Anyone make a wooden control cover?

[ghostrider25]

Does anyone have a wooden control cover guy for rear routed Warmoth strats? I’ve been scouring the darkest corners of the interwebz looking for someone who makes them. I think it would look a lot nicer than the standard issue black plastic.

Also, has Warmoth ever considered making them? I’m sure the bodies are CNC routed so having a perfect match wouldn’t be feasible, but even having the same wood species would be really cool.

 

[Rick]

If you poke around here you’ll find members who’ve made them, then ask them.

 

[stratamania]

You could try reaching out to @docteurseb I think he had some that he made. Also @DangerousR6 may be able to help you out.

Wood rear backplates now available !

As you may have seen from my past builds I like making wood control backplates and truss rod covers. When it comes to backplates the process using a router and template can be way too time consuming and as a result I only made backplates for my own guitars. Until now... I'm happy to report...

unofficialwarmoth.com

 

[docteurseb]

Good timing as I haven't been checking the forum very must at all the past year.

@ghostrider25 would you happen to be the same person who contacted me via Reverb ?

The ones I make usually look like this:

https://imgur.com/Xog5j0t

https://imgur.com/CHVuLkl

If it's for a guitar with anything other than the Strat control layout then the cover would have to be nearly as thin as plastic ones though (since I wouldn't know where to put that switch relief/recess route).
Feel free to PM me.

 

[Lbpesq]

Alembic makes their own “plywood” to make wood control cavity covers. They glue up several layers of thin wood veneer. This makes for a strong cover that won’t warp with age, as a thin single piece may be prone to do.

Bill, tgo

 

[docteurseb]

Does anyone have a wooden control cover guy for rear routed Warmoth strats? I’ve been scouring the darkest corners of the interwebz looking for someone who makes them. I think it would look a lot nicer than the standard issue black plastic.

Also, has Warmoth ever considered making them? I’m sure the bodies are CNC routed so having a perfect match wouldn’t be feasible, but even having the same wood species would be really cool.

As for Warmoth doing it: 1) too high of a cost that very few would care to pay, 2) would open the door to too many complaints from Karen users ('it's not a perfect match', 'it's not a perfect color', 'oh it cusped/warped when I applied my finish/water based dyes', ' it doesn't fit with the extra tall switch/pot/etc' I'm using').

The way PRS' custom shop dpt does it is by using a thicker piece of wood that they slice up to then try matching the grain as best they can.
It is as close of a match as you can get but it still is very far from perfect in most cases. They also make the covers 2-3x thicket than plastic ones in that case (changing the body cavity routing accordingly).

 

[electric__steve]

A simple DIY option might just be to apply wood veneer over the included plastic cover. That stuff is often 1/40" thick. There wouldn't be any issues with warping, and it won't interfere with pots or switches.

 

[docteurseb]

A simple DIY option might just be to apply wood veneer over the included plastic cover. That stuff is often 1/40" thick. There wouldn't be any issues with warping, and it won't interfere with pots or switches.

Yep, that works. It can however get a little funny/DIY-looking around the countersunk holes depending on the wood used.

I can make the covers nearly as thin as plastic ones but it's more time consuming (unless the piece I'm starting with is already at the adequate thickness) and when it gets as thin as plastic ones (2-2.5mm) the cusping/warping is a bit more typical though hardly an issue once installed.