This is a very cost effective way into DreamBuild ownership - all guitars sold as DreamBuilds have to be very special and personal. As we rebuild and re-specify these special guitars, we are left with some very good original parts - some customers want to keep original components with their upgraded guitars, others are only interested in the finished product. The later group of folk have allowed us to produce this guitar.
This is a guitar with a few tricks up its sleeve. Based around an early 1973 Fujigen built Ibanez 2375, this features the chunkier 5-piece neck unique to 1973. We named this after the handwritten production line data in the neck pocket and pick-up cavities. This body appears to be a from the prototype line which would also explain the clearcoat finish over a body that would under normal circumstances be painted. The pancake body construction makes itself obviously know, and the thin slab on top has charm even where the contour of the body explains why it didn't make it into production!
Originally equipped with short fat Maxons, we have upgraded them to Excel PU-119 pick-ups from a 1977 SE-700 - the first Greco model to feature a 5 way selector therefore appropriate middle pick-up construction to work in parallel mode. 2 new CTS premium pots govern master volume and neck tone, and a push push knob controls the middle and bridge tone. A new CRL 5 way switch provide the normal Strat tones if the push push knob is down, but give it a tap when the neck pick-up is selected and it brings in the bridge coil in series for a big fat humbucker sound. In the neck and middle position, the middle coil joins in parallel to the series connected neck/bridge. This gives a thicker more powerful "in between" tone. These series tones could be heard on the American Deluxe. The addition of these tones to the pallette is in keeping with this vintage Strat style guitar - it is not attempting to be a humbucker guitar.