My first guitar was a Squier Affinity Stratocaster, purchased around 2002 for $200. A classic starter guitar. It had been tucked in a closet for the last decade or so, but when my interest in guitar was reignited, I realized it was a perfect platform to tinker around with.
While I was imagining what would eventually become my P-90 offset guitar, I used the Squier to practice various techniques, and to become comfortable modding and understanding the construction guitars. I replaced the pickups and pickguard, replaced the nut, replaced the saddles, decked the tremelo, stripped and painted the body (3 separate times), replaced the pickups again, and eventually replaced the neck.
During this process, I also realized, dang I really like Strats. When my P-90 offset was complete, I had a great hardtail Strat body that was freed up. I decided to take what I had learned and build my ultimate Strat.
The biggest step for me here was doing a nitrocellulose finish for the first time. I used rattle cans from Oxford and I am quite happy with how it turned out. My hope is it will naturally relic over time with use.
This guitar is a Strat of Theseus. After slowly upgrading parts of my Squire over time, the only original parts that remain are (drumroll)… the volume and tone knobs.
Neck: Warmoth. Modern Construction. Roasted Maple. 43mm nut width with GraphTech Tusq nut. 10”-16” compound radius. Narrow & Tall stainless steel frets. No finish.
I love roasted maple necks. They are stabile enough to not require a finish, so they are silky smooth. And they smell like pancakes.
Tuners: Fender Classic Tuning Machine Heads.
String Tree: Guyker roller retainers.
Body: Warmoth. Solid Alder. Universal route. Hardtail bridge route. I routed the neck pocket slightly deeper and made the heel contoured. Oxford nitro paint in Olympic White.
Bridge: Fender American Standard Flat Mount.
Pickguard: Musiclily, Mint Green.
Pickups: Tonerider City Limits. Parchment covers.
Electronics: Obsidian Wire Universal Blender.
Neck Plate: Contoured heel.
Copper tape for lining cavity: Kirecoo.
Weight: 6 lbs 12 oz.