Green HSH Strat, V2.0 - Goncalo Alves/Pau Ferro neck

[taez555]

As most of the regulars on this forum probably know, I built this guitar back in February 2008.  The body is 1pc mahogany with a quilt maple top. You've probably all seen it since it's been in my signature ever since.   However over time I just wasn't 100% happy with it.  I was building my dream guitar, but the neck just never played or sounded exactly how I wanted.

A little background first.  The original neck was a Warmoth Pro, 1 11/16, 10-16, maple/ebony, SS 6100 frets, neck and it looked absolutely perfect with the green quilted maple top, and actually sounds great, BUT..... it's just not what I really had in mind tone wise or playabilty when I built it.   You learn things about yourself as a player over time, and in my case it's that I actually like smaller necks and frets.  The HUGE JUMBO frets and wide neck just weren't for me.  Jumbo doesn't always equal better.   I liked having a connection to the wood when playing instead of being in outer space with those high frets plus my hand just fit better with the narrower width.  Also the tone of the maple was just too "straty" for my tastes.  If you've seen my youtube videos, you know it sounds great with the maple, it's just I really wanted a different darker tone.

So I bit the bullet a few weeks ago on a showcase neck, and despite not looking nearly as perfect as the ebony/maple combo, I think I have now found the perfect guitar neck.  The raw wood feel is simply amazing (I know it's cliche at this point, but I'm never going back).  The frets are just the right height.  The sound of the goncalo is so lush.  The best way I can describe the difference it is like I'd been putting skim milk in my coffee all these years and suddenly switched to cream.    Warm really isn't the right word, the notes just have more depth.    

I'm still breaking it in.  I just cut the nut 2 weeks ago and the neck is still adjusting, so I still need to give a few turns of the bridge height and truss rod here and there, but it really is as close to perfect as I had in mind when I first built it.

Anyway... so here are the new specs...

- Raw Goncalo Alves neck with Pau Ferro Fretboard
- Vintage Modern
- 1 5/8 nut
- 10-16 radius
- 6230 nickel frets
- Standard thin
- Cream dots

and the new pics....

I still need to update my website (and warmoth signature pic) with the new info and pics, but just figured I'd show everyone around here first.

If you have other questions about the guitar, I know there's a Warmoth thread or five somewhere about all the other specs on the guitar when I originally built it all those years ago, but the easiest way is just to check out my website, http://www.erikzmusic.com,  if you want all the info on the pickups and switching system, wiring diagrams, videos, hardware, etc... etc...

 

[dNA]

definite improvement on already awesome guitar. well done

 

[Jack Michaelson]

Cool!

Time to update your sig.

 

[spauldingrules]

It's awesome that you write about yourself in the third person on your website.  haha

In December of 2007 Erik took the plunge and ordered a custom body and neck from Warmoth, a company that specializes in making custom guitar parts. The goal was to build a superstrat based off the Fender stratocaster, but with warmer body woods giving it a deeper tone and longer sustain as well as high grade quilted maple looks often found in only the best instrument. Taking the knowledge he had aquired in re-wiring his other guitars, Erik planned to make a guitar with as many pickup combinations as possible, to fully utilize all the different coils and their tones.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I can't believe how gorgeous that guitar is.
With the exception of the 6230 frets, I like the neck.
I think it would look even better if the face of the headstock were painted gloss black (like mine).

 

[taez555]

Time to update your sig.

Done. ;-)

It's awesome that you write about yourself in the third person on your website.  haha

HA!!!     Thanks for noticing, that's how Erik actually refers to himself in real life.

When I originally did my site I wanted it to be more "professional", so I wrote everything in the 3rd person, but over time, with hundreds of updates and revisions, I switched to 1st person to give it a more personal feel.  So you can tell what parts of the site are old and haven't been updated by which voice I, or Erik, use.     Erik's currently working on switching all over to 1st person.

definite improvement on already awesome guitar. well done

I can't believe how gorgeous that guitar is.
With the exception of the 6230 frets, I like the neck.
I think it would look even better if the face of the headstock were painted gloss black (like mine).

Thanks guys!

MOP inlays instead of cream would have looked nice too with the pickguard.  Oh well, showcase neck.     It's all about the tone anyway, right.

 

[kboman]

This guitar is really cool, even though it's a str*t! Love the green...

 

[Updown]

OH YEAH  :blob7:

That looks tops, great choice in the change over of the neck & I know exactly what you mean by the warmer sound, as I'm soon to post my 'Bluesy' Strat
Which has a very similar neck to yours. Love my SD's too...
:icon_scratch: Not sure on the huge fret size thou, But ... hey each to there own !!

It's all in the feel & how it sounds  :rock-on:

Now you need to buy another body for your spare neck  :laughing7:

 

[reluctant-builder]

That is gorgeous. Very nicely done. El Exigente approves.

Edit: By the way, if you're seriously adventurous, you could probably figure out a way to un-epoxy those cream face dots and try to inlay your own MOP ones.

 

[taez555]

Now you need to buy another body for your spare neck  :laughing7:

My first thought was, "I wonder what this would look like on a tele body"  

Actually, I think I'm gonna sell it instead.  Working on setting up a new studio and need the money more than another guitar right now.

By the way, if you're seriously adventurous, you could probably figure out a way to un-epoxy those cream face dots and try to inlay your own MOP ones.

Yeahhhhh...... I don't think I'm that adventurous.