The Project

I've been kicking around the idea of putting together a parts-caster. If you're not familiar with that term, it's basically pulling a bunch of different parts together to make a working Fender Telecaster. Now, I know what you're thinking: Do you REALLY need another guitar? No of course not. But, there's no such thing as too many guitars - each one has it's own mojo, it's own identity, it's own sound - doesn't matter if it's a $100 beginner guitar or a $150,000 all original mint condition 1952 Fender Broadcaster.

The reason for doing it isn't really to have another guitar, it's the process in putting it together. Invariably, partscasters do not just fit together easy peasy and you're done in an afternoon. Most times, there's quite a bit of modifications, manipulation and cursing that goes along with it. The sum of the parts together are also (usually) not worth more than the parts themselves. In fact, most times you can just go out and buy a used (fill in the blank guitar) for much less than it would cost to buy the parts and put the thing together.

That said, how you choose to put it together is totally up to you and most likely, partscasters are put together using things the original manufacturer would never use, or in a configuration that just wouldn't sell to the masses. For example, you could click on this link to Reverb and check out the partscasters people have put together and are selling. In fact, Partscasters came about not by buying all new parts and putting them together, but by building a new guitar out of old parts. A telecaster body, an old strat neck, some leftover pickups from a Les Paul, three different style tuners, an old Floyd Rose bridge, and some Bakelite knobs from a 1960's gas grill, some paint, solder, wire and imagination = partscaster. Today the tolerances are such that, if you have an old strat body, you could buy a tele neck and it'll fit without too much trouble. Not so with a true partscaster - lots of patience and modifications were necessary to even get the thing to stay together - let alone play comfortably and not sound like you're torturing a Canadian Goose.

This lead me to a conversation I had with Scott - I was mentioning the guitar he used to record our CD - that particular guitar broke it's neck in a guitar spinning accident and is currently sitting in a hut. But the guitar pictured above is a 1985 Fender MIJ (Made in Japan) Squire Stratocaster of unknown color. The body has been spray painted (purple), the bridge is nearly non functional, the nut has been filed down, and only the pots are original to the electronics. Scott gave me the guitar to putter around with - so I thought, what the hell. This would be good practice for the partscaster I've been planning.

After pulling it apart last night and sketching out the basics of what's needed, I have a relatively good idea what I'm going to do with this thing - and I will be posting some progress shots as I can.

Step 1: Strip the body down to bare wood and let's see what's there. Some repairs may be needed.

Step 2: Clean up the neck - the frets are in decent shape if not a bit flat.

Step 3: Purchase the hardware needed. The import pots & 5 way switch have to go, as do the pickups. New bridge, new nut, new tuners, new pick guard, new input jack.

Step 4: Refinish the body. Depending on the wood (Most likely Ash) I may stain it and keep it a natural wood color, or if the wood isn't very nice, stain it a tint - thinking a white see through stain. Then a french p0lish.

Step 5: Put the new electronics in, test them out.

Step 6: Do a final setup, give it a play through and see how it feels - make adjustments as necessary.

So the pile of garbage in the picture will hopefully turn out to be a very nice sounding and comfortably playing guitar. I'm hoping a refret isn't necessary but we'll see.

Stay tuned for some pictures over the next coming months as I get started. But first things first, I have to repaint the bathroom before any fun is to be had on the guitar front!