My next Strat build: chambered Swamp Ash, Flame Maple top, Fireburst finish

[Johnfv]

Scheduled Delivery:
    Thursday, 09/29/2011, By End of Day

 

[Nando Vallart]

Scheduled Delivery:
    Thursday, 09/29/2011, By End of Day

Charge the battery of your camera

 

[Johnfv]

I'll try to have it charged up tomorrow!

 

[Alfang]

And clean the lenze

 

[greywolf]

Love chambered Swamp ash .. my Warmoth Tele is  similar .. quilted maple over chambered swamp ash ....  My new swamp ash WGD is getting chambered


You are going to love it!

 

[Johnfv]

Fresh out of the box...

 

[Nando Vallart]

This is going to look really good! Congrats!

 

[Johnfv]

My first build using shielding paint, much easier than the foil.

 

[AutoBat]

oh hai!

 

[Disco Scottie]

Nice selections! That grain on the fretboard is awesome. What wood combo is it?

 

[B3Guy]

HOLY FLAMING TIGER, BATMAN! 

 

[Johnfv]

The neck is Goncalo Alves with Kingwood fingerboard. I really like the look, it will be my first try with natural wood finish on the neck.

As for not shielding the jack area, I use shielded cable to the jack so IMO that's not really needed there.

 

[Johnfv]

A bit more progress...

 

[Nando Vallart]

 

[samgoody]

Wow, that is a fantastically nice color!  From the first few pictures with the unshielded cavities it looks like it was originally routed for S-S-S pickups before it was re-routed for H-S-H pickups, or am I seeing things?  All the same, it looks like a rockin' axe, I hope you enjoy it! :icon_thumright:

 

[Johnfv]

...originally routed for S-S-S pickups before it was re-routed for H-S-H pickups...

Yes, it was in the showcase with S-S-S and I requested H-S-H. I like to have more flexibility with pickups and also want to get the pickguard assembly off easily without having to loosen the neck.

 

[Johnfv]

Getting close... double checking alignment before drilling pickguard holes.

 

[hannaugh]

Looks really nice!  :icon_thumright:

 

[Johnfv]

Only small items like strap locks (and final setup from my tech) left to do. This is my 2nd chambered Swamp Ash with Maple top body and I really like the tone. Swamp Ash alone can be a little scooped sounding for my taste but the chambers add a nice warmth to it. The Goncalo Alves neck helps bring out some nice mids also, I'm still getting used to the unfinished neck but I don't mind at all. I've had "sticky" feeling finished necks that were downright annoying, this is nice and smooth. A couple of pics in the sunlight:

 

[reluctant-builder]

Oh, good lord. I am so jealous! I want my guitar!!!

Yours looks really nice. You sure got it together quickly. How many builds have you done?