Help making build decisions

[kendog]

So I've been planning a build for a while now and trolling all the forums here and I'm overwhelmed with with the amount of information you guys have provided. It looks like I'll actually will be able to start purchasing parts over the summer and I think I have narrowed what I want to a short list and wanted your opinion on my choices.

The build will be strat. As for the music I play I'm all over the place: Blues, Rock, Metal. but I also have rock and metal guitars and I'm not looking to make a one size fits all guitar. I would like the out come of this to be able to handle SRV, Clapton and Gilmour tones. So I have Body, Neck and Electronic questions

I'll start with Pickups,
I have narrowed down to 3 sets I think
1. EMG DG20
2. The SRV set of Fralin's offered from Callahan
3. SD SSL1/SSL1/SSL5 ( w/ coil tapping the SSL5 in the bridge)

If I go with the SDs I'm not sure what the difference between the "Custom Staggared" and "Flat Staggered" so I might want the SSL2 and SSL6

The body
I was pretty set with a Swamp Ash body, until I saw a couple of the Black Korina bodies. I see many people saying the body wood doesn't matter ... should I go Swamp Ash or Korina?

The neck
So from my reading this is the important part for tone. Since I'm trying to replicate SRV and Gilmour That would mean maple/rosewood, but I'm very interested in the raw neck option but which wood? It seems that Wenge and Goncalo Alves are some favorites but but according to Warmoth's site more on the warmer side of the Tone-O-Meter. What about Pau Ferro ? Also why is Pau Ferro only offered with strat/tele non-angled headstocks? I really would like the Warmoth headstock.

Other neck info is I'll get the compound radius, SRV contour and I'm still deciding between the LSR roller nut and the Black TUSQ XL

So what are your thoughts?

 

[JimBeed]

Id say go with canary if you want raw but bright, a few/alot of people here consider it the raw version of maple, though its more grainy and such,

 

[AutoBat]

I can try to answer your last question first. Some of the exotic wood options aren't available in tilt-back form because they are more difficult to glue on the scarf joint (headstock bit to the shaft part)
When I think Gilmour, I think maple/maple. but I know he owns more guitars than the black Strat.
Consider a Canary core for your neck paired with just about any other fretboard (or also canary).

From the 3 pups you listed, I'd probably go with the Fralins from Callaham.

You didn't mention if you're going for hardtail or not, so I'll take this opportunity to plug the Wilkinson 2 point unit, and while I'm at it, stainless steel frets.

I see you're up to 13 posts already, but... Welcome to the Forum!

 

[kendog]

Thanks for the info and yes I will be going with the Wilkinson 2 post unit,As for frets I'm undecided but lean toward the SS.

Anyone else have any thoughts?
What about the body wood?

 

[Death by Uberschall]

The best tonal variations will come from the EMG DG20 set-up, hands down.

 

[Stew]

+1 on the canary/canary neck  :headbang:

 

[llmtelecaster]

I'm a devoted fan of Callaham pups. I own a set of the Special Winds and they are the most beautiful set of pickups I've ever used. Very thumpy, dynamic, and articulate. I kind of have a feeling the H/SRV pups would probably be a little too hot. But if that's what you're going for, you can't go wrong with Callaham.

The body you choose, I think, ultimately depends on the type of finish you plan on getting. If you're going for a solid or a burst, go with the swamp ash. If you want to let the wood be the star of the show, go with the Korina.

The maple/rosewood combo is tried and true. If you're in doubt, go with what works. Also consider a pao ferro board. If it were my build and I had my heart set on a raw finish, I'd go pao ferro.

 

[kendog]

With the H/SRV pups I was worried they may be to hot, I'm sure they nail SRV but what about hitting the Gilmour tones? I kinda have the same problem with the EMG DG20 set, I know they nail "shine on you crazy diamond", and I know the EXG and SPC circuits make them versatile in tones, but its seems its more toward P90 tones than different "strat sounds" ... will I be able to get SRV from the DG20s?

You seem to really like the special winds set. What are your thoughts on hitting both tones with them?

 

[llmtelecaster]

I bought the Callaham's because I specifically wanted that thumpy, quacky dirty texas blues sound. And they do that well. I know the Gilmour tone you also want, and although I haven't tried to dial that in myself, I think with some tweaking I could probably hit a happy medium with the Special Winds.

Take what I say with a grain of salt, though. I haven't ever tried the EMG's. But I've only heard really positive things about them.

 

[Jusatele]

Some Advice

make a plan, envision the end product.

lay that out,  I want a body that looks like this, this sound is my objective, and I want the hardware to be such and such

remember, do what you want, not what others want, envision a guitar you want. screw everyone else.

Now start with the body, ask the guys here how to get what you want, not what they want but what you want
next, research with these guys how you want it to look, post up ideas, tell them your dream, want to know something, the more of your plan that comes out, the more we get excited for you and encourage you to do as your ideas see fit.
Now go for a neck, browse the premade neck section, I can tell you that you will find one, but if you do not, you will find something you want to base it off of.

then go and asl around about the sound you want with the pickup configuration you have chosen,

that is how I ended up with BARNDOOR, and let me tell you, the long threads and all the advice I got, all went toward getting me the end result I dreamed of before I spent 1 cent.

try not to build it over night, spend 3 to 6 months, in the end your hard won Axe will be exactly what you wanted, not others.

 

[Tonar8352]

I have used all the Callaham pickups in my guitars and the H/SRV are clearly my favorite.  They are not over wound or too hot and they have the broadest range of frequencies of the three different sets.  The real 54’s are very nice in a Swamp Ash with Maple neck Strat that I use. To me it really nails Ronnie Earl’s tone and leans a little closer to Clapton’s early Strat tone.  I like it for that reason but if I only had one strat I would go with the H/SRV set.

The other key ingredient to getting the most out of your pickups is using RS Guitarworks 280K super pots for volume and their 250K pots for tone, and the vintage correct LUX capacitor goes in all my guitars.

I seems to me you are going after the classic Strat guys tones so I suggest you use the same platform as their guitars had.  Traditional body wood for them would be Ash or Alder and Alder would be the #1 for the classic 3 guitars that they used.  Maple necks for Clapton and Gilmore’s sound and a Rosewood board for Steve’s would be the way to go.  If I had to own only have one Strat I would have Maple but I like them both so I have both.

 

[AutoBat]

the vintage correct LUX capacitor goes in all my guitars.

Just be careful when going 88mph

1.21 GIGAWATTS!!

 

[Mor Paul]

 

[kendog]

Being a computer geek naming the guitar the "lux capacitor" might be just about fitting. :headbang1:

Justatele, thanks for the advise and I hear what your saying but I'm kinda like a fish out of water with a strat build. All my other guitars have been dual humbukers, I'm currently playing a Gibson V and Peavey wolfgang. I've never owned a strat and only have played a couple so I'm basically trying to reproduce what I think I like about strats from players I like (SRV and Gilmour). This is my first build, I picked a strat because I don't have one and although I hope it sounds awesome it will really be a learning experience.

toner, Thanks for more info on Callaham H/SRV set, I'm a lot less concerned of them being too hot now and I guess your right, I'm trying to achieve that classic strat sound with a couple of specific tones I'd like to be able to achieve. I also don't know how I missed Gilmour using a all maple neck, total brain fart lol

No one has chimed in about Semour Duncans SSL1/SSL1/SSL5, no SD love around here?

 

[blueruins]

I think the Callaham/Fralin wounds are a great choice...by most accounts Fralin is always at the top of the strat winders out there and you'll be sure to have the classic strat sound that has stood the test of 60+ years. 

IMO the SD's would be the second choice.  I am totally head over heels for the SD Antiquity II Surfer pickups...I've tried a lot of the best pickups out there and they all give you beautiful chimey tones, but these finally captured the elusive "attitude" that I've always found missing.  I hear the SSL series are in the ballpark.

EMG's...they look cool.  :dontknow:

 

[Shadow]

Well, seeming as I'm a big Gilmour fan I thought I should chime in here.

Both the black strat and the red strat (the one with the DG20 set) are both alder with maple necks. The Black Strat has two '71 pickups (Neck and middle) and a custom wound ssl-1 in the bridge. The Red Strat uses the DG20's.

More info here: http://www.gilmourish.com/?page_id=66 and http://www.gilmourish.com/?page_id=68.

I have no idea what SRV uses so I'm no help there.

 

[Disco Scottie]

Thanks for those Gilmour links. I'm not a big Floyd fan, but I always love reading about iconic guitars. That black Strat has seen a lot of changes, hasn't it?

 

[kendog]

I've read the gilmourish site, I could have sworn it said he had a ssl-5 in the bridge

 

[Shadow]

Thanks for those Gilmour links. I'm not a big Floyd fan, but I always love reading about iconic guitars. That black Strat has seen a lot of changes, hasn't it?

I think the thing that surprises me most is that it's had seven different necks. But over the years its not really even the same guitar anymore, other than the body.

I've read the gilmourish site, I could have sworn it said he had a ssl-5 in the bridge

Well according to the site, it has a "Custom wound SSL1C" which is a predecessor to the current SSL-5. So yes, in essence that's what it is.