Have I picked a good wood choice for Dimarzio Crunch Lab/Cruiser Combo?

[She.Cries.Wolf]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum, so I just thought I'd say Hi to everyone first.

Now I've already picked the pickups for an HSS Strat guitar - Crunch Lab in Bridge and Cruisers in Middle/Neck.

The wood/hardware choice which I'm thinking of going for is:

Alder Body
Quartersawn Maple Neck
Black Ebony Fingerboard
Wilkinson Trem
TUSQ XL Nut

I just wondered if anyone has had any experience with the Crunch Lab or Cruisers in a Set-Up like this? And if you think it's a good choice?

Cheers,
Mike

:guitarplayer2:

 

[Cagey]

I think you've made some excellent choices. I can't imagine being unhappy with that combination.

If you like Strats and haven't bought a neck yet, I would suggest an Ebony over Pau Ferro, rather than Maple part. Not that there's anything wrong with Maple, but even if you prefer glossy or satin finished maple necks, you will absolutely love the feel of raw Pau Ferro and it doesn't sound that much different. It's very dense/smooth/fast. Either way, use stainless frets. You won't be sorry there, either. Doesn't affect the tone at all, but the playability and life expectancy are dramatically enhanced.

 

[noname]

Depends. Not very familiar with Cruisers except that Andy Timmons sound amazing with the same.

Crunch Lab is very shred-minded (modern?) pickup. 

I had CL pickup in basswood guitar (RG), so not much of help but still . . . It is very hot (understatement), very very defined and harmonics are mad. Orientation is important - try with the bar toward the bridge first. However, IMO not exactly for vintage - ish tones. Maybe it is my ears or my gear but for me this was purely shred pup.

You can also try to find some Petrucci MM guitar review on youtube, I believe it has alder with these pup.

 

[NQbass7]

I think you've made some excellent choices. I can't imagine being unhappy with that combination.

If you like Strats and haven't bought a neck yet, I would suggest an Ebony over Pau Ferro, rather than Maple part. Not that there's anything wrong with Maple, but even if you prefer glossy or satin finished maple necks, you will absolutely love the feel of raw Pau Ferro and it doesn't sound that much different. It's very dense/smooth/fast. Either way, use stainless frets. You won't be sorry there, either. Doesn't affect the tone at all, but the playability and life expectancy are dramatically enhanced.

+1 on the Pau Ferro.  My Tele's been in storage for a few months (been traveling) and I got it out to play it, and the first thing I thought was "I forgot how good this neck feels." Pau Ferro on Pau Ferro, and it's absolutely amazing to play. I don't mind the look of maple, but I don't know if I'll ever buy a neck that needs finishing again.

 

[line6man]

Avoid Maple, as it needs a finish.
Pau Ferro is an option. Canary and Padouk also supposedly have similar tonal characteristics.

Otherwise Alder/Maple is pretty much the standard combo that has been used on Fender-ish guitars for 50 years. Hard to go wrong with it.

 

[Strat Avenger]

'All good pickups but the Crunch Lab is waay hotter than the Cruisers, so you are gonna experience a drastic volume drop when switching from the bridge-position to one of the Cruisers. It's not a very good "balance".

 

[Cagey]

I agree about the imbalance, but that's just me so I call it normal. The middle, neck and in-between spots are for talking, discussion, crying, arguing, etc., so you have all sorts of ways to get that out. Switch around as needed. But, when you slap back to the bridge, it means DAG NAB A RATAJACK, PAY ATTENTION TO ME NOW! So, it has to be loud, toneful, cutting and above all, bitchy as hell. But, again. That's just me.

It helps if you have a volume knob in an instinctive place that never moves, so you don't have to go fumbling around a dozen pots and 135 buttons and switches. That way, you can adjust your output as needed without thinking about it.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I agree about the imbalance, but that's just me so I call it normal. The middle, neck and in-between spots are for talking, discussion, crying, arguing, etc., so you have all sorts of ways to get that out. Switch around as needed. But, when you slap back to the bridge, it means DAG NAB A RATAJACK, PAY ATTENTION TO ME NOW! So, it has to be loud, toneful, cutting and above all, bitchy as hell. But, again. That's just me.

It helps if you have a volume knob in an instinctive place that never moves, so you don't have to go fumbling around a dozen pots and 135 buttons and switches. That way, you can adjust your output as needed without thinking about it.

Do you always have to be so damned logical all the time??!  :toothy11:

 

[Cagey]

No, I don't have to. In fact, I'm pretty illogical a frightening percentage of the time <grin>

 

[She.Cries.Wolf]

Woah, thanks for the quick replies.

Regarding the Pau Ferro, do you recommend it for the Neck or the Fingerboard? I just really like Black Fingerboards, but I'm very open to options

Regarding the Crunch Lab/Cruiser balance, Marco Sfogli uses a D Sonic with the Cruisers, and they actually balance well. It's the Bridge Cruiser I'll be putting in the Neck btw. Here's a vid of the setup --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLP1N0_xkGk

I'll be having 2 Vols & a Master Tone btw

Oh and regarding Petruccis's guitars, it's mainly the Mahogany that has the most effect on the tone as the pickups are mounted into mahogany as well as having a Mahogany neck attached to. He said the crisp attack comes from the Ebony Fretboard and the Alder is just to balance the weight out.

 

[She.Cries.Wolf]

Would Pau Ferro Neck with Ebony Fingerboard be a good choice?

 

[Cagey]

Absolutely. It's what I've been talking about. It's a match made in heaven.

 

[She.Cries.Wolf]

Absolutely. It's what I've been talking about. It's a match made in heaven.

Well looks like my Necks sorted now

Thinking of going for the Natural look now so going to get a Pretty Top for the Alder (or whatever wood I decide) and have it died/stained a dark colour

 

[She.Cries.Wolf]

I've actually decided on a Chambered Black Korina Body with a Koa Top. What do people think?

 

[Cagey]

That will be beautiful.

 

[She.Cries.Wolf]

That will be beautiful.

Cheers

How would you recommend binding these 2 wood? If you don't have binding, do Warmoth cut the woods so they seamlessly blend into each other?

 

[line6man]

That will be beautiful.

Cheers

How would you recommend binding these 2 wood? If you don't have binding, do Warmoth cut the woods so they seamlessly blend into each other?

What?

 

[She.Cries.Wolf]

I mean since the Body will be Black Korina and the Top will be Koa, where the 2 woods join (where binding usually is), if I wasn't to have binding, would the 2 woods join seamlessy?

 

[Cagey]

Strats rarely have actual binding due to the body design - the edges of the body have rather large radii - but Warmoth does what they call "natural masked" binding, which is simply a striped mask applied early in the finishing process, then removed part way through for the final clear coat. It's very attractive. For example...

[more here]

The finish is flawless. There's no sensation of a line at all, because there really isn't one. I have a couple like that, and you don't know or see the transition from the top wood to the body wood.

 

[She.Cries.Wolf]

Well I'm actually only having the natural wood colour, so a Natural Binding would be pretty pointless, lol.

I only have the option the finish it in Satin or Gloss anyways :/