Guitar Body Showcase?

[Kostas]

Did you  hear that guitar? You think the nitro finish had anything to do with the tone? You know anything about the preloaded pickguards at pickersparts.com ... any good?

Thanks a lot
Steve

I have never compared a nitro guitar with a poly guitar. That's impossible to do because every piece of wood is different even if it's the same size and weight. I have a Gibson with nitro and I prefer my Warmoths.

I have no experience with pickersparts.com. It's very important if you have no experience to give the parts to an experienced luthier for assembling. Warmoth has quality parts but they need a perfect setup like any other guitar.

For a traditional strat I would order (painted) body/neck and pickguard from Warmoth. Tremolo, tuners, pots, capacitors, screws from Callaham. A handmade bone nut from a luthier. I like Suhr, Van Zandt, Kinmann pickups.

The amp is very important for your sound. Most pre '80's Fenders are a good match with strats. JTM style amps also have very good cleans. A transparent boost/OD is also good to have. A good cable too. Finally, your hands are the most important thing!

Going back to your original question... I believe their parts are of great quality and I would choose them everytime against stock Fenders. Order and you 'll see :sign13:

 

[mullyman]

As for the chambered body, well, I had a chance to run my newest build through a Fender Vibrolux Deluxe tonight. Man, this guitar sounds gooooo-ooood! I have the Van Zandt Blues pups installed in it and I gotta tell ya, this guitar has plenty of sustain, plenty of lows, plenty of highs and everything in between. I think I may be a convert to chambered bodies.
MULLY

 

[clearerphish]

Did you  hear that guitar? You think the nitro finish had anything to do with the tone? You know anything about the preloaded pickguards at pickersparts.com ... any good?

Thanks a lot
Steve

I ordered my pickguard from pickers parts and have been extremely satisfied to date. My Warmoth strat has been my main guitar since I put my PRS in the shop for some upgrades and I have had no issues. I would buy from them again if I ever build another front-routed strat.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I have a Warmoth chambered Tele and it's great. I wasn't sure I would want it or like it when I ordered it, but I have no regrets from the first time I played it. Sounds great unplugged or plugged in.  :icon_thumright:

 

[ocguy106]

You think the nitro finish had anything to do with the tone?

I don't think the tone was coming from the nitro.  First off, he knew how play.  2nd, he had a quality amp.  3rd, he had a quality guitar.

I'm trying to make or get that 4,000 dollar vintage guitar tone with about 800 dollars worth of warmoth parts ... is that valid or just a stupid idea?

I think to get a good quality guitar with good parts you are going to be a little closer to 1200

 

[SlingBass]

You don't need to sell your PRS. Order an alder body (no flame top) with a solid color and a maple neck with your specs. Use quality pickups, pots, tremolo and capacitor. Give 'em to an experienced luthier to do the assembling. You are wasting valuable time to wait for a body in the showcase. You 'll have a strat on February if you order now!

+1 - IF it's tone you're going for...it's a relatively quick trip to your destination  :guitaristgif:

 

[tfarny]

I linked above to ten or more bodies that met your requirements - did you not see them? And FYI, solid body guitars were not "invented" to be better sounding than hollow bodies, they were used because they were feedback resistant at stage volumes and cheap to make compared to an archtop. You can definitely get a pro sound from Warmoth parts - most of the reason that some PRS models cost 4grand has nothing to do with sound anyhow. $800 is tight, especially if you pay somebody to solder together the pickups and somebody else to assemble and setup for you. It can certainly be done, I've done it a few times myself, but if you're after an actual top flight guitar you can't scrimp on hardware or pickups.
$1000 to $1200 is probably a more reasonable budget.

 

[Stephen R]

And FYI, solid body guitars were not "invented" to be better sounding than hollow bodies

Sorry, but I never said that.

You can definitely get a pro sound from Warmoth parts - most of the reason that some PRS models cost 4grand has nothing to do with sound anyhow. $800 is tight, especially if you pay somebody to solder together the pickups and somebody else to assemble and setup for you. It can certainly be done, I've done it a few times myself, but if you're after an actual top flight guitar you can't scrimp on hardware or pickups.
$1000 to $1200 is probably a more reasonable budget.

And that puts it out of reach. I can't sanction 1200 for a guitar I'm not sure I'll even like when finished ... that would be stupid, unless I were rich enough to have 1200 to just throw away ... unfortunately I'm not

Thanks everyone for the help, it was greatly appreciated ... thanks.

 

[AprioriMark]

Has anyone here ever actually met anyone who built a Warmoth and wasn't in love with it?  I'm sure there's got to be someone, but the dozen of friends that I have who have built a guitar from W parts wouldn't part with theirs for anything.  Nonstarter I guess.

-Mark

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

There have been several, but it has usually been setup issues.  If you can take their word for it, other forums are full of bad Warmoth experiences.

 

[AprioriMark]

If you can take their word for it, other forums are full of bad Warmoth experiences.

Any in particular I could read?  I don't totally trust random internet QQ, but I'm interested to see what's out there.  Everyone that I know personally has loved the experience from start to finish.

-Mark

 

[Kostas]

[Any in particular I could read? 

Check the S. Duncan forum. You can find a few Warmoth/partcaster haters. Some people are so caught up in the "Fender pride" they can't appreciate quality...

 

[NLD09]

In putting together my W i realized how much i was in love with my fender strat and it's still my main guitar. That being said i promptly ordered a W neck and pickguard for it.

 

[tfarny]

Phrygian got one with a tiny dimple in the finish near the neck pocket.... :icon_scratch: ...which he was able to return for a full refund.

Hey OP: You can, certainly, build a warmoth for $800, which makes Warmoth the cheapest USA made guitar you can even think about. I am a notorious cheapskate and have done it several times, but they required me to know how to do all the finishing, assembly, setup, and nut work in particular by myself, and to stay away from the fancier woods. My designated slide guitar actually cost me under $400 or so all told, and it does its job wonderfully, but that took some ebay hunting, a mix of used parts, Warmoth closeouts, etc. to put together, plus I did the finishing job in my apartment.

If your criterion for being a 'good deal' requires you to get $4000 PRS level gear for $800 including hiring someone to do all the work for you, good luck getting into the custom guitar hobby.

 

[Stephen R]

If your criterion for being a 'good deal' requires you to get $4000 PRS level gear for $800 including hiring someone to do all the work for you, good luck getting into the custom guitar hobby.

I'm simply asking if it is possible to get that guitar tone you heard in the video I posted with 1000 or less in warmoth parts. And I own a PRS, I can get great PRS customs all day long for less than 2000 used. I'm talking about the 4,000 dollar David Gilmour Fender with the monster tone. What parts do I need to get to achieve that tone.

I can put it together no problem but it would have to go to the local tech for final set-up.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

David Gilmour's tone follows him on whatever he's playing.  No single piece or gear will give you anybody's tone.  I've owned about 15 instruments, and played 10 times that many other guitars.  Everytime it sounded like me.  If it's a money thing, you're shooting for $800 and it may take 12, a brand new American Standard Fender costs between a grand and $1,200, and it doesn't have the things you want on it.  A Clapton Strat, an SRV Strat, or a Gilmour Strat will never make you sound like them.  Even the guy in the video, playing a Gilmour type Strat, didn't sound like Gilmour.  If you're willing to spend 2 grand on a used PRS, why not $800 to $1,200 on what you want.  If you could get a Gilmour $4,000 equivalent Strat for $1,200, what's the problem?

 

[Tempest]

About 80% of a guitars tone is in the pickups, just to let you know, and you will never sound like Gilmour, because his tone is in his fingers, just like everyone.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Watch this.  3 guys, same guitar, similar but different tones (and volumes).  It's in the fingers.

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[alexmyla]

damn...that video was awesome....

 

[Stephen R]

Even the guy in the video, playing a Gilmour type Strat, didn't sound like Gilmour.

Exactly, I don't want to sound like Gilmour ... never said that ...I just wan't the tone of that guitar in the video which is a 57 RI with SD pups and the Gilmore mod.