Aesthetics

[Mnemoflame]

So, I'll be ordering a rosewood strat body and rosewood/ebony neck from Warmoth tomorrow and I'm trying to decide what hardware to order. 

Given that the fingerboard is ebony, I'm thinking black tuners, black bridge (Schaller 475), black pickup mounting rings, and chrome nobs; I was thinking I'd get chrome-topped pickups (DiMarzio Evo 2 and Evolution neck; zebra DiMarzio Chopper or Air Norton in the middle) to match the nobs and contrast with the black.

Alternatively, I was thinking chrome tuners, bridge, mounting rings, and knobs with all black pickups.

Thoughts?

 

[line6man]

That sounds awful! The chrome DiMarzios look really cheesy on most guitars, and chrome knobs with black hardware would probably completely mismatch. Personally, I think black hardware would not look good with Rosewood/Rosewood/Ebony. The woods are dark, so you need a contrast. Gold hardware works if you don't think it's gaudy, but chrome would probably be best.

 

[drewfx]

Chrome HW with the black PU's if you ask me.

 

[Steve_Karl]

Id go black pups, black knobs, and all else gold including the bridge.

 

[AutoBat]

black or chrome should look alright.  anything but gold.

 

[tfarny]

This HAS to be all chrome - for the love of god, don't mix cream, black, and chrome on a guitar where you want people's eyes drawn to the wood.  :dontknow:

 

[lafromla1]

I dont seem to have any issues with black hardware on my Rosewood tele.  In fact, you see more of the wood since the hardware doesn't stand out.

 

[Mnemoflame]

I dont seem to have any issues with black hardware on my Rosewood tele.  In fact, you see more of the wood since the hardware doesn't stand out.

Can you post a picture of this guitar? 

Chrome sounded great for contrast but I wondered if it would distract.  I figured black pickups would sort of continue the line of the black fingerboard into the body.

Black hardware was on similar principal, continuing the line of the fingerboard and using the color of the pickups to call out the stainless steel frets.

In either case, I really didn't like the look of black knobs.  I even used the wenge VIP that won GotM for July as something of a comparison.  I think I'm leaning toward chrome hardware and black pickups but I'd like to see that Tele before I make up my mind.

 

[crash]

Are you using a pickguard on that strat?  I would assume not.  In that case, all black

 

[Cagey]

Pick a theme and go with it. All black, or all chrome. Don't mix & match. Carpet should match the drapes. Shoes should match the belt and purse. On and on. You may like pink, and you may like green, but you don't put pink and green on the same unit, or mix stripes with plaid. It just offends the eye and ruins the aesthetics of the instrument.

On the other hand, you're the one who has to live with it. Ultimately, you have to do what makes you happy. You don't want to find yourself resenting your instrument, no matter how petty the reason. I once sold a perfectly good Strat just because it was green. Thing pissed me off every time I looked at it and I didn't play it as a result. That's not good for anybody. Got good money for it because people can be foolish, but there was really nothing wrong with it and no logical reason to sell it. I don't miss it; I'm just trying to show how petty one can be due to appearance.

 

[Mnemoflame]

Pick a theme and go with it. All black, or all chrome. Don't mix & match. Carpet should match the drapes. Shoes should match the belt and purse. On and on. You may like pink, and you may like green, but you don't put pink and green on the same unit, or mix stripes with plaid. It just offends the eye and ruins the aesthetics of the instrument.

On the other hand, you're the one who has to live with it. Ultimately, you have to do what makes you happy. You don't want to find yourself resenting your instrument, no matter how petty the reason. I once sold a perfectly good Strat just because it was green. Thing pissed me off every time I looked at it and I didn't play it as a result. That's not good for anybody. Got good money for it because people can be foolish, but there was really nothing wrong with it and no logical reason to sell it. I don't miss it; I'm just trying to show how petty one can be due to appearance.

I really love this post because it so well outlines exactly something I would do too.  Props to you for selling what didn't appeal!

Below is three variations on my idea; bear in mind that I located mounting rings for strat-style pickups on StewMac and I'll be putting one on the middle pickup.  I've got to say that the middle one appeals most, particularly with all black mounting rings and chrome pickups.  All black just seems so plain to me.

 

[tfarny]

That bridge looks hideous on there - why on earth pick the Schaller when you could get  the hipshot hardtail, the Gotoh hardtail (Both simple and string-through) or do the very classy string through TOM? Any one of them will work well and look nice.
Sorry for the criticism, but if this is about aesthetics only - maybe the schaller looks good on some guitars, but not on there.

 

[Mnemoflame]

That bridge looks hideous on there - why on earth pick the Schaller when you could get  the hipshot hardtail, the Gotoh hardtail (Both simple and string-through) or do the very classy string through TOM? Any one of them will work well and look nice.
Sorry for the criticism, but if this is about aesthetics only - maybe the schaller looks good on some guitars, but not on there.

I really don't like the string-through setup.  No argument for superiority or anything, I just don't like it.  I like the 720 mod Warmoth offers and that requires a flat bridge; the only option Warmoth offers that isn't string-through is the Schaller 475.  I was also looking at the Gotoh 510 wraparound and the Schaller 456; each was discarded because they require an angled neck pocket, which precludes 720, and both have their saddle adjustment screw beneath the strings, which is extremely annoying.

All I'm looking for here is opinions on color, really.

 

[Eric Banjitar]

I like the all black

 

[Cagey]

I'm torn. I like the all-black, but it's already a dark guitar. All chrome would liven it up a bit. But, I'd hate to see you put chrome-covered pickups on there because sometimes they can be problem children. The first example would look good with chrome tuners, if you could put a chrome ring on that center single coil to even things out. Assuming the pickups are black no matter what else is going on, the bridge and the tuners have to match and are the high-dollar parts, so they kinda control the show. The other stuff is nickel-dime.

 

[AprioriMark]

I prefer all chrome here, including the pickups.  Joey has a mental disease called "lame" that doesn't allow him to appreciate important things like covered pickups and Telecasters.  Black hardware wouldn't be bad, but it's very late 80s, and it makes the whole guitar feel "dark" rather than "classy."  Did I mention not to listen to Joey?  Except when it comes to matters of wiring.  He is then to be considered a guru.

-Mark

 

[line6man]

you could put a chrome ring on that center single coil to even things out.

NO!!
Mounting rings look absolutely terrible on single coils.

 

[line6man]

I prefer all chrome here, including the pickups.  Joey has a mental disease called "lame" that doesn't allow him to appreciate important things like covered pickups and Telecasters.  Black hardware wouldn't be bad, but it's very late 80s, and it makes the whole guitar feel "dark" rather than "classy."  Did I mention not to listen to Joey?  Except when it comes to matters of wiring.  He is then to be considered a guru.

-Mark

No, we're not talking about chrome covers. (Unless I misread?)
The OP wants these.

 

[Mnemoflame]

I prefer all chrome here, including the pickups.  Joey has a mental disease called "lame" that doesn't allow him to appreciate important things like covered pickups and Telecasters.  Black hardware wouldn't be bad, but it's very late 80s, and it makes the whole guitar feel "dark" rather than "classy."  Did I mention not to listen to Joey?  Except when it comes to matters of wiring.  He is then to be considered a guru.

-Mark

No, we're not talking about chrome covers. (Unless I misread?)
The OP wants these.

That's the ticket, though I'm aiming the Evo 2 bridge and Evolution neck instead of the D Activators at this point.  What sort of problems arise with chrome-topped pickups like this?

 

[bagman67]

I prefer all chrome here, including the pickups.  Joey has a mental disease called "lame" that doesn't allow him to appreciate important things like covered pickups and Telecasters.  Black hardware wouldn't be bad, but it's very late 80s, and it makes the whole guitar feel "dark" rather than "classy."  Did I mention not to listen to Joey?  Except when it comes to matters of wiring.  He is then to be considered a guru.

-Mark

No, we're not talking about chrome covers. (Unless I misread?)
The OP wants these.

That's the ticket, though I'm aiming the Evo 2 bridge and Evolution neck instead of the D Activators at this point.  What sort of problems arise with chrome-topped pickups like this?

Gimmicky-ness, that's what.  It may be a perfectly serviceable pickup, but it looks like some teenager's idea of something totally bitchen.  YMMV, of course.