I decided not to build. I don't really know or "get" the electronics and I didn't fancy hours of dicking about getting it wrong. So I decided to buy.
Quite a few over-priced Japanese and AVRIs caught my attention over a number of months but were not quite right. The spec I wanted narrowed me down to a new American Original as the closest - I wanted the modern radius and bigger frets but otherwise vintage specs. TBH I had settled for an aged Firemist Silver (ooh) but that would have meant CS prices which are just silly.
I've had some detailed automated searches trying to find me a used one but none ever came up.
Then this one came up - a shop floor demonstrator. Mint! Unmarked. With all case goodies, etc. It was about £250 less than new price of the most discounted on-line shops.
I KNOW from pricing up I cannot build a close-to equivalent guitar for less this, especially not including the hard shell case so, what the heck, I just can't lose!
I have to say I set my expectations a little low to be on the safe side, but I just wasn't quite prepared for it's sheer beauty as an object. It is just glorious to look at. Will you look at that colour and the bound, very dark, rosewood fretboard - it is just poetry! I've got a lightly aged mint green guard ready for a change sometime but, really, I love the way it looks now.
The quality of the rosewood is also superb. I couldn't have specified a nice piece. Smooth, very dark with nice chestnut hints in the daylight.
And then I played it (as supplied from the shop).
All was mostly fine as set up by the shop, except for that... bridge. What a piece of crap! Rattle, buzz, rattle....
and the intonation was well off - the A and E were seriously sharp despite extreme settings. Anyone else have this?
Also, the sheer quantity of behind-the-nut and behind the bridge harmonics coming through the amp ... It was like a bloody off-key orchestra!
So I fiddled with the bridge for a couple of hours and more. The intonation saddles just wouldn't go back far enough on the low A and E to intonate.
So I -
1) ripped out the the A and E saddle springs to allow enough room to get the intonation right. Result: intonation perfect. But, even worse rattle, rattle.
2) I cut small pieces of dark grey packing foam and I stuffed them very tightly into the intonation saddle gaps. Result: No rattles! (Pictured)
3) I cut a strip of the same packing foam to put directly behind the bridge to suppress the behind the bridge notes. Result: No orchestra of harmonics! (not pictured). I will just put this in place wen I play (like my Ric and Gretsch guitars).
4) I put a tiny piece of sellotape and stuffed it very close to the G string post. Result: stopped the G behind the nut ringing
With that all done, I then spend hours playing through my DRRI at breakup, with a Carbon Copy pedal, a little Wampler Ego Comp and a little amp trem engaged.
Wonderful! What a great Fender sound. The bridge pickup is great for Stratty stuff. With the tone pot rolled back to about 7 it's got a great sounds. Smoother than a Strat, not as bitey as Tele. A softer twangy, meaty, warm attack. It's its own thing swinging there. It's easy to play, action is low, no fret choking and no tuning issues. I've been reading about the various strings that people play , but the 10-46 on it already seem OK.
I barely notice the slightly longer scale. The bound neck is smooth with no pull or fret roughness, the trem is just amazing (a genuine Leo triumph). It stays perfectly in tune. The trem action is so smooth and sweet, little touches here and there with delay and reverb are a delight. I prefer it to a Bigsby and I finally "get" the JM Tele hybrid. It's about 8 pound and balances perfectly. Feels lighter on the strap.
Pics (it looks a little bluer in these than in person
