Gibson S-1 style build

[alcolmx]

I'm new to the world of Warmoth, and am trying to figure out what my first build will be. I've been considering a Gibson S-1 style LP, and lo and behold I found one in the Warmoth gallery:

Looks fantastic! Pretty much exactly what I want. My main question is about the pick-up routing. Obviously it's a top-rout and is referred to as a swimming pool rout !?!?! Will Warmoth be able to do the routing for me? What information will they need (I don't have any specs for the S-1)? In the LP body builder there is no option for a top-rout, so I was a bit confused. Any help and other insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

 

[Mor Paul]

Just call up and ask about the swimming pool route. As for the controls, I'm thinking it might be rear routed, but with the holes drilled by the customer. The toggle is also drilled by the customer.

 

[JaySwear]

i would bet that warmoth wouldn't be able to do the universal route on a les paul, but it's worth asking about i think. if they can't then you can always see if they'll do a SSS pickup routing. my guess is that the S-1 in the customer gallery has a lot of custom work in it.

 

[Mor Paul]

i would bet that warmoth wouldn't be able to do the universal route on a les paul, but it's worth asking about i think. if they can't then you can always see if they'll do a SSS pickup routing. my guess is that the S-1 in the customer gallery has a lot of custom work in it.

It's flattop, no reason they wouldn't be able to do the universal route.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Those pickups look wider than the swimming pool route allows.  The swimming pool just allows normal sized hums and SC anywhere and any orientation between the bridge and the neck positions.

 

[AutoBat]

they look like normal single coils to me.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

They may be.  It's not a straight on view.  My 1st impression is that they were wider.  These aren't Strat type SCs, but the Gibson SCs in the past that look interchangeable with Strats have been wider.

 

[JaySwear]

i would bet that warmoth wouldn't be able to do the universal route on a les paul, but it's worth asking about i think. if they can't then you can always see if they'll do a SSS pickup routing. my guess is that the S-1 in the customer gallery has a lot of custom work in it.

It's flattop, no reason they wouldn't be able to do the universal route.

yeah, but it seems like (from asking a lot of out there questions) that warmoth only uses those sorts of routes on the traditional body styles. i bet you couldn't get a universal route on a tele or les paul. but like i said, its definitely worth asking. they might be able to just fine, or it might be an up-charge

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

If they did, it's probably a non-returnable option.  In other words, something's got to be wrong with it.  Until not to long ago, a neck with no fret dots was non-returnable.  Can you imagine trying to resell an LP flat top with a swimming pool route?  Not to mention, the PG would have to be customer sourced.

 

[AutoBat]

You could have it routed for 3 P90's, that should have plenty of room for 3 single coils, regardless of how wide they might be.
Naturally a custom pickguard would be needed, but oh well.
I'd put the toggle on the bass side, but I'm not the one building this.

 

[JaySwear]

You could have it routed for 3 P90's, that should have plenty of room for 3 single coils, regardless of how wide they might be.
Naturally a custom pickguard would be needed, but oh well.
I'd put the toggle on the bass side, but I'm not the one building this.

good point! p-90 routes would have enough room for even weird tiesco-style singlecoils (which the s-1's pickups look like to me)

 

[Finch]

you could always order it unrouted, and find someone with a router to do the swimming pool route for you, its just a big ass rectangle... This build is going to require a lot of custom work anyways, might as well be prepared to DIY.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

You could have it routed for 3 P90's, that should have plenty of room for 3 single coils, regardless of how wide they might be.
Naturally a custom pickguard would be needed, but oh well.
I'd put the toggle on the bass side, but I'm not the one building this.

Having the toggle mounted to the body in the normal LP position and the pickups mounted to a pickguard and the jack mounted to the body would be a logistical nightmare for wiring/assembly.  Not impossible, but definitely requires a certain strategy and might discourage future modding and tweaking if a PIA to work on.  And that's before even considering if the custom pickguard is underneath the fretboard overhang.  Speaking of which, bridge-type, pickguard, fretboard overhang and whether or not this is a 720 mod issue may need resolving.

A recent rant about pickguard and neck overhang frustration:
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=13189.0

 

[OzziePete]

Routing would depend on the actuial pickups being installed. The S-1 pickups were slightly bigger than the usual Strat single coils, from what I remember of those S-1's when they came out long long ago. If however, you intend you use only Fender single coil sized pickups, then you may be in the ball park.

But you would also have to see if Warmoth would do a straight bridge single coil rout, and if the LP flat top can be top routed.

A poster mentions the P90 routing, which is probably a good alternative, in case the S1 pickups don't sound so good. You can source a pickguard for an S-1 from pickguardian, but be aware that the original S-1 had a contour at the top of the body that Warmoth doesn't do, so the look won't be exact.