NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

C-Martin

New member
So my wife got me this for my birthday:




Pic of the interesting jack location (The color on this picture is a bit off):



It's a custom built mahogany super strat, built by Mauro Liberatore who is a local Luthier here in Montreal. He is now retired, and he usually never lacquered or tinted/painted his guitars (Usually he just did natural wood finish with oil) which kind of makes this a special and unique instrument. Nitrocellulose lacquer and all german hardware including vintage 80's floyd rose.

The pickups are Dimarzio Evolution in the bridge and a Paf Pro in the neck, which i believe is sort of a Steve Vai inspired setup. I find they sound pretty good in this guitar but not exactly the type of tone i generally like. Perhaps they're just too modern sounding for me. I can't help but want try something I'm more used to, something more classic sounding.

I was thinking about a Duncan '59 neck and a Custom SH-5 in the bridge, for more versatility and the type of tones i prefer. I've tried this combination before in a Charvel and a Les Paul, and i loved it for what i play (Mainly hard rock/metal but i like to have access to lower gain tones for bluesy/clean stuff). I've never had a purely mahogany strat style guitar though. Will the Sh-5 and '59 work just as good as they did in Alder or Mahogany/Maple guitars, or will the lack of maple in the body have a significant impact on the high frequencies? I like to have a nice clear and bright tone.

I also want to have the neck pickup covered, maybe even the bridge to match, because the high E string gets caught in the pickup and i don't want to use tape ala Dimebag. Will that affect the 59's sound significantly?
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

I did a little mini poo in my pants i got so excited over that jack location. Nice one.
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Custom will work just fine in that. Make sure you get the TB-5 to have proper string spacing.
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

That's ****ing killer. I too love the jack location/implementation. That's a hell of a gift. Congrats!
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Beautiful guitar, Congrats!
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Lovely grain on that mahogany!
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

custom and 59 is a great choice.
Both pickups also sound great with whatever magnet you care to put in them so once they are in you can easily and reversibly tweak them to taste.
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Badass! Love it!!! Congrats. Mahogany Body with Maple Board Neck sound AWESOME together.
 
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Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Very nice! I think that combo should work just fine. Wire them up to a 5-way.
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Very nice! I think that combo should work just fine. Wire them up to a 5-way.
I agree paf neck and evo bridge should sound great

*(Sent from my durned phone!)*
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Nice!! I built myself a mahogany super strat as well. Mine's a HSS using Seymour's blackout singles and HB.
But the body of mine does not have a nice grain like yours :(
It has a rather dense grain and weigh in at a hefty 9+ lb...:(
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Man that's gorgeous...just make sure you make that a TB-5 :)
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Thanks all! I'm really happy with it, plays amazing and it's super light weight.

Does it have to be TB-5? I have an old DCJ i've been saving, i figured the spacing wasn't that much of a big deal?
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Beautiful axe. I think mahogany lends itself the best to natural finishes, can't recall seeing too many examples of the wood that didn't have the grain for one.
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Very nice! I have a Mahogany HH project I'm working on right now, will be replacing the neck for an all Maple. Good suggestions!
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

I find maple neck sits perfectly with mahogany in both looks and feeling, but i love maple necks in general. The neck on this feels like it's just lightly oiled, no laquer on it, so it's super smooth and almost feels similar to the unfinished neck of Charvel.

So i located a mint nickel covered 59 neck for less than new locally, gonna be picking it up later. I was originally just gonna stick the regular SH-5 i already have in it, but now you guys got me wondering about the TB...

Anyone interested in a Evolution and PAF Pro?
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

Does it have to be TB-5? I have an old DCJ i've been saving, i figured the spacing wasn't that much of a big deal?

*Maybe*. Some people don't notice a difference. I heard a volume drop on the outside E strings on a guitar or two, so I always make sure the string spacing matches.

Anyone interested in a Evolution and PAF Pro?

Sure, I'll PM my address to you. :D
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

*Maybe*. Some people don't notice a difference. I heard a volume drop on the outside E strings on a guitar or two, so I always make sure the string spacing matches.

Interesting side effect then, because i pick really hard anyways and usually the low E string overpowers the other strings for me. So in this case the non trembucker versions might actually work better for me lol :P


Sure, I'll PM my address to you. :D

Well I'm not going to be giving them away for free.. I'd probably sell them for like 50$ each though. They're basically mint so i figure it's a fair deal.
 
Re: NGD! Custom mahogany super strat (Want to try different pickups)

I don't think nickel pickups will look good on that. I'd buy whatever pickups you want and stick plastic covers over them.

humbucker-pickup-cover-closed-black-1097-p.jpg


It's an awesome looking guitar, you have a great wife!
Is it just me though, is the bridge pickup closer to the bridge than normal? It seems to be, and there seems to be a bigger gap between the pups as a result. Maybe that's exacerbating your issue with the strings catching in the pickup screws.
 
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