Which sellers offer hardtail Strat-style bodies in mahogany?

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Itsabass' current thread made me aware of Guitar Mill as one maker/seller of hardtail Strat style bodies in mahogany. Any other makers/sellers of a body with these specs? I have already perused Warmoth and USACG and didnt see the hardtail option there...

[Edit] not just hardtail, but bodies where holes for the bridge and/or string through have not been drilled, since i want to install a Stoptail/Tune o matic type bridge.

[PFDarkside]

Re: Which sellers offer hardtail Strat-style bodies in mahogany?

I’d guarantee Warmoth and Musikraft will do it, just call.

[Ayrton]

Re: Which sellers offer hardtail Strat-style bodies in mahogany?

All of them I am sure. A hardtail strat is a common option.

Warmoth
USACG
Guitar Mill
Wildwood
Musikraft

[ItsaBass]

Re: Which sellers offer hardtail Strat-style bodies in mahogany?

To add to the other good suggestions above, you might give Marc Rutters a call too. He is a bit spotty with e-mail, so call him if he doesn't answer your e-mail within a week. He's got the "guy in a garage" vibe, more so than most of these companies...but that comes with advantages as well as drawbacks. His prices are super fair, and he will basically do anything you want without any trouble IME. On the down side, you have to nail him down, which can be hard sometimes.

For the setup you're talking about, you'll want a neck angle. Probably 2 degrees would give you enough angle to work with the T.O.M., without going too crazy. I know for a fact that Rutters and Guitar Mill will rout in a neck angle for you. I don't know if those other places will. Every time I ask Warmoth for something outside of the box, it's a clear NO from them. They are very cookie cutter these days, heavily locked in to pre-programmed/standard options, not like they used to be. Rutters probably won't charge extra for doing so. Guitar Mill will. But I don't know if Rutters routinely stocks mahogany, while Guitar Mill definitely does.

I also might suggest a Gibson-Style wraparound, as opposed to a T.O.M.+tailpiece. It will be easier on a Strat IMO...plus I just love wraparound bridges, like on Juniors, etc. Great feel, great look, great tone.

Here's what a 2 degree neck angle looks like on a Jaguar, in terms of bridge height. This is done via a wedged shim in a standard depth pocket. If you have the angle routed into the pocket, as opposed to using a shim on top of a standard depth pocket, the neck and bridge will be about 3/32" lower than this. Which route you use depends on how far off the body you want the neck/strings/bridge to sit. If you want an archtop feel, with everything sitting a bit high off the body (like this Jag in these pix), then go with the wedged shim on a stock pocket. If you want more of a Les Paul/SG feel, with everything a little lower to the body, then have the angle routed into the pocket by whoever makes the body. Either that, or have them rout a flat neck pocket a little deeper than normal, and then you shim to taste yourself.

[AlexR]

Re: Which sellers offer hardtail Strat-style bodies in mahogany?

The typical Gibson slab body has a 2.5 deg angle - and thats a similar setup to a strat, so you'll need to play in the +/- .5 from that ballpark. If you can't get a neck angle routed from your supplier of choice, Stewmac makes neck pocket angled shims.

[ehdwuld]

Re: Which sellers offer hardtail Strat-style bodies in mahogany?

Keisel / Carvin probably will as well

[JollyRoger523]

Re: Which sellers offer hardtail Strat-style bodies in mahogany?

Didn't read all replies. But Warmoth does them. At least they used to. I have a mahogany strat body with tune-o-matic (recessed to avoid needing an angled neck pocket) and string thru body.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Which sellers offer hardtail Strat-style bodies in mahogany?

Didn't read all replies. But Warmoth does them. At least they used to. I have a mahogany strat body with tune-o-matic (recessed to avoid needing an angled neck pocket) and string thru body.

I was thinking of installing a Floyd FRX tremolo system. I would be concerned that it's not compatible with recessed studs. Anyone know?

[Chistopher]

Re: Which sellers offer hardtail Strat-style bodies in mahogany?

Then why not just get a normal Floyd? With the FRX you won't quite get the range or the feel of a normal Floyd, plus you will have to angle the neck and get a specially cut pickguard.

[allbutromeo]

Re: Which sellers offer hardtail Strat-style bodies in mahogany?

Warmoth most certainly makes them, I just checked the Custom Body builder. The offer 11 different hardtail options for Strats including recessed mount for a T.O.M. or an angled neck pocket

[metalchurch79]

Re: Which sellers offer hardtail Strat-style bodies in mahogany?

http://www.kneguitars.com/vint_bod.php

He will delete and/or add anything you want.