My new strat body!

tt0511

Junior Member
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113
I got my new strat body last night and it blew me away!  So much nicer than the pics on the showcase when I ordered it!  I'll post pics asap (hopefully tonight).  Mahogany body with Goncalo Alves laminate top.  Gorgeous.

I'm looking for some help deciding about the neck.  I ordered the body as a replacement for a messed up fender strat guitar.  I had already replaced the neck with a warmoth in birdseye maple, and absolutely love that neck.  It opened up the tone by unspeakable amounts on that guitar.  But, I don't think the birdseye maple neck matches this new body at all so I'm thinking I'm going to sell the old strat body and this neck to fund the purchase of a neck that matches this new body so the overall guitar look is better coordinated.  I was originally going to get a black body but the screamin' deals had this body listed and the price was so good I couldn't turn it down.  So, I didn't really "study" on what the overall look would be but hoped it would be okay.

I'm thinking the following options are the best but I'm fishing for opinions!

Options I'm considering:

One piece Goncalo Alves
Goncalo neck/Ebony, Pau Ferro or Rosewood fingerboard
Mahogany neck/Goncalo fingerboard

What do you think would look best?

I love the tone of the neck I currently have so much that I'm a little concerned about letting it go for another one, but it just doesn't look good with the Goncalo top.
 
NonsenseTele said:
I like the idea of Gonçalo with a dark fingerboard or a all dark neck (wenge, rosewood, etc)
Good call Fernando, I was thinking something dark also, maybe all pau or rosewood... :icon_thumright:
 
DangerousR6 said:
NonsenseTele said:
I like the idea of Gonçalo with a dark fingerboard or a all dark neck (wenge, rosewood, etc)
Good call Fernando, I was thinking something dark also, maybe all pau or rosewood... :icon_thumright:

+1
 
Here's the new body.  I bet it will look amazing once it is oiled.

strat001.jpg


strat002.jpg


strat003.jpg


strat004.jpg


Here's my rough paint shop mock ups to see what necks look like on this body.  Just for rough ideas.  I actually think I'm diggin' the full Goncalo Alves vibe the best though.

2.jpg


1.jpg
 
Definitely fully goncalo, and definitely THAT neck. I haven't seen many that look quite so good. I would buy it for me, if only....
 
DocNrock said:
DangerousR6 said:
NonsenseTele said:
I like the idea of Gonçalo with a dark fingerboard or a all dark neck (wenge, rosewood, etc)
Good call Fernando, I was thinking something dark also, maybe all pau or rosewood... :icon_thumright:

+1
+2

After seeing the picture I'd say ebony and ziricote boards are also good options on top PF and rosewood.  
 
Wow! Nice body! Are those bloodwood stringers in the middle of the top?

I would go with either the first neck or the third, preferably the first. (the all goncalo)  I can also tell you from personal experience that you'll love a goncalo neck!

:rock-on:
 
Tempest said:
Wow! Nice body! Are those bloodwood stringers in the middle of the top?

I would go with either the first neck or the third, preferably the first. (the all goncalo)  I can also tell you from personal experience that you'll love a goncalo neck!

:rock-on:
+1, i was thinking a dark neck. But either the first or the third would look best... :icon_thumright:
 
Thanks for all the compliments!  I picked it up in the screaming deals section and boy am I glad I did.

I am finishing with tru-oil.  Already picked it up.  Never shot clear before but did use tung oil on the birdseye maple neck I'm selling to fund the right neck for this body and it worked fine.  I have two necks that are raw wood with tung oil and the tone difference between unfinished and clear coated (even nitro) is astonishing in my experience.  So, I prefer raw with oil for that reason.  Not to mention it feels great too.

I'm definitely leaning heavily in the all Goncalo neck direction.  Just seems to look much better to my eyes.  The strat I started with was factory natural ash with maple neck, so this agrees with that configuration.

Does anyone have a light color wood body with a dark neck comparable to the suggestions so i could see what that would look like a bit better?
 
so you are the @#$%^&* who stole that out from me....went to order and it was GONE! :sad1:  I cannot believe the price that thing went for!

NICE PURCHASE...I look forward to seeing it come together!  Very unique esp withthe Blood wood accents!

A Goncalo neck is a must!!!  Please no pickguard!
 
dmraco said:
so you are the @#$%^&* who stole that out from me....went to order and it was GONE! :sad1:  I cannot believe the price that thing went for!

NICE PURCHASE...I look forward to seeing it come together!  Very unique esp withthe Blood wood accents!

A Goncalo neck is a must!!!  Please no pickguard!

Ha ha.  Sorry bout that.  Well, ...kinda.  :icon_tongue:  Yeah, the bloodwood accents give it that little something it needs.  Without those it would need something to accent it.  There is no pickguard going on this puppy!  Blek!
 
dot worry too much...I am getting over it...besides I was having a hard time with the single coils...

My loss did allow me to pick up the Korina/Zebrawood strat they had.

Good to know all is well in the universe! :headbang1:
 
Now I have to decide on what nut material to get in the new neck for this thing.  I'm considering corian, brass and earvana.  The current birdseye maple neck has a graphtech nut but I haven't compared the sound between nuts on the same guitar neck so I'm not sure what to do here.  I was thinking brass might brighten up the Goncalo Alves neck a tad but that's just me surmising.  I've never had a compensating nut, so I have curiosity about the earvana.  What do you guys think would pair up with an all Goncalo neck well?
 
i can whole-heartedly recommend the white corian (earvana) compensated nut!
I have a old-style earvana nut on my first warmoth build, and the above mentioned nut now on my second built!
The tuning stability across the whole fingerboard is awesome, and having it custom made into the fingerboard directly (the whole nut is "earvana"-cut) is definitely a step above the old-style of installing the earvana nut on top of the fingerboard.. (the "earvana"-part was installed upon a block that is the normal nut)
 
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