rebuild strat keeping neck OR new pickups rout body

[pstar]

have a killer late 70's strat neck, but not digging the rest of the guitar. Options are 1. Use the neck on a new body build with new hardware or 2. Replace the 3 single pups with some body routing, new pickguard with 2 humbuckers and all new hardware. Or 3. sell it. I just hate to hack up this great player. I have destroy many strat like this before and I am feel guilty. There may be someone that would luv this axe as it was meant to be.

 

[CaseyCor]

If you love the neck as much as it seems, then I'd put it on a new body. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who would like an origianl 70's strat body for a build of their own. Keep it stock, pull the neck off, and build a new guitar!

 

[70strathead]

it appears you already have a different body on that. Doesn't look like an original late 70's body since they didnt make tobacco sunburst on 70's strats. it looks like a 57' or 50's reissue fender body which makes sense with the single ply pickguard as well. Those are killer necks man, but whatever you like i guess. i think it looks cool the way it is except for that gizmo behind the nut. classy instrument, but if you're not into traditional strats with 3 SC's. what dont you like about the body and hardware? because the original late 70's bodies were heavy northern ash and very dense and very inconsistent. I would think if thats an alder USA 57' reissue body, it would be a very good sounding guitar.

 

[pstar]

Single coil 60 cycle hum, driven me to drink. Could consider a locking term but not Crucial. Prefer humbucker ( fuller sounding/thicker) pickup in the bridge. Pick guard color is not my taste.

 

[Badronald]

Try one of the stacked humbuckers that most builders make. I love the Dimarzio's. I'm sure the Duncans are cool too. I wouldn't route it, but that's just me.

I love the Paul Gilbert Injector. Try that one. Big, loud, punchy, it screams and it's dead quite. AND, it still looks like a Stratocaster.

Also, make sure that rear tone pot is wired to the bridge pickup. A MUST for me on Stratocasters. Makes them FAT.