SSS Swamp ash and maple

[shoestring]

Hi there.

I'm starting a strat build. The body is a light, 1piece swamp ash. The neck is a fat 1piece maple neck, not unlike the earlighest telecasters.
This should be a light guitar with good sustain, all vintage spec. The sound i'm looking for is that of a nos early strat, but i'm not to familiar with
single coils. I know i like the antiquity surfers and also the antiquity texas, but i'm wondering......

What other alternatives are there to get that scooped sound? Other SD's and other brands.

Thanks for any help and suggestions.

 

[jtougas]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

I see no reason to argue with your suggestions...

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

SSL-1s would probably good as well. They may be just what you need in ash.
5/2s might be needed in ash once you finish the build. You never know.
Klein pickups would be something to check out for sure. They have period correct strat pickups from year to year.
David Allen pickups
Dimarzio True Velvets
Fat 50's....boy there's a lot of alternatives.

I have a swamp ash strat that I love to death, but the neck wood is unconventional being all rosewood.

 

[gvis]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

I'm using dimarzio 67 in the neck and 58 in the middle with great results. they give the scooped sound and are also very quiet.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

http://www.zhangbucker.com/strat-singles.html

Scroll down to "The Refin Set".

That's the set you want, with the 5/2 bridge feature.

I actually OWN such a set, so I think I qualify to give you some advice on them.

HTH,

 

[jtougas]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

Post a sample?

 

[Farkus]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

First of all welcome to the forum shoestring!

I am envious of your upcoming build. One of my all time favorite Strats has a maple neck/fretboard and an ash body. I have tried out many pickups in that guitar attempting to try and fine tune it but it sounds great with most anything I've tried in it. You say an early NOS tone, but are we talking early 50's? IIRC some early Strats had A3's, but most vintage Strats of that era are A5.

I've had great luck with many different pickups to get what I consider to be a vintage strat tone; all of them were either a5 or a3.

If I was to suggest my favorites out of models I myself own or have owned AND are relatively easy to get, I would say start with some SSL-1's. The are a little hotter to my ears than a true vintage strat pickup but I really like their voicing (personal preference, of course). I didn't care for the 5/2's really as they don't have enough high end for me for a 'vintage' Strat; for a versatile rock Strat they'd be great though.

Good luck!

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

I want a Strat with an all-spruce body. Maybe the neck too. Vintage yellow...

 

[AlexR]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

The other winders who do a great job of 50's strat specs are:

D.Allen - makes fantastic strat sets....some of the best ever
Bareknuckle - the Apache set is simply stunning.
Chevalier - he winds only strat pickups. I've not had his 54's, but the 59 set I have is amazing, and a friend (working blues musician) got the 67 set and was blown away.

 

[Scott Olson]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

California '50s set will give you all that great vintage Strat tone (SSL-1). Very clear, bright, pristine highs without being harsh.

 

[uOpt]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

Hi there.

I'm starting a strat build. The body is a light, 1piece swamp ash. The neck is a fat 1piece maple neck, not unlike the earlighest telecasters.
This should be a light guitar with good sustain, all vintage spec. The sound i'm looking for is that of a nos early strat, but i'm not to familiar with
single coils. I know i like the antiquity surfers and also the antiquity texas, but i'm wondering......

What other alternatives are there to get that scooped sound? Other SD's and other brands.

Thanks for any help and suggestions.

If you can afford them trying the Antiquities is a good move.

Usual heads up: both Ant sets ship with an overwound bridge pickup. Given your preferences you might not want that. The SSL1 and APS-1 sets ship with a regular wind bridge pickup.

As to which Antiquity, on several instruments I perceive the Antiquity II as too thin, not enough body, and I don't think that the original Ants sound very A2-ish at all. Given a new Strat I would try Ant1, SSL1, Ant2, APS-1, in that order.

 

[Ascension]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

I had great luck with a pair of SSL-2's and a SSL-6 in the bridge of my old Washburn Silverado which had a super light Swamp ash body and maple neck.
I also got great tones from a pair of Dimarzio Velvets in the neck and middle on my Swamp Ash Washburn MG 100.
Here is the Silverado and this is one I regret selling!
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/rutledri/media/My%20stuff/DSC00750.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v27/rutledri/My%20stuff/th_DSC00750.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC00750.jpg" style=""></a>

 

[Adieu]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

I want a Strat with an all-spruce body. Maybe the neck too. Vintage yellow...

Neck too? Impossible, conifers of any kind are too soft, even not all maple is hard enough for neck duty

As to the body, lots of cheap replacement bodies are some kinds spruce, pine, etc

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

All right, never mind the neck. Body only. Works for pianos and archtops, should be killer on a solidbody I figure...

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

Here is the Silverado and this is one I regret selling!

Looks more like a Rederado to me.

 

[KnifeR]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

California '50s set will give you all that great vintage Strat tone (SSL-1). Very clear, bright, pristine highs without being harsh.

Right!
If you will search for a bit hotter Bridge - SSL-4 QP fits perfect to these pickups

 

[KnifeR]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

Neck too? Impossible, conifers of any kind are too soft, even not all maple is hard enough for neck duty

As to the body, lots of cheap replacement bodies are some kinds spruce, pine, etc

You can infitrate the wood with a special resin used in composites industry (Special EPOXY) but after that the spruce in the neck wont sound the same!

 

[shoestring]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

I see no reason to argue with your suggestions...

Nor do I, but none the less I'll look about ;-)

 

[shoestring]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

SSL-1s would probably good as well. They may be just what you need in ash.
5/2s might be needed in ash once you finish the build. You never know.
Klein pickups would be something to check out for sure. They have period correct strat pickups from year to year.
David Allen pickups
Dimarzio True Velvets
Fat 50's....boy there's a lot of alternatives.

I have a swamp ash strat that I love to death, but the neck wood is unconventional being all rosewood.

Thanks Lake Placid. The David Allens sound nice An all rosewood neck is quite unconventional, but I bet it sounds sweet

 

[shoestring]

Re: SSS Swamp ash and maple

SSL-1s would probably good as well. They may be just what you need in ash.
5/2s might be needed in ash once you finish the build. You never know.
Klein pickups would be something to check out for sure. They have period correct strat pickups from year to year.
David Allen pickups
Dimarzio True Velvets
Fat 50's....boy there's a lot of alternatives.

I have a swamp ash strat that I love to death, but the neck wood is unconventional being all rosewood.

Thanks Lake Placid. The David Allens sound nice An all rosewood neck is quite unconventional, but I bet it sounds sweet