Brother, I don’t know why anyone would question your work on this classic guitar. I’m just a regular guy, a bass player even, but I am very picky and detail oriented, and I agree with every choice you’ve made. I’m enjoying seeing your progress with it & look forward to hearing you play it when it’s complete!
Honestly I was glad you're getting rid of that badd reefin that's a 100% real stratocaster and you are smart enough not to fool with an unmolested guitar You're actually saving that guitar
It’s amazing how many armchair guitar techs chime in on how someone with experience works on stuff. It feels like a human jumps on webMD and tells a dr what is wrong with them. Sorry you felt like the beginning of this video needed to be explanation. Keep up the teaching and good work!
Don’t need to defend yourself at all man. Keep trucking and do you. So happy for you to have such a great opportunity to restore and own a fantastic instrument.
I watch your videos because your sincere appreciation for these instruments is apparent and infectious. Keep honoring them! Can’t wait to see this ‘57 reinvigorated!
Your channel is growing with so many home idle. Mixed blessing. Don't sweat the comments man, everyone is an expert, with no channel of their own and no proof of their 'knowledge', so keep on doing what your doing. Stay healthy, peace.
It's your guitar nik.. You do what suits you. It seems there are a lot of experts out there most of which have never played a real pre cbs strat. People who got all their knowledge from watching videos on youtube. As I said, you go your way.
Still amazed at how the guitar manufacturers back in the day just got it so right first time 🤷♂️ Regarding the foresight to date and serial important components👏👏👏 Modern pickups have improved, however the sound we love is still from the trailblazers ❤️
You do nice work, looks great! You aren't doing anything but restoring a great guitar. Fixing a wonky refin, making the neck playable and reconditioning the electronics. Great project!
I've enjoyed this series, and I think you are doing a great job. Obviously looking at that ugly red you could see it was a jewel, painted to look like a turd. I'm anxious to see the rest of the story.
I would much rather have a player grade vintage guitar I want to play than a pristine vintage wall hanger I'm afraid to touch. Really enjoy your channel and look forward to the next vid.
Spot on Nik. You're doing everything right. It is going to be a great player. I use a high-wattage controlled temperature iron on large joints, like the pots. Heat quickly, but not overheat. On, the ABS - I've fixed those before with solvent cement. :)
Hi , its Derek Metcalfe from the Uk , why is it loads of people have to say " That's the wrong way " all I want to do learn as much as i can from watching great repairers , just soak it up . Great to watch you work. Take care , stay safe .
I've had old guitars re fretted for years. If you can't play them comfortably, then why have them? They're meant to be played!! I love watching the process. 🤟
I don't usually comment on TH-cam vids, but after your intro bit, I had to come out for this one. Love your videos, love the channel, love this guitar. You are doing it right. Don't mind the negativity. Pro-Active is where it's at. Looking forward to the next vid. All the best from North London, UK. :-)
When you're disassembling a pickguard and taking the pickups out? I would recommend taping a piece of duct tape upside down with the Sticky Side Up. As you take each screw off from the pickguard put it on the duct tape in the order that you removed it from the guitar. That way when you put them back it will be the same exact screw going to get through the same exact hole. I seen so many videos of guys working on really old guitars worth a lot of money just tossing all the screws into a jar or a tuna fish can. Mixing them all up, and then when they put the screws back in they do not put in the right spot from where they came. Some will look very new, and they will be screwed into a spot that is a highly touched and played area of the guitar. Every time I see it it's an eyesore. What ends up happening is one of the screws that been highly rubs against by a hand for 60 years, ends up getting put directly below the bridge in a spot where your hand would normally not be wearing the top of a screw out. That was another lesson my uncle taught me. Always put the same screws back in the same holes so it stays aesthetically proper to its original form,& the screws don't look all slopped around and mixed up. I don't know maybe I'm being anal but it's just the way that I am...lol
Stainless. You sir are smart. Since it's a refin...You made the choice I think is logic. Why keep refretting an old neck? So yes. Great idea. If I ever need one done it will be the best frets at the time.
I love to see these guitars getting back to playing shape. Also I agree with the "relicing" you've decide to do with the refinished. - great call. You could even age the saddle screws using electrolysis. Theres a Chris buck 60s strat recover that use this technique and looks great (part 07), it actually makes sense to keep things consistent without using wcid and stuff like that. Stew mac also has a video using this technique to clean old parts and keep the patina.. Check it out if it makes sense to you.
Hey I’m a fan of the big headstock strats. I watched your vid on the lake placid blue you refin-ed, did you do a follow up? Couldn’t find it...you might dig this Hendrix video of Bold as Love that I did....th-cam.com/video/ejLxzEbshNY/w-d-xo.html
Awesome video Nik! Just the perfect amount of detail to keep me watching and loving every second of the restoration. Don't worry about the armchair techs, this is a player grade Strat that needed some maintenance and you are doing it perfect justice by refining it and doing the other work, I'd do the exact same things to it!! Peace Brother!!
Hey Nik, absolutely love your passion for these vintage strats! I was wondering what ballpark I would be looking at if I were to search for a 56-57 strat in similar condition (player grade)? Thanks! I find a ton of rosewood board strats but finding maple ones is tough.
There's something I didn't see you do in that video that I find essential when mounting pickups on the guard , it's to put a dab of grease on the pickup height adjusting screws , because quite often the new spacer tubes are so tight against the threads of the screw , that the screw starts to bite into the spacer and after a few turns back and forth it can destroy it's integrity ( I destroyed two spacers completely in my last installation ) ...And the spacer grabbing on the threads of the screws , make it impossible to return to original shape when you decompress them , which makes them rattle as if there was no spacers at all when you decrease the height of the pickups . I always grease the insides of the spacers and the screw itself .
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 It's not always essential tho , it really depends on how tight the tubing you get is against the threads of the screw ...In my case I wouldn't have been able to adjust the height of the pickups , the tubing was bited so hard by the screw , a tiny chunk of it got pushed through the black flatwork , I stopped turning the screwdriver as soon as I saw that , I could have ended up having an unusable neck pickup following that ! The kind of "screwup" you wanna avoid !
Bro. It’s your guitar. Do with it what you want. No explanation needed to all the trolls. You obviously know more than most about these guitars. Play it. Refin it. Refret it. Shit, part it out if you want. It’s YOURS. just have fun with it
Nik, love the content man. It’s coming along brilliantly. My 2c... it’s not the holy grail or even king Tuts mask or any other priceless artifact, so the haters can just keep it to themselves. It is a player and everything you have done on it has brought it one step closer to being what it is supposed to be - an instrument to be played and enjoyed. Fret size and material is a personal choice so you go with what works fr you man. Looking good.
really excited to see it all come together. i cant understand the negative comments but people like to voice opinions on anything. keep up the good work man
Looking good man! Ignore the haters. People get way too precious about this stuff, IMO. Re-doing a solder joint... who cares? It's not like 1960s solder possesses some magical mojo that makes any difference. People forget that when these guitars were originally built, they were nice instruments but also meant to be made cheaply and quickly. The person who originally soldered those parts would laugh their head off if they knew that re-soldering de-valued the guitar nowadays.
What other electronics were those phone book capacitors used in? I find old radios and stuff and salvage them for the old wax caps for way less than people sell them for.
Your guitar rack behind you in the video Nik.....Given you have some incredible vintage guitars, are you not worried that the foam on the guitar stand will burn and scar the nitro finishes on the guitars....Many thanks....
Great video, great project, cool guitar! What kind of Solder are you using? Does the Solder type matter much? Can you use the same Solder type on amplifiers and speakers?
Do my eyes spy a Misfits shirt behind that Black "Reverd" hoodie?... I'm begging you to tell me yes or no because I desperately want to know if I'm truly that big of a Misfits fan that I could spot the shirt by two letters behind a hoodie...Thanx Nik. As far as playing vintage StratsTeles, Jaguars,Mustangs,jazzmasters & other old Fender guitars of that ilk? We have a lot in common working on them. I'm not afraid to rip a set of Frets out of a 57 Strat neck,if they're totally shot out. I started out in my teens bldg acoustic guitars( my uncle went to the Martin School of lutherie in Nazareth Pennsylvania that's where my family was from). He taught me how to basically build myself a Martin guitar from scratch. As I got a little bit older and started acquiring vintage electric instruments which funnily enough at the age I was and the time. That it was in the early 80s they really weren't that vintage back in the day and I was able to get some guitars that are worth ridiculous amounts of money now.I bought a 61(Les Paul)SG with the viberolla, and the ivory tip on the end of the bar I would say I probably bought it in about 86 or 87. I paid $2500 for it back then. And look at how much they're worth now. I guess I got kind of Lucky being the agent I am cuz I was able to acquire all these guitars that eventually became really sought after Vintage instruments for what would be now considered an insanely low price. This is part of the reason you see so many 70s Strat ripped apart and modded. It was no big deal back then they weren't worth of boatload of money so there was really no big loss if you screwed it up. 30 years of trial and error. You could chop down a tree and give me a log, get me all the hardware, I could build a dam fine electric guitar from 1 big ass log. Take me a long time to do it, and I'm going to make somebody pay out the ass for it. But between you and me? The money is just a nice afterthought because I enjoy doing it just for personal satisfaction. I'd like to seeing the look on people's faces when they plug it in for the first time and play a guitar that I built. I probably built over a hundred frankenstrats over the years. We just about every kind of finish and paint job you can possibly think of. The one thing I absolutely refuse to do was touching God a damn Floyd Rose.Those things are the bane of my existence. A freaking allen wrench to put your string on? come on now. I don't know how in the world that man is considered a genius for inventing that thing. All it's ever done for me was give me a real pain in the ass and bloody fingernails. Sorry I'm rambling bro. Keep doing what you're doing I dig it. Mad love respect bro✌🤩✌
A few points. It's Your guitar so do it the way you want. as for "messing with it" the seal was broken when it got the bad refinish and the value of an original is already gone and it's forever a player grade so again go ahead and make it a great guitar
Looks like it's coming along well. This kind of work seems to be right up your alley. Are you going to do anything with the tuners or leave them alone. Do they get any cleaning or lubrication?
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 Hi nice guitar, if you put oil in the tuners you are effectively thinning down the grease that was originally applied, a lithium based grease would be the better option. Cheers.
Great video. I totally agree with what you are doing with this guitar. Chad is incredible and you will be beyond satisfied with his work. I have a question: when you have a neck off of the guitar for a while, do you loosen the truss rod or keep it fairly snug? Thank you!!
Hey! So, when fretting, you usually try to back off the truss rod to get it flat or even with some relief to allow for fret install, and if all goes as planned, the neck should still have some relief when the fret install is done. At that point, i’ll tighten the truss rod accordingly to get the neck straight and do all my top work, and it will stay like that
Just found you good content you put me on to pawnshop fuzz pedal in UK I think I got the last one going by there e bay shop I bought straight from them instead of ebay.Can I ask you a question please I bought a second hand loaded pickgaurd and there is two ground cables solidered on bridge tone pot instead of two grounds coming from volume pot(but there is the one ground to body on volume pot with an Earthing clip(black wire to be screwed down to body) and live(white wire)coming from volume pot going to jack out put) there is no second ground going from volume pot to jack or sines that there ever was one on the volume pot. Can I use one of the two black grounds soldering on rear tone pot one going to jack out put and the other ground going to the tremlo claw instead sorry for a such a noob question first time sticking a parts guitar toghter. All the best D and yes I agree waiting on parts or tools to continue build can be depressing I had to send back a damaged neck and wait three weeks for refund before trying to purchase from a different company and I know it was damaged before it was shipped because dust coverd the damaged fretts and split in fingerboard they were trying to use me as an escape 🐐
I admire your attitude and process on this Strat. It was definitely pre-messed with, so anything you do will make it better. My question is why not make it even better?? Yes, Leo got a lot right "the first time", but there have been clear improvements in this design in the last 60 years. I'm just saying it's a player, so why not make it the best player it can be? I'd just throw all of the worn out vintage stuff in a bag and put in the case for posterity. For me, out would go anything that would impair tuning stability. so you can bet I would get locking staggered tuners, no string tree, a lubricated nut like TUSQ, and I'd also invest in a Callaham bridge system too. Haters be damned...Leo specs means you will always be fighting with a guitar that wants to go out of tune. I'd do something about it. Just saying. Otherwise you're living the dream for a lot of us bro...cheers!
I’m not being a smartass... I only say this up front because it seems you were hassled about the restoration. In what way could a serrated washer outside the jack “improve tone”? I can see it providing a more reliable ground, so less likely to crackle and pop at the jack, but is the idea to somehow improve the sound?
I have no idea. Thats why i mentioned it, very tongue in cheek. Its eric johnson, he is known for his quirky tone enhancements . Personally, i dont buy it, and again. Thats why it was joked about. Here is the video th-cam.com/video/h04K74MiQ_c/w-d-xo.html
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 yeah must be long gone, I put once a beeswax new one,but have u measured it? I said must be read because back then polypropylene caps were not existent and this must be a in oil type, long ago dried up or changed in the way. One of the hard to replace with the original ones. Maybe there is a new old stock but I doubt it.
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 I'm not trying to be a wiseass,just want your effort that be the best. As a hifi speaker builder,I saw some very weird caps and their share of problems and they cause a lot of trouble sometimes. It seems luxe radio caps were used on this circuit and if you need a replacement some form of the company is still making them by the book. They called phone book caps,and for each guitar/model can be selected for buying. As a restorer I guess you could buy one new for$40 and desolder old one for just to try how it'll affect the sound. I can't wait to hear the result when u finish,wish it could be my ears right there I front of the amp though.
No matter what you do how right or wrong you are, if you make a video and post it here ppl are gonna disagree so who cares EDIT and is that a misfits tshirt? If so, NICE
It’s your guitar. U can paint it with a paint brush and 20 year old crappy house paint if u want. Who is anyone to tell u what to do or what you’re doing wrong
The Riff w Nik Sevigny I was more concerned about the soldering iron on the carpet than near the neck. Looking forward to seeing how the body turns out! Really enjoyed watching this series. Thanks for sharing the journey! Can’t wait to hear how it sounds!
I'll lay 3-1 odds you're more excited than than any of us, possession being 9/10ths of blah blah blah... I promise I'll withdraw my comment if you gift it to me, however... ;-)
doesn't it really jar your shit when armchair experts all cry about how you are "destroying" the guitar? well.......its your guitar dude, knock yourself out! and......that old china......"its fake"?? well, if you can make statements like that from a low res computer screen on the other side of the world.......you should run your own vintage guitar store!? better yet, do a video with your own "real" guitar??
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 I agree with you on your 57 strat and like your channel.but when I was trying to nicely tell you the sound quality of your last video was so bad I couldn't listen to it you responded that's called a fuzz pedal.i thought you would want to know it didn't record well and I wasn't happy with the smart ass reply when I was trying to help give you feedback from our end.
The video, with all this chaos going on, was just meant to be that. Chaos. Blow the speakers out. The beginning tone was clean and clear and recorded well. The mic was about a foot away from the amp. In not so many words, “thats a fuzz pedal for ya” So, maybe im not the only one who got easily offended my man, its tough to translate everything via text as well! Again, i do appreciate the feedback either way and thanks for the interest.
Really Enjoying this project... keep it up. NOT ruining. anything.
Brother, I don’t know why anyone would question your work on this classic guitar. I’m just a regular guy, a bass player even, but I am very picky and detail oriented, and I agree with every choice you’ve made. I’m enjoying seeing your progress with it & look forward to hearing you play it when it’s complete!
Honestly I was glad you're getting rid of that badd reefin that's a 100% real stratocaster and you are smart enough not to fool with an unmolested guitar You're actually saving that guitar
It’s amazing how many armchair guitar techs chime in on how someone with experience works on stuff. It feels like a human jumps on webMD and tells a dr what is wrong with them. Sorry you felt like the beginning of this video needed to be explanation. Keep up the teaching and good work!
The good doctor is in! Fun watching your work.
Outstanding, thanks for sharing your wisdom and talents.
Just great to see this Strat coming along!
Don’t need to defend yourself at all man. Keep trucking and do you. So happy for you to have such a great opportunity to restore and own a fantastic instrument.
Grateful. 100%
Enjoying this restore I think you have it spot on , looking forward to seeing the refinish.
I watch your videos because your sincere appreciation for these instruments is apparent and infectious. Keep honoring them! Can’t wait to see this ‘57 reinvigorated!
It is so exciting for people like me who can’t afford a true vintage guitar but aspiring to get a 80/90s player grade strat. Thanks Nik.
Your channel is growing with so many home idle. Mixed blessing. Don't sweat the comments man, everyone is an expert, with no channel of their own and no proof of their 'knowledge', so keep on doing what your doing. Stay healthy, peace.
Awesome! Can’t wait to see the re-fin.
It's your guitar nik.. You do what suits you. It seems there are a lot of experts out there most of which have never played a real pre cbs strat. People who got all their knowledge from watching videos on youtube. As I said, you go your way.
excited to see how the refinish turns out
Still amazed at how the guitar manufacturers back in the day just got it so right first time 🤷♂️
Regarding the foresight to date and serial important components👏👏👏
Modern pickups have improved, however the sound we love is still from the trailblazers ❤️
Legendary!
So sick... All that old cloth wiring, the old masking tape, the yellowed plastics. Excited to see the body and relic job
Love it NIK! You do you! We're here for it!
Perfect job! Strat savior! Léo and Tadéo would have been proud of you ...👍👍👍
Had to do the same thing with my first. Can’t wait to hear it!”
You do nice work, looks great! You aren't doing anything but restoring a great guitar. Fixing a wonky refin, making the neck playable and reconditioning the electronics. Great project!
I've enjoyed this series, and I think you are doing a great job. Obviously looking at that ugly red you could see it was a jewel, painted to look like a turd. I'm anxious to see the rest of the story.
Im new to your channel, but I can't wait to see more! Really interesting project!
God I love this guitar. Matching refin will be key.
I would much rather have a player grade vintage guitar I want to play than a pristine vintage wall hanger I'm afraid to touch. Really enjoy your channel and look forward to the next vid.
Those that are doubting you have not watched you. Ignore them and their comments Nik.
Thanks for another cool video man!
Spot on Nik. You're doing everything right. It is going to be a great player. I use a high-wattage controlled temperature iron on large joints, like the pots. Heat quickly, but not overheat. On, the ABS - I've fixed those before with solvent cement. :)
Hi , its Derek Metcalfe from the Uk , why is it loads of people have to say " That's the wrong way " all I want to do learn as much as i can from watching great repairers , just soak it up . Great to watch you work. Take care , stay safe .
You’re doing great, man. Can’t wait to see the finished body.
I've had old guitars re fretted for years. If you can't play them comfortably, then why have them? They're meant to be played!! I love watching the process. 🤟
I don't usually comment on TH-cam vids, but after your intro bit, I had to come out for this one. Love your videos, love the channel, love this guitar. You are doing it right. Don't mind the negativity. Pro-Active is where it's at. Looking forward to the next vid. All the best from North London, UK. :-)
Thank you for the support. Be safe!
Found you channel last night. Think your doing a great job. CANNOT wait to hear it.
Much appreciated
Can't wait to see this beauty all finished up, you're really doing this project right!
Can’t wait to hear it !! I don’t think I would have done anything different. Lucky you found it good hunting.
When you're disassembling a pickguard and taking the pickups out? I would recommend taping a piece of duct tape upside down with the Sticky Side Up. As you take each screw off from the pickguard put it on the duct tape in the order that you removed it from the guitar. That way when you put them back it will be the same exact screw going to get through the same exact hole. I seen so many videos of guys working on really old guitars worth a lot of money just tossing all the screws into a jar or a tuna fish can. Mixing them all up, and then when they put the screws back in they do not put in the right spot from where they came. Some will look very new, and they will be screwed into a spot that is a highly touched and played area of the guitar. Every time I see it it's an eyesore. What ends up happening is one of the screws that been highly rubs against by a hand for 60 years, ends up getting put directly below the bridge in a spot where your hand would normally not be wearing the top of a screw out. That was another lesson my uncle taught me. Always put the same screws back in the same holes so it stays aesthetically proper to its original form,& the screws don't look all slopped around and mixed up. I don't know maybe I'm being anal but it's just the way that I am...lol
Stainless. You sir are smart. Since it's a refin...You made the choice I think is logic. Why keep refretting an old neck? So yes. Great idea. If I ever need one done it will be the best frets at the time.
Love these guitar rebuild series. Great work. Don't sweat the "critics"!
I love to see these guitars getting back to playing shape. Also I agree with the "relicing" you've decide to do with the refinished. - great call. You could even age the saddle screws using electrolysis. Theres a Chris buck 60s strat recover that use this technique and looks great (part 07), it actually makes sense to keep things consistent without using wcid and stuff like that. Stew mac also has a video using this technique to clean old parts and keep the patina.. Check it out if it makes sense to you.
Enjoying your videos!
Thank you!
Hey I’m a fan of the big headstock strats. I watched your vid on the lake placid blue you refin-ed, did you do a follow up? Couldn’t find it...you might dig this Hendrix video of Bold as Love that I did....th-cam.com/video/ejLxzEbshNY/w-d-xo.html
6100 stainless frets is a great choice! My main Strat has a Warmoth neck I ordered almost 20 years ago with stainless and they are still perfect!
Yea man! I love them. Keep its clean and fresh!
Awesome video Nik! Just the perfect amount of detail to keep me watching and loving every second of the restoration. Don't worry about the armchair techs, this is a player grade Strat that needed some maintenance and you are doing it perfect justice by refining it and doing the other work, I'd do the exact same things to it!! Peace Brother!!
Who cares what people say..do your thing man
sweet
Hey Nik, absolutely love your passion for these vintage strats! I was wondering what ballpark I would be looking at if I were to search for a 56-57 strat in similar condition (player grade)? Thanks! I find a ton of rosewood board strats but finding maple ones is tough.
There's something I didn't see you do in that video that I find essential when mounting pickups on the guard , it's to put a dab of grease on the pickup height adjusting screws , because quite often the new spacer tubes are so tight against the threads of the screw , that the screw starts to bite into the spacer and after a few turns back and forth it can destroy it's integrity ( I destroyed two spacers completely in my last installation ) ...And the spacer grabbing on the threads of the screws , make it impossible to return to original shape when you decompress them , which makes them rattle as if there was no spacers at all when you decrease the height of the pickups . I always grease the insides of the spacers and the screw itself .
Yea. I see what you mean. It gets bound up in the surgical tubing. Maybe i’ll go back in and add a little. Thank you for the tech tip!
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 It's not always essential tho , it really depends on how tight the tubing you get is against the threads of the screw ...In my case I wouldn't have been able to adjust the height of the pickups , the tubing was bited so hard by the screw , a tiny chunk of it got pushed through the black flatwork , I stopped turning the screwdriver as soon as I saw that , I could have ended up having an unusable neck pickup following that ! The kind of "screwup" you wanna avoid !
Loving the content!
Thank you!
It definitely needed refinishing it looked hideous keep up that resto
Agreed. Not even a nice looking burst.
Bro. It’s your guitar. Do with it what you want. No explanation needed to all the trolls. You obviously know more than most about these guitars. Play it. Refin it. Refret it. Shit, part it out if you want. It’s YOURS. just have fun with it
Nik, love the content man. It’s coming along brilliantly. My 2c... it’s not the holy grail or even king Tuts mask or any other priceless artifact, so the haters can just keep it to themselves. It is a player and everything you have done on it has brought it one step closer to being what it is supposed to be - an instrument to be played and enjoyed. Fret size and material is a personal choice so you go with what works fr you man. Looking good.
really excited to see it all come together. i cant understand the negative comments but people like to voice opinions on anything. keep up the good work man
Looking good man! Ignore the haters. People get way too precious about this stuff, IMO. Re-doing a solder joint... who cares? It's not like 1960s solder possesses some magical mojo that makes any difference. People forget that when these guitars were originally built, they were nice instruments but also meant to be made cheaply and quickly. The person who originally soldered those parts would laugh their head off if they knew that re-soldering de-valued the guitar nowadays.
What other electronics were those phone book capacitors used in? I find old radios and stuff and salvage them for the old wax caps for way less than people sell them for.
Dude! It’s your guitar do as you wish
Your guitar rack behind you in the video Nik.....Given you have some incredible vintage guitars, are you not worried that the foam on the guitar stand will burn and scar the nitro finishes on the guitars....Many thanks....
Little piece of packing tape over the foam for good measure!
Have you ever used an LCR meter to test the inductance of the pickups?
Great video, great project, cool guitar! What kind of Solder are you using? Does the Solder type matter much? Can you use the same Solder type on amplifiers and speakers?
Do my eyes spy a Misfits shirt behind that Black "Reverd" hoodie?... I'm begging you to tell me yes or no because I desperately want to know if I'm truly that big of a Misfits fan that I could spot the shirt by two letters behind a hoodie...Thanx Nik. As far as playing vintage StratsTeles, Jaguars,Mustangs,jazzmasters & other old Fender guitars of that ilk? We have a lot in common working on them. I'm not afraid to rip a set of Frets out of a 57 Strat neck,if they're totally shot out. I started out in my teens bldg acoustic guitars( my uncle went to the Martin School of lutherie in Nazareth Pennsylvania that's where my family was from). He taught me how to basically build myself a Martin guitar from scratch. As I got a little bit older and started acquiring vintage electric instruments which funnily enough at the age I was and the time. That it was in the early 80s they really weren't that vintage back in the day and I was able to get some guitars that are worth ridiculous amounts of money now.I bought a 61(Les Paul)SG with the viberolla, and the ivory tip on the end of the bar I would say I probably bought it in about 86 or 87. I paid $2500 for it back then. And look at how much they're worth now. I guess I got kind of Lucky being the agent I am cuz I was able to acquire all these guitars that eventually became really sought after Vintage instruments for what would be now considered an insanely low price. This is part of the reason you see so many 70s Strat ripped apart and modded. It was no big deal back then they weren't worth of boatload of money so there was really no big loss if you screwed it up. 30 years of trial and error. You could chop down a tree and give me a log, get me all the hardware, I could build a dam fine electric guitar from 1 big ass log. Take me a long time to do it, and I'm going to make somebody pay out the ass for it. But between you and me? The money is just a nice afterthought because I enjoy doing it just for personal satisfaction. I'd like to seeing the look on people's faces when they plug it in for the first time and play a guitar that I built. I probably built over a hundred frankenstrats over the years. We just about every kind of finish and paint job you can possibly think of. The one thing I absolutely refuse to do was touching God a damn Floyd Rose.Those things are the bane of my existence. A freaking allen wrench to put your string on? come on now. I don't know how in the world that man is considered a genius for inventing that thing. All it's ever done for me was give me a real pain in the ass and bloody fingernails. Sorry I'm rambling bro. Keep doing what you're doing I dig it. Mad love respect bro✌🤩✌
Ignore the s..t comments .... your a player first ....collector second....great channel
WoW surprised you got the 3rd degree LoL 😂 All good bro
A few points. It's Your guitar so do it the way you want. as for "messing with it" the seal was broken when it got the bad refinish and the value of an original is already gone and it's forever a player grade so again go ahead and make it a great guitar
Hey Nik, you happen to take any resistance/inductance readings on those pups? Always curious what the old stuff reads
Measured resistance or ohms at the end!
Looks like it's coming along well. This kind of work seems to be right up your alley.
Are you going to do anything with the tuners or leave them alone. Do they get any cleaning
or lubrication?
Yessir. A little drop of tool oil in there before they go back on
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 Hi nice guitar, if you put oil in the tuners you are effectively thinning down the grease that was originally applied, a lithium based grease would be the better option. Cheers.
Great video. I totally agree with what you are doing with this guitar. Chad is incredible and you will be beyond satisfied with his work. I have a question: when you have a neck off of the guitar for a while, do you loosen the truss rod or keep it fairly snug? Thank you!!
Hey! So, when fretting, you usually try to back off the truss rod to get it flat or even with some relief to allow for fret install, and if all goes as planned, the neck should still have some relief when the fret install is done. At that point, i’ll tighten the truss rod accordingly to get the neck straight and do all my top work, and it will stay like that
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 thank you!!
Awesome video! Loving this journey! One question, what did you use to remove the shellac from the neck? Thanks!
In the first video, there is a short clip, i literally flaked every piece off the fretboard... what a chore. But its worth it
The Riff w Nik Sevigny thank you Nik! Hope all is well!
Just found you good content you put me on to pawnshop fuzz pedal in UK I think I got the last one going by there e bay shop I bought straight from them instead of ebay.Can I ask you a question please I bought a second hand loaded pickgaurd and there is two ground cables solidered on bridge tone pot instead of two grounds coming from volume pot(but there is the one ground to body on volume pot with an Earthing clip(black wire to be screwed down to body) and live(white wire)coming from volume pot going to jack out put) there is no second ground going from volume pot to jack or sines that there ever was one on the volume pot. Can I use one of the two black grounds soldering on rear tone pot one going to jack out put and the other ground going to the tremlo claw instead sorry for a such a noob question first time sticking a parts guitar toghter. All the best D and yes I agree waiting on parts or tools to continue build can be depressing I had to send back a damaged neck and wait three weeks for refund before trying to purchase from a different company and I know it was damaged before it was shipped because dust coverd the damaged fretts and split in fingerboard they were trying to use me as an escape 🐐
how much was it or in what price area should a guitar like this one be?
What do you use to free up vintage tuners? I have a '70's vintage Ventures Moisrite and the tuners have become tough to turn - same with pots?
Pots i use deoxit fader5
Tuners. Drop some 3 n 1 oil in there
I admire your attitude and process on this Strat. It was definitely pre-messed with, so anything you do will make it better. My question is why not make it even better?? Yes, Leo got a lot right "the first time", but there have been clear improvements in this design in the last 60 years. I'm just saying it's a player, so why not make it the best player it can be? I'd just throw all of the worn out vintage stuff in a bag and put in the case for posterity. For me, out would go anything that would impair tuning stability. so you can bet I would get locking staggered tuners, no string tree, a lubricated nut like TUSQ, and I'd also invest in a Callaham bridge system too. Haters be damned...Leo specs means you will always be fighting with a guitar that wants to go out of tune. I'd do something about it. Just saying. Otherwise you're living the dream for a lot of us bro...cheers!
Do you think putting 6105s instead of vintage frets on my 57 RI neck improves its playability? Tbh its not playing too well at all...
At the end of the day, It's your guitar, not other peoples.
Just asking... you never shield your pickguard nor the body? Don't care about buzz or hum?
Never really had issues with the old
Guitars. Just have good ground contact
The Riff w Nik Sevigny oh ok thanks a lot man. I'm learning...
I’m not being a smartass... I only say this up front because it seems you were hassled about the restoration.
In what way could a serrated washer outside the jack “improve tone”? I can see it providing a more reliable ground, so less likely to crackle and pop at the jack, but is the idea to somehow improve the sound?
I have no idea. Thats why i mentioned it, very tongue in cheek. Its eric johnson, he is known for his quirky tone enhancements .
Personally, i dont buy it, and again. Thats why it was joked about. Here is the video
th-cam.com/video/h04K74MiQ_c/w-d-xo.html
The Riff w Nik Sevigny ah thanks for taking the time to explain. I didn’t catch the joke ;)
No worries! I got to hang with EJ once, and he told me , “if you take this washer off the footswitch of your fuzz, it’ll sound better”
The Riff w Nik Sevigny Lol hey if he digs it, more power to him 😆
Wanna know what ‘59 is in Roman numerals...... it’s LIX......LICKS IS RIGHT!
And the cap?
Capacitor?
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 yeah must be long gone, I put once a beeswax new one,but have u measured it? I said must be read because back then polypropylene caps were not existent and this must be a in oil type, long ago dried up or changed in the way. One of the hard to replace with the original ones. Maybe there is a new old stock but I doubt it.
Sahin Derya yes. Cap is original and good!
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 I'm not trying to be a wiseass,just want your effort that be the best. As a hifi speaker builder,I saw some very weird caps and their share of problems and they cause a lot of trouble sometimes. It seems luxe radio caps were used on this circuit and if you need a replacement some form of the company is still making them by the book. They called phone book caps,and for each guitar/model can be selected for buying. As a restorer I guess you could buy one new for$40 and desolder old one for just to try how it'll affect the sound. I can't wait to hear the result when u finish,wish it could be my ears right there I front of the amp though.
why not refinish the fretboard? With everything else being done, why not refinish the neck?
Because then i would have to alter the backshape and fret board
Looking forward to seeing it finished. Just don't relic it. Please
Just slightly aged to make it look the part. No overdone custom shop stuff!
Bro you dont gotta explain yourself to people!
No matter what you do how right or wrong you are, if you make a video and post it here ppl are gonna disagree so who cares EDIT and is that a misfits tshirt? If so, NICE
It’s your guitar. U can paint it with a paint brush and 20 year old crappy house paint if u want. Who is anyone to tell u what to do or what you’re doing wrong
I would suggest not laying the neck in the floor as well as not placing the soldering iron directly on the carpeted floor. That is really dangerous.
The neck is on one side, soldering iron on the other
The Riff w Nik Sevigny I was more concerned about the soldering iron on the carpet than near the neck. Looking forward to seeing how the body turns out! Really enjoyed watching this series. Thanks for sharing the journey! Can’t wait to hear how it sounds!
Patrick Brown well i get that. But you can hear it going into the retainer. Its a soldering station
The Riff w Nik Sevigny keep up the good work! Really learned a lot watching your videos!
I'll lay 3-1 odds you're more excited than than any of us, possession being 9/10ths of blah blah blah... I promise I'll withdraw my comment if you gift it to me, however... ;-)
doesn't it really jar your shit when armchair experts all cry about how you are "destroying" the guitar? well.......its your guitar dude, knock yourself out! and......that old china......"its fake"?? well, if you can make statements like that from a low res computer screen on the other side of the world.......you should run your own vintage guitar store!? better yet, do a video with your own "real" guitar??
Attention-seeking know-it-alls with enough knowledge to bash others' videos but not enough to make their own!
Like the channel but you seem to be easily offended.could be a yankee thing not sure.people from your neck of the woods should probably stick to jazz.
Not sure thats the case, was just addressing some frequent comments but i appreciate the suggestion.
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 I agree with you on your 57 strat and like your channel.but when I was trying to nicely tell you the sound quality of your last video was so bad I couldn't listen to it you responded that's called a fuzz pedal.i thought you would want to know it didn't record well and I wasn't happy with the smart ass reply when I was trying to help give you feedback from our end.
The video, with all this chaos going on, was just meant to be that. Chaos. Blow the speakers out. The beginning tone was clean and clear and recorded well. The mic was about a foot away from the amp. In not so many words, “thats a fuzz pedal for ya”
So, maybe im not the only one who got easily offended my man, its tough to translate everything via text as well! Again, i do appreciate the feedback either way and thanks for the interest.
@@theriffwniksevigny5473 rock on dont quit your day job.
Right on!