Super Strat Rout????

[vel0c1ty]

Hey all, this is my first post so I may make some mistakes or break some unspoken rules or whatever.

I'm looking to get a Warmoth body for my Fender neck and make it a superstrat as the title states. Some 80's superstrats had this 3 knob, 3 switch wiring as shown:

But Warmoth doesn't do custom control routs like this so I was wondering if any experienced luthiers or hobbyists here could share any tips on doing it myself on an already laquered body. I've heard running the drill bit backwards shaves off the finish so it doesn't crack, but that's it. I'm also wondering what's the easiest way to get the routs in the correct position just from that image. In terms of translation to the body and scaling and whatnot.

Thank you. :bye:

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

Wide painter's tape over the area to be drilled, and use fresh bits and step drilling (i.e. start with a small hole, and gradually widen it, by stepping up your drill bits a little at a time). Or you can start the hole with a drill, and finish with a reamer.

You can draw right on the painter's tape, which is great. It lets you Sharpie in potential locations for controls before comitting.

You can spin the bit backwards first if you want. It's not necessary if you have a fine touch going forward...but it can't hurt anything to do it.

One more tip: Do it on a press, instead of with a hand drill.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

As I was reading Itsabass’ response I was thinking “ooh ooh use a drill press!” And then he said that too.

I’m not confident in myself doing it, but if I tried it, his technique is what I’d use to a T.

 

[vel0c1ty]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

As I was reading Itsabass’ response I was thinking “ooh ooh use a drill press!” And then he said that too.

I’m not confident in myself doing it, but if I tried it, his technique is what I’d use to a T.

I agree wholly. My hands are shaky as all hell. Just need to find someone with a drill press....

Sent from my LG-TP260 using Tapatalk

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

Use a really accurate .22 rifle. Way quicker and more fun.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

I use a small pointy phillips screwdriver and twist it to mark my location and to keep the bit from walking (if doing it by hand). Aside from that I agree with the procedure outline above by itsabass.

 

[NoOnesFang13]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

What do the switches do? if they are only 2 pos switches push-pull pots might be an easy solution, if you're going for function and not aesthetics as well. But if that's not a solution for you what the other guys said would be what I would do. Especially the .22

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

Shooting holes in a control cavity with a .22 rifle? What are you, crazy? Those tone pot shafts would require at least a 30-06 rifle.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

Remember that you don't actually even need the first couple mm past the hole to be perfect, that's what the nut and washer cover

If you do it carefully it's really a non-issue.

You could also step it and do the large diameter by hand without power at all

 

[dystrust]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

What do the switches do? if they are only 2 pos switches push-pull pots might be an easy solution, if you're going for function and not aesthetics as well. But if that's not a solution for you what the other guys said would be what I would do. Especially the .22

The guitar in the OP has on-off switches for each pickup. I've owned guitars like that, and I hope the OP is familiar with the switching before committing to it. It's cool to be able to select any combination of the pickups, but it's extremely impractical to switch from one combination to another. Tom Anderson used a similar setup, but they included a blower switch that bypassed the selected pickups and connected the bridge humbucker directly to the volume pot. I've also seen versions using three position toggles that are off in the center, split in the up position, and full humbucking when down.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

The guitar in the OP has on-off switches for each pickup. I've owned guitars like that, and I hope the OP is familiar with the switching before committing to it. It's cool to be able to select any combination of the pickups, but it's extremely impractical to switch from one combination to another. Tom Anderson used a similar setup, but they included a blower switch that bypassed the selected pickups and connected the bridge humbucker directly to the volume pot. I've also seen versions using three position toggles that are off in the center, split in the up position, and full humbucking when down.

That’s what I’m familiar with.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

On/off switches for the pickups are awful. There's a reason the vast majority of guitars have a 3 or 5 way switch, and for once, it's not nostalgia.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

On/off switches for the pickups are awful. There's a reason the vast majority of guitars have a 3 or 5 way switch, and for once, it's not nostalgia.

+1

A blower switch makes it usable, but generally not a great control layout. I'd venture there's a reason they don't really make them like that anymore.

 

[vel0c1ty]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

The guitar in the OP has on-off switches for each pickup. I've owned guitars like that, and I hope the OP is familiar with the switching before committing to it. It's cool to be able to select any combination of the pickups, but it's extremely impractical to switch from one combination to another. Tom Anderson used a similar setup, but they included a blower switch that bypassed the selected pickups and connected the bridge humbucker directly to the volume pot. I've also seen versions using three position toggles that are off in the center, split in the up position, and full humbucking when down.

It IS impractical, but I'll be damned if it doesn't look cool. I dunno. I'm inexperienced in woodworking and if I screw up the body while drilling I'll probably pop a hernia.

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[ItsaBass]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

It IS impractical, but I'll be damned if it doesn't look cool. I dunno. I'm inexperienced in woodworking and if I screw up the body while drilling I'll probably pop a hernia.

Sent from my LG-TP260 using Tapatalk

Practice on scrap first. And if you really can't do it, take it to a guitar repair man.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

The stock Warmoth Soloist has everything but the toggles drilled in the right spot.

A bradpoint bit, or indeed a regular bit having used a countersink bit on the initial pilot hole would work just fine.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

Another option, get the body with the blade switch route and put in a 5-way switch for the standard Strat-style combinations and then put a push-pull for the middle tone pot to turn on the neck pickup no matter where the 5-way is. Go one step further and put a push-pull for the lower tone pot to split the bridge pickup. You'd have every tone combination you'd need and it would be easy to work on the fly.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Super Strat Rout????

Another option, get the body with the blade switch route and put in a 5-way switch for the standard Strat-style combinations and then put a push-pull for the middle tone pot to turn on the neck pickup no matter where the 5-way is. Go one step further and put a push-pull for the lower tone pot to split the bridge pickup. You'd have every tone combination you'd need and it would be easy to work on the fly.

For even greater versatility, wire it master volume, master tone, Fralin blender, and use a push-pull tone to coil split the bridge humbucker. That's essentially how my Strat is wired, but my push-pull tone activates the tap on my SSL-6 bridge single coil.