Haddo-caster 2.0

Got some more parts to talk about. Today I got the neck in the mail. It came in a mailer that I might send a map in. It is in perfect condition, I am pretty excited. This is not the neck that would normally go with an American Deluxe guitar. It actually came from a 2005 '52 reissue model. Those are pricey as well. I like that it is 21-frets, black clay dots, and that vintage tint. Okay, the vintage tint is a big thing for me, the American Deluxe necks are awesome, with abalone inlays, and 22-frets. (But they are so pale, almost pastey.)

Okay, I have to admit that I was worried about ending up with the same model neck and body. Maybe some day I will get a '52 reissue body and put an American Deluxe neck on it. So, now I have a 2006 body, 2005 neck, and 2007 bridge. It's a real partscaster!

I have some work to do on the neck. First, the bolt holes of the different bodies don't line up. The fourth hole is offset, because the American Deluxe body has a carved heel, and a special neck plate. The bolt that is sticking up marks the new location, so this is a one-minute job. There is another tiny hole in that neck plate, if you look close enough. It is for a modern feature called microtilt that adjusts the neck angle. It needs a metal receiving plate in the base of the neck. So, should I route out a little circle and glue a nickle on there or something? The old way was to shim the neck with a piece of wood, or a business card. Idunno, we'll see.

The look is great. I have a Fender tweed case which I have always liked the looks of. I sure hope I like the way this thing sounds, because it will look great. Here you can see the 3-barrel bridge from Glendale - it is compensated so it will be intonated well. The newer bridges have six adjustable saddles for each string. I like that as well, but the look of the older bridge is too cool not to try. There is some mojo in there as well, I think - but I am not too good at determining that. I should also mention that I will mount the neck and middle pickups right on the body, so the pickguard will drop right in. Due to the 21-fret neck, I won't have to do anything else to move the pickguard.


So, here are some goodies close up. The neck pickup will be the standard metal covered small style that Telecasters are known for. The bridge pickup is pretty standard as well. The middle pickup is a real Stratocaster middle pickup, which I hope blends well. The neck and bridge are Seymour Duncan Vintage stack models, and the middle pickup is a Seymour Dncan Strat Classic stack. The stack is a fancy small humbucker pickup, stacked on top of itself, for a noise-free sound.


I think I wished that the bridge was polished and shiny. But, it is a satin finished stainless steel. When I was looking at a black painted neck, I considered sending this to a jeweler to gold plate! It's funny all the thought processes I go through. Instead, I ordered a brushed stainless steel control plate to somewhat match the bridge. I hope that works.

On deck is the tuners, controls, output jack, and pickguard.

--gh