Crock pot-ing pickups

As always, I have about 3 or 4 different projects going at once.  I'm finishing up a knotty-pine strat.  I was going for a shellac finish, but gave up and sprayed poly on top.  I like the way it looks.  It's light: around 3 1/2 pounds. 

I think I like winding pickups the best! I had a pickup done, and wound a neck and bridge pickup with plain enamel wire (42 awg).  They all have alnico 2 magnets.

As you can see my in my high tech workshop, I have a $7 mini crock pot that I use to pot the pickups.  I work at a church so I have access to leftover bits of 100% beeswax candles.  I mixed in a little paraffin and it works incredibly well.

I have to magnetize the pickups and I'll begin to wire it all up!

Saga- intro

My Father-in-law gave me this kit for Christmas along with Will Kelly's book (Shop of Hard Knocks in North Carolina). This isn't my first experience with assembling a guitar, but I've never used a kit like this. As you can see it's a Saga LC-10 (basically a bolt-on les paul.  It has a basswood (pronounced like the fish) body with a maple top. 

The good news is that it appears to have a double action truss rod that works!!!  The neck had a little up-bow and I was able to get it straight. The bad news is that the holes for the tune-a-matic bridge are slightly off.  I'll instert a dowel and re-drill the holes. I'm going to paint the top anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem (famous last words)

It came with everything you need to assemble the guitar, but I enjoy winding pickups (more on that later) so I plan to wind two humbuckers and upgrade (slightly) the wiring. Stay Tuned!