Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

[gregsuarez]

I have finally decided to construct a totally unique Warmoth build since I can't find a Fender Strat (my weapon of choice) that I am completely happy with (combo of woods, hardware, finish, etc.). I am no expert when it comes to designing guitars, so I would like some feedback. I own a Fender American Deluxe Strat that I love that gives me classic rock/blues tones (using Fender N3 pickups), but I am looking for a complementary guitar for progressive/instrumental metal... more aggressive tones. Here's the build I'm considering:

Swamp ash body (chambered) with swamp ash laminate top
Maple neck (1-piece)
Floyd Rose
Bridge: Screamin' Demon
Middle: None
Neck: Jazz

I chose ash for its slight tonal difference from alder (slightly scooped mids), and I wanted the chambered body for extra resonance and sustain. I'm looking at the Screamin' Demon based on the description on the SD web page, and I'm going with the Jazz because I have used one before and I thought it was the best neck pickup I have ever used.

Will the ash be too bright for the kind of music I wanted to play?
Will the chambered body be a liability with high gain styles (feedback, etc.)?
Are there better pickup options I should consider?

 

[DarkMatter]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

In my opinion, any reasonable electric guitar cannot be too bright. There are many ways to remove treble with electronics, but no way to add it if it's not inherently there.

The chambers will be no problem with high gain at all.

 

[gregsuarez]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[J E C]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

What do you mean by Progressive Instrumental Metal? Vai, Satch, Dream Theater, Vinnie Moore.....? I don't see any thing wrong with your choices. With that body you could always switch the neck out to something else for a different flavor as well as the PUs. I think a lot of options will work with that. As far as feed back, I wouldn't worry about it. A chambered body is a lot different animal compared to a semi or hollow. A lot of very loud music has been made and played on ES guitars and even hollows. Think Ted and his Bird Land!

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

Will the ash be too bright for the kind of music I wanted to play?
Will the chambered body be a liability with high gain styles (feedback, etc.)?
Are there better pickup options I should consider?

If I were in your shoes, I'd probably opt for a solid basswood body with a thin maple top. Not because "I don't love ash" but because the basswood/maple body should be "awesomer" (tighter, punchier and easier to dial in) for gain drenched metal tones. I'd stuff the chambered ash body (assuming I need it at all) with at least one proper single coil and save it for a mid-gain allround-rocker build; I'd possibly skip the Floyd on that one, too.

 

[epi]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

don't get a Floyd... I am annoyed of them since changing tuning is a HUGE hassle... get a fender strat trem or something. anyway other then that, sounds good.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

don't get a Floyd... I am annoyed of them since changing tuning is a HUGE hassle... get a fender strat trem or something. anyway other then that, sounds good.

You're doing it wrong. Floyds aren't built for changing tuning, they are built for keeping it. :firedevil

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

With a Warmoth neck, you'll have to get the Warmoth Pro model which is the only type of neck they'll rout for a Floyd locking nut. The catch is, Warmoth Pros can't be one piece. You could have a 2-piece maple neck no problem, but not a one-piece maple neck. It also has that weird side-adjusting truss rod which I think is ugly as sin. I'm pretty sure Musikraft will make you a one-piece maple neck routed for a Floyd though, and it'd still fit a Warmoth strat body if you get the standard neck pocket.

don't get a Floyd... I am annoyed of them since changing tuning is a HUGE hassle... get a fender strat trem or something. anyway other then that, sounds good.

It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes for a complete Floyd setup if you know what you're doing. That, and you could do a lot more than a strat trem and it is way easier to keep a Floyd in tune for a long time. If you really insist on changing tunings on a Floyd, set it up for dive-only and go nuts.

 

[gregsuarez]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. It definitely gives me plenty to consider. Floyds don't bother me. As long as you're a little patient and give yourself a bit more time than a standard Fender bridge, they're very tamable. I am kicking around getting a non-locking Wilkinson instead (with locking tuners and a roller nut) because I'm still unsure how much vibrato use I'll really need.

 

[gregsuarez]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

What do you mean by Progressive Instrumental Metal? Vai, Satch, Dream Theater, Vinnie Moore.....? I

Exactly... mostly Dream Theater and Savatage style stuff. My main musical inspirations are pretty much all "progressive" bands - Pink Floyd, Queen, Rush, Dream Theater, etc.

Come to think of it, Brian May's timeless Red Special is chambered (I believe the old original is pine), and he can chug some high gain stuff here and there (Headlong, I Want it All, Hammer to Fall, Sweet Lady).

 

[gregsuarez]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

If I were in your shoes, I'd probably opt for a solid basswood body with a thin maple top. Not because "I don't love ash" but because the basswood/maple body should be "awesomer" (tighter, punchier and easier to dial in) for gain drenched metal tones. I'd stuff the chambered ash body (assuming I need it at all) with at least one proper single coil and save it for a mid-gain allround-rocker build; I'd possibly skip the Floyd on that one, too.

It's very interesting you bring up the basswood/maple combo, because someone on another board made that exact same recommendation. I'll have to look into it...

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

...If you really insist on changing tunings on a Floyd, set it up for dive-only and go nuts.

This. If you're debating non-locking trems then chances are you'retalking about dive-only in which case the Floyd is IMO the best choice stability-wise plus you can down-tune to your hearts content.

One other possibility is to use a Floyd but instead of a locking nut, use locking tuners (the 18:1 Hipshot are great) plus a 6-in-line angled headstock.

My custom-built Stinnett guitar is built like that and I have never lost tuning regardless of how crazy I might have gone with the Floyd.

As for the Ash body, it has SCREAMING highs that are really rough and in-your-face but I can attest that Suhr knew his stuff when he said a Rosewood fingerboard will add too much sizzle so whatever you do, don't change your mind on the Maple board (in case you don't go for one-piece neck).

 

[epi]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

You're doing it wrong. Floyds aren't built for changing tuning, they are built for keeping it. :firedevil

I am doing it right. But none the less you never know when you feel like changing it up and the Floyd definitely doesn't help

 

[epi]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

With a Warmoth neck, you'll have to get the Warmoth Pro model which is the only type of neck they'll rout for a Floyd locking nut. The catch is, Warmoth Pros can't be one piece. You could have a 2-piece maple neck no problem, but not a one-piece maple neck. It also has that weird side-adjusting truss rod which I think is ugly as sin. I'm pretty sure Musikraft will make you a one-piece maple neck routed for a Floyd though, and it'd still fit a Warmoth strat body if you get the standard neck pocket.



It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes for a complete Floyd setup if you know what you're doing. That, and you could do a lot more than a strat trem and it is way easier to keep a Floyd in tune for a long time. If you really insist on changing tunings on a Floyd, set it up for dive-only and go nuts.

Takes me at least 20min to set up a Floyd but the time that takes vs a hardtail or non locking trem system is pretty big.

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

You should try the Distortion if you use Swamp Ash, really sounds great in Ash....

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. It definitely gives me plenty to consider. Floyds don't bother me. As long as you're a little patient and give yourself a bit more time than a standard Fender bridge, they're very tamable. I am kicking around getting a non-locking Wilkinson instead (with locking tuners and a roller nut) because I'm still unsure how much vibrato use I'll really need.

ive ben using that particular combination for more than 20 years on my main strat. I dont think its any better than a regular strat setup apart from making string changes faster. If you really want stability for lots of trem use, then floyd is still the best option.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

I have a similar basswod /maple cap guitar with a Wilk. It can sound very fat. Don't use a Custom Custom in it.

I like the Wilk better than a Floyd but thats me. The thing about a Wilk it can be full floating, working fine without a locking nut.

I would not be afraid of swamp ash but it would be solid with no cap. If I remember correctly Tom Anderson once said that chambered swamp ash with a maple top ends up sounding kinda like solid alder.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

Exactly... mostly Dream Theater and Savatage style stuff. My main musical inspirations are pretty much all "progressive" bands - Pink Floyd, Queen, Rush, Dream Theater, etc.

Come to think of it, Brian May's timeless Red Special is chambered (I believe the old original is pine), and he can chug some high gain stuff here and there (Headlong, I Want it All, Hammer to Fall, Sweet Lady).

I'd say May's "chambering" is more along the lines of a semi-hollow. He really dug the body out. As for materials, The body is a solid oak centerpiece, the hollow section is blockboard (which probably contains the pine you mentioned), and has mahogany veneers covering it all. The neck shaft is mahogany as well, with a painted oak fingerboard. Really interesting choice of materials. You possibly may remember The Hitman (it is also off of Innuendo). That is the heaviest I ever remember his guitar sounding. Ogre Battle is a close second.

Takes me at least 20min to set up a Floyd but the time that takes vs a hardtail or non locking trem system is pretty big.

...Then use the hardtails for alternate tunings. It's about using the right setup/tools for the job. Do all ~4mm chisel soldering tips suck because they're not practical for tiny surface-mount components? No, but they're great for cables/wiring jobs though.

What if the OP is like quite a few of us, and uses mainly one tuning? Should they still consider your personal reasoning for disliking Floyds, and still outright avoid them?

 

[genethomas]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

Be sure to get the contoured heel option.
The guitar in my avatar is a Warmoth build. The body is swamp ash with a wild maple top. You can't fault the quality.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Sanity Check on a Warmoth Build

if you go swamp ash you wont need chambered if you get a nice light piece of wood. Swamp ash that is very light comes from the bottom of the tree which holds more water than the denser/heavier wood at the top. When the wood dries out, the body is full of thousands of micro pores and has a very resonant "acousticy" quality to it.
The only downside can be that on a tele body, a really light body can mean a guitar that neck dives on the strap. Luckily strats have the offset body so it wont be an issue unless you go ridiculously light and choose a chunky neck. Something around 4 lbs will be very sweet or maybe a little more if you are going for a boatneck or 59 profile neck.
Instead of just getting an axe from the "builder" section which might be any weight, check out some of the unfinished ones and search them according to weight in the showcase section and then get it painted once you choose the particular body that you like best.