Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

[Norman_T]

This is all Curly's fault :duh: - as some of you know recently I have just got hold of a Warmoth strat neck, wenge neck (unfinished), brazillian rosewood fretboard, compound radius, 6130 medium jumbo frets, bone nut, abalone face dots etc. See the thread link below:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=12355

My intention was to put this into one of my strats but Curly suggested that it may look nice on a nice koa or mahogany body?

So it got me thinking :smack: .........does anyone know of any good places that do these bodies and can they post them in this thread.

There is an additional reward for the person who gets Curly for suggesting this to me :32:

Thanks

Norman

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

Warmoth makes bodies like that, so does USA Custom Guitars. Those are the only two places I know of that make high quality guitar parts. I don't know about shipping to the UK, though.

 

[nuntius]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

you could ask someone on our shores to build you a body..

i have an old issue of guitarist in my attic which had a ton of numbers for luthiers, and im sure you know a few anyway.

that way you avoid customs and most of shipping too

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

Flame Koa on Swamp Ash….but it’s double buckers…

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=ps68

This is more traditional….universal route Mary Kay finish

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=ps214


Unfinished One Piece Mahogany

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=s269

Walnut could be quite nice.

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=s281

Flame Koa on Mahogany

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=s303

One piece Black Korina

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=s332

More Koa on Mahogany

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=s347

Perhaps some Zebrawood?

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=s433

How about Canary Wood?

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=s441

Goncalo Alves…..this one is very unique….I like it.

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=s449

Perhaps Pau Ferreo on top?

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/wgp_body_detail.asp?itemNumber=s463


My work here is done. :dance:

 

[Norman_T]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

Jeff,

Many thanks for all those great links - its now got me doing some real head scratching and thinking what I am going to do. I can see this being a Christmas present for myself (if I play my cards right).

Thanks also Benjy_26 and nuntius - keep posting anyone else if you have further suggestions.

Norman

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

http://www.musikraft.com/product.asp?itemid=107&catid=67

http://www.musikraft.com/product.asp?itemid=107&catid=67

Or just a couple of really nice, light ash bodies...the price is much more reasonable. I'm sure we could work something out on one of these Norman, or on one of the others!

 

[boze]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

It's funny. I just came across this thread. Chk this out. Almost word-for-word what your describing. Almost.

It's a koa body, brazilian rosewood neck, ebony fingrbrd. The headstk is a reverse & tilted, jumbo frets, a Low-Pro Bridge from Ibanez, a pull-coil tap for both the lead & neck pup. Oh, and it's a Wolfy lead pup, a JB in the neck, a an old Schaller for the middle pos.


Boze.

ps, how can I have these photos open up automactically??

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/webshop/gw-sale/st68txwal/index.htm

Check this out....walnut may be the ticket. I am in no way responsible for any monetary damage as a result of viewing this link.

 

[Curly]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

Norman,

I have to give some credit to Henry Kaiser, who posted a pic of his koa tele with a Wenge neck on the Warmoth gallery
(fourth down on the right)

my first Warmoth was a carved top LPS with koa over mahogany, and I've thought about doing a tele like that

anyway, it just seems like the right kind of thing to do with that neck ... it's just not your run-of-the-mill chunk of wood!

 

[Fatty]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

A flame koa body would look very nice with that neck.. espeically with the gold hardware.

(From Ed Romans website)

Warmoth would probably be your best bet for that as well.. USA Custom Guitars CAN do it, but they don't usually have any really exotic woods on hand, so you would probably have to supply your own.

I'm really glad to hear that Warmoth neck is working out so nicely for ya, Norman. :dance: Be sure to keep us posted on whatever you decide to do with it. (of course, pics will be required! :32: )

 

[nuntius]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

Curly, that tele link looks awesome!

 

[Artie]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/webshop/gw-sale/st68txwal/index.htm

Check this out....walnut may be the ticket. I am in no way responsible for any monetary damage as a result of viewing this link.

Wow . . . (another "wow" moment.) :32:

 

[Norman_T]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

Oh holy $hit - why ever did I click on all those links and also this thread again?? You guys are all terrific for finding such amazing looking guitars that it has got me in a right old spin :smack:

I have to agree that its got to be something special for that neck and those koa bodies look awesome, that walnut body looks great as well. Those teles have got me gassing even more - thanks Curly! Well its going to be back to looking again more closely at some of these bodies and re-thinking what I want to do, its going to be really difficult :burnout: .

Aside from Warmoth are there any other places that sell Koa bodies and also do finishes?

 

[Curly]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

Norman,
there are also a couple koa bodies in the hollow strat section, if that's an option for you ...

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

Norman.....

Warmoth does transparent finishes (colors) for $165 and clear finishes for $150. Trouble is they are all poly finishes....they look great if poly is ok with you. That is certainly the most economical route, however, Warmoth will only finish their own bodies and necks. If you find a body elswhere, you can get a transparent finish from someplace like Roxy for about $250, and I understand they do very nice work, as USA Custom Guitars recommends them.

I have found nitro finishes from around $350-400, but the wait time is 4-6 weeks minimum. The best price on a nitro finish I have found is from Blueline, one of our forum members. I am going to wait and have my new ash body finished by him. It will be a longer wait, but one that I believe will be well worth it. I'm just waiting to hear from him as to when he can fit me in.

Let me know how else I can help to fuel your gas!!! :dance: :burnout: :burnout:

 

[Norman_T]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

Norman.....

Warmoth does transparent finishes (colors) for $165 and clear finishes for $150. Trouble is they are all poly finishes....they look great if poly is ok with you. That is certainly the most economical route, however, Warmoth will only finish their own bodies and necks. If you find a body elswhere, you can get a transparent finish from someplace like Roxy for about $250, and I understand they do very nice work, as USA Custom Guitars recommends them.

I have found nitro finishes from around $350-400, but the wait time is 4-6 weeks minimum. The best price on a nitro finish I have found is from Blueline, one of our forum members. I am going to wait and have my new ash body finished by him. It will be a longer wait, but one that I believe will be well worth it. I'm just waiting to hear from him as to when he can fit me in.

Let me know how else I can help to fuel your gas!!! :dance: :burnout: :burnout:

Jeff,

Many thanks and you are doing quite a lot. I have been looking over Warmoth & also Ed Romans site and to be honest their finishes do not inspire me at all. The poly finishes just do not interest me at all and I am looking for a light or nitro finish.

I have to say that the Koa body option is something that has got me really "hot under the collar" and I do like the look of the finish. I was thinking of Blueline (Aaron) doing something for me - great minds think alike? - and depending on which way things go in the next week or so I am probably going to ask him to do something for me as well. I admire his work greatly and hope that he can fit me in. I am also intending for him to build me a guitar in the new year.

Lets wait and see what develops on that other aspect we discussed.

Thanks

Norman

 

[Curly]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

tung oil is also another option, and you can do that yourself, and it CAN get a fairly good polish

natural wood looks fine with tung oil, and it sounds good, too

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

I was just thinking about the tung oil option Curly.....especially on something like Koa. That could look really nice.

 

[Curly]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

we have some wood turning projects in the adjacent part of the building with both lacquer and tung oil, and they both look good

tung oil's probably the easiest finish for someone

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Strat - Koa/Mahogany body search!

This is one of the nicest Koa tops I have seen....not too wild, but not too subdued.