work and she doesn't seem to have any issues with the difference. I sure do though... sigh. Needless to say, she doesn't wear high-heels too much when we're out together lol.

I was always a tough little nut. I guess that I had to be... or FELT that I had to be. If I wasn't going to fit in then I was sure as hell going to be able to handle myself! But yea... I liked art and animals and nature... that kind of stuff. Thankfully my Mom didn't discourage my artistic and musical side but I assume that my Dad hated the fact that I wasn't smart or athletic. Yep... Like you, Sergio... violence has always been pretty unsettling to me. I've been in a few fights but aside from a couple ( possibly justifiable or at least understandable) incidents, I was simply standing up for myself.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ch willie

Oh dear, I'm afraid we've gone way off topic. I wonder how many of us felt the odd man out growing up. I'm 6'1", but I was picked on because I was odd and pacifistic. That's one reason I turned to music. I felt at home among the heroes I met when I got into rock. I lived in a small Tennessee town during my 4th-8th grade years, and The Beatles made much more sense to me than basketball players, hunters, and fishers that populated the town, and I didn't really believe in the religion most nominally embraced--I'm not against people with such interests; I just didn't fit in with most who had them.

Learning to play guitar, bass, and piano gave me a connection to my heroes, who made me feel a little less weird. After all, how much weirder could I have been than John and Yoko or George? They showed me that it was okay to be different.

Acceptance is why I still love guitar culture and why I hang around this forum. Most of the musicians I've met over the years have been more open-minded than most other social groups I've encountered.

Speaking of appreciating open minds when it comes to gear and playing styles. I really dig seeing the modifications HPD has made to that Strat. I would choose my mods differently, but I have no criticism of these mods. In fact, I embrace all of our wildly different tastes. My own tastes have broadened, partially because of the passion we all have for what we consider to be ideal when it comes to instruments and playing styles.

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@ ch willie- All that you wrote is SO understandable. I completely relate to all of that... aside from the fact that I was certainly not tall. Interestingly enough though... one of my first "idols" that I remember, was this very tall guy that worked at the local guitar shop. He eventually became my guitar teacher. Man I thought he was the coolest dude... long hair, soft-spoken, laid-back, and an awesome musician. To this day I still love G&L guitars because that's what he played lol. Anyway... That's also been my experience.. the musicians ( and artists) that I've been around, for the most part have been much more approachable and likable to me than many other people that I've been around.

Man.. I'm genuinely glad that this Strat project has been well received. Over the years there have been so many guitars that have drawn my interest for one reason or another... sometimes traditional, sometimes modern, conventional, radical, etc, etc. So it's cool to share with others that also appreciate certain aspects, even if it's not necessarily a guitar that suits their particular tastes. Just seeing some of y'alls instruments here has proved inspiring to me. Thanks for the positive feedback!

Going off topic is kinda what we do here, and I personally like that our discussions take that course. Music is such a personal thing, and we all have our reasons for getting into it. I know for me, we start talking gear and it sparks other ideas or memories. Plus, I enjoy learning about other people's lives and what makes them who they are. Yeah, we can sit here and talk DC resistance of pickups, weight of guitar bodies, etc. But I really like to understand WHY people mod their guitars the way they do!

And like I've said before, we're all friends here! Even when things get heated, give it a couple days and we're back to laughing and ribbing each other. Life's hard enough as it is! I think of this sight as a little oasis from reality. We can laugh, talk music, and enjoy the comradeship of others with similar interests.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chuckocaster

Going off topic is kinda what we do here, and I personally like that our discussions take that course. Music is such a personal thing, and we all have our reasons for getting into it. I know for me, we start talking gear and it sparks other ideas or memories. Plus, I enjoy learning about other people's lives and what makes them who they are. Yeah, we can sit here and talk DC resistance of pickups, weight of guitar bodies, etc. But I really like to understand WHY people mod their guitars the way they do!

And like I've said before, we're all friends here! Even when things get heated, give it a couple days and we're back to laughing and ribbing each other. Life's hard enough as it is! I think of this sight as a little oasis from reality. We can laugh, talk music, and enjoy the comradeship of others with similar interests.

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I like that too. Threads can certainly be inspiring and understandably lead to other topics... I embrace that wholeheartedly. Really glad that I decided to stick around although I'll always feel as if I prattle on WAY too much lol. Thank you, Chuck.

Funny, I only worry about going off topic because I fear that others will raise a shit storm--it's conditioning from having been part of other fora. Here, I don't really have to worry about it, and I'm glad. I too enjoy hearing about everybody's lives and why they play.

You're a good dude HPD, and I don't think you rattle on, seems more like in depth comments to me. I wouldn't even worry about someone getting their panties in a knot... Those are the type of people who are A holes anyway.

Take care buddy! 👍

Uhhhh. . . what were we talking about. . . ? :bonk

Thank you, guys.

I do babble though lol. I messaged someone the other day and had to resubmit it several times to get from 2,700 to under 1,000 characters lol. I do enjoy discussions though... and the more detours the better... just proves that it's a receptive bunch of people with very similar interests that enjoy each others company. I feel like if the active members here were sitting around a table ( at a BBQ joint... not a cafe! j/k sorta), that it would be the most lively and cool table in the whole place. It's the table that I would want to pull up a seat to and listen to the compelling banter. That's why I'm here after all!

Man... What WAS the topic anyway?? Haha!

Love the look she look's sophisticated sexy..lol

Thanks so much, melody... I think so too. I mean... I love vintage guitars and if this was a '58 LP or some such exquisite beauty, then I'd NEVER do anything like this. I love her and I don't ever plan to part with her, so reshaping her into something all around better suited to my tastes seemed like a worthwhile venture. Most worrisome part with this one was pulling the trem anchors out of the body.... luckily no issues at all. Also kinda cool... I used my drill press ( obviously turned off) to set the new anchors. I had never used this method before. It too went flawlessly though and seems much more professional than using a mallet. It was an absolutely perfect set with zero harm to the wood or finish. Plus I can pull em if I ever need to.

I'm not expecting anyone to read all this but here's the complete rundown on the insanity of the aesthetic choices lol:

It wasn't easy trying to choose the scratch-plate color along with the hardware. Tuners were chrome as well as the trem/ bridge... so that was set. But there were variables all across the board on everything else in regards to black or chrome... screws, knobs ( and type of knobs), pup covers, and jack plate. I finally decided on an all-black guard ( no white line which I was also debating at one time) and when it arrived things got easier but there was still a lot of back-n-forth regarding screws and knobs. At one point I even debated painting the 5-way switch arm itself as well as the part of the housing that can be seen under the scratch-plate. That would have been only had I gone the "stealth black-out mode lol. I finally ditched the idea of doing everything in black because that just wasn't working for me. I instead decided to go with the original chrome pickup screws as well as the knobs ( sleek and simple seemed to fit the vibe). The jack-plate and strap buttons at this point I felt should also be chrome. Now I had a nice mix of chrome and black but I wasn't done. Debated at one point doing the switch tip in chrome as well as the pickup covers but decided to keep this particular piece of the puzzle more subtle and sleek... so black was the choice. Pup covers were going to be all chrome or all black at this point. In my mind I liked the idea of 2 black Fender covers and a black SD logo cover on the bridge pup. Really glad that I went this route... She's still classy, but letting you know that she's a little on the hot side... maybe like a little provocative tattoo? idk lol.

Whew!! I think I covered everything now. It simply wasn't easy because I knew that the end result had to just look super tight and no-nonsense and that I myself had to really FEEL the mods when I played her. For me... This would be like my signature Stratocaster. She's finally just that level of "right".

Anybody that read all that.. I don't even know what to say... Thank You! It's all a labor of love, I guess!

Ahh, the ole Okie press! I use that trick a lot!!! Works great for seating tuner bushings and roll pins.