Best woods for a S-S-H?

[That90'sGuy]

I was wondering what you guys thought would be the best wood choices for a S-S-H type config. My next guitar will be this way because I want to be able to have single coils for clean rhythm playing and a humbucker for when I turn on the distortion.

I played and am infatuated with the Terry McInturff Monarch. It had some rich tones without being too trebly... a trait found in too many single coil guitars I'm afraid. It's a mahogany body, neck with indian rosewood fingerboard setup. Will humbuckers and single coils work well with this setup?

I think for pickups I want two Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots (perhaps underwound in the Monarch) with a Joe Barden Two Tone humbucker.

I loved the Don Grosh Bent Top Custom, but the pups seemed to be a bit too bright, perhaps from the mahogany/maple cap body. I was thinking something like Swamp Ash would be cool because I'd get some snap and attack to my tone.

I see so many guitars with this config., but a lot seem to be metal guitars. I'm trying to approach this config. from a completely different angle (trying to get a little Les Paul with the best qualities of a Strat).

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

It's a tough call, but my preference would be a maple cap on mahogany body, and a hard rock maple neck with rosewood fretboard. That's the same config. as my G&L Invader and many Tom Andersons, so it's a time tested formula that sounds great for both humbuckers and single coils.

On my McCarties, I cut the coil tap wire for the bridge pickup, so I can go between the full bridge and single coil neck, just by flicking the 3 way. It got annoying to have to pull up on the tonepot, when going between those settings. Now the guitar is like an H-S or H-H, but never a S-S.

One guitar you might want to check out is the G&L Legacy H-S-S with a flame maple top, and no pickguard. It's similar to a Tom Anderson, but comes stock with Duncans.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

The guitar I was talking about is actually called the G&L Legacy Deluxe. You won't find much quality difference between this and most Suhr's, Andersons, and Grosh's.
These are $1300 new, but can be had for as little as $900 new/used.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

I would say mahagony or alder body. I prefer alder, m'self. Stay AWAY from ash and maple!!

 

[Blueline]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

when i do an HSS config I recommend either mahogany (or limba), alder or swampash in that order

I alwasy prefer to make a thick sounding guitar brighter than the other way around
so my first choices are mahogany and alder (being a middle of the road kind of wood)
with mahogany - if you put a custom/jb/C5 in the bridge and ducks or VR in the neck (or true single coils) you'd be a pretty happy camper

cheers

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

How about seeing if you could get a mahogany back with a swamp ash top?

-That way you get a bit of swamp ash flavour with the mahogany, without the extra brightness of the maple, and cut down on weight.

 

[MattPete]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

Mahogany or alder with no cap (unless it's a thin maple veneer). Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

While Hot Grits' idea is a really original and great one (if I had the cash I think I'd do it); the fact that you guys are recommending mahogany is looking good to me right now

I really do love the McInturff Monarch. I loved the looks and the feel and the tone was pretty good (although I'm gonna have some tweaking of my own ).

I guess you guys are right. While I will admit, the G&L looks pretty good; if mahogany will be a great tone wood for both single coils and humbuckers it will be perfect to put replacements in that McInturff.

I never really hit it off with Suhrs or Andersons myself. The Grosh was better from my experience, but I still faced that there were a few positions that needed the tone rolled off to be useable. Hopefully mahogany will smoothen that out and give me an axe that is killer

I figured with all the talk recently of S-S-H guitars (like the Blade thread, which struck my interest) it would be cool to see what experienced users liked or didn't like. I think the answers pretty much speak for themselves. (Though Hot Grits idea of a mahogany/swamp ash body would be cool )

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

While Hot Grits' idea is a really original and great one (if I had the cash I think I'd do it); the fact that you guys are recommending mahogany is looking good to me right now

I really do love the McInturff Monarch. I loved the looks and the feel and the tone was pretty good (although I'm gonna have some tweaking of my own ).

I guess you guys are right. While I will admit, the G&L looks pretty good; if mahogany will be a great tone wood for both single coils and humbuckers it will be perfect to put replacements in that McInturff.

I never really hit it off with Suhrs or Andersons myself. The Grosh was better from my experience, but I still faced that there were a few positions that needed the tone rolled off to be useable. Hopefully mahogany will smoothen that out and give me an axe that is killer

I figured with all the talk recently of S-S-H guitars (like the Blade thread, which struck my interest) it would be cool to see what experienced users liked or didn't like. I think the answers pretty much speak for themselves. (Though Hot Grits idea of a mahogany/swamp ash body would be cool )

my idea came from seeing that Anderson do swamp ash top/alder back guitars. Have you tried an Anderson cobra or cobra s? -mahogany/maple bodies, glued mahogany necks and gibson scales. May be a bit closer to what you want than other andersons...

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

my idea came from seeing that Anderson do swamp ash top/alder back guitars. Have you tried an Anderson cobra or cobra s? -mahogany/maple bodies, glued mahogany necks and gibson scales. May be a bit closer to what you want than other andersons...

I can't remember what model Anderson I tried to be honest. The McInturff Monarch that I love to death has a one piece honduras mahogany body with honduras mahogany neck with an indian rosewood fretboard. I think the guitar will be warm and with some underwound single coils they should balance perfect giving me that signature strat chime, but with more presence and better balance. The humbucker will give me a bit of a thicker tone to use for distorted stuff and split it will provide more strat-ness... atleast when I'm through that's what I'm hoping for :dance:

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

There's different ways of approaching it. Some guys would rather have 5 guitars that cover the bases. Some guitars can be designed to cover that many bases. Personally, I think that mahogany/maple with a maple/rosewood fretboard gives the best cross of everything. Then, find the perfect pickup compliment, and make sure the hardware is your favorite. Paying more for an instrument like that is never money wasted.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

I suggest the following set:

Ash (if you want more punch go for hard rock ash, if not swamp ash is just fine with the definition, depth and all) body, maple/rosewood neck.

As you are sorta afraid of the excessive highs from the single coils, I would not recommend Lindy Fralin's they are on the chimey and bright side. Van zandt vintage +'s would be better suited. I also hear SD ant texas hots are also not that bright but great!

B

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

After doing lots of research, I think those pups would probably give me the tone that I want. I agree with GJ as far as going all out with it. If I'm going to have one guitar do the job of 5, it better have the best hardware I can get on it

The Monarch is one of my favorite guitars. I would rather have Lindy Fralins in something like that then have another brand to darken up a bright guitar. Blueline does his own custom work so I'm gonna take it to heart that when he says that a mahogany guitar with bright pickups will work well that it will.

Thanks for the responses guys. I'll definitely post my findings in a few months when I have it (gotta save up some money) .

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Best woods for a S-S-H?

You seem to like G&L, right GJ? Can you comment at all about the Legacy HB?

The Legacy HB is pretty classy looking and with a 12'' neck radius, it's looking more my style as well (if the neck shape is a medium c, I'm golden). It's an alder body with a maple neck so that should nail the strat tone and give just enough flexibility for a little les paul, no? This could be my next guitar. Right price, right features (I think) and inspiring looks.

I think I better try out some G&Ls before I just decide on the McInturff. I've played plenty of guitars, but I want to make the next purchase perfect!