The Story of a Strat
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I
bought my Fender Strat Plus from Tiger Music in Brighton in 1991. This
was my second Strat, my first was a 1978 Hardtail I bought secondhand
in 1982, just before starting college. Over the years this guitar was
a bit of a state and I wanted a Strat with a vibrato to use alongside
my Les Paul Standard I was using live most of the time.
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Above I am playing the guitar on stage with Full House at the Richmond in Brighton some time in the mid 90s. On the right is a picture of the guitar taken not long after I bought it, before any modifications. |
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The Driscoll Brothers (est. 1997) in the summer of 2000. The guitar had acquired a pearl effect pickguard. Around this time I discovered the joys of 7-way switching and had fitted a small switch to the original pickguard. On the new pickguard I used a pull / push switch. A year later I had fitted Fender's Vintage Noiseless pickups in place of the originals. Apologies for rather poor picture on the left. |
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The next change to the guitar was rather more dramatic. In the summer of 2005 I did some major work on the guitar. Most obviously a change to a gold anondised pickguard but also a new Fender LSR Roller nut in place of original Fender one which I always found a little bulky. Other changes are more "under the hood". I replaced the bridge pickup with a Hot Noiseless for a bit more punch. I also replaced the whole bridge. In place of the original Fender block I installed a Callaham Steel block, I still used a Fender Bridge plate but had a Callaham vibrato bar. Later (not shown in this picture) I installed KTS Titanium Bridge Saddles. I was not after Titanium ones but they were the only company I could find selling vintager style saddles to fit a modern Fender Bridge. Also using a 250k pot for volume and 500k pots for tone including a push / push switch on one for 7-way switching. In January 2006 I had the guitar re-fretted since over 14 years of gigs had worn them right down. At the same time I had the four screw system replaced with four recessed bolts to make the neck more stable. This mod was carried out by Bernie Goodfellow at GB Guitars. |
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This is the guitar as it is today. After a brief spell with an Allparts black pickguard it now has a Fender one. I found the anondised aluminum scratchy under my fingernails and it had to be heavily damped to stop microphonic feedback. The pickups are changed once again to DiMarzio with an Area 61 in the Bridge and an Area 58 in the neck and middle. The knobs and switch tip have all been changed to cream to match. I am getting used to it but may change all the plastic (including the pickup covers) back to to off-white. The electrics were a 300k Volume Pot, 250k push / push tone pot (for 7-way switching) and an R500D Rothstein passive mid boost. Although I use noiseless pickups the guitar is completely shielded with self adhesive copper foil. I have also taken out the Tremsetter (a complicated device that you use in place on one spring on the vibrato) since it was worn out and gone to the more traditional three springs. Since the last entry I have returned to two tones, one on the front pickup, one on the rear and middle. The are wired up to a 5-way Superswitch to avoid interaction of the tones on the in between settings. Thanks to Bob Vizza for the circuit diagram. So in 2008 all that is left from the original guitar is the body, the neck (re-fretted since) and the bit that holds the jack socket! Hopefully that will be it for a while.
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