1962 Fender Stratocaster Body

EarthMover

Awesome work Gus! I'm a bass player myself and I'm inspired to try and model my Fender Precision.

Gus R

David, yeah, might as well use dimensioned plans if you got them. I miss that PRS 22 which I also played with a Roland GR-1 synth. Was thinking about the ES series such as the ES-335 (Pat Methney) or the ES-175 (Joe Pass). Might actually be a bit easier on the sides however the arch top would balance things out labor wise. I lean towards the 175.

Thanks David. Do it if you feel motivated. I've been thinking about doing a direct measure model with some item I have around the apartment. Calipers would be great to that end.

Thanks Modelhead. It can be laborious at times. Having done LeRoy lettering many moons ago this is actually a breeze. Using a Kroy machine was even worse. The toil is on my CPU which heats up with SU and I can only wonder how high the temps have gone on the old P4.

Here's an update from todays work. Did the pick guard, input jack which still needs some work (rounding), PU switch, and reworked the body with 3 iterations. That went by quicker than I thought since I had to do some manual subtractions.

I'll upload the basic SDS skp to show how the body is formed using straight lines.

Gus

Gus R

OK, here's the skp for the basics of forming a body using SDS.

el robatto fender stuff v7.skp

For the holdouts.

el robatto fender stuff v5.skp

This also applies to any other curved object.

mdlok

Hi Gus R,

Really nice work!
How about the Candy Apple Red finish on the stratocaster? That will be a challenge!
Thumbs up.

mdlok

@gus r said:

This is a possible WIP which provided me with some more practice using SDS and Bool Tools. The main part of the body was done with SDS using tangent lines. Many of the routed areas were done with Bool Tools and the rest with standard SU tools. Mind you this took many hours of drawing and experimentaion.

The body is just 2 iterations since 3 slowed SU to a crawl if not a complete stop. There are some imperfection I might tweak given enought time. Next up is the neck and parts which should be easy after taking on this model.

First image is the SU model. Rendering is KT using the Patrick Nieborg Volume 2 car paints. Uffizi probe as a light probe.

[attachment=2:32i0nww1]Robatto-62-Strat-002.jpg[/attachment:32i0nww1]

[attachment=1:32i0nww1]Robatto-62-Strat-001.jpg[/attachment:32i0nww1]

[attachment=0:32i0nww1]Robatto-62-Strat-003.jpg[/attachment:32i0nww1]

Gus R

Thanks MD. I ran a metallic red but I need to work on the rendering technique with that material.

Update on the model. Here's the tremolo which still needs a couple of more details like the springs and such.

Rather quick render.

Chrome and steel material from Alex's NK Metals for KT.

mike d

Gus R
amazing work cant wait to see it finished

mike d

Ross Macintosh

That tremolo is stunning! The whole project is stunning! I'm stunned!

Not only are the modelling & the renderings great - your graphic skills in presenting these images is appreciated to.

Regards, Ross

david_h

absolutively amazing. Do you Play? You probably do.
you've inspired me to model my own instrument. . .

didn't mean to hi-jack the thread. .. I just couldn't resist.

EDIT. . .seriously tho' --that's awesome. The Strat is one of the greatist guitars ever! My wife gave me one. .. as a Christmas Tree ornament. Closest I will ever get to one I am afraid.

Gus R

Thank you Mike, Ross and David. Ross, I do some graphics on the side but it's rarely utilized.

David, cute little guitar ornamanet. I have played on and off over the years now but more recently I've been in off mode since having to sell my PRS. A cheap little "classical" guitar just doesn't seem to cut it. I guess my style was towards jazz-blues or some kind of rock fusion.

Speaking of kazoos maybe you remember the kazoo craze of the late 60s and 70s? Perhaps you read it in a history book but it was an offshot from "Laugh In" if I remember correctly. They even had us making "kazoos" using wax paper and a comb. The kazoo goes well with a saw and a washboard.

Started the neck but haven't got anything to show yet.

Cheers,

Gus

fella77

Wow....that tremolo bridge is amazing! Looks like a very accurate model and the render is pretty nice for a "quick". This model is going to be ridiculous once you put all the pieces together.
Really amazing work!

david_h

Well, I am an acoustic man myself--Folkie. I should model my Taylor 1500.

D

Gus R

Thanks David (fella77). David H, I used to listen to folk for a time. Mostly of the Bob Dylan variety on acoustic.

So, got the neck almost done and let me tell you, this was almost tougher than the body. Most of it was done using SDS (about 90%) with a lot of trial and error runs. Have to add groves to the nut and add a small sweep from the head stock to the nut itself. The drill holes won't be visible of course but thought it would look nice for a rendering of the neck itself.

All work done in SU free once again. Finally figured out how to tweak the material mapping in KT by changing it to cubic mapping for this particular model. 22 jumbo frets and everything is to scale.

Gus R

Well, those were the neck renderings. Ironically I'm still putzing with the neck.

Rounding the corner with this and finishing up the tuning heads. These are Kluson Pro Tuners which aren't exactly vintage tuning heads for a '62 Stratocaster.

Last one is an x-ray view in SU using a Japanese Style (sesshu.style) by U4K.

Tuning head knobs were done with SDS.

Might make some Schaller and Grover machines as well.

Gus R

Guess I must be talking to myself.

EarthMover

Flippin amazing Gus! This may be the best Sketchup work I've ever seen. I may be a little partial to the subject...... That's what I call photoreal. I think it deserves a spot in the next Catchup Newsletter.

Ross Macintosh

@gus r said:

Guess I must be talking to myself.

No -- we're just blown away! Gobsmacked is an appropriate word. The last line drawing suggests you've now got it all together. (Have you done the little post thingies for attaching a strap?) I'm looking forward to seeing your photorealistic renders of the completed model.

Regards, Ross

notareal

@gus r said:

Guess I must be talking to myself.

Do not worry too much about that. I think people are speechless in awe. Great work.

david_h

lots of awe here

**in fact. . .I am thinkin' of Jimi right now playing the Star Spangled Banner. . .nyeer nyeer nyeer nyeer nyeer nyeeeeeeer

of course he had his upside down and restrung for a leftie! **

EarthMover

Gus,

I'm curious about how you managed to work the transitions on the neck. You've achieved such great flow from the tuning head into the neck. Did you do this with one solid mesh, or was there a lot of stitching involved?

Gus R

Thanks guys! Adam, Notreal, David, Ross. I was probably reading too much into things what with the lack of work, winter and perhaps a touch of cabin fever and all.

David, yesterday I couldn't get "Little Wing" out of my mind.

Adam, the neck transitions is basically a squared of proxy for SDS. I generally start with one profile and then use the same profile scaled accordingly. Took some tweaking and nudging to get it right from the neck to the headstock. What I do is try to visualize what the neck would look like reduced to the flat planes that would make up the curves.

I'll try and post either some images or skp of that.

Thanks!