Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

[loudriver23]

Hello all,
I am now GASing for a new custom HSS Strat. I think i'll either use a Warmoth Or USA Custom body. What I need is a nice Stratty sound in the neck and mid postions with some added warmth and KRUNCH for the bridge HB. ALA Janes Addiction, Tool, etc...
Should I go with an Alder or Ash body, or do you think using Mahagony would be the way to go? Are there any downsides to using Mahogany for the strat tonality?
Thanks,
Loudriver

 

[xerxes]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

hmmm. i would go with the mahogany because of the crunch. it should also give you some nice mid and neck sounds.

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

What about Mahogany with a Maple Top???

 

[kaknight]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

I'd say go traditional. go with ash or alder. If you want a brighter tone, ash will help you out. the thing about strats is that they sound like strats because of what they are made of and how they are designed. The first thing to go when you start f'ing with woods and pickguards and such is that true fender quack. If you want a really strat sounding neck and mid, keep it simple on the woods and pickguard. then, because there are so many options in terms of HB pickups, you can really choose carefully to get the best tone with the rest of the strat. Personally, I think that the JB might be a great pup for this. Having a pup attached to a plastic pick guard can give it a warmer tone to begin with, and the JB might compliment that nicely. Or maybe a 59b.

BTW, for the best Fender strat tone, get a single ply pickguard. they make the guitars sound much warmer and fuller!! it's what the early strats had.

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

Great info KAKNIGHT!!!
I do want to keep that strat Squack for sure.... Besides if i need a warmer bridge tone I can always roll a little tone off.
Loudriver.

 

[kaknight]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

also assuming that you are going to use somewhat traditional wiring scheme, you will have a 250k volume pot which will make an HB sound less bright than in most HB only guitars.

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

Yeah, I was thinking of going with traditional wiring, except for the #4 Postion where I'll probably split the humbucker to match better with the SC in the middle.

 

[MattPete]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

Alder. Ash will be two spanky for the bridge tone you want, and mahogany will probably be too mellow for the neck and mid tones you want.

 

[Seraphial]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

I'd say go traditional. go with ash or alder. If you want a brighter tone, ash will help you out. the thing about strats is that they sound like strats because of what they are made of and how they are designed. The first thing to go when you start f'ing with woods and pickguards and such is that true fender quack. If you want a really strat sounding neck and mid, keep it simple on the woods and pickguard. then, because there are so many options in terms of HB pickups, you can really choose carefully to get the best tone with the rest of the strat. Personally, I think that the JB might be a great pup for this. Having a pup attached to a plastic pick guard can give it a warmer tone to begin with, and the JB might compliment that nicely. Or maybe a 59b.

BTW, for the best Fender strat tone, get a single ply pickguard. they make the guitars sound much warmer and fuller!! it's what the early strats had.

Kaknights pretty spot on when it comes to getting the Fender sound, but I'd like to suggest Koa as a tonewood. Midrangey and a little brighter than mahogany, it still retains a lot of quack and treble when paired with single coils. Looks fab naturally finished as well.

 

[yes-fan]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

yeah koa definatly. my friend has a warmoth koa bottom maple top guitar. the thing is nice and punchy in the bridge. as for the neck it is a little bit warmer than ash but in a good way.

 

[hacker]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

I would go with alder or even basswood. Ash gets a bad rap sometimes-it is really a warm sounding tonewood, but it is normally associated with maple neck telecasters, which are bright sounding guitars, and therefore people always think ash=bright. Ever play the Gibson Swamp Ash Studio? No brightness there.

With that said, i would not go with Ash only because Ash is not as consistent in terms of weight as alder or basswood is.

Basswood is a light wood, that is sonically similar to alder. It is not a "cheap" wood, and has been used on many high end guitars.

Also, i do not think having a single ply versus a triple ply pickkguard has any affect on tone whatsoever. I have owned dozens of strats, and I just don't see this.

In the end, whatever wood you go with, as long as it is a quality, resonant piece, and the neck joint is nice and tight, and you put good pickups in, you will have a good sounding guitar.

I have two warmoths, and they both sound fantastic. Good luck.

 

[fusion101]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

koa would be a perfect in between wood for your guitar Seraphial pretty much laid out the reason why.

 

[Ken]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

Hmmm...maybe it's just me cuz I'm a whore for it, but what about Korina?

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

How about a mahogany body with a fat maple neck? I asked reviews about woods in a H/S/S guitar before and mahogany seemed right there for the strat tone with alder. Wouldn't the maple neck (especially something fat) be enough to add that "quack"?

The mahogany body should add crunch to the humbucker. All in all, that sounds like it'd be a good combination, no? (I'm trying to think of an alternative to koa because it's pricey).

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

Thanks again guys, I appreciate your advice. Now I just need to think about it for a while. All and all i'm still leaning towards Alder, but anything is possible. I am planning a trip to the Warmoth Factory in Washington this July so we shall see what I wind up with.
Muaha ha ha ha!!!
You all rule, thanks a million.
Loudriver

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

Sorry for making things more complicated (decisions suck, don't they?)

I think Alder should work great for both.. .it'll definitely nail Strat tones and I'm sure with the right humbucker, great crunchy distortion can be had.

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

Its all good Chris,
Yeah decisions suck, I am soooo wishy washy... But once I finally make a decision I'm usually good. That said, my new strat should be ready in 2010.
:smack:

 

[jpage]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

I have a gorgeous swamp ash body on my warmoth strat and I couldn't be happier. But traditional Strat tones are #1 for me, the HB in the bridge is an afterthought. Whatever you do, let them know that you will pay for an xxx-light body. Believe me, it's worth the dough and wait if need be.

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

Do you mean have them hollow it out and put a top on it? Or just wait for a lighter piece of wood?

 

[jpage]

Re: Body Wood For new Warmoth Strat.. Suggesions PLEASE!!!

Do you mean have them hollow it out and put a top on it? Or just wait for a lighter piece of wood?

Wait for the light stuff.