NGD: Fender FSR Ash Standard Strat

[technomancer]

I picked this up used a couple months ago but only recently finished the mods on it:

Fender FSR Strandard Ash Stratocaster

Silver Swirl pickguard
Fralin Blues Special pups
Acme Guitar Works wiring harness (got lazy on this one )
Copper shielded control cavity
Copper shielded pickguard
Sperzel staggered locking tuners
GFS steel bridge and steel saddles w/brass trem block

Sounds and plays KILLER... it doesn't show very well in the pics but it's a Mary Kay finish and the ash grain shows through.

You can also see my "whoops" where I hit the edge of the trem cavity with the soldering iron while I was soldering the ground to the trem claw

 

[Overtone]

I really like the PG.. wouldn't' have thought that would complement it but it does!

 

[technomancer]

I really like the PG.. wouldn't' have thought that would complement it but it does!

Honestly I didn't think so either... I got a bunch of samples of different materials and was trying to decide what to do. My wife came up and said the silver one. I thought she was nuts, but I've learned to trust her color sense and went with it. Needless to say I was VERY happy when I got the pickguard put on the guitar

 

[Stealthdjentstic]

Very nice!

 

[BucketheadRules]

Looks great.

I really want a Strat... contemplating getting one of the Squier Vintage Mod 70s ones and putting Texas Specials in it or something.

I've played one, it was excellent. And to say I'm a sucker for that big CBS-style headstock is an understatement.

In the fullness of time, I could even get a rosewood-board scalloped neck for it, from an Yngwie Strat or something

 

[KAMI]

IMO, fender strats are some of the best guitars out there!

congrats with the strat! (haha, almost)

 

[IbanezDaemon]

Love it. That is a GREAT looking Strat!!!

 

[Nonservium]

Fuckin a, that's gorgeous! grats!

 

[infernalservice]

I did the solder iron whoops. Adds some mojo. I am in the middle of a highway one strat project right now. Just waiting on the H-S pickguard to show up so I can get this party going.

 

[technomancer]

Very nice!

Looks great.

I really want a Strat... contemplating getting one of the Squier Vintage Mod 70s ones and putting Texas Specials in it or something.

I've played one, it was excellent. And to say I'm a sucker for that big CBS-style headstock is an understatement.

In the fullness of time, I could even get a rosewood-board scalloped neck for it, from an Yngwie Strat or something

Sounds like a cool idea, though dropping an expensive neck like that on a Squier is a bit nuts

IMO, fender strats are some of the best guitars out there!

congrats with the strat! (haha, almost)

Yeah I love strats. The Mexis can be hit or miss, but this is definitely a good one

Love it. That is a GREAT looking Strat!!!

Fuckin a, that's gorgeous! grats!

Thanks guys

I did the solder iron whoops. Adds some mojo. I am in the middle of a highway one strat project right now. Just waiting on the H-S pickguard to show up so I can get this party going.

Glad to know I'm not the only one Looking forward to seeing yours when its done

 

[kevdes93]

love the pickguard. the silver swirl adds a nice touch of subtle class. combined with the white... my dream strat right there!

 

[Spike Spiegel]

Does is go out of tune easier sine its missing the string tree?

 

[technomancer]

love the pickguard. the silver swirl adds a nice touch of subtle class. combined with the white... my dream strat right there!

Thanks, loving this thing

Does is go out of tune easier sine its missing the string tree?

Nope. The staggered tuners (they get shorter as you go towards the top of the headstock) remove the need for the string tree.

 

[infernalservice]

How do you like that gfs bridge? I was debating on going with a milcom strat bridge, but instead just did the graphtech classic style saddles.

 

[Lagtastic]

Nicely done. How do you like the GFS steel saddles? Do they sound & feel pretty close to aluminum? I've been putting Graphtech saddles on my strats the past decade or so and have really liked the feel, but they take away a little brightness and attack. Sometimes that can be a good thing for a strat, but sometimes it's not.

 

[Overtone]

Same boat here. Though I love the sustain!

 

[technomancer]

How do you like that gfs bridge? I was debating on going with a milcom strat bridge, but instead just did the graphtech classic style saddles.

I'll answer about the bridge below, just remember if you have a Mexi that the spacing is different. The GFS bridge was the only one I found made to fit the Mexi bridge spacing (well, aside from the Callaham, which was more than I wanted to spend at the time).

Nicely done. How do you like the GFS steel saddles? Do they sound & feel pretty close to aluminum? I've been putting Graphtech saddles on my strats the past decade or so and have really liked the feel, but they take away a little brightness and attack. Sometimes that can be a good thing for a strat, but sometimes it's not.

Same boat here. Though I love the sustain!

I really like the combination of the steel saddles, steel bridge, and brass block. The tone and sustain are great (the Fralins definitely help with the tone ). That said I did have to file the low E saddle. I didn't see anything but there must have been a burr or something as there was terrible oscillation on that string until I filed it. After that everything was fine.

The only thing I'm not crazy about is the tip on the bar that comes with the GFS bridge. It just looks/feels really cheap. Fortunately the bar from the original trem fits the GFS bridge fine, so I use that. Still need to get a black tip for it to match the knobs and pups

 

[infernalservice]

+1 on the brass block plus steel base/saddle combo. You get the bite of steel with the warm qualities of brass. I also did the floyd upgrades trem stop on mine. That seems to bump the resonance and low end up a notch or two. I have been doing brass blocks in all my trem guitars for the last 3 or 4 years. My highway one has the old vintage smaller spacing, so I figured $50 for new saddles vs. $160 or so for the milcom was the better way to go. Besides my 91 prs ce has a milcom, so if there is such a thing as bridge GAS, that puts an end to it.

 

[technomancer]

+1 on the brass block plus steel base/saddle combo. You get the bite of steel with the warm qualities of brass. I also did the floyd upgrades trem stop on mine. That seems to bump the resonance and low end up a notch or two. I have been doing brass blocks in all my trem guitars for the last 3 or 4 years. My highway one has the old vintage smaller spacing, so I figured $50 for new saddles vs. $160 or so for the milcom was the better way to go. Besides my 91 prs ce has a milcom, so if there is such a thing as bridge GAS, that puts an end to it.

Yeah the combo definitely works well in this guitar

 

[bulletproof_funk]

White finish + maple board + cool pickguard = . White guitars look awesome. I was GASing for a white Charvel San Dimas or So-Cal over the summer.