Big Head Countersunk Philips Pickup Screws:

Amp Mad Scientist said:
The thing about guitar screws is:
Fender used to have really thick shiny high quality heavy chrome plating (like a sports car bumper) that was way above a normal screw.
If you look for the genuine Fender nos hardware you might find some real ones.

The screws sold today are just thin plated dull semi-chrome / not the quality of the real ones.
This type plating is called "chrome flashed," it doesn't have the polished look
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This, I understand completely. I was going to tell Robert that if I were he, I would hunt on ebay or elsewhere and buy some odd lots of Squier parts. Come to think of it. I have a loaded HSS from a Starcaster by Fender Strat shaped guitar that I swapped off our guitar and put his H H loaded Tortoise shell loaded guard on. I wonder if our Pup screws are what Robert needs.
 
Amp Mad Scientist said:
The thing about guitar screws is:
Fender used to have really thick shiny high quality heavy chrome plating (like a sports car bumper) that was way above a normal screw.
If you look for the genuine Fender nos hardware you might find some real ones.

The screws sold today are just thin plated dull semi-chrome / not the quality of the real ones.
This type plating is called "chrome flashed," it doesn't have the polished look
Click to expand...

Good observations!!!

I recently rebuilt a badly rusted stock tremolo on a 1963 Stratocaster and it took a while to find all the correct parts for it. A lot of what we got was NOS and the difference in quality and appearance was remarkable.
 
chilipeppermaniac said:
I reckon this guitar might have made Bro Robert lose it and definitely swear off Strats forever.

View attachment 55489
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Not necessarily. I just don't dig that thin, twangy, Tele-esque tone that Stratocaster 's are known for.

Remember that I gigged with a 1987 Squire Stratocaster for almost 30 years. I found the answer to the tone in DiMarzio's (1992) DP404 Virtual Vintage Hum Canceling Single Coil.

@eSGEe - Note volume knob in stock location and causing no troubles...


That pickup gave me the aggression and punch needed to keep up sonically with my bandmate's Les Pauls, and yet, when turned down and played clean, you could still get 'Strat Sparkle' out of it for studio projects.

@Sp8ctre has the yellow 1987 Squire that appears in the video above. I don't miss the guitar, but I miss that DP404.

My biggest "gripe" with Stratocasters is the increased string tension from the 25.5" scale.

Neal Schon had Fender make him custom 24.75" twin humbucker Stratocasters for this reason..Here's one of Neal's Custom Shop Stratocasters:

547e02de6a53e271c1529d2baf0d039e.jpg

U can get a pretty big tone out of a Stratocaster if you work with it...Yngwie uses very low output pickups with lots of boost.

I'm playing 25.5" scale guitars everyday, so it's becoming less "foreign" to me...
 
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Robert Herndon said:
Exactly what I have in the garage!!! Like you say, it works well for that purpose.
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I use those screw cutters all the time.
The trick is that when you back the screw out of the cutter it cleans the end of the thread.

I just wanted to have the correct countersink head profile to fit my Fender pickguard.

Call Fender and get the part number on Monday.
1 (800) 856-9801
Fender has good part number support and distribution.
Many music stores Fender dealers have a box full kit of Fender guitar screws sitting on the shelf. Even the bridge string adjuster Allen head post screws...are included in the kit.
However these may or may not be the sports car grade chromed screws you dream of.
 
Robert Herndon said:
Not necessarily. I just don't dig that thin, twangy, Tele-esque tone that Stratocaster 's are known for.

Remember that I gigged with a 1987 Squire Stratocaster for almost 30 years. I found the answer to the tone in DiMarzio's (1992) DP404 Virtual Vintage Hum Canceling Single Coil.

@eSGEe - Note volume knob in stock location and causing no troubles...


That pickup gave me the aggression and punch needed to keep up sonically with my bandmate's Les Pauls, and yet, when turned down and played clean, you could still get 'Strat Sparkle' out of it for studio projects.

@Sp8ctre has the yellow 1987 Squire that appears in the video above. I don't miss the guitar, but I miss that DP404.

My biggest "gripe" with Stratocasters is the increased string tension from the 25.5" scale.

Neal Schon had Fender make him custom 24.75" twin humbucker Stratocasters for this reason..Here's one of Neal's Custom Shop Stratocasters:

View attachment 55504

U can get a pretty big tone out of a Stratocaster if you work with it...Yngwie uses very low output pickups with lots of boost.

I'm playing 25.5" scale guitars everyday, so it's becoming less "foreign" to me...
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Robert, I was meaning that Rory's Strat is all beat up and looks like crap, likely has all manner of dirt and grime and likely " just get enough screws and bailing wire to make it through the tour" instead of a Tick every box to make sure everything is in it's place and a place for everything so Rory could just play the guitar day in and day out like the passionate player he was. I suspect most of his M.O. happened without worrying something is not jussssssssst so.

I wasn't saying that the specs or sound of a Strat would be annoying to you, which I already know it does. But instead, I was just meaning the condition of RORY's particular Strat.
 
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Don O said:
Chilli, I do that all the time. I’ve had this for at least 25 years. Works well.

View attachment 55505
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Dono, when I learned of this from my long time working buddy, I thought just how genius this feature is on these snips. I am and always will be a fan of anything that is majorly useful in making life easier and where someone's creative brain actually made something so cool.
 
chilipeppermaniac said:
Dono, when I learned of this from my long time working buddy, I thought just how genius this feature is on these snips. I am and always will be a fan of anything that is majorly useful in making life easier and where someone's creative brain actually made something so cool.
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I never understood why they put a screw cutter on a wire stripper and crimping tool. That tool has been getting a work out this last year. I’ve run over a 1000 ft of 12 and 14 gauge Romex and 50 ft of 6/4 for the main feed. Installed over 100 outlet boxes and 6 smoke detectors.

Also ran over 500 ft of Cat 6 cable. The 6 speaker home theater speakers will be another 200 ft of wire.
 
Dono. I always figured the cutter is because of the screws used to mount outlets and switches in the boxes, or other fixtures where an electrician may have assortments of spare screws but possibly not the right length ones. That is primarily why I have had need to utilize these on the snips.
 
Don O said:
I never understood why they put a screw cutter on a wire stripper and crimping tool. That tool has been getting a work out this last year. I’ve run over a 1000 ft of 12 and 14 gauge Romex and 50 ft of 6/4 for the main feed. Installed over 100 outlet boxes and 6 smoke detectors.

Also ran over 500 ft of Cat 6 cable. The 6 speaker home theater speakers will be another 200 ft of wire.
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I cannot even fathom the cost of all this work. Probably like 10 of my vehicles combined
 
chilipeppermaniac said:
I can't wait til Covid is over so I can come to Arrowhead and check out your new Digs, Dono and maybe go rub elbows with Mr Herndon, and Mitch and Sp8 and Gball,
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That would be a blast. I’d plan on having a block party with us being the entertainment. I live at the end of this cul de sac and there ain’t much around me. The neighbors are all cool and would be part of the party. We’d setup right outside my driveway.

1F393E89-1013-4763-9B09-E9C3892A7128.jpeg
 
chilipeppermaniac said:
Robert, I was meaning that Rory's Strat is all beat up and looks like crap, likely has all manner of dirt and grime and likely " just get enough screws and bailing wire to make it through the tour" instead of a Tick every box to make sure everything is in it's place and a place for everything so Rory could just play the guitar day in and day out like the passionate player he was. I suspect most of his M.O. happened without worrying something is not jussssssssst so.

I wasn't saying that the specs or sound of a Strat would be annoying to you, which I already know it does. But instead, I was just meaning the condition of RORY's particular Strat.
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I'm a neat freak. I grew up without surplus, so we were taught to take care of what we had. I suppose it became a habit...
 
It is a great habit and I totally wish I could be a neat freak. My life has always been a balancing act of get the work done, and be as neat as possible and still have enough hours in a day to actually accomplish anything other than keeping up on maintaining cleanliness, tool storage, building materials purchase, transport, installation and then storage of any extras that become resources for future needs.

Operating out of a pair of sheds, a truck, or truck and trailer is about the best I have been able to muster organization of my tools and supplies.
Lately I have often wondered just WHAT the HECK would it have been like had I been able to have had a property with a house and a giant pole building to use as a One Location fits it all build things and not have to haul tools and supplies all over creation to do jobs and then account for the tools day in and day out. In other words, like a central locale, all tools and such stay in the building, get put away as soon as a job is done, and I never have to look for where anything is. BUT as a remodeler, I can be doing plumbing and tile and painting and carpentry, and duct work,. and electric etc etc so I get all those tools in and out of the truck endlessly till a job is over. Then it might be a painting job next, or a roof, or a concrete job, or laying block and bricks. installing windows, gutters, trim, sheetrock, kitchen cabinets, bath fixtures.

SO despite the greatest aim of being a neat freak, the nature of the work tends to be a juggling act of organizing chaos until the job is the result of neatness and craftsmanship. But until the final detail is done, it always seems like I never free myself of that chaos despite the comfort and calming sense I get when all tools and supplies and life in general is neat and tidy.
 
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