Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

PFDarkside

PFDarkside

of the Forum
I've had this body kicking around for like 8 years, through 4 moves and I think I want to build it up.... It's a Warmoth, so a very "blue" version of Seafoam.

I've got 4 vintage style Strats so I'm thinking at least a bridge humbucker, but I haven't decided HS, HSS, HH or HSH. I don't even know if I want a maple or rosewood fretboard.

Here are a few older mock ups I had done, the maple and rosewood necks are on builds now, the tort guard is back on the original so basically I have the HH guard and that's it. This one will be a new neck, small, standard headstock.

I'm open to basically anything, but leaning toward either:
-Vintage looking/modern playing
-Full on Charvel style

Seafoam - White - Maple


Seafoam - Tortoise - Maple


Seafoam - White - Rosewood


Seafoam - Tortoise - Rosewood


Let me know what you'd do if you were building this guitar!
 
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Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

Maple neck, white pickguard...the guitar really shines that way!

If it was my guitar...I'd put a 70's headstock heavily tinted maple neck on it (NOT reverse headstock, though). I'd make it a bridge pickup only guitar and I would have two knobs...one volume and one tone, but I would have the tone knob at the bottom (normal position) and the volume knob in the middle spot and no knob hole at the top and no toggle. I find the standard spot for volume on a strat gets in my way big time when I play. I play volume wide open. In fact, I wouldn't even have the tone knob connected, but I like how it looks much better with two knobs instead of just one. So, electronically, I'd keep it uber simple...bridge pickup connected only to volume pot and that's it.
 
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Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

Rosewood board, red tortoise guard, HH double cream DiMarzios. Done.
 
Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

Van Noord said:
Rosewood board, red tortoise guard, HH double cream DiMarzios. Done.
Click to expand...

The Maple/White was the first plan, but since it needs a newly ordered neck and pickups period, a new guard is no big deal.

I think I'll do a Kisakae mockup of rosewood, tort and double cream.
 
Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

PFDarkside said:
I've had this body kicking around for like 8 years, through 4 moves and I think I want to build it up.... It's a Warmoth, so a very "blue" version of Seafoam. Let me know what you'd do if you were building this guitar!
Click to expand...
Here is what i would do. First on the neck, you already are using an aftermarket body with a hard tail so I would go with a Moses graphite neck and hear me out in this. I bought a mutt strat a few years back with a Tele headstock Moses neck so I have had experience with what I am suggesting here. That guitar was super heavy mostly due to the crappy body it had but played like butter may well have been the best sounding Strat I have ever played + the response over the entire neck was super even. There is another mutt Strat in a local shop that i have been drooling over with a Moses neck. Don't care for the pickups but the way it plays and how even the response is across the neck floors me every time I pick it up. Know this is NOT traditional but trust me here if I had that body a Moses neck would have to go on it. i will build another Strat like this at some point and even though that neck is expensive it's worth every penny!
Pickups and such can be changed but build that basic platform with the Hardtail Warmoth body and the Moses neck use good hardware and trust me what ever you drop in it pickup wise it will FLOOR you!
http://mosesgraphite.com/productpages/ns-27-s-style-guitar/
 
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Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

I'd also make it a bridge humbucker only guitar.

Just pick your favorite bridge humbucker and get a one HB pickguard for it.

You know, Allen Holdsworth felt that using only a bridge pickup enhanced sustain and that he got a purer tone without the magnets from middle and neck pickups pulling on the strings.

I think he's right and when I put my '54 Esquire back together last year I left the neck pickup that the previous owner had installed off.

It's subtle. But it does sustain better and ring longer.

Since all of your other guitars are more or less conventional guitars, why not make this one a little different?

I've always like a one piece maple neck with sea foam green. And a white or light mint pickguard.
 
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Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

Seafoam Green + Rosewood = Heaven. :D

I think Seafoam Green is much happier with white pickups instead of black or cream. Reminds me of a classic '50s/60s American car.

Here is my Warmoth body/Fender neck Yngwie Strat in Seafoam Green (definitely not a simulation :cool: ):

1.jpg


I am partial to the classic white pickguard, although tortoise with white pickups w/visible pole pieces would be a winner. As for SSS or HH, can't help you there, that's up to you! Since it's such a traditional look overall, I'd do SSS personally...
 
Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

Another vote for white pickguard and maple fingerboard (raw as possible...) small standard headstock but I'd go h/s ...custom 5 and quarterpounder with one volume and one tone. Three way switch.
 
Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

White pearloid pickguard with maple board could look awesome too!
 
Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

White with maple

Strats need a tremolo

I got a faded Daphne blue Squire Bullet that is a perfect for what you want
And I'll swap ya even for it no problem
I'll go ahead and box it up for ya rite now
 
Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

Maple neck

Tort pickguard

Custom Custom bridge (zebra)

Phat Cat neck
 
Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

Hey, this is a good problem to have! I keep wanting to replace all of the Strats I have, with hardtail bodies (I never use the trem anyway) so I've been thinking about this exact thing lately...
Seafoam body, rosewood board, white pearl guard, QP neck and bridge pup, and either just a cover in the middle, or get crazy and have a no-middle-pup guard made. A freind of mine got a Richie Blackmore strat, and I dug the way it sounded, plus I usually wire my Strats to be N+B in series and use that all the time. Now, if I could just find a natural ash hardtail strat body that doesn't weigh 4,000 pounds...
 
Re: Ive got a Seafoam hardtail Strat Body.... what to do?

I like B but with C's neck. And no middle pickup (and no space for it). Oh, and scallop the neck.

Matching strap, of course.
 
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