Need help from the vintage Strat guys.

[Death by Uberschall]

I want to build a vintage style Strat with a few modern touches and need some help. I'm going to build it with the 6-screw trem (I believe it's part of the Strat sound) and the EMG DG20 set-up.

Here's my delima, I'm thinking of using a vintage modern maple neck with a graphite nut, ebony board w/ss6100 frets. I know the Alder body is the Strat norm, but I'm afraid it will be too bright with that neck.

I have thought about a warmer neck wood under the ebony board. I am going to finish the back of the neck to match the body so appearance is not an issue.

Or, what body wood could I use to balance that neck while keeping the vintage Strat vibe?

Any suggestions?

 

[line6man]

An Alder body with a Maple neck too bright!?

There is no such thing in my book. :dontknow:

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I guess the ebony board and SS frets are what made me think it could be too bright.

 

[line6man]

I guess the ebony board and SS frets are what made me think it could be too bright.

It was my understanding that for a fretted instrument, the fretboard material makes very little tonal difference, right?

I don't know about stainless steel frets though. I've never paid much attention to what was said about nickel versus stainless.

 

[DangerousR6]

No ebony, rosewood or maple fretboard. Fender didn't use ebony until 1989 and it was very limited. Go with ash body..... :icon_thumright:

 

[JaySwear]

maybe a nice mahogany neck? sounds like a really cool peoject! when you say you're finishing the back of the neck to match... sonic blue body with sonic blue neck?! that would be AWESOME  :icon_biggrin:

 

[Dan025]

well it is not a traditional strat but if you want semi traditional looks go with swamp ash, it will not be too bright and looks awesome. but if it gets a solid color you can go with a cheap alternative like poplar or basswood, i think my MIM is poplar and i think it has a bit more resonace and less shrillness than some hard ash strats, maybe alder as well.

 

[tfarny]

I guess I don't understand why you are worried about getting vintage strat tone and it being too bright if you are using totally non-vintage-in-any-way pickups? Seems like a totally backwards approach - first, get the pickups that sound like you want the guitar to sound like, get the bridge you want (I agree, this matters a lot) then the rest is tweaking around the edges.

 

[mullyman]

I guess the ebony board and SS frets are what made me think it could be too bright.

It was my understanding that for a fretted instrument, the fretboard material makes very little tonal difference, right?

I don't know about stainless steel frets though. I've never paid much attention to what was said about nickel versus stainless.

Eddie Van Halen put SS frets on the new Wolfgang. He said in an interview that he regrets not going to SS earlier than this. I have SS on both of my Warmoth's and I love them. They feel great, don't wear down, and I don't notice any huge difference in tone with them. Take my opinion for what it's worth though.

Quick edit. EVH didn't say anything about regretting not going to them earlier but he did praise them highly. Fret talk starts at 4:50

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU7WHAAPi6A[/youtube]
MULLY

 

[Superlizard]

Just slap whatever wood and hardware you want on there.

None of it makes any tonal difference because all wood and parts sound exactly the same.

...and besides - what really matters is how it looks.  :binkybaby:

(least, that's what I hear around here)

:doh: :doh: :doh:

:tard:

But seriously, if you want vintage, then do what vintage Strats do... the more you deviate from this, the less vintage it'll be.

 

[Superbeast520]

Just slap whatever wood and hardware you want on there.

None of it makes any tonal difference because all wood and parts sound exactly the same.

...and besides - what really matters is how it looks.   :binkybaby:

(least, that's what I hear around here)

:doh: :doh: :doh:

:tard:

But seriously, if you want vintage, then do what vintage Strats do... the more you deviate from this, the less vintage it'll be.

+1 on that.

 at the same time I can say from experience the stainless steel frets dont color the tone as much as some would have you believe, if anything they just make bending smoother which at first seems different but you already know that.

 I do believe the ebony board does change the tone a bit more as that has been my thoughts when playing on ebony, and Malmsteen swore up and down that the neck was the biggest factor in the tone of a strat, I tend to think his ears are pretty sharp with all the attention to nuance and the classical style he plays.

I would stay with Alder as its tone is well balanced all around, Mahogany or Korina is going to darken it too much and then your getting into LP territory and it is definantly noticable tone wise in the guitars response and character. Swamp Ash would work against the dark tone and hardness of the ebony in its response I think it would be spongy and muddy especially if your pickups have a higher output, I just dont think they would blend well tonally.

I have tried alot of different guitars but always go back to the strat the second I feel it in my hands, the tone and response and the comfort are just too strong for me to resist, I like other guitars but the strat I find to be the most detailed and clear sounding of all the electrics, very much the violin of guitars.

Keep the neck Maple the board Ebony if thats your like and just use Alder, its true if you want some strat characteristics then you have to have some strat characters on the guitar.

 

 

[dudesweet157]

I have a Strat with a Swamp Ash body, Maple/Ebony neck AND stainless steel frets.  It has all the bright and trebly factors working against it, but it sounds great!  Nice and warm with lots of clarity through my '68 Bassman.  Tone is what you make it.  This guitar happens to be a little bright, so I just turn the treble down a bit and bump up the bass and mids a little, problem solved!  I also use pure nickel strings which helped A LOT!  I now use pure nickels on all single coil guitars as they tame that harsh upper midrange/treble "icepick" that people complain about on single coil pickups.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Maybe I'm just over thinking the brightness issue. I want the ebony board on it. Just wanted to know what alternative woods I could use to compensate for it.

Yes, I agree the EMG DG20 is not pure vintage, but I do have the EMG SA single coils in a couple of my guitars and they are very good pups. The added functions of the DG20 set up makes them very versatile. If I ever want pure vintage pups, it's just a loaded pick guard away.  :icon_thumright:

I guess what I'm trying to do is build my version of David Gilmour's red Strat, but with the ebony board and a different finish. Just a little more hot-rod version of it.

It would be the closest to a  vintage style Strat I would own.

 

[OzziePete]

Maybe I'm just over thinking the brightness issue. I want the ebony board on it. Just wanted to know what alternative woods I could use to compensate for it.

Yes, I agree the EMG DG20 is not pure vintage, but I do have the EMG SA single coils in a couple of my guitars and they are very good pups. The added functions of the DG20 set up makes them very versatile. If I ever want pure vintage pups, it's just a loaded pick guard away.  :icon_thumright:

I guess what I'm trying to do is build my version of David Gilmour's red Strat, but with the ebony board and a different finish. Just a little more hot-rod version of it.

It would be the closest to a  vintage style Strat I would own.

There's the usual staple ingredients for a Strat, Alder being the body, Maple for the neck and maybe a rosewood fretboard but the older LOOKING ones go for the maple/maple. If you want to compensate for the brightness that you believe an ebony board will bring, then maybe go for a mahogany neck. But that is not what a vintage Strat looks like. It's your guitar however, and you have to be the one satisfied with the end result.

FWIW, I have a project that has a maple body and maple/ebony neck. It is too bright (weighs a ton) and in fact, if you put the standard passive pickups on it they sound quite sterile. So I am a believer in the woods affecting the tone somehow.... :dontknow:


The EMG DG20, with the SPC & EXG, will assist you in smoothing out any brightness spike I reckon.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I'm going to go with the alder body, flame maple top, maple neck and ebony board.

 

[DangerousR6]

I'm going to go with the alder body, flame maple top, maple neck and ebony board.

:doh:

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I'm going to go with the alder body, flame maple top, maple neck and ebony board.

:doh:

Tell me how you truly feel!!  :laughing7:

 

[jackthehack]

I guess I don't understand why you are worried about getting vintage strat tone and it being too bright if you are using totally non-vintage-in-any-way pickups? Seems like a totally backwards approach - first, get the pickups that sound like you want the guitar to sound like, get the bridge you want (I agree, this matters a lot) then the rest is tweaking around the edges.

+1; Strats, in particular vintage ones are SUPPOSED to be bright/treblely..... I doubt the ebony board is going to be tremendously different from rosewood, and if there is any differential between SS and regular frets, it's lost on me

 

[DangerousR6]

I'm going to go with the alder body, flame maple top, maple neck and ebony board.

:doh:

Tell me how you truly feel!!   :laughing7:

There's no ebony on stratocasters.....("There's no crying in baseball"),,,,,, :guitarplayer2:

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I'm going to go with the alder body, flame maple top, maple neck and ebony board.

:doh:

Tell me how you truly feel!!   :laughing7:

There's no ebony on stratocasters.....("There's no crying in baseball"),,,,,, :guitarplayer2:

And no Floyds on Teles either.  :laughing7: