Here’s another interesting project.  Another mixture of old and new.  A good friend of mine, Russell, has been colleting some fine old parts and has decided it’s time to put it all together….

Some of these parts are older than I am, a 1958 neck and 1956/58 pickups, tremolo, neck and back plates etc. all in fantastic condition.

The pic-guard is re-pro but even that’s from a 1980s guitar.  The pots are new, as is the switch.  We planned to use a vintage switch, but it proved to be a little intermittent so we went for a new one in the end, for reliability.  When this is finished it’s going to get used rather becoming a piece of wall art.

The body is a new one, if anyone out there has a late 1950s body going spare then drop me a line!  I think Russell’s still on the lookout for an original one.  However this is going to be a workhorse guitar, and the feel of it is in the neck rather than the body anyway.

The body’s been nicely cut, although the hole for the jack plate is just a little small.

 The jack cup is that wide….

but the hole is just that little bit too narrow, just a little bit off the shoulders should sort that.

Since the body’s brand new, the holes for the trem’ screws need to be drilled out.

The first of the hardware in place…

Russell doesn’t use the tremolo so I’ve screwed the claw all the way in so that the trem’ will sit flat on the body.

Next the neck.  The screw holes line up nicely so hopefully the neck’s going to line up perfectly.  I always like to use a little candle grease in the screw threads, it makes it much easier to get them in and out.

Using some thick thread in place of the “E” strings I can see that the neck is sitting just right.

There are the electrics, fine old pickups but new pots’ and switch.

Even the screw holes need to be drilled.

Looking good.

Of course there are the other bits and pieces, strap buttons etc.

With the strings in place it’s really taking shape and looking like a guitar.

All it needs now is a full 5 point setup.

No.1 The neck set.

These necks are a little difficult as the adjustment’s on the heel.  You can only assess the curvature with the neck fitted, but you can only adjust it with the neck off the guitar?

I’ve had this neck on the jig before so it shouldn’t need any more adjustment!

No.2  the action at the 12th fret.

The action was very low but that’s to be expected, we arrived at this action purely by chance.

So raise up each saddle, starting with the outside “E” strings and then the others, to match the radius of the fretboard.

No.3  The action at the 1st fret.

It’s as low as I would ever like to go, but the nut looks original so I’m not going to muck about with it, just so long as it plays without buzzing.

No.4 The Intonation.

This is important so that the guitar plays “in tune” all the way up and down the neck.

No.5  The pickup heights.

This is only a starting point, the only real way to set pickup heights is to plug it in and listen to it.

Just a couple of last bits, the tremolo spring cover, another original part even down to the screws.

So there is it, as many original 1956/58 parts as it was possible to find along with a few new bits to make it work.

For all the other things I can offer check out www.guitar-george.co.uk

A word or two from Russell:

“Great job mate on my long and at times frustrating journey and for making a superb job assembling my 56/58 fender Stratocaster.

This project is building with original parts this iconic instrument.

Your help and workmanship was at all times of the highest quality showing all the necessary skills and integrity on such a personal and important project.

Well done and thank you.

Russell Moore”