My first build

[Megatron]

Hello! First time caller, long time listener.

I've just started collecting all the parts for a fiesta red warmoth strat build.

I'll start by saying that I heard about warmoth from darryl braun's youtube channel. He's done quite a few builds, and that's really what inspired me to take the plunge into a custom build. I've watched quite a few videos from braun, phil mcknight, the warmoth channel and a few full warmoth builds from random channels, and they all pushed me in this direction. Looks like warmoth does all the complicated work in terms of dimensions, angles and finishes, with the simpler assembly portion finalized by me.

I started my journey playing an Ibanez prestige RG with a hard tail. I loved that guitar, but the neck was too thin and too flat at the top frets and resonance was a bit sterile, even when played acoustically. Which makes sense because the fast decay is good for metal. I then got a Gibson les paul, and that thing has the classic rock sound I love, but the neck is quite chunky, and I did miss the slightly wider fret spacing of a 25.5" scale length.

This brings me to my custom build:

What I'm putting together is a bit of a hybrid axe. I'm constructing a classical strat body with a stratosphere loaded pickguard packing fender yosemite single-coils, which should give me the more vintage single-coil sound I'm seeking in this build. But the rest of the guitar is inspired by the suhr modern superstrat: Body is roasted alder, roasted maple neck with stainless steel jumbo frets, compound 10-16" radius, Gotoh 510T-BS1 trem with brass saddles and an angled steel block, Gotoh HAP-M staggered and locking posts so I can forgo a string tree.

I'm hoping that the angled steel block of the 510T allows me to dive with a floated trem - darryl braun has an excellent video on the floating setup.

Any pointers from the community? I'm mostly nervous about the stud/insert installation and the drilling of pilot holes into roasted wood. I've got screw wax to lubricate screws. Also, any thoughts on floating the 510T in the absence of a recessed trem cavity (as on the floyd routes or the Ibanez AZ's).

I'll post updates when the body and neck arrive. Pumped!

 

[BigSteve22]

Welcome to the forum. You've come to the right place, many knowledgeable people here to answer your questions. Don't be afraid to ask, we all started with a first build.

As for your stud insataltion, if you haven't ordered the body yet, Warmoth will install them for you. Cost is like $10. You can even send them your studs if you've already purchased the bridge. I install my own. I use a dowel wrapped in 220 sand paper to clean up the edges of the holes, (remove any excess finish), and to remove just the slightest wisp from the interiors. You can then use a drill press, (if one is available), to press them in. On my first build, I used a block of hard wood, pressing straight down with my body weight to seat them. As I recall, they went in rather easily. Just have to be certain they are straight, which is made easier with the drill press option.

I'm sure others will be along presently to offer more options and answer other questions. Don't forget to post pictures as you progress. We just love "guitar porn"!
:icon_jokercolor:

 

[stratamania]

I have a Gotoh 510 trem that floats without a recess. A recess would give more of an ability to pull up in any case. How far you can dive will be determined by the block and the back cavity. How far do you want to dive?

 

[Megatron]

I have a Gotoh 510 trem that floats without a recess. A recess would give more of an ability to pull up in any case. How far you can dive will be determined by the block and the back cavity. How far do you want to dive?

The 510T block should be pretty permissive. I’m guessing I’ll copy Darrel Braun’s video and start with a single semitone, which he did on a Mexican Strat 6 screw trem. I’ve never used a trem before, so I’m very new to this as well.

 

[Megatron]

After looking at the gotoh diagram of the "FST mechanism", I'm thinking floating the bridge may yield more contact along the string and possibly kill the sustain and defeat the purpose of the mechanism.

 

[stratamania]

After looking at the gotoh diagram of the "FST mechanism", I'm thinking floating the bridge may yield more contact along the string and possibly kill the sustain and defeat the purpose of the mechanism.

You are overthinking it, the Gotoh 510 works perfectly well with the FST when it is set to float. The contact with the string is the same.

The Gotoh 510 trems are very good, but who knows you might be better off with a Floyd or something else dependent on use case.

I asked this before how far do you want to dive and pull up. What are you trying to achieve and play with this tremolo?

 

[Megatron]

I asked this before how far do you want to dive and pull up. What are you trying to achieve and play with this tremolo?

Apologies, I thought I had answered this:

I’m guessing I’ll copy Darrel Braun’s video and start with a single semitone, which he did on a Mexican Strat 6 screw trem. I’ve never used a trem before, so I’m very new to this as well.

Braun has a video on youtube describing how to float a trem, so I was just going to follow this because I like the idea of being up to change pitch up and down, but without a floyd. I've already got the 510 trem and am just waiting for the warmoth body and neck now. Should be any week now...

 

[stratamania]

That is easy then just float the trem so the base plate is parallel with the body. The interval approach is not necessary and not very useful in practical terms.

Here is a sticky thread with some useful information. Unfortunately one of the referenced videos from the Fender custom shop is not now available. Edit: I replaced the mentioned video with an alternative from another Fender Custom Shop Master Builder.

https://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=29622.0

 

[Megatron]

Incredibly helpful! Thanks for sharing! This forum is such a great resource.

 

[Rick]

Welcome Megatron!

 

[stratamania]

Incredibly helpful! Thanks for sharing! This forum is such a great resource.

Thanks.

 

[Megatron]

Got a UPS notification that my warmoth body and neck are on the way! Will post pics when it arrives.

As an aside, I'm a bit surprised at the amount of radio silence from Warmoth. Aside from acknowledging my order and payment, I never received any notifications. When I log into my account, it says shipped, but other than logging in every day, I would have no clue. Even when I order used gear from guitar center I get many more notifications about the state of my order/shipment. I guess Warmoth just uses UPS to notify us?

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I just had a Charvel DK24 come across my desk for a pickup swap, and it is stock with a Gotoh 510 trem.
No worries about sustain whatsoever, and the movement is very smooth.
This is a top shelf non locking trem.

 

[BroccoliRob]

Got a UPS notification that my warmoth body and neck are on the way! Will post pics when it arrives.

As an aside, I'm a bit surprised at the amount of radio silence from Warmoth. Aside from acknowledging my order and payment, I never received any notifications. When I log into my account, it says shipped, but other than logging in every day, I would have no clue. Even when I order used gear from guitar center I get many more notifications about the state of my order/shipment. I guess Warmoth just uses UPS to notify us?

what would you want the notifications to even say? "yo, mister customer, youre order is still in process." "dear customer, believe or not your order is STILL being made"

 

[Megatron]

what would you want the notifications to even say? "yo, mister customer, youre order is still in process." "dear customer, believe or not your order is STILL being made"

Yes.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Ideally, when you get the UPS notification, you essentially just receive a message saying "The construction of your item is complete".

Pretty straight forward to me.

 

[ragamuffin]

what would you want the notifications to even say? "yo, mister customer, youre order is still in process." "dear customer, believe or not your order is STILL being made"

Yes.

It would be kind of cool to get updates like "your body is being shaped" "your body is now being painted/finished" etc. but I can see why they don't do that. They've got plenty of other stuff to manage.

 

[BroccoliRob]

But why is that important to know?

(it's #not)

 

[ragamuffin]

True

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

As a former employee, I can provide a bit of perspective on why they do not provide updates at each stage of construction.
Warmoth is a small, family owned business, in a very low margin, production paced environment.  Pulling someone off to do an update pulls that person out of production, although it may be minutes, it is still time, and time is $$$$  Did I mention that Warmoth is a high paced production environment?

Some larger companies have done what you're requesting in the past, and have appropriately charged for the opportunity cost of lost production time in doing so, and many of them have stopped providing this service because it is not profitable from a manufacturing and staffing perspective.

Folks hear of a guitar or parts manufacturing facility and automatically have a 400,000 sq foot warehouse like Carvin or Peavey in mind, when in reality, you have 60+ people, plus machinery, plus wood/kiln storage, plus showcase, plus office staff & cubicle space, crammed into an 8000 sq foot pole building with weiner dog security.

It's not as glamourous and opulent as some folks would imagine.