*2000 Official Fender Strat 57 Reissue Body-Alder- 4 lbs, 4 oz, in BLACK. This body is in amazingly near mint condition, and I used Micro Mesh 6000-12000 grit wet sanded with water and dishwashing liquid mixed, then polished it with #3 Fine Polishing Compound, and it is beautiful! The photos don't do it justice. I lined the control cavity bottom, walls, and the back of the pickguard with adhesive copper shielding also (see photos).
*2005 FENDER CUSTOM SHOP MARK KNOPFLER TEXAS SPECIAL PICKUPS on board. Man, do they ROCK!
*GOLD VINTAGE STYLE GOTOH TUNERS/MACHINE HEADS. This neck, with it's amber vintaged finish by Fender just screamed GOLD to me.
*GOLD VOLUME & TONE KNOBS WITH WHITE MOTHER OF PEARL INLAY AT TOP OF DOME. REALLY NICE TOUCH.
*GOLD FENDER VINTAGE STRAP KNOBS WITH BLACK FELT WASHERS.
*GOLD VINTAGE STYLE FENDER TREMOLO BRIDGE & TREMOLO BAR WITH GOLD TIP.
*I wired it with high quality USA made components for the best in tone and durability including: (3) CTS 250k split shaft switch pots, Switchcraft 1/4" jack, black/white poly wire, and .047mfd Orange Drop tone capacitor, and a new original CRL 5-way switch w/GOLD tip- IT'S WIRED PER FENDER CUSTOM SHOP SPECS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CAPACITOR'S HIGHER RATING & ALL SOLDER POINTS ARE HEAT SHRINKED.
THIS STRAT IS DRESSED WITH AN ABALONE SWIRL PICKGUARD.
*I Re-Strung It With Fender Super 250R, (.010 to .046) Nickel Plated Steel p/n 073-0250-006 Strings per Fender Specs for the Mark Knopfler Strat.
*MARK KNOPFLER STRAT OWNER'S MANUAL WITH TAGS, Meguiar's Mist and Wipe Kit , 3 WRENCHES, ETC., IS INCLUDED.
**I'M INCLUDING A BLACK FENDER TOLEX CASE WITH RED CRUSHED VELVET INTERIOR, FENDER'S BEST, WITH THIS GUITAR ALSO! See photo.
THE CUSTOM SHOP MARK KNOPFLER TEXAS SPECIALS ARE UNDER GOLD PICKUP COVERS TO MATCH THE GOLD HARDWARE. THIS STRAT IS BLACK AND CLASSY, BUT LOOKS WHITE HOT AT THE SAME TIME, AND THE SOUND AND TONE ARE EXACTLY THAT, TOO. HOT! WHAT A RANGE! BELIEVE YOU ME. I BUILD KILLER GUITARS, BEAUTIFUL MONSTERS!
*Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic Stratocaster
Serial Number: CN98968
SOLD: $2076
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Year of Make: *2005 4/28/05 (65 NOS)
*Date stamped on body neck joint
Model Number: *015-6300-(862)* Cobalt Blue Transparent, add $150.00 for Special Wood
Body: *Premium Ash on: (862)* Cobalt Blue Transparent
Neck: *Lightly Figured Maple, Modern C Shape,
(Polished Satin Urethane Finish); Fingerboard: Rosewood (p/n 015-6300) or Maple (p/n 015-6302), 9.5 Radius (241 mm); Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Frets;
Pickups: 2005 Eric Clapton Noiseless
Bridge: *New Deluxe 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Polished Solid Stainless Steel Saddles and Block
Volume/Tone Knobs: Chrome w/Black Mother of Pearl Inlay at top of dome
Pickguard/Tremolo cover: Blue Moto Pearl
*from Fender Custom Shop Classic Strat Specifications, at www.fender.com/
Genuine Fender
This Custom Classic is brand new and in never played condition. It is simply gorgeous, and is all Fender, with a few custom modifications by Barry Lewis. I will go over the modifications, which make this guitar one of the finest live professional stage instruments you will experience. It has a range of settings and capabilities you simply will not find on other instruments. It comes with the Fender Custom Shop Owner's Manual and the Certificate of Authenticity. Also a mechanical drawing (see photos) of the custom switching/selector positions, and if you're qualified to play live on stage you'll see how logical and simple it is, yet still have more than anything else out there.
*Following are added customizations not added by Fender:
First, I polished and buffed the Rosewood fret board with Rosewood Finishing Oil by ColorTone three times, over a 2 week time span, with the neck separate from the body
During that process, I slowly and painstakingly worked the beautiful finish that Fender's Custom Shop applied, with Micro Mesh, beginning with the 8000 grit and finishing with 12000 grit. Then I hand polished it multiple times with ColorTone #3 Fine Polishing Compound from Stewart-MacDonald. This was all accomplished over a two month time span. The finish is just beautiful. I also lined the control cavity wall and the bridge pickup wall with adhesive copper shielding.
During this time I installed a custom wiring harness for it from TFN Technologies, which I will quote directly from Tom at TFN the capabilities and paste it below, and you can believe every single word my friend, this guitar is a monster:
"It uses a special 3 way rotary switch to access the custom settings. In one position of the rotary you have your stock 5 way settings. The other 2 positions on the rotary change the settings on the 5 way to the custom ones. Many mods out there cram a buch of custom settings onto the 5 way switch with no thought to function. They simply put 5 new settings across the 5 way, in no logical order. With this mod, and all my mods, you will find the settings are laid out in a logical way that compliments playing live. Your hot lead tones are still in the Bridge position on the 5 way, the Rhythm tones are still towards the neck setting on the 5 way, and the twangy, quacky Strat and Tele sounds are in the middle. You will find this very important when playing live. Typically, you will select a position on the rotary before each song and leave it there for the duration of the song, only using your 5 way to change sounds during the song. And you will always have 1 or 2 stock settings on the 5 way, in the normal location. These are matched to the custom settings so that each "bank" of settings on the 5 way is a complete set of 5. One simulates is a Standard SSS Strat, one simulates an HSH Strat, and the other simulates a custom wired Telecaster.
Mode of Operation:
This mod is activated using a 3 way rotary switch that replaces the center tone control. With the rotary in Position 1 the 5 way has the stock 5 settings, in positions 2 & 3 it introduces the custom settings. The remaining tone is then wired as a Master Tone.
Detail of switch settings
The Custom, "New" Settings are in Red.
I call each group of settings on the 5 way a "Bank". With this mod there are 3 "banks" of settings. There are no redundant settings within any bank.
Settings on 5 way with Rotary in Position 1 (Bank 1)- "Classic Bank"
Bridge
Bridge & Middle
Middle
Middle & Neck
Neck
Settings on 5 way with Rotary in position 2 (Bank 2) - "Rock/Hard Rock Bank"
Bridge Middle in Series (Same a Fender S1 Tone)
Bridge & Middle
Bridge Neck in Series (Custom Wired Telecaster Tone)(Not Available on Fender S1)
Middle & Neck
Neck Middle in Series (Same as Fender S1 Tone)
Settings on 5 way with Rotary in Position 3 (Bank 3) - "Twangy Blues Bank"
Bridge
Bridge & Middle & Neck (Thick Blues Tone) (Not available in Fender S1)
Bridge & Neck (Telecaster Middle Position Tone)(Not Available on Fender S1)
Middle & Neck
Neck
Notes on Bank 1:
Notes on Bank 2
Bank 2 is your HSH or "Double Fat Strat" setting. This is like having a Bridge and Neck humbucker that both automatically split to single coil at positions 2 & 4. Which is standard for HSH setups. It's very simple, straight forward and easy to use. This opens up a 3 Single coil Strat to sound Fatter and louder. Much better for Soloing and Heavier Chords with distortion. If you already have a Bridge and or Neck humbucker, it will be even fatter and louder. Very cool sounding with a bridge humbucker, especially for the Tele Tone. Clean tones are both thicker and Warmer. Better for Jazzier rhythms or nice solid, full strumming chord parts.
I also snuck in the "Bridge Neck" in series option. This setting is found on custom wired 2 pickup Telecasters. It has a very unique tone. It's kind of Vocal sounding and responds dramtically different to various levels of Overdrive and Distortion. Also the position you play on the neck seems to have a big effect on the Vocal aspect of it as well. It's like a Wah Pedal locked in one position and mixed in with a dry signal. It's very cool for solo work.
Notes on Bank 3:
Bank 3 is the Bank that truely makes this the "Ultimod". It gives you the very popular "Bridge On" or "7 Sound Strat" tones without replacing your 1 & 5 settings. This is rare for a "Bridge On" mod. Usually the new bridge settings replace either the 1 & 2 or 4 & 5 positions on the 5 way.. Well with some serious R&D I have come up with a way to put these 2 settings in the 2 & 3 positions, which are usually the least used by most Strat Players. This allows for the most common used Strat tones to be available at the same time as the new "Bridge On" tones, instead of just one or just the other. The seasoned Strat player will instantly see the value in this."
Wicked, isn't it? This guitar was already worth $2500 before it left Fender. This is a Big Bad Dog. I think I have to call it The Master Strat!
Other than the custom wiring harness, cosmetics, and the finishing, the guitar is pure Fender Custom Classic Stratocaster in Cobalt Blue Transparent. I restrung it with Fender 3250R Super Bullets, which are the strings originally on the instrument.
*2005 FENDER HWY 1 STRATOCASTER
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*IN CRIMSON TRANSPARENT WITH A 3 PLY DARK PEARL PICK GUARD.
FEATURES UPGRADED!
*CUSTOM SHOP TEXAS SPECIAL PICKUP IN THE NECK POSITION
*FENDER CUSTOM SHOP MARK KNOPFLER TEXAS SPECIALS IN THE MIDDLE & BRIDGE POSITIONS.
*500K VOLUME POT, 1 MEG TONE POTS, CTS 5 WAY SWITCH W/SPRING
THIS STRAT IS HOT! HOT! HOT!
2005 GIBSON SG SPECIAL WITH TONY IOMMI PICKUP
THE WINE RED FINISH ON THIS SG IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION, NITRO CELLULOSE LACQUER OF COURSE, AS GIBSON ALWAYS FINISHES WITH, AND IS A BEAUTY. I'VE PUT A NICE FRESH POLISH ON IT WITH #3 FINE POLISHING COMPOUND BY COLORTONE, THE REALLY GOOD STUFF ONLY HERE. IT LOOKS LIKE ANGUS YOUNG'S GUITAR FROM AC/DC & ROCKS LIKE HE_ _S BELLS! I LOVE THAT SG SOUND, AND WITH THE TONY IOMMI IT'S GOT POWER, MAN!!!
THE NECK IS 22 FRETS, AND CHORDS LIKE WARM BUTTER OR SMOOTH SILK. I'VE POLISHED IT WITH ROSEWOOD FINISHING OIL by COLORTONE, CONDITIONED THE STRINGS (WHICH ARE NEW), AND IT IS SWEET. THE FRET DOT MARKERS ARE WHITE PEARL.
THE TONY IOMMI PICKUP WAS PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED, AND THE GUITAR SETUP, BRIDGE INTONATION, ETC., WAS DONE AT A GUITAR STORE'S SHOP, BY A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL. I'VE CHECKED IT WITH MY OWN RADIUS GAUGES AND SCALE RULE, PLUS MY FEELER GAUGES, AND EVERYTHING IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY. THE NECK IS THE ORIGINAL 490 PICKUP. WHEN YOU SWITCH 'EM TO PLAY BOTH PICKUPS TOGETHER IT'S A MEAN, SWEAT, POWERFUL, AMP-BUSTIN' GROWL! YOU KNOW THAT SG SOUND...BUT WITH THIS TONY IOMMI KICKING BUTTS WITH THE 490, IT'S A KILLER COMBO. NICE. THIS IS FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, AND INCLUDES:
*OWNER'S MANUAL
*GIBSON PRE-PACK CHECKLIST TAG
*ADJUSTMENTS TOOL
*GIBSON GOLD WARRANTY - NOT PREVIOUSLY SIGNED OR FILLED OUT, SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO USE IT AS YOU WOULD NORMALLY
*GIBSON USA DELUXE GIG BAG
*THE ORIGINAL BRIDGE 490 HUMBUCKER PICKUP, IT'S INSIDE THE GIBSON TONY IOMMI SIGNATURE CASE, IN THE PICTURES
**Would you like to commission a custom built guitar? It's simple! After clicking HERE and going to our "Contact Us" page, just enter "custom guitar quote" in the subject line, then enter your contact info including name, valid email address, and telephone number, plus all the information about your desired custom guitar, and click "Submit". We'll contact you to finalize your quote. As additional information is needed, and all through the process we keep up a constant dialogue with you to insure you get the monster of your dreams, we'll take care of you. Thank you! Lewis-Riggs Custom Guitars, Inc. - copyright 2006 *all rights reserved |
Lewis-Riggs Custom Guitars, Inc. - 2007