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NGD: 2012 Fender CS Teambuilt 1957 Relic Strat 2-tone sunburst

P.Walker

New member
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
941
I guess in one way, I've come full circle.

Did a little bit of herd cleaning, trimming the gear fat, so that I can focus once again what I like, which is just performing and woodshedding.

So a short NGD with a 2012 Fender CS Teambuilt 1957 Relic Strat 2-tone sunburst.

I couldn't be more pleased. Perfect amount of distressing, but no finishes taken off the neck, no silly fretboard gouges, etc.

Got it used from a real estate guy who bought it and then forgot about it that the only thing bad about it was the tarnish on the frets from having not a finger touch it.

Basically an R9 medium neck with the tiniest hint of V.

I usually don't like 6105 frets because they're disproportionately thin for how tall they are, but I'll live with this one.

Amazing sounding neck pickup that reminds me of a 1955 hardtail that I had the luck of playing once.

The only mods I will do is:
- remove tone control on the middle pickup and wire it to the bridge
- change the cap to a 0.02μF Russian oil cap
- I've also got a custom wound heavy formvar grey bobbin 1964 spec, 6.4k (rwrp by design actually) that I'll be putting in the bridge.
- slot the current nut just as low as a zero fret
- neck dead straight with no relief
- medium action
- pickups close to the strings

Basically an EJ 57 strat.

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Headstock
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Since this is the les paul forum,

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They all sound great through my crappy blackface reissue princeton with stock jensens and the cruddy marshall 2061x pa head with an orphaned orange cab.

My happy new year started late amidst money, gear, job, people problems, but a guitar takes that right out of the game.
 

El Gringo

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Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
Congratulations on a fine CS 57 . I like all your details and I think you will also like the 6105 frets .
 

P.Walker

New member
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
941
Congratulations on a fine CS 57 . I like all your details and I think you will also like the 6105 frets .

thank you again sir! 6105 is usually not something I would always spec out for myself, but frets are frets, just like strings are strings, just like tires are tires.
Gotta replace them when you gotta. In the meanwhile, you put the miles on them till you deserve something new! Normally I like this a little wider and lower, but I'm not as picky as I used to be :hee
 

renderit

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Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
I like the team builts a lot so far. I have the 63 Cruz MasterDesign and am impressed. And they are a lot cheaper.
 

P.Walker

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Apr 17, 2007
Messages
941
I like the team builts a lot so far. I have the 63 Cruz MasterDesign and am impressed. And they are a lot cheaper.

Me too. In terms of fenders (and strats especially), I'm more fond of those with both vintage aesthetics and the sound and the period-correct things (though I need big frets, hotter bridge pickups, 5 way switch and wiring - will never compromise on those 3). Oh, and the maple board (which removes like half of my options haha).

The teambuilt ones from 2012 especially fit this criteria both general and specifc- friend has a 61 dbl bound tele that is pretty much a dead ringer- even the ash body and the right body contours- as does the sharp contours that my 57 has. It does appear 3 tone in some photos, but it's 2-tone in real life, pretty much like it is in picture 1.

Above all, a relic that doesn't offend the masses. Back of the neck finish still intact.

Got a picture of the 63? Had a pure vintage 65 strat that was freakishly vintage accurate, with the above three changes that I made, but I couldn't afford to keep both the 65 and the 57.
 

renderit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
I NEED to get the neck finished. That part I don't care for (it feels nice and meaty though). The rest is fine.
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P.Walker

New member
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
941
my kinda strat. please send it over.

Is that a new nut? Looks too nice to be a fender factory stock. Also is fender using real celluloid for their pre-65 strat guards?

Seems like fender cs switched over to the fender pure vintage hardware (but reliced) once the american vintage series started in late 2012-early 2013 (and ended late 2017).

My 57 teambuilt strat is from 2012 and has the older style hardware with the larger-font knobs and "fender fender" saddles instead of "fender pat pend."

I tried a replacement set of fender pat pend saddles on my 57 and it made it sound like a john suhr/callaham type of sterile sound. Pity as I'm such a sucker for avh details. Popped the old grungy saddles back in there, flaws and all, and the sound is back. Wish I couldn't hear this stuff.
 

renderit

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Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
Nope. That's all as received nothing added. I do HATE the neck finish though. It FEELS like crap. Like somebody sanded it with 80 aught. I'm gonna hit it with something lighter and some oil or wax probably. It's a 2015 John Cruz Masterdesign.
 

P.Walker

New member
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
941
Nope. That's all as received nothing added. I do HATE the neck finish though. It FEELS like crap. Like somebody sanded it with 80 aught. I'm gonna hit it with something lighter and some oil or wax probably. It's a 2015 John Cruz Masterdesign.

Micromesh from stewmac should set you right. Now I see why you said you didn’t like the neck finish. Personally I’d just soften it up with micromesh and just wipe it down with naphtha but a close luthier friend did go your way with the oil/sealer type which feels like a million bucks.
 
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