A couple of days ago I gave new life to a custom guitar assembled earlier this year. The Red Agathis Strat,
an extra-parts project I put together in January when my curiosity
about the GFS VEH pickups I'd bought months earlier became
overwhelming, was a surprisingly excellent sounding guitar. The process
of putting it together went smoother than almost any project prior, and
it quickly became a favorite for gigs and practice. The ultra-cheapie
body I'd used, however, was an eyesore with its faux quilt top; and the
finish was so thin it was cracking off in places. So I'd been on the
lookout for a suitable replacement. I should explain that I've become
something of a bargain hunter with regard to guitar parts. And so with
that said it's probably understood how excited I was when, a couple of
weeks ago, I discovered an eBay store selling guitar body factory
seconds. (The occasional buffing mark or small scratch does not bother
me if it means the price is cut in half.) I picked up a Mighty Mite
sunburst flame maple ash Strat body, and thus finally had a replacement
for the ailing red agathis body. In less than 24 hours I turned around
the body swap, making all the necessary routes to the new body and
modifications to the transplant parts to insure a perfect fit.
Literally all of the parts of the existing guitar were switched over
with the small exceptions being the neck plate, spring claw, and volume
potentiometer. I even kept the same strings on it. Thankfully, like
with this guitar's first manifestation, the assembly was smooth.
Though
I'm considering this the same guitar, and it will hold the same serial
number in my catalog of custom axes, I went through a small amount of
contemplation to arrive at that decision. I've always considered the
body of a guitar its "essence," if-you-will. It's the main tone wood,
the wood grain characteristics are unique to it alone, the majority of
the routing is done to the body, and of course color helps define the
guitar as much as anything. I only decided this, though, after having
the chance to play the guitar in its new epitome. The similarity in
tone and resonance is frighteningly uncanny, which I believe lends
credibility to the argument that neck wood and tremolo play a large
part in the overall sonic quality of a guitar.
The revised parts list is below!
Mighty Mite Solid Ash/Flamed Maple Top Body--Translucent Sunburst Finish
Mighty
Mite Maple Strat Neck--22 Frets, 1 5/8" Original Floyd Rose Locking
Nut, C-Shape Profile, 9.5"-12" Compound Radius, Medium-Jumbo Frets,
Black Inlays, Satin Finish
GFS VEH Humbucker Bridge & Neck Pickups
Ping Licensed Floyd Rose Chrome Tremolo Bridge w/ EVH D-Tuna & Oversized Brass Sustain Block
Bourns 500K Volume Potentiometer w/ Black Knob
3-Way Pickup Selector Switch w/ Black Tip
Warmoth 3-Ply Cream White Pearloid Pickguard
Switchcraft Jack w/ Chrome Jack Plate
Gotoh Mini Chrome Tuners
Chrome Floyd Rose String Retainer Bar
Chrome Neck Plate
Chrome Strap Buttons