My 3rd Warmoth Strat finished!! Flame Maple "Tequila Sunrise" Gold Floyd/Kinman

[RichM]

Absolutely delighted with my new build so decided to share some pics (and a YouTube vid). 

- Chambered Swamp Ash body with Flame Maple top finished in Tequila Sunrise Burst
- Natural Masked Binding
- Flame maple neck with rosewood f/b
- All gold Schaller floyd, locking nut and mini locking tuners
- White pearl pickguard
- Kinman Woodstock Plus set with K9 harness

The best (S/S/S) strat in the world???  Maybe I'm a tiny bit biased ........ only a tiny bit ......

YouTube demo  is here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xZ7OuZHjFY

Pics attached....

Rich.

 

[RichM]

Some better photos using a bit more natural light - whilst the finish is quite orange it isn't quite as bright as implied in the first set of pictures!!!

Enjoy.

 

[Ace Flibble]

Oof, lucky git. Tequila Sunrise is the best looking finish Warmoth does, to me at least. Been meaning to make a TS/flame maple, ash bodied, floyd-equipped Strat myself for ages.

Great tone out of those Kinmans, what's your amp/what did you record with? Practically sounds like humbuckers at times there.

 

[RichM]

I'm using a Marshall DSL 401 re-tubed with Watford Values Retro range and I've replaced the speaker for a Celestion Vintage 30.  I've got a BOSS ME33 in the fx-loop for delay/chorus/reverb but mixed very low.  I use a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 Mosfet to boost the input and drive the amp into high gain.

The HX85 bridge pickup is really fat sounding yes - the set with the K9 harness is extremely versatile.  Didn't show the bridge+middle in series/parallel (push/push switch on the k9) this sounds even fatter!!

 

[m4rk0]

looks and sounds great!!
SSS strats with a Floyd always throw me off a little, but it really works here!

 

[lafromla1]

Looks great......love the color and the sound  :icon_thumright:

 

[Strat Avenger]

'Sure does look good.  :guitaristgif:

 

[Big V]

That guitar is a thing of awesome beauty :glasses9:
MAN! I love the color-combination!

 

[Jason VanNatten]

WOW! Really nice!

 

[Jusatele]

OK other guy from Norway
LOVE the Avatar, it is a style setter, I think you found a keeper

now back to the thread

I love the Tequila burst, Great build

 

[JaySwear]

greatest finish ever! :icon_biggrin: great looking guitar. very nice!

 

[B3Guy]

in case you're interested, there's a stunning 7/8 body looking quite similar

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/ShowcaseItem.aspx?i=ps4801&Body=2&Path=Body

 

[RichM]

Thanks for all the comments guys - I was a little worried about the tangerine-ness of the finish and whether the Floyd and gold hardware would work etc. But in the flesh it looks stunning so am pleased I stuck with it.  It is also the best playing guitar I own ... which is a bonus.

Now you've got me interested in a 7/8 project ....

R.

 

[Big V]

OK other guy from Norway
LOVE the Avatar, it is a style setter, I think you found a keeper

now back to the thread

I love the Tequila burst, Great build

Thanks, I think it fits my personality better :icon_tongue:

in case you're interested, there's a stunning 7/8 body looking quite similar

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/ShowcaseItem.aspx?i=ps4801&Body=2&Path=Body

I hate you, B3, now I'm gonna burst from all the GAS :tard:

But seriously... RichM, that guitar is wicked, I hope you won't mind if it happens that I copy your guitar when I finally have enough money for my own Warmoth :toothy11:

 

[RichM]

Noticed that one upload went squiffy (my broadband connection is quite hopeless) so have  reattached.  Quite a subtle flame on the neck - which is a Standard Thin, compound radius with 6100 frets.  Fret size nice compromise for me as one of my other Warmoths has 6230 vintage wire and the other has scallops!!

 

[The Norwegian Guy]

That's a beautiful guitar. I've always been convinced that a floyd rose is something you only use on humbucker guitars, but you prooved me wrong!

Nice playing!

 

[JaySwear]

MAN i love this thing... i've got a tequila burst telecaster body that'll be going with a maple/rosewood neck. they'll be twins! i debated for a long time over the pickguard but decided on black when i thought pearloid might be too busy. this strat might have proved that wrong though

 

[RichM]

Well, I also bought a plain parchment guard - I was that unsure the pearl one would look okay.  However now it is made up, I am sticking with this one ... other one can go on eBay 

I agree with the other comment about Floyds and Buckers - however I wonder if we are all just used to seeing them together ... once I'd mocked-up the setup, I thought it looked fine - although initially I had the same thoughts.  However has to be Kinman singles now - a bucker just too muddy for me - and with a good output noiseless single, you get the single coil cut without any of the drawbacks.

ps. still have an SD-equipped Ibanez and a cheap LP copy for when I (rarely) feel the need for a bucker....

R.

 

[ptirman]

Outstanding guitar and playing!

 

[RichM]

I didn't really do a full comparison before but now that I do, the chambered construction sure does seem to create a difference.  I guess there are probably threads here discussing the pros and cons - for me the finish I wanted (TS, Flame Maple, Ash)  was only in stock with the chambered construction and after some Googling to check I wasn't making a massive gamble, it seemed reasonably risk free.  My biggest concern was actually whether the pro neck with hardware would overbalance the lighter body and make it just feel wrong.

Now that I have compared to my (Warmoth and Fender) solid bodies there seem to be a number of real differences:
1. The acoustic sound is just plain louder - by quite a margin when compared to my Alder Warmoth and Fenders
2. The balance is a little neck heavy but luckily this hasn't really turned into an issue for me - however it is worth considering if you are very sensitive about such things.
3. The (acoustic) sustain appears better - I say 'appears' because it might be a function of point 1 - i.e. the decay is from a louder initial sound.  Without doing samples and stuff it would be hard to prove but it certainly gives that impression when playing it.
4. The tone is warmer than my Alder strats - this might be the Swamp Ash or the Schaller Floyd playing their part also but the sound is quite a lot 'fuller' and less 'twangy'

This was my first foray into chambered bodies and I could see how Strat purists may hate them as they are 'different'.  However with the pickups and the trem I was going for a more modern take on the classic guitar so it actually is quite welcomed and gives me a wider choice of sounds to play with.

Anyway, enough rambling, thought I would give me tuppence in case anyone was agonising over whether to chamber or not ....

Rich.