Project SX STL50 recap

I’m going to call this one “done” ( for now anyway:)

Before:

Just a plan stock stl50 in vintage white – SX STL50 from Rondo Music

After:

Here’s the break down of what was done along with a breakdown of the price and parts used. Most of the parts came from Guitar Fetish, but there a few exceptions

• Graph Tech Tusq Nut ( PQ-5010-00  pre slotted flat bottom) from Anthillmusic
• Roller string trees from Guitar Fetish
• Stainless steel saddles from GFS
• Wilkinson EZ-LOK locking Tuners from GFS
• Mother of Pearl Pickguard
• Copper Shielding Kit
• Pearl Shell Top Knobs from GFS
• Sprague Orange Drop Tone Caps
• 3 Way switch
• 1/4" Mono Jack
• "Modern Vintage" Lil Punchers
• New 500k Alpha potentiometers

It sounds good, plays well and I like the overall look. there were a few small mishaps though.

Replacing the pickguard  was fairly easy, but required that i fill the old screw holes with quick wood (an epoxy wood putty, but any wood putty or even wood glue would have worked) and that i trim the guard up here and there with the Dremel.

The neck pickup didn’t quite line up right when I drilled the holes in the new pickguard. I based my holes off the old stock pickguard. The result was the 6th string ( low E) had hardly any of the pickup under it and the 1st string had more than enough.

Instead of trashing the new pickguard I tried to fill the holes with epoxy and re drill. The epoxy worked but the the holes to mount the pickup would be just too close to the pickup opening. Finally it dawned on me to do what was likely the reason the holes weren’t drilled in the first place – mount the pickup to the body. Which I did and left myself with 2 unnecessary dots on the pickguard. ( I can live with it..)

Shielding the body cavity seemed pretty easy and I didn’t think I thought I could do this without doing any research. I was right, but I did run out of copper tape before i was done.( there probably would have been enough but I trashed some along the way – don’t ask!)

I’m sort of glad that I did because it led me to the Guitarnut guide to shielding. Shielding a telecaster is much less complex than a strat and there is a ton of info to be gained from this site. The end result was I finished shielding with good ole aluminum foil. The guitar is quiet and well grounded.