Travis Bean/Starcaster build

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 11:30 pm

I've always loved the Starcaster and it's goofy design but I've always been a big fan of Travis Bean guitar. Owning a vintage of either is a bit of a stretch right now, so I figured I'd do the next best thing and have cooter build me a mutt of the two.

Features:
solid body 90% size Starcaster body
1/4" roundovers similar to Travis Bean
2 humbuckers with no pickup rings
recessed 3-way switch
Travis Bean switch layout/back panel
matching starcaster headstock
black Travis Bean pick guard
thinking some kind of metallic white but not 100% on color yet

Rough idea photoshop

Templates

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 12:16 am

Cool. Another starcaster build. Where are you getting the neck?

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 1:28 am

I'm using a Squier Strat neck and having Cooter reshape it. The back may have some lines from the wood but the front will be the color I choose and black, so from the front there is no way anyone will tell that it's a hacked up strat headstock.

I'm actually considering a lake placid blue color, so we may be going for very similar guitar when they're all done.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 10:12 am

Sweet. I might not do pelham for mine. I was actually thinking ocean turquoise metallic because its like an aged lake placid blue.

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:52 am

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 1:37 am

Sweet. Aren't you happy I got those starcaster templates to cooter?

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Sun Aug 25, 2013 5:25 pm

I love this. I think it'd be better with just one volume and one tone control though.

Also would be ace painted in pearlescent white like this:

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:04 pm

Cooter has been busy pumping out Starcaster bodies!

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Thu Aug 29, 2013 4:46 am

Noirie. wrote:I love this. I think it'd be better with just one volume and one tone control though.

Also would be ace painted in pearlescent white like this:
► Show Spoiler

I actually thought about that but design wise, I figured the 4 knobs has more control and helps fill empty butt space. The white is pretty much exactly what I hope the color looks like but we'll see what the auto shop has in stock when it's time to start painting.

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 2:11 am

Cooter finished up the body and reshaped the headstock. The front of the headstock will be painted and the back has an added maple veneer so there won't be any mismatched maple.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:42 am

oh fuck me, that is starting to take shape, and im really digging the fuck out of it.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:53 am

The headstock looks AMAZING.

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 3:46 pm

Thomas wrote:The headstock looks AMAZING.

It really is. Cooter always has top notch bodies but he went an extra step with the headstock. I'm quite pleased.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 3:48 pm

I'm totally gonna have him do the swoop like that for mine.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 3:51 pm

What's the backplate in the middle for man?

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:06 pm

Punkacc9 wrote:What's the backplate in the middle for man?

TB style pickups, I imagine. No screws or rings on front.

I really love this, it looks 10x awesome-r every post.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:19 pm

So it screws in to the back?

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:49 pm

What Paul said. Instead of pickup rings, the screws will be in the back of the guitar. When I was thinking of this guitar, I basically wanted a solid body Starcaster with as many TB features as possible and the lack of pickup rings is one detail that I thought would add a lot to the build.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:21 pm

Yeah, that's really the big feature that makes it look TB-ish IMO. Excited to see how that looks all done up on the Starcaster shape.

dub · Post by **dub** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:31 pm

I've always loved the aesthetic of TBs, along with their more obvious properties. Just needs a fatter ass! ha.

Travis Bean/Starcaster build

Travis Bean/Starcaster build

Re: Travis Bean/Starcaster build

Re: Travis Bean/Starcaster build