Introducing, *Bloodline*...

[BiC]

Before

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/bic4jesus/BLOODLINE.jpg

 

After

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/bic4jesus/STRAT1.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/bic4jesus/STRAT2.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/bic4jesus/STRAT3.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/bic4jesus/STRAT4.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/bic4jesus/STRAT5.jpg

 

Customization includes:

 

- Warmoth pickguard, tremolo cover, and pup selector tip

- Volume/Tone knobs by OverDrive Custom Guitar

- Coil Tap on Volume knob

- Bill Lawrence (Bill & Becky) shielded L500XL in bridge

- Bridge had to be modded from a single coil to a humbucker

- Bill Lawrence (Bill & Becky) L45S in middle and neck

 

I'm very satisfied with the customization done by Steve @ Edwards Music Company in Fayetteville, NC.

 

The sustain is out of this world!

 

 

 

 

[mdlestat]

Oh man, that is one sexy axe!!!

[Bluesape]

Love the red accents!

[picker]

Lovely!

[GreySeraph]

Very nice axe man! I absolutely LOVE the colorway!

[TuskBuffer]

WOW!!!! Everything about it screams WICKED AWESOMENESS! Even the case looks like something out of a vampire movie. I just imagine you opening the case slowly (with a mighty creak) to reveal Bloodline, ready for its nightly feeding! Mu hu hwa ha ha ha ha ha!

[Guitarzan]

darn sexy in red accents. a black headstock with red lettering would be the final nail in the casket.

[Lokair]

very nice looks like a metal machine.

 

Lok

[BiC]

Thanx guys! I'm going to keep the neck/headstock as is.

 

I do believe she is much sexier than Gilmore's Black Strat & Clapton's Blackie, if I say so myself.

 

I bought the case new from The Music Zoo. I think I may need to modify the case because the molded plush interior on the inside of the lid compresses my tremolo (on the tuning knobs/screws) when I shut it.

 

So, if you were me, would you cut out an area of the plush to accommodate my tremolo so there is not any undo pressure on it?

 

Or, does it matter?

 

Here are some pics to show you what I mean:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/bic4jesus/CASE1.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/bic4jesus/CASE2.jpg

 

You can see here how the lid plush sticks out about an inch.

 

Maybe cut an area for the tremolo???

 

Sorry for the fuzziness:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/bic4jesus/CASE3.jpg

 

 

 

[SEHpicker]

AWESOME AXE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gilmore and Clapton would turn green!

 

Rod, not sure how critical the angle of your trem rod is to you. I had the same problem with my strat and removed the trem rod, wrapped some padding around the short end of the L shape, put it in a vice and made a very slight bend to the angle. Now it sits just fine in the case and although the trem is closer to the body of the guitar, it functions just fine (for me). Now it might be a problem if you are wanting to do major dive bombs with it, but for me it works... and I didn't have to carve up my case.

Just a thought...

[GreySeraph]

WOW!!!! Everything about it screams WICKED AWESOMENESS! Even the case looks like something out of a vampire movie. I just imagine you opening the case slowly (with a mighty creak) to reveal Bloodline, ready for its nightly feeding! Mu hu hwa ha ha ha ha ha!

 

Sparkily vampires from Twilight??

[BiC]

Thanx!

 

The case sticks up like that without my trem rod installed... if that's what you are referencing. (sidebar: the trem rod is awefully "loose", though, once I pop'er in.) That's the way the Fender System III Trems are- pop in/out... not screw.

 

 

AWESOME AXE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gilmore and Clapton would turn green!

 

Rod, not sure how critical the angle of your trem rod is to you. I had the same problem with my strat and removed the trem rod, wrapped some padding around the short end of the L shape, put it in a vice and made a very slight bend to the angle. Now it sits just fine in the case and although the trem is closer to the body of the guitar, it functions just fine (for me). Now it might be a problem if you are wanting to do major dive bombs with it, but for me it works... and I didn't have to carve up my case.

Just a thought...

[Larryz]

Very nicely done...had not seen that fender trem with tuners before, but it's very cool, I really like my pop out trem bar set up on the American Deluxe's...sorry the case isn't closing without sitting on it...cutting out some padding in the area of the trem won't look real great...but it will work...remeber the little fuzzies will always be there if you don't seal the area around the cut...you may be able to have a custom patch from someones Airforce uniform sewn in and glued to the lid, in the area just above the trem...

[BiC]

Yeah, that's one bad thing about these sort of plush cases is the fuzz. I did not give that too much thought when I ordered it... it doesn't shed too bad, though.

 

I guess I'll have to keep a can of air handy, as needed.

 

 

Very nicely done...had not seen that fender trem with tuners before, but it's very cool, I really like my pop out trem bar set up on the American Deluxe's...sorry the case isn't closing without sitting on it...cutting out some padding in the area of the trem won't look real great...but it will work...remeber the little fuzzies will always be there if you don't seal the area around the cut...you may be able to have a custom patch from someones Airforce uniform sewn in and glued to the lid, in the area just above the trem...

[Lokair]

put a cloth over the trem and just keep it in the case when not in use the case will wear to the guitar.

 

Awesome ax, now just go play play play play play play play , oh yea play .

 

Lok

[BiC]

That thought did pass through my mind.

 

the case will wear to the guitar.

 

 

[BiC]

BTW, this new custom job makes me not miss my stolen 1986 MIJ Strat as much pictured here:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/bic4jesus/1986MIJSTRAT.jpg

 

Now, I simply need to break'er in.

[Caevan O'Shite]

She cleaned up really well, huh?

 

Get some Dunlop StrapLoks on there, for safety's sake! And a cool lookin' strap to go with it.

 

 

Swap out the bottom Tone-control (keep that knob on there, though) for an EMG SPC, wired as a "master" control for any and all three pickups. You'll be glad you did; I guarantee it.

 

 

What amp are you currently playin' her through? Speakers? Pedals?

 

 

If the case DOESN'T form a "memory" impression over the bridge and improve the fit, have a professional upholsterer/furniture repairer fix the padding in the case where it is too tight against the bridge; a good upholsterer should be able to do that, no problem, and not have it show at all that anything was modified.

 

 

You might be able to snug-up the wobbliness of the bar, if you want, by tightly wrapping a little Teflon tape- the kind used on threading on plumbing connections- around the tip that pops into the bridge. trial-and-error will tell you just how much, how thick, how many wraps; and you should be able to keep it below the line of visibility.

[BiC]

She sure did!

 

This is the strap I bought for her (black one):

 

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Levy%20s-Classic-Padded-Leather-Guitar-Strap?sku=360772

 

I'm behind the power curve when it comes to pedal/effects.

 

I'm still using my 1986 Laney Reverb 50. I put a Celestion in it back in 1993-94. It's a closed back combo amp, and sounds nice-n-chunky for a SS amp when I run it through my Boss Metal Zone.

 

My Ibanez Tube Screamer I bought at a pawn shop back in 1989-90 is playing hide-n-go-seek. I'll find it one day and add it to the mix.

 

I was fooling around with my Digitech 21 Pro, but it chokes my sustain.

 

I'll give it some time to bond with my case, and I was actually thinking about wrapping some electrical tape around my trem bar, but your suggestion of teflon makes sense. Heck, I have that in my tool box. I think I will give it try... as long as I do not have to keep re-taping it every time I store my guitar- because I have to pop the bar out.

 

Thanx Kevin!

 

 

She cleaned up really well, huh?

 

Get some Dunlop StrapLoks on there, for safety's sake! And a cool lookin' strap to go with it.

 

 

Swap out the bottom Tone-control (keep that knob on there, though) for an EMG SPC, wired as a "master" control for any and all three pickups. You'll be glad you did; I guarantee it.

 

 

What amp are you currently playin' her through? Speakers? Pedals?

 

 

If the case DOESN'T form a "memory" impression over the bridge and improve the fit, have a professional upholsterer/furniture repairer fix the padding in the case where it is too tight against the bridge; a good upholsterer should be able to do that, no problem, and not have it show at all that anything was modified.

 

 

You might be able to snug-up the wobbliness of the bar, if you want, by tightly wrapping a little Teflon tape- the kind used on threading on plumbing connections- around the tip that pops into the bridge. trial-and-error will tell you just how much, how thick, how many wraps; and you should be able to keep it below the line of visibility.

[BiC]

Kevin- Would the EMG SPC interfere with the coil tap I have on the volume knob?

[Caevan O'Shite]

Not at all; no more than the existing Tone controls. It simply replaces one Tone control, and requires a 9v battery.

 

You would most likely have to convert the other Tone control to a "Master" for all three pickups (though that isn't necessarily required, it just makes the simplest, most practical sense); and the SPC would also be best if it affected all three pickups.

 

Search-up the other recent EMG SPC posts and threads here on this forum (and also EMC SPC, a typo, but a good thread) for a little more info/testimonial on it... I KNOW that you'd love the results...

[BiC]

Requiring a 9v sorta turns me off, but I will remain open to the idea on any future mods.

 

What kind of results are you speaking of that I would love?

 

 

 

Not at all; no more than the existing Tone controls. It simply replaces one Tone control, and requires a 9v battery.

 

You would most likely have to convert the other Tone control to a "Master" for all three pickups (though that isn't necessarily required, it just makes the simplest, most practical sense); and the SPC would also be best if it affected all three pickups.

 

Search-up the other recent EMG SPC posts and threads here on this forum (and also EMC SPC, a typo, but a good thread) for a little more info/testimonial on it... I KNOW that you'd love the results...

[Larryz]

I have the EMG SPC on one of my Stats and it's a real good thing to have as far as the 3 single coils go...can't speak as to how useful it will be on the the humbucker on the SSH Strat but it will definately make the single coils come alive and may even work on the humbucker? the battery lasts more than a year so you just change them when you change your smoke detectors...I mounted mine under the spring plate cover which requires a little routing to lay flat and the loss of one spring...otherwise you have to pull the pickguard (which will be a pain on the stock setup) just to change the battery...works great with EMG active pups, I'm not experianced on how well it works with other pups like the Lawrence...

 

FYI, the latest MF magazine ad shows a case with the same bridge in the picture as you have and the lid should close...if you use the mash down method suggested above, I would recommend you start very slowly with just a little weight at a time to avoid stressing/cracking the hinges...maybe try pre-mashing the padding as much as possible with a rounded wrench handle or nobby thing a ma-jig...or consider a heavy duty gig bag (although I always prefer the case)...

[BiC]

Good tips on breaking in the case!

 

FYI, the latest MF magazine ad shows a case with the same bridge in the picture as you have and the lid should close...if you use the mash down method suggested above, I would recommend you start very slowly with just a little weight at a time to avoid stressing/cracking the hinges...maybe try pre-mashing the padding as much as possible with a rounded wrench handle or nobby thing a ma-jig...or consider a heavy duty gig bag (although I always prefer the case)...

[Caevan O'Shite]

The SPC works GREAT with humbuckers as well as single-coils; in fact, I used it more on the humbucker at the bridge than I did on the single-coils at the middle and neck positions.

 

That 9v battery bugs you? You don't mind pedals having either batteries or 9v power-supplies, right? When the SPC knob is rolled all the way down, it is bypassed; as you turn it up, it gradually boosts some of the mids and lows while subtly rolling off a little of the high-treble and boosting the overall output-level. It's VERY "natural", smooth and un-hyped sounding, not at all "electronic" or "effecty" sounding.

 

By the way, David Gilmour has SPC's (and EXG's) in all of his Strats with EMG's; he's been using them for a couple of decades or so. His sig set comes with those.

 

Here ya go, Rod:

 

Let me tell you how much I love my love my new EMC SPC mod-thread

 

Re: Telecaster Bridge Pickup Change (Read posts following this one, Lister/"Fumblyfingers" and I chat a bit on the SPC)

[BiC]

It's the thought of having to mod space for the battery, and the ease of changing it out annually.

 

If anything, I would want it on the backside of my guitar without affecting my tremolo/springs.

 

 

The SPC works GREAT with humbuckers as well as single-coils; in fact, I used it more on the humbucker at the bridge than I did on the single-coils at the middle and neck positions.

 

That 9v battery bugs you? You don't mind pedals having either batteries or 9v power-supplies, right? When the SPC knob is rolled all the way down, it is bypassed; as you turn it up, it gradually boosts some of the mids and lows while subtly rolling off a little of the high-treble and boosting the overall output-level. It's VERY "natural", smooth and un-hyped sounding, not at all "electronic" or "effecty" sounding.

 

By the way, David Gilmour has SPC's (and EXG's) in all of his Strats with EMG's; he's been using them for a couple of decades or so. His sig set comes with those.

 

Here ya go, Rod:

 

Let me tell you how much I love my love my new EMC SPC mod-thread

 

Re: Telecaster Bridge Pickup Change (Read posts following this one, Lister/"Fumblyfingers" and I chat a bit on the SPC)

[Caevan O'Shite]

Well, you could try it with the 9v battery resting inside the control-cavity under the pots, maybe with a little foam or cloth padding wrapped around it to keep it still and away from contacting wiring, etc., to see if you liked it (and I think you will love it!);

 

and then, if you DO like it, you could have a small, tonally insignificant amount of wood routed for a recessed battery-compartment with a lid for easy battery access, located somewhat towards the tail, near the control-cavity (but from the back). Carvin, Stewart-MacDonald, and others carry such battery-compartments.

[dvuksanovich]

Wow... beautiful guitar.

 

(two thumbs up)

[Larryz]

I have the SPC EXG EMG Gilmour set up on the Strat mentioned above with 3 singles using the SPC and EXG...they really work cool in combination and let you dial in the sound you're looking for...glad to hear they also work well with humbuckers Caevan...

 

FYI, You don't have to lose a trem spring but then the routing under the spring plate cover is much more intricate...you can run up to 4 springs but you have to mount the battery sideways as in the Clapton Strat (which you could copy)...if you can have a really talanted router man do it without wrecking the finish and get the battery all the way under the cover but it's very close tolerance and the clapton was routed before it was painted...I have no problem using only two trem springs and my luthier set it up just too cool the easier way, with the battery laying flat...I have two American Standards and one American Deluxe set the same way...

[BiC]

You gentlemen gave me some good food for thought. Thank you for taking the time to reply and educate me on this. I will definitely consider this in the future.