PAUL: I read this story of yours with interest: http://adayinthelifeofaguitar.blogspot.com.au/2007/01/now-more-dirty-pictures-guitari sts-are.html I found this email address for you online, and hope you don't mind me contacting you using it rather than posting a comment that requires obtaining a Google account, which I'd prefer not to have to do (the blog does not allow anonymous comments as you probably recall).
I was drawn to the story because I have been offered a Status Silhouette in good condition for free, but it's quite a bit of travel and inconvenience for me to collect it and so I'm tossing up whether to go for it or not. I'd be looking at using the body to assemble a 'partscaster' from other bits and pieces I already have - decent neck, bridge, pickups and electrics. But I don't want to go to all the trouble of collecting the guitar if the body is cheap old ply.
Basswood I can cope with, anything better than that is a bonus! Your $5 'sick guitar' bargain with the mutilated neck...do you recall anything about the construction of the body? Wood type, size/body thickness and bridge holes compared to a 'standard' Strat (either a MIM or US, for example).
Info I am afraid I cannot get from the current owner of the guitar... Any help you can give me would be much appreciated!
If not, no problem. though it worth the time for this one email to potentially save me a fair bit of wasted time.
Thanks, Paul
P.S. Great work with your own luthering, btw!
ME: No worries about the email - feedback is welcome. I should put a bit of effort into the blog as I have been doing this and that with my guitar passion and have some great stories, yet to be told.
The Status body has been kicking around the garage all that time. I was thinking about using it in something but it's ply and I haven't put any effort into it. Just had a look - and the grain in the top lamination is really nice; this one has a red burst intruding from solid on the sides into the top.
The layer appears to be quite thick, at least a couple of mm, so it could be worth fiddlling with as the body weight and feel are good, medium to lightish, and with a solid, as far as I go, it's a bit of an academic argument whether solid timber would make a better guitar than a ply construction.
The neck I got with this one is fabulous, thin-ish and really comfortable. The bloke who had it really loved it as there was considerable thumb wear and the low action had worn grooves into the frets all the way up to about the 10th - it was really played a lot and I don't know what whoever was on when they drilled through the fretboard to bolt the neck on when they only needed to fill the screwholes and redrill.
Oh well, I guess they call 'em bolt-on necks but ... I would get the guitar for the neck but yours could be worth loving for itself ... I have seen a couple go through gumtree over the years and been tempted.
From memory they were about $100... They are not all that common .. seem to get a bit of respect ... google entries indicate they are Uk-made, or I think one post said Korea ... but all the ones I clicked had been sold, which could be a good sign.
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/maida-vale/guitars-amps/bargain-status-silhouette-strat- 83/1075081204.
I think the compnents were pretty good, not those soft screws that take only one slip with the screwdriver, and the pickups are good for me in their new home. Cheers, John
PS. Looking at the body again in better light... the top lamination is actually pretty thin.
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