How many pieces are Warmoth Strat bodies in general?

[Schneidas]

Hi guys,

just a question: I just bought a "glow in the dark"-Strat body as I think it is really cool. I love glowing toys  :toothy12:

Anyways, I got it from the Showcase and it was the last body available in that finish.
I was suspicious of the price at first ($295) - since the finish alone runs at $200, so that leaves $95 for the wood.
It said Alder body at 4 lbs and 5 oz - no other infos.
Anyway I took the plunge and ordered from the showcase - and custom spec'd the routings for HSH.

The finish is really great!!
However, upon close examination of the HSH route (which exposes the wood, as it is unfinished) - I'm not sure, but it appears that I can make out 4 different pieces of Alder. So that means, that there's still one large area left with paint on - and I suspect there could be another piece - so in total that would make 5 pieces!

It's really hard to tell since the pieces could be router markings - but when you follow the grain - there are these areas that the grain appears to 'change' direction - and this change happens 3 times where it is visible - so it looks like it's 4 or 5 pieces in total.
Could this be?

So my question is: did I get what I paid for?

Not trying to come off as negative or something - I just want to know if Warmoth also has 5 piece-bodies.

 

[Schneidas]

P.s. I don't want to start a 'the number of pieces doesn't influence the sound'-type of discussion.
It is just that generally, I like my bodies to have 1 to 3 pieces at max. It is more of a psychological kind of thing.

Anyway - I gotta say, that even IF it indeed is 5 pieces - the grain appears to be nicely matched - so that is certainly a quality criterion

 

[Cagey]

All the Warmoth bodies I've ever seen - and I've been looking at them for years - have been either one or two pieces. I suppose under an opaque finish there might be more, or under what might be considered a "gimmick" finish (like glow-in-the-dark or hooker dust), but it seems unlikely. Warmoth builds high-quality parts, not Pacific Rim cast-offs. Especially since it's alder; that's not exactly a rare, exotic or expensive species where you'd want to use every scrap you have laying around.

 

[riverbluff]

I have a VW body this is a 4 piece body.

 

[Schneidas]

Cool, I see.
So, since yours is 4 pieces, mine could be either 4 or 5 pieces.
Thanks for letting me know.

 

[swarfrat]

Discount varies on showcase bodies. Some substantial. It's not really fair to take list price finish off a discounted price and say there's $95 worth of wood in it.

 

[Schneidas]

Fair enough. I guess I didn't really try to say that.
It was my first thought however... because I didn't think that Warmoth Alder Strat bodies coud be more than 3 pieces - so there was sort of an initial disappointment.


Anyway - the seam lines seem to be there - I'm pretty sure it is at least 4 pieces - but it is hard to tell with 100% accuracy.

I hope it turns out to a *great* sounding instrument nonetheless...

 

[AutoBat]

Welcome to the board Schneidas.  We have a saying here "Pics or it doesn't exist"

I don't believe you have a glow in the dark Strat, unless you can prove it to me

 

[riverbluff]

I have zero complaints about my VW...

We one, it doesn't sonud near as good when I play it compared to somone that really knows how to play... :help:

 

[rockskate4x]

Center block + wings + bookmatched laminated top = 5 pieces

This is a perfectly stable construction. Those of you who have worked with wood know in fact that it is better than a one piece construction because it prevents the wood from cupping (all warping in the same direction to create a curve) over time. I think that what typically gives people the heebeejeebees about multiple plank construction is thinking about the majority of guitars with this construction that are sloppily assembled with low quality wood (or other materials in some cases) and bad glue joints. Warmoth has high quality woods and top notch construction, so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Schneidas]

Thanks for the welcome, AutoBat.
K, I'll post some pics of the glow in the dark body later today or tomorrow.

Center block + wings + bookmatched laminated top = 5 pieces

This is a perfectly stable construction. Those of you who have worked with wood know in fact that it is better than a one piece construction because it prevents the wood from cupping (all warping in the same direction to create a curve) over time. I think that what typically gives people the heebeejeebees about multiple plank construction is thinking about the majority of guitars with this construction that are sloppily assembled with low quality wood (or other materials in some cases) and bad glue joints. Warmoth has high quality woods and top notch construction, so I wouldn't worry about it.

True, but mine is just plain 4 or 5 pieces - no fancy bookmatched top.
Anyhow you are correct, the only guitars I've played, that had more than 3 pieces were low quailty Strat-style guitars (mostly Asian stuff) and most of them sucked (one was actually quite good, despite being made of 5 pieces and having a poor finish job).

Anyway, I guess I was just surprised at Warmoth also using multiple piece bodys. I know they have 3 pieces - but didn't expect a 4 or 5 piecer.

 

[Ace Flibble]

I think that what typically gives people the heebeejeebees about multiple plank construction is thinking about the majority of guitars with this construction that are sloppily assembled with low quality wood (or other materials in some cases) and bad glue joints. Warmoth has high quality woods and top notch construction, so I wouldn't worry about it.

That's not the problem with 3-5-piece bodies. It's about tone and resonance. The more pieces you have, the more glue you've got in there, the more you're dampening your tone. If you like quite warm, vintage tones then this isn't too much of a problem, but if you like a modern hi-fi sound and are the sort of guitar player who likes to leave their tone control at 10 or not have a tone control at all then this sort of thing is a big issue. It's kind of like using coated strings vs standard, or a head+cab instead of a combo. All the fundamentals are the same but there is a difference in the highest overtones and that can be important for some people.

 

[Dan025]

it may have been to test a new finnish, sometimes you find qc rejects under the opaque finishes too, not that there is a structural problem but maybe a knot in the wood or something. one guy had a maple capped body under a black finnish which is odd and it was advertised in the showcase that way, but in the light you can see the figure of the wood peaking through, it was a flamed top! but must have had a visual defect or a painting mistake. maybe they took one of there blanks that they felt comfortable sacrificing and used it for an experiment to see if this new paint would sell and to practice spraying the new paint.

 

[Schneidas]

I see...
To be honest all this is making me a bit uncomfortable.
I didn't think much about it when I bought the body since it was on the shop page. I figured they were selling good stuff there, some of it already finished - so your waiting time is less.
I'd rather have paid for first class quality if I knew - even if it was $100 more.

Anyway, I guess, as it seems to be an experiment on their end, that I ended up with a multiple piece body. I really wish there had been a note on the sales page or something. All I saw was a weight (which was very close to my ideal weight for an Alder Strat body), a cool finish-color and choose your trem routing - so all seemed good. I wish they put up a note '5-piece test body' or something like that.

Anyway - for all I know, this could still turn out to be a good guitar - or a dog.I guess I'll know after the assembly...

 

[Dan025]

dont listen to the nay sayers. i had a flying v made out of plywood and i would love to have that guitar back., also my poplar(presumably) mim strat has about the thickest finnish i have ever seen and the cheapest wood, i think the finnish is a structural aid because none of the bridge or pickguard screws can be tightened, the wood is that soft and lacks any structure. i had to seal the screw holes with superglue to feel comfortable with it. that guitar is very resonant. so just pretend like you never saw it and think to yourself you got a great deal.

 

[JimBeed]

It WILL be fine, put good hardware and pickups in that thing and it will purrr, or growl,
whatever cat species you prefer, the other thing you have to consider with cheap knock offs is that the hardware and pickups are crap aswell
Im sure once that gets a good neck and pickups and hardware it will be amazing. You have payed for first class quality, warmoth cant offer any less, and im pretty sure thats legally cant offer any less.

 

[AutoBat]

Schneidas, I'm not sure why you're worrying.  You have purchased a high quality body from one of the best kept secrets in the custom body & neck world.
Many items in the Showcase are at a discount, so your thinking that the body must only be worth $95 is absurd.

 

[Schneidas]

Thanks guys - that is kind of assuring.
I'm not too knowledgable about Warmoth's stuff so I'm hoping for the best.

Anyway, I'm anxious to see how this will turn out.
Again, I love the 'gimmicky' finish - that's why I bought it the minute I saw it one the salespage...

 

[Strat Avenger]

My Soloist body is 2 pieces.

 

[Jusatele]

Discount varies on showcase bodies. Some substantial. It's not really fair to take list price finish off a discounted price and say there's $95 worth of wood in it.

Yea, I have seen some real deals in the showcase, I sometimes wonder if time in showcase matters, But I do notice showcase is a lot cheaper than custom build