Ok, found my pickups--now I need wood!

[Drazden]

All right! I'm building a Frankenstrat-style guitar, with a Warmoth neck, Duncan pickups and a homebuilt body.

Here's the thing--I can get either ash or alder for the body, and I can't decide which'll make the pickups I've chosen sing better.

The pickups I will be using are (in the bridge) a C5, non F-spaced, out of an SG that I had.

The neck pickup will be a left-hand stagger APS-1.

I'm hoping to get a nice, VH-style tone from the bridge, and a cleaner, more Hendrixy style from the neck.

Then mix 'em together!!!

I'll be using an all-maple left-handed Warmoth neck, slung backwards. But I just need tips on the body wood. I can get some ash for cheap, but if the tone difference would be that major, maybe I can spend the extra and get alder.

Can anyone help me?

[rspst14]

Re: Ok, found my pickups--now I need wood!

Are you talking about northern ash or swamp ash? Swamp ash will be brighter than northern ash. Alder will be warmer than swamp ash, and probably a bit brighter than northern ash.

Ryan

[Benjy_26]

Re: Ok, found my pickups--now I need wood!

Personally, I'd go with alder. It's the chicken of woods.

Everything "kinda tastes like it". Make sure to pick out a nice, light piece of wood with tight, straight grain and you should be fine.

[NathanCahill]

Re: Ok, found my pickups--now I need wood!

You know I think they make a pill for that. J/K

I'm with benjy on this you can't go wrong with alder. Personaly I think Swamp ash will give you just a bit warmer sound compared to alder but thats just me.

[NathanCahill]

Re: Ok, found my pickups--now I need wood!

From warmoth.com

Ash (Fraxinus americana):
We have two very different types of Ash: Northern Hard Ash and Swamp Ash (Southern Soft Ash). Northern Hard Ash is very hard, heavy and dense. A Strat® body will normally weigh 5 lbs. and up. It's density contributes to a bright tone and a long sustain which makes it very popular. It's color is creamy, but it also tends to have heartwood featuring pink to brown tints. The grain pores are open and it takes a lot of finish to fill them up. Swamp Ash is a prized wood for many reasons. It is a very musical wood offering a very nice balance of brightness and warmth with a lot of "pop". It is a fairly light weight wood which makes it easily distinguishable from Hard Ash. A Strat® body will normally weigh under 5 lbs. Many of the 50's Fenders were made of Swamp Ash. The grain is open and the color is creamy. This wood is a very nice choice for clear finishes. Swamp Ash is our second most popular wood.

[mrfjones]

Re: Ok, found my pickups--now I need wood!

i have to say alder on this one. i think a nice piece of ash may be too bright, but that is all taste.

[Stevo]

Re: Ok, found my pickups--now I need wood!

Check out this page from Warmoth.
http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/option..._bodywoods.cfm

[Drazden]

Re: Ok, found my pickups--now I need wood!

thanks everybody!

[Dodger]

Re: Ok, found my pickups--now I need wood!

Id go with alder. The C-5 is quite scooped in the midranges and alder has quite a full midrange whereas ash is scooped which would most likely sound to hollow.

[SABOTAGE]

Re: Ok, found my pickups--now I need wood!

Re: Ok, found my pickups--now I need wood!

when i need wood my wife does it for me everytime!