Gilmour Signature Strat Build Thread

[The Dali]

Hi everyone... I don't have pictures yet, but will post some shortly...

To avoid the ridiculous $4000 that Fender is charging for the David Gilmour Signature Strat (yes, really, $4000 STREET)I am going to build my own.
(FYI - if you want to see the Strat I'm building, Fender has an entire site dedicated to it here: http://www.fender.com/features/gilmour/ )

OK, so I've been hounding around for parts,etc... I don't have the time or patience that some of you have with your re-finishing this and sanding off that. I've done that work, and let me tell you - I just can't get into it. Especially in the winter. Plus, it never ends up as nice as I'd hoped (although some of the beer guitars have turned out pretty nice). Anyway...

I decided to use a Mexican Stratocaster body. I searched high and low for a reasonably priced USA Strat body in BLACK but the closest I get is $400 for JUST THE BODY! The issue is the bridge and the finish. There are Highway 1 bodies in black, but they have the satin/thin finish which I don't like. All the other USA bodies have the 2-point tremolo. To get the vintage trem you need to buy a Signature Series. Of course, the new American SPECIAL series are now out, but I can't wait around for someone to sell just the body... so... I went with a MIM body. It is in great condition. I am going to use a MIM body, so I have resigned myself to the narrow bridge spacing. I don't think anyone (myself included) will even notice the difference.

I am going to fully shield the interior of the body.

I am using a standard vintage 6-hole bridge, but I am upgrading the block of the tremolo. The new MIM bridges feature a full block tremolo block, so I'm searching around for one. Gilmour uses a shortened trem arm, so I will cut down the arm of the MIM tremolo.

I went with an Allparts vintage-tint neck. This neck is AWESOME! 21-frets with really yellow amber. It has a graphtech nut which I think looks great since the overall color of this strat will be black. I got it pre-finished and it looks fabulous on the body. The neck was made in Japan.

I scored a set of brand new Gotoh Fender vintage tuners (made in Japan!) I'm having difficulty installing the tuners on the neck, so more to come with that (the press-in bushings are not "pressing in").

I am getting a "random number" neck plate that will replicate those found on the Signature Series strats. I'll also install standard Schaller straplocks.

Ok, for the electronics... the Gilmour strat uses a black pickguard with a Fender Custom Shop Fat 50's neck pup, a Fender Custom Shop '69 mid pup, and a Seymour Duncan SSL-5 (13.50K !!) at the bridge. In addition, the wiring is a little funky as there is a mini-toggle switch that turns the neck pickup on in any position of the 5-way switch. David's strat has this toggle recessed in the pickguard (ie, not mounted on TOP of the guard) so only the tip of the switch shows. This looks really cool, but is a ***** to install. A friend of mine and I have been hashing out how we could do this and haven't come up with any ideas that would be worth ruining a pickguard to try. There is a guy who sells this switch-kit and pickguard (routed for the mini-toggle and also has a bracket to hold the toggle) for $92 shipped! $100 for a pickguard!!?!?!?! What I've decided to do here is actually use a push-pull pot for the switch. It will accomplish the same goal, will look cleaner, and I can always add the switch later if I feel that the guitar isn't "authentic enough".

I got a Strat wiring kit at Angelo's Music for $39. It is a great deal if you ask me! 3 CTS pots, switchcraft input jack, USA 5-way switch, Angelo Guitar cap, enough vintage (cloth push-back) wire for 2 full guitars, and all the screws and rubber tubing you need to install 3 pickups in a guard. Plus, it comes with 15 wiring diagrams for different Strat styles. You could get this stuff a little cheaper if you bought it one-by-one online, but why? This comes in a huge bag and everything is from Fender. Each switch and pot comes in its own sealed bag from Fender.


Ah - the plastic! I am going with parchment pickup covers, knobs, and backplate. I think Gilmour uses white but I like the softer look of the parchment on the black.

To protect this sucker I'll probably end up trying to find a G&G case with Fender amp logo. I love the new ones with the plush-poodle lining, but they are $140. I'll try to find one slightly used in the $100 range.

Ok - I'll try to get pictures up as I make progress on the build. Any suggestions are welcome!

[super rad stuff]

sounds great man, can't wait 'til you get the pics up!

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Can't wait to see how this turns out! For inspiration, check out eresseraca's pages:

Thursday Burst

'51 Caster

Precision Beauty

- Keith

[The Dali]

Those are great! I think a relic project is in my near future.

[Grandturk]

Don't forget to route it out for a Kahler, then stuff saw dust in the hole and paint over it!

[The Dali]

Ha - I don't need to be THAT authentic!

[serizawa]

I was always under the impression a satin lacquer finish could be buffed and made glossy.

Someone should set the record straight on that for me, haha.

[Ayrton]

I was always under the impression a satin lacquer finish could be buffed and made glossy.

Someone should set the record straight on that for me, haha.

Yes, I have buffed out both of my Hwy 1s to nice shine.

[The Dali]

It is shiny, but still very fragile and easily scratched and/or dinged.

[Ayrton]

It is shiny, but still very fragile and easily scratched and/or dinged.

Is that not what you would want?

If not, then a poly body is the way to go.

[j9fd3s]

neat project!

ive seen the 2007+ MIM strat block available new, oddly guitar parts resource only shows a lefty one, gotta be a first!

anyways, its inexpensive new

[The Dali]

Are the Hwy 1s really nitro, or just thin stain finishes? The one I had a few years back had like a candy shell for a finish - ie, it didn't feel like it was IN the wood.

[kramer.geetar]

I don't see $4000 being a lot for a reliced Custom Shop signature model at all. Considering most CS signatures cost twice as much as a minimum I praise Gilmour for making sure it was cheaper. Which was one of his requests considering his sig, which I read in Phil Taylors book.
Aside from that its always great to build your own and more fun and of course much cheaper. Just like David said, his black Strat is just an off the shelf Strat he bought at Manny's nothing special except of course the man playing it!
Post some photos man!

[santellan]

This switch should be the one you are looking for. If you look at the center of the picture you will see it mounted to a tele plate. Next to it is the switch module as seen from the other side.http://santellansounds.com/images/ts_tele_2.jpg

[tmmblues]

Polyester can keep us warm in winter and cool in summer but on a guitar it's just bad. Thin nitro finish lets the true tone of the wood shine on like a crazy diamond.

[The Dali]

This switch should be the one you are looking for. If you look at the center of the picture you will see it mounted to a tele plate. Next to it is the switch module as seen from the other side.http://santellansounds.com/images/ts_tele_2.jpg

What the what? I couldn't make heads or tails of that picture.

[The Dali]

I should have pictures up shortly. The last item I need for the project is the Fat 50's pickup, I have everything else. I'm going to start with the neck - lightly coating with lacquer to seal the logo and then installing the tuners.

[Diocletian]

Looking forward to photos - I'm doing an EVEN cheaper kinda version of this myself, although not really. I'm just putting on a black 'guard and an SSL-5 in the bridge of that Squier I bought last week.
You'll be well pleased with this when it's all finished I'm betting.

[Funkfingers]

This switch should be the one you are looking for. If you look at the center of the picture you will see it mounted to a tele plate. Next to it is the switch module as seen from the other side.http://santellansounds.com/images/ts_tele_2.jpg

Looks like EMG Solderless circuitry to me. Hardly relevant to a passive DG clone Stratocaster project.

[PFDarkside]

Looks like EMG Solderless circuitry to me. Hardly relevant to a passive DG clone Stratocaster project.

It's the little black push button between the pots. That's not what Gilmour's switch is, but it wold work and would be unobtrusive. I don't see how you'd mount it without the circuit board though.