The Road Ahead

This is not my SX STL. It is this SX STL, which has had the headstock cut down to be more like a Telecaster headstock. I don't mind the SX headstock, but I am getting less and less enamoured with the orange tint of the finish.

I bought the thing to be a testbed, a swappable spare I could mod to my hearts content, without worrying about affecting the value.

Neck

• stripper and sandpaper
• new finish
• cutting down headstock
• Custom (not saying "Fender") headstock decal
• bone nut, which is about the only part of the neck process I feel totally unequipped to handle. How much does a set of nut files cost? I did file this nut to handle the Not Even Slinky low E string with a file from fingernail clippers, though.
• a dedicated strap, because switching between this and the acoustic is annoying

Hardware

• tuners (under $30 from Guitar Fetish, depending on style)
• saddles
• white pickguard
• Schaller strap locks. Actually, I intend to buy a black set for the #1 and move the chrome set to this one.

Electronics

• I am currently satisfied with the pickups
• but I am not sure about the pots. Strongly considering doing a Baja-like 4-way switch plus push-pull pot for this one, too

That, is, should I get the money together to do it. I have a Dremel, so beyond the tuners, I should be able to get the neck together for not too much. And I actually kinda like the electronics as-is, so despite my want to get my wiring act together and learn something,

In other news, Jim Campolongo has his endorsements and preferences together. He's always considered a great player and good guy by this blog.

He also provides a link to Curtis Novak, who makes pickups on a design that should've occurred to me long a go, but didn't. Consider the P-Bass split pickup. One pickup covers the high 2, one pickup covers the low 2, and because one is reverse-wound, they in effect buck hum. Look at G&L and you'll see plenty of pickups that use that. So, the question becomes, why not do the same, but in the same form factors already used. Like something that, with the protective braids hiding the secret, looks exactly like a standard Telecaster bridge pickup? That's brilliance in my mind.