Guitar Gear Forum

I've been looking at many options to end up with a surf green Strat without actually buying one or getting a Fender body or repainting my own Strat. I've looked at and rejected: Squier Strat on craigslist to part out, Guitar Fetish XGP body, MJT and so on for various reasons (usually $$$, questionable quality, vintage trem holes, or difficulty factor). I was about to order a Mighty Mite body but found out today I can get one from Rockaudio with neck and 2 point trem holes pre-drilled for $104.95. They get good reviews and I was concerned about drilling the needed holes so I ordered one.

Here's my guitar as it is now, a 2001/02 USA Strat. All I'm planning on doing is a direct body swap but I might end up getting new bridge posts if these are too difficult to remove. I like maple or rosewood boards on Strats, depends on the body color and I prefer rosewood on surf green so this is going to work out for me. I want to try a Seymour Duncan SSL-5 in the bridge so that'll happen sooner or later. This'll basically be a white trash Jeff Beck Strat minus the roller nut.

That's all I've got for now. Time to hurry up and wait for the body to arrive.

I don't know why there isn't a tip on the whammy bar but I have one.


Here's surf music to pass the time! http://www.austinribbonmicrophones.com/adayatthebeach/podcasts/BeachPodcastn107.mp3

You are going to paint it yourself?
Where from and with what paints?

Nope, getting it pre-drilled and painted.

The site's photos are lame but here's a build that used one of their bodies. I'll be thrilled if mine looks like that.

edit: mine sure didn't look like that. Not even close.

It's only $104 painted?!?
Or is that extra?

That was the total cost; drilled, painted and free shipping. See why I jumped on it? I'd imagine I'll have to drill strap button and pickguard holes but that's no biggie. I may end up doing more builds if this is as good as it looks online (edit: not happening. Way to lose a customer! ). There's a thread here on GAB where someone bought a body from them and was happy with it.

I came real close to getting an XGP body from Guitar Fetish but several reviews have been less than glowing. I'm glad I passed. I'd love a lightly reliced one from MJT but they are $200-$300 more than what I'm getting.

Wow - that is a great price!

Do they have a website?

site link removed. don't go there.

Wow - those prices are great! Anxious to see how this turns out!

I assume they finish those in poly, but do you happen to know?

I haven't seen anything specific about that body but some of theirs on Amazon say they have a light coat of poly.

Sunday edit: Now I have a Seymour Duncan SSL-5 and a pin up girl neck plate on the way. I chose this plate in keeping with the surf theme.



Wednesday night update: I got the SSL-5 today and installed it. My intial reaction was "ewww, no" but after getting pickup heights set and tweaking amp & pedal knobs I'm more like "hell yes". In fact I think I'm going to keep my Rat II now after hearing it and the SSL interact.

Monday June 22 update: the body is out for delivery and the neckplate is apparently a victim of the US Postal system. The last scan was on June 13 in Californny. It should not take 9 days for an envelope to get to FL from CA.

So much for that idea. The body arrived today. It has a few tiny dents in the back and some black flecks on the edges as well as a gigantic friggin' yellowed spot on the front above the neck pocket that the pickguard won't cover and one on the arm contour and the top edge of the body. I took photos and it doesn't show in them very well but it sticks out like a sore thumb in a well lit room and a dim one. I've already requested a refund. Stick with the tried and true companies even if it costs a little more. Or even better: don't fix it if it ain't broke.

this project is over.

What a POS

Gross. Yeah, I had looked at those Rockaudio bodies for ten seconds once upon a time before coming to the conclusion that they had to be shit for as cheap as they sell.

Damn, that bleach spot is a total bummer, but don't give up hope yet, man! Did you look at the Stratosphere or Warmoth's websites? I'd also recommend jumping into some Reverb or ebay auctions where the actual pics of the body (NO STOCK PHOTOS!) are in the listing. If you are patient, you'll definitely score at the price you wanted or even less. I snagged this on ebay for about $150...

Eddy Current wrote:So much for that idea. The body arrived today. It has a few tiny dents in the back and some black flecks on the edges as well as a gigantic friggin' yellowed spot on the front above the neck pocket that the pickguard won't cover and one on the arm contour and the top edge of the body. I took photos and it doesn't show in them very well but it sticks out like a sore thumb in a well lit room and a dim one. I've already requested a refund. Stick with the tried and true companies even if it costs a little more. Or even better: don't fix it if it ain't broke.

this project is over.

Holy Christ, dude - that's sold as new?

Apparently they're not using CNC. Probably a 14 year-old lackey who's high and using a dull router bit. I'd be shocked if the neck pocket was lined up properly with the trem slot.

...oh, and itchyfinger's gitfiddle body is totally legit! Saw it firsthand

I hoped I wasn't overreacting but it looks like people are in agreement. What a mess. I'm amazed they thought this was worth charging a customer for as a new piece and the photo doesn't even show the seam where the middle and top pieces of wood are glued together, which also surprised me. At least they already contacted me about issuing a refund.

Yeah...that....wow. The guitarfetish blem I got that's made of Chinese paperwood actually look better than that.

Mojo sent dude.

Check this reply from rockaudio about a refund:

"These pictures have been reviewed by our QC team. We must inform you that this particular batch of bodies have a yellow hue in the finish. This yellow hue can been seen in the stock pictures of our website. We also take in consideration whether certain blemishes will be covered by a pickguard or not. We agree fully that the black flecks on the body should have been noted by our QC team we apologize for this. We can offer you:

30% refund ($31.48)

or

Full refund after item is received back and inspected. Shipping paid be buyer."

So it looks like I'm eating shipping charges to send their fuck-up back. Who would look at photos of a vendor's surf green body and think "I bet it'll have yellow splotches on it"? If that batch had a yellow hue maybe they should've repainted them or stated: "These are not surf green as advertised, they are surf green with yellow spots on them. Thought you might like to know."

Eddy Current wrote:Check this reply from rockaudio about a refund:

"These pictures have been reviewed by our QC team. We must inform you that this particular batch of bodies have a yellow hue in the finish. This yellow hue can been seen in the stock pictures of our website. We also take in consideration whether certain blemishes will be covered by a pickguard or not. We agree fully that the black flecks on the body should have been noted by our QC team we apologize for this. We can offer you:

30% refund ($31.48)

or

Full refund after item is received back and inspected. Shipping paid be buyer."

So it looks like I'm eating shipping charges to send their fuck-up back. Who would look at photos of a vendor's surf green body and think "I bet it'll have yellow splotches on it"? If that batch had a yellow hue maybe they should've repainted them or stated: "These are not surf green as advertised, they are surf green with yellow spots on them. Thought you might like to know."

What a crock of shit. Do you still have the original photos they had posted? I'd consider a reply stating that you are a forum member of multiple esteemed guitar websites and you'll gladly spread the info about their horrible products and crap customer service on a near daily basis.

No and I don't know if these are the original photos or not. I'd just think it was crappy lighting when the photos were taken, not a company trying to pass off a batch of defective bodies as good. I have screenshots of almost everything related to this transaction except of that page when I first saw it. Massive fail on my part.

They have posted on other sites, so maybe they'll see this thread, too. I will probably post on Strat Talk about this since that's where I found out about them.

eating shipping on that?!?! Bullshit bad customer service is bullshit.

Life mocks me. I dropped the body off at the Post Office then went to look at a pedal that was on craigslist. What does the guy hand me to check the pedal with? A surf green Strat!

That's awesome. Sorry about your troubles though.

Holy fretsong affiliate batman what a pile of shit. Sorry!