Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

[Anficht]

Ok let me reverse the typical question: got my SD Dave Murray loaded pickguard.
Also have a superfat 1-piece quartersawn Maple neck ready!

But now I need to custom build the body around the pickups (probably Warmoth/Musikraft/USACG) with a nice Gotoh modern 2-post trem!

But: What body wood to go for with those Hot Rails? Alder? lightweight Swamp Ash? Or Basswood?

Now I could have just bought the MIM Dave Murray Strat - but I do not like the (to me) thin neck on these and I do not like Floyds.
I appreciate Dave's tone though and as he is one of my favorite players - I just have to have a project build around his pickups!

Now Alder is what Dave's using. So that would be the safer choice.
Basswood would be what was also used on the 2001 MIJ Iron Maiden Strat. Plus I like that wood for a shredder's guitar (also combines great with 1-piece Maple).
lightweight Swamp Ash is also a nice wood - also brighter and has a fast attack which might work great with those mid-heavy hotrails.

Any suggestions?

Thanks, Chris

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

9 pounds of maple.

Or a zebrawood body with a colored stain.

Otherwise, if you're intent on getting Dave's tone, get Dave's gear to start (then you can worry about getting his picking and fretting technique).

 

[Anficht]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

Ok, maybe I should have been more clear: I'm not looking to get Dave's tone - just pretty much impossible, as I don't have his fingers

This Strat will be more a "Dave Murray"-inspired custom Strat.

So, just looking for opinions on what to go with for the body wood - Alder, Basswood or Swamp Ash

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

Depends on their tonal properties when in your hands? Have you played a Strat with either of those woods? The pickups aren't going to change that much by themselves, so even if all you've played is each body wood with the standard Fender pickups, the Duncans will just give you "more" of whatever tonal aspect they favor.

 

[Anficht]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

Yes, I have all these body woods at home currently except for basswood.
Like them all... just different flavors.
Never played Swamp-Ash with humbuckers though... also never played Basswood with singlecoils...

So just inquiring for opinions

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

Alder vote here...

 

[ant_riv]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

I've always preferred alder myself.

I have a bridge rail and a lil59 neck in an alder body and really like it.

Based on what you said about basswood and maple though, I think that might be your best option.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

I'd go alder, with high output pickups. Ash can be a bit peaky in certain areas.

 

[Anficht]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

That's good to know about Ash. I have a lightweight Swamp Ash Strat which is great, but it has SD Antiquity Texas singlecoils - and those harmonize greatly with that wood.

Alder would be a safe choice but I might opt for Basswood. Really liked that MIJ Iron Maiden Strat that I used to own back in 2001...

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

Basswood for sure.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

^ Thats the other one. I dunno.......I always thought of basswood as like alder but with way less personality. Like if you want to have no contribution from the wood, go basswood

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

Well put, AlexR.

I've tried/owned a few Basswood Strats,they've all been pretty meh...

 

[Anficht]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

Good call on the basswood... but aren't a lot of shredder guitars (the old Petrucci IBZ comes to mind, Paul Gilbert's Ibz models, etc.), made out of basswood?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Reverse question: got my Dave Murray loaded PG - which body wood to go with?

^ I always thought that was THE reason for it......to rely on the tonality of the pickup and the amp without the structure/wood colouring the tone