Swimming Pool Route tone?

[JB_From_Hell]

My '87 Standard is my favorite sounding Strat I've played. Beyond the pickups, there's something to the way it resonates I really love. I also happen to really like this Squier mini-Strat I bought my oldest son about 10 years ago. Same thing, it just feels really good.

My son lost interest awhile back, and my daughter has been picking up interest. She saw a pink Strat somewhere and really liked it. Today is her 6th birthday, so earlier in the week, I bought a couple pink rattle cans and took my son's guitar apart to paint it (Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti buying new guitars, but it's hard to justify another mini when there's one gathering dust). Turns out, the mini has a swimming pool route, as well.


I'm not ready to say this is a magic ingredient in why I like both of these guitars, but I might be ready to route out my Peavey Predator to see if it makes any difference.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

I dislike the way the swimming pool route sounds when the pick hits the guard.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

I don't know if I could tell if it has a swimming pool route or not by listening to it. I would assume it is a little lighter.

 

[Blille]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

If you put a wooden pickguard you can claim you have a semihollow

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

I like swimming pool routs. They make a lot of sense from a manufacturing and modding perspective. I believe G&L use them, though I haven't opened up all my Legacys. My Godin (which sounds excellent) has one as well.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

I think the swimming pool sounds good. The mini is also a hardtail which I like.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

One of my best sounding strats is ‘90 Deluxe Plus (swimming pool). You can definitely hear a difference, but that is not necessarily a bad thing

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

Cool, so I'm not crazy... or at least not the only one if I am.

 

[AxlOz]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

I have a '90 US std strat with the swimming pool route. I don't think it changes the tone much (at all) compared to non-sp routed strats, maybe just gives a little more of that 'spring' sound like when your trem is set really tight.
Downside - when the little gromets that keep the pups seated against the guard disintegrate the pickup rattles around a lot and thats annoying.

Overall, I really dig early 90's us standards strats and teles. They seemed to get a lot of things right then and many that I've played have just felt great. Once they hit about '94-'95 and they switched the serial to the back side of the headstock I think they made some changes to other bits and no '94-'99 era strat really felt great to me. Then they got good again in the 2000's..

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

Springsteens esquire was routed for extra funky pickup combinations and he believes the missing wood gives it tone he loves, so you may be on to something....

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[stevie_bees]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

I like swimming pool routs. They make a lot of sense from a manufacturing and modding perspective. I believe G&L use them, though I haven't opened up all my Legacys. My Godin (which sounds excellent) has one as well.

My '96 Legacy has a swimming pool route and sounds fantastic. Antiquity Surfers and the G&L PTB wiring also helps!

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

It doesn't hurt the tone. I'm not sure if helps the tone, but most swimming pool routed guitars I have played sounded good.

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

Having a lot of fun times with my ibanez thinline... Surprising sustain and probably about the same quantity of wood.


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[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

Since you don’t have a mini Strat without the swimming pool rout to compare to, you have no way to say it makes a difference.

I have a Charvel with a SPR. It sounds fine.

I don’t think it makes much of a difference


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[Darg1911]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

Guitars with swimming pool routes sound hollow ...


:smack:

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

I have a 66 strat with a 'hand-routed' SPR. Sounds better than all 3 of the other strats I own. The little bit missing from the pickup area is not as significant as what the overall body and neck provide.

I also have an Indonesian Mini and I use it as a backup or Dtuned second - it is that good. Can't bend strings like Albert Lee, but it sounds fine through real amps.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

I don't notice a huge difference, but certainly the SPR is easier to use with different pickups.

If anything, I'd give the nod to the SPR...I like the resonance.

Bill

 

[AlexR]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

The only strats with the SPR I've had were the worst tonal ones I've owned. I don't think the pickup rout was the key factor (either way).

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

Two of the best sounding strats I have owned had swimming pool routes.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Swimming Pool Route tone?

Am I the only one that notices the pick click when it hits the guard?

Granted I don’t think it affects the plugged in tone.