swamp ash strat?

[appar111]

Anyone using a strat with a swamp ash body and humbuckers? I'm thinking of picking up a hardtail swamp ash body and wondered how different it might sound from the alder, strat hardtail, humbucker equipped tele bodies I've been using.

[JordanM82]

Re: swamp ash strat?

sorry not with Humbuckers, just singles...

[Brow]

Re: swamp ash strat?

I have an Ash bodied strat with only a bridge humbucker. Not sure if it's Swamp Ash or not though!

[jeremy]

Re: swamp ash strat?

i used to have a hardtail swamp ash strat that i liked alot. very resonant and light weight.

compared to my alder hardtail it had a bigger tighter bottom, less mids and a stronger high end. the mids had more growl to them too which i really liked.

[chcjunior]

Re: swamp ash strat?

I've got a Tom Anderson Classic which is swamp ash....and as Jeremy stated..."a bigger tighter bottom, less mids and a stronger high end. the mids had more growl" pretty much sums it up. Note that this is with the Floyd Rose.

[JaySwear]

Re: swamp ash strat?

My old Warmoth strat was a chambered swamp ash body with a humbucker in the bridge. Liked it a lot! Very clear and even tones, not too bright and harsh. It was a full size humbucker, too. Not a single sized.

[Jeff_H]

Re: swamp ash strat?

I have a two piece swamp ash strat, but right now it has singles in it. I am going to trade someone my SSL-1 for and SSL-2 in an attempt to get the bridge sound more to what I want to hear, but I think if I am going to keep this guitar long term I will have to have it routed for a bridge humbucker. I just can't find a single coil sound I like....and I've tried a ton of singles from vintage to progressive to hot.

I think it will sound better with a bridge humbucker. I like the way jeremy described the sound. To me, the neck and middle positions sound fantastic with singles, but the bridge just doesn't cut it.

[jeremy]

Re: swamp ash strat?

I have a two piece swamp ash strat, but right now it has singles in it. I am going to trade someone my SSL-1 for and SSL-2 in an attempt to get the bridge sound more to what I want to hear, but I think if I am going to keep this guitar long term I will have to have it routed for a bridge humbucker. I just can't find a single coil sound I like....and I've tried a ton of singles from vintage to progressive to hot.

I think it will sound better with a bridge humbucker. I like the way jeremy described the sound. To me, the neck and middle positions sound fantastic with singles, but the bridge just doesn't cut it.

the ssl2 is very similar to the ssl1. what dont you like about the ssl1? what else have you tried and what didnt you like about them? wanna try something else?

[AlexR]

Re: swamp ash strat?

What bridge singles have you had in there Jeff? I've got a Twangbanger coming for a strat project thats almost finished and I'm hoping its good, as it was a forum fave......but maybe you're wanting a thicker tone than any single can do.

[Jeff_H]

Re: swamp ash strat?

Let's see. SSL 1, SSL 3, SSL 5, Twangbanger, APS, Lil 59' and I think one or two others. I really think I just don't like bridge single coils. My strat sounds amazing with the neck and neck/mid positions, but I just hear ice pick and harsh, not smooth whenever I use the bridge pickup. I was thinking that the SSL-2 might have better string to string balance, but I know it won't be a very big difference. I honestly would not know what else to use or try. Suggestions?

I have really tried to like and play bridge singles. It very well may be my playing ability and/or style....or maybe just my ears. I don't know. I'm about to give up on it though. Maybe I need to send the whole damn guitar to jeremy and let him sort it out.

[FuseG4]

Re: swamp ash strat?

No use forcing yourself to like something. Get a humbucker in there.

[jeremy]

Re: swamp ash strat?

What bridge singles have you had in there Jeff? I've got a Twangbanger coming for a strat project thats almost finished and I'm hoping its good, as it was a forum fave......but maybe you're wanting a thicker tone than any single can do.

im a big fan of the twangbanger, doesnt sound all that much like a tele but it sounds really good.

Let's see. SSL 1, SSL 3, SSL 5, Twangbanger, APS, Lil 59' and I think one or two others. I really think I just don't like bridge single coils. My strat sounds amazing with the neck and neck/mid positions, but I just hear ice pick and harsh, not smooth whenever I use the bridge pickup. I was thinking that the SSL-2 might have better string to string balance, but I know it won't be a very big difference. I honestly would not know what else to use or try. Suggestions?

I have really tried to like and play bridge singles. It very well may be my playing ability and/or style....or maybe just my ears. I don't know. I'm about to give up on it though. Maybe I need to send the whole damn guitar to jeremy and let him sort it out.

ice pick and harsh on all strings or just the skinny ones?
you found even the ssl3 ice picky and harsh?
did you put a tone control on the bridge pup?
if you really dont like single coils in the bridge then its fine to put a bucker in there (pussy )
if you wanted to send it to me, id be happy to go thru it and see what i can do

[Jeff_H]

Re: swamp ash strat?

The SSL3 and 5 were better, but they were so much hotter than the other pickups. Icepick mainly on the high strings, but even the low strings sound "metalic." It's probably just that single coil twang and cut that I just don't get on with. I really want to like an all single coil guitar. I should spend more time playing it and learning songs and jamming to tunes that feature that sound. Perhaps I am trying to fit a bridge single coil sound into a style that isn't right for it?

There are plenty of guys playing high gain stuff using single coil bridges through roaring Marshalls that sound amazing. Iron Maidon right off the top of my head. Even though I'm not a huge Yngwie fan, he can make a single coil sound really good.

I do have a tone control wired to the bridge. I can't remember right now if I just moved the middle tone control to the bridge or wired it to control both, but I can use the tone on the bridge. When I roll it down enough to take some of the highs and metallic sound out of the tone, it sounds too muffled. Like I said, I'm almost convince it's me, but I keep trying because I really like some of the tones that other people get.

I've got good CTS 250k pots, good caps, all Callaham hardware, and of course SD pickups, so I don't think it's a quality parts or hardware issue. Great thin nitro finish, maple board....everything I always wanted in a strat. When I'm working again I may ship it to you Jeremy and let you play it for a while and mess with it; change the bridge pickup or mess with it some other way. Maybe I'm just an idiot and it's not a very good sounding guitar, but I love the neck and middle pos so much I don't want to believe that. I don't want to be a vagina either.

Sorry to the OP for the hijack.

[idsnowdog]

Re: swamp ash strat?

Swamp Ash bodies sound better with maple fretboards. I was about to trash mine until I tried a maple neck.

[tone?]

Re: swamp ash strat?

Almost every swamp ash guitar I Have tried with a rosewood neck has sounded crappy to me

But with a maple neck they sound really sweet, just as described