This is another 1 piece solid Swamp Ash body. I did not want to make
another natural (uncolored) Swamp Ash guitar. So I got a bit creative.
Its actually a purple shade. Some may not realize how much in tune I
am with tradition. The first Strats were made of Ash, like this one.
In fact all 1954 first year Strats were Ash. They went to Alder after
that in order to save money. Ash is expensive and almost impossible
to find wide enough for one piece bodies like this guitar. So consider
yourself fortunate if you end up with it. After the first year, Fender
then went to 3 piece Alder Strat bodies. As cheap as they could get
away with, without going to plywood.
This is the first 3 pickup Stratocaster arrangement I have done. I
wanted to do away with the traditional lever switch. Instead I used
3 on/off switches. Now I can get all pickup combinations. 1 master volume
and 1 master tone is more logical than the ridiculous 1 volume and 2
tone arrangement on the Strat.
The fingerboard is so nice on this neck that I didn't want to put dots
on it. Scale is the correct 25.5".
I also got the pickup pole stagger correct for perfect balance. Unless
you are using flatwounds and a wound third on your Strat, your magnet
stagger is all wrong and volume of the strings is unbalanced. Hear me
Eric Johnson? You should be old enough to know this.
Tuners also are the correct Kluson-style, yet even lighter with the
plastic buttons. I hate a neck heavy guitar. Putting 6 ton Grover Tunomatics
or Schallers on an SG is the ultimate sin and should be punishable by
death but its done all the time by companies and by individuals alike.
Again, they think nobody would care and not many do. Not many understand
that putting the heaviest tuners on an already heavy guitar may not
be good. Of course there are a lot of ignorant fools out there who should
never be permitted to even own a guitar. I really mean that. Guitars
are not for casual playing. You either dedicate your life to it or you
should not be part of it.
The important thing here is the pickup mounting plates. You can't buy
these plates anywhere. I looked at the ones that are available to purchase
for backyard guitar builders and they must have been designed by someone
who was on drugs or was actually a bassoon player and not a guitar player.
Actually, there seems to be thousands of bassoon players in the guitar
industry, its overrun by them. For someone like me who is obsessive
with detail, its torture.
The available pickup mouthing plates have sloppy fit, off center
mounting holes and weigh a ton. So I was forced to design my own.
Unlike the the plates one can buy, which are heavy, these are made
from Aluminum and are feather light. They are also dimensioned perfectly
with a tight fit. When I approach a company to make me some custom
parts, its a real nuisance for them, so they retaliate by going extreme
with the price. I think they should make them for almost nothing really,
it should be their duty just because of the improvement these parts
offer guitar players everywhere. However, These companies can't imagine
why anyone would care. What is the difference if the plates are heavy
metal or light aluminum? What does it matter if the plates are only
available in chrome and not nickel? Does anyone care if chrome and
nickel parts are mixed on the same guitar? Chrome is not vintage correct
but who cares. It also does not matter if there is a big gap between
the pickups and the plate, there is nothing wrong with having an oversized
opening that gives universal fit. It also does not matter if the mounting
holes are placed in the wrong position and are drilled the wrong size.
Who cares if the parts are wrong as long as they sort of work? Well
I care about all this stuff. So they punish me by charging me an arm
and a leg to make these items and they will only make a huge quantity
as well.
I still do it because I care. It bugs me. If I am going to do it,
I will do it right or not at all. This is why I have not made this
type of guitar before with the Strat pickup arrangement. Its because
I did not have the correct hardware. These are only the prototype
mounting plates and production will now begin for these parts. Thousands
of dollars in investment, just in start pickup mouthing plates. I
do it for you. So you can be sure that all the details are taken care
of when you have a Zachary guitar.
Logically, one would say, have the parts made and then sell them
to others. Well, I don't want to do that. I think and work too hard
for that. I don't want to make these things available to others who
will be indiscriminately putting it on any atrocity. These parts are
sacred and proprietary to Zachary guitars. So if you want these features,
you need to get the entire package and experience the Zach experience.
This website gives you a shocking education in guitars and its done
in sledgehammer style, which may be offensive to the infidels. Like
being hit over the head with a blunt weapon. Its a brutal assault that
some try to fight against. I know its a shock but its for your own good.
You will thank me later. Its all about guitars. If you are not obsessed
with guitars and playing then you should not even be here. Take up another
hobby.
Sound
file 111006 Z3T
- with 3-pickup Strat configuration
0:00
- neck, 1:15 - neck + middle, 3:40 - middle,
4:30 - middle + bridge, 5:15 - bridge, 6:37
- bridge + neck
