Want to Buy: Parts for a Valley Arts Luke tribute guitar but HSH

markguitarblaze · March 2023

Can't afford the real thing so looking to recreate something close to the VA Lukather guitar from scratch. Wanted: cherry sunburst, quilted top, HSH format body, EMG89/89R and SA pickups, soft V neck with ebony board, gold trem and gold schaller locking tuners.

Jez6345789 · March 2023

I am a big fan of the VA guitars although the US ones these days are priced out of it by US speculators etc.

Doing a VA as a parts caster is doable but you will probably struggle to find a quilted maple drop top body in the UK and if you want to be fully authentic you will need to do some additional shaping as VA bodies were not an exact Strat. You will also need to get the original fire glow colors as they are different from the normal cheery sunburst dyes.

Soft V neck should be doable but again if you want a quilt or birds eye like the VA ones then going to be premium.

Pickups and hardware unless you want the VA branded ones should be doable and you can get the transfers online.

markguitarblaze · March 2023

Jez6345789 said:

I am a big fan of the VA guitars although the US ones these days are priced out of it by US speculators etc.

Doing a VA as a parts caster is doable but you will probably struggle to find a quilted maple drop top body in the UK and if you want to be fully authentic you will need to do some additional shaping as VA bodies were not an exact Strat. You will also need to get the original fire glow colors as they are different from the normal cheery sunburst dyes.

Soft V neck should be doable but again if you want a quilt or birds eye like the VA ones then going to be premium.

Pickups and hardware unless you want the VA branded ones should be doable and you can get the transfers online.

Thanks, that's very helpful - it's so great being part of such a supportive forum. I'm not going to try to make an exact copy - more a tribute with a twist or two as dictated by the availability of parts etc. Thanks again.

Bennyboy-UK · March 2023

Hi there Mark,

I have a load of EMG pickups and kit which I'm selling - I did just sell an SA, but I might be able to help put a kit together of some of the items you are after.

I have a mint condition EMG 89 and possibly an 89R - along with the push pull pot which you would need plus probably all the other bits to hook up.

I need to check through.

Best regards,
Ben.

markguitarblaze · March 2023

Bennyboy-UK said:

Hi there Mark,

I have a load of EMG pickups and kit which I'm selling - I did just sell an SA, but I might be able to help put a kit together of some of the items you are after.

I have a mint condition EMG 89 and possibly an 89R - along with the push pull pot which you would need plus probably all the other bits to hook up.

I need to check through.

Best regards,
Ben.

Thanks - just let me know what you have and how much you want for it. Thanks again. Mark

Jez6345789 · March 2023

If you get a paddle headstock neck it’s pretty easy to make a template and rout the revised VA headstock.

I believe some of the original custom pro’s were made from solid billets of quilted maple that would be hard to find these days at a sensible price so a drop top will be the easier way.

hollywoodrox · March 2023

There is a Steve Lukather populated pickguard with his signature pickups if that’s any use?
Loving what you’re doing . I’ve only got a gold bridge so far for my mim ash strat but hoped one day to make something vaguely VA like . They’re such great guitars Remember ads of Luke in particular with his , but all the big studio guys seemed to have them & Bradshaw rigs

Bennyboy-UK · March 2023

markguitarblaze said:

Bennyboy-UK said:

Hi there Mark,

I have a load of EMG pickups and kit which I'm selling - I did just sell an SA, but I might be able to help put a kit together of some of the items you are after.

I have a mint condition EMG 89 and possibly an 89R - along with the push pull pot which you would need plus probably all the other bits to hook up.

I need to check through.

Best regards,
Ben.

Thanks - just let me know what you have and how much you want for it. Thanks again. Mark

Here are the main bits:

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/244004/fs-emg-pickups-and-kit-seymour-duncan/p1

I think I have a push pull pot suitable for the EMG 89 if you wanted that.

Cheers,
Ben.

Bork · April 2023

I've done something similar with a Chandler (Kew) strat. It had a solid quilted maple body and I've replaced pretty much everything else including the paint. The neck is all maple and was refinished in tung oil, it's getting a bit old looking now so will replace it with a custom job. Where I'm located, it's easy enough to get a flame maple neck with ebony board for about 75 quid so plan to fit that some time over the Summer and upgrade the Wilkinson VS100C trem to a Kahler 4200.

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Want to Buy: Parts for a Valley Arts Luke tribute guitar but HSH

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