The Stratmaster

[RIORIO]

I picked this thing up on a whim and I am SO happy I did. I was out in rural Washington picking up a cheap MJT body, and the guy I was buying from asked if I wanted to see a guitar he put together and maybe make a package deal. Needless to say, I walked away with both!

It started out as a Ghost Silver (think awesome sparkly Inca Silver) HH MIM strat. He then had John Benson of Benson Custom Pickups wind some amazing jazzmaster pickups, make a custom wiring harness, and cut a super custom guard for it.

The guitar has a 4-way switch

bridge
bridge+neck
neck
bridge+neck in parallel

AND a full rythym circuit (see red switch)

killswitch (bridge position)
bridge+neck (darker rhythm sound)
neck (darker rhythm sound)
bridge+neck in parallel (darker rhythm sound)

It just so happens he had it set up at my favorite shop here in Portland. He also had a bone nut carved and installed which is awesome. After I bought it, I had Benson cut me a black guard and I added the red switch to the rhythm circuit. I also got the trem setup so its nice and responsive. Any recommendations for a replacement trem? I would love to have a little more finesse over the movement+ good tuning stability. Was thinking about this:

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Gloss-Black ... p_375.html

Thoughts?

It is SUPER lightweight, plays and sounds phenomenal. I cant recommend these Benson pickups enough- they sound really incredible. Punchy, bell-like, very woody. They also sound different in the strat configuration-maybe its the shorter distance from the bridge/ trem? Its really plays effortlessly and Im super inspired by the wide range of tones and cant put it down. ANywh0, PR0N:

Untitled by Collopyjosh, on Flickr

Untitled by Collopyjosh, on Flickr

Untitled by Collopyjosh, on Flickr

Untitled by Collopyjosh, on Flickr

Untitled by Collopyjosh, on Flickr

[FightingPlankton]

Where in rural washington? I never saw an mjt body in central washington.

[MechaBulletBill]

I'm into that.

[RIORIO]

Where in rural washington? I never saw an mjt body in central washington.

I guess not super rural...outside of Camas

[FightingPlankton]

Oh. The guy who invented the hover board is from camas.

[soggy mittens]

niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicee

so the lead section is 500k pots and the rhythm section is 250k? or?

[julius2790]

It's gorgeous!

[ThePearDream]

That looks awesome.
As far as that Wilkinson bridge, I wouldn't recommend those cheap imports ones. The lockdown screws are so cheap and soft, it only took me a few weeks of having one to snap off one of the heads and strip another two.

[RIORIO]

niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicee

so the lead section is 500k pots and the rhythm section is 250k? or?

1 meg Vol, 50k tone, just like a rhythm circuit. The two silver knobs are vol/tone for rhythm circuit

[RIORIO]

That looks awesome.
As far as that Wilkinson bridge, I wouldn't recommend those cheap imports ones. The lockdown screws are so cheap and soft, it only took me a few weeks of having one to snap off one of the heads and strip another two.

Any other recommendations? Thanks for the heads up

[ThePearDream]

That looks awesome.
As far as that Wilkinson bridge, I wouldn't recommend those cheap imports ones. The lockdown screws are so cheap and soft, it only took me a few weeks of having one to snap off one of the heads and strip another two.

Any other recommendations? Thanks for the heads up

Well, I replaced that wilkinson with their Am. Std. type and it's a much better unit.
http://www.guitarfetish.com/USA-Strat-2 ... p_776.html

But, unless you're set on a 2 point tremolo, I'd stay with the 6 screw type. You can just raise the 4 center screws up slightly and get more or less the same functionality. I haven't had any issues with their traditional style strat bridges.
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Made-in-Mex ... p_490.html

Of course, there are plenty of great options if you want to spend way more, but I can't speak to any of those.

[BarnyardCoral]

I cant recommend these Benson pickups enough- they sound really incredible. Punchy, bell-like, very woody. They also sound different in the strat configuration-maybe its the shorter distance from the bridge/ trem? Its really plays effortlessly and Im super inspired by the wide range of tones and cant put it down.

Thanks for your brief review! It helped me to decide to buy a set of Benson JM pups just now

[RIORIO]

Awesome!!

[Embenny]

Hey, don't I remember this being for sale here on OSG?

[blimpage]

Nice marbles.