Strat Body

[Nibert]

I am reading through Warmoth's site and I am just curious to the big difference between a rear routed and a front routed Strat body. Are they typically used for a style of music or is it purely preference? Which would be easier to set up for a first timer.

 

[line6man]

It's all based on looks and functionality, not a style of music.

A rear routed Strat allows you to do without a pickguard if you want to show off the finish.
It also gives you more room for controls and such because the cavity is larger.

Top routing is the traditional way of doing a Strat. You need a pickguard if it's top routed.

Personally, i prefer top routing, because i hate seeing the hideous plastic cover plate on the back of my guitar, and since you need long shaft pots for rear routed bodies, that get's you into trouble if you have mini toggle switches.

Did you want the traditional Strat pickguard, or did you want to show off the finish without a pickguard?

 

[Nibert]

You nailed my question, I definitely want a pickguard. I am going with a black one I do know that. I am still deciding on the top wood, I am not having it painted as I enjoy wood grain but I am still trying to figure out what wood has a nice dark black color to it, possibly dark brown like the indian rosewood.

 

[line6man]

FWIW, here are some pictures to clarify...

A top routed body looks like this:

And needs a pickguard like this:

The backside looks like this:

A rear routed body looks like this: (And does not need a pickguard)

The backside looks like this:

 

[line6man]

You nailed my question, I definitely want a pickguard. I am going with a black one I do know that. I am still deciding on the top wood, I am not having it painted as I enjoy wood grain but I am still trying to figure out what wood has a nice dark black color to it, possibly dark brown like the indian rosewood.

Ebony.
Though i am not sure if Warmoth will do an Ebony top. It might cost a fortune if they do.

Wenge maybe?

 

[rockskate4x]

purely a preference....

depending on the pickups that you get, there are prewired pickguards that you can buy that makes assembly alot easier. To use these prewired pickguards you must have a top routed strat body.

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/fretted-instrument-accessories-parts/guitar-pickups-parts/guitar-pickups/electric-guitar-pickups/prewired-pickguards

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_electric/Golden_Age_Hotwired_Pickguards.html

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_electric/Golden_Age_Prewired_Pickguards.html

here are a few examples...

 

[Nibert]

I was looking at the holy grail pickups by Jeff Lace. I really like the noiseless and it says it has a vintage sound. I mostly play classic rock and blues. I dont see an example of wenge, I may just go w/ an indian rosewood top. I am thinking the swamp ash for the back. I am open to suggestions for a nice dirty blues sound w/ a good overdrive etc. I really enjoy the sounds of SRV, Walter Trout.

 

[tfarny]

Nibert, don't try to pick a body wood for a 'dirty blues sound' - you can get it from any wood, as long as you have the right pickups and amp. Just pick your body woods for looks and weight - most people prefer lighter bodies for comfort and 'resonance' - that natural reverby quality - but some people like heavier bodies as well. The great strat sounds you love are mostly basic alder or even poplar or basswood bodies. There are tons of great 'vintage' strat pickups out there. Never used the lace, but I've heard good and bad things about them - sterile is one word I've heard. I'll be ordering a set of Dimarzio 'area' series in the next month or so. Fralin has a new noiseless set as well, few reviews are up, though. Don't fall into the 'swamp ash is for country but korina is for rock' or whatever - it's all made up nonsense, they're dead trees.

 

[hannaugh]

Never used the lace, but I've heard good and bad things about them - sterile is one word I've heard.

I wish I could hear an example of what "sterile" sounds like.  I can't hear it in my head.  I've heard people say that about Lace too, and I'm just not sure what is (or isn't) in the sound that bothers them.  I know a pickup can have little power or be too thin, and that's not good.  Is that what they mean?

 

[line6man]

Never used the lace, but I've heard good and bad things about them - sterile is one word I've heard.

I wish I could hear an example of what "sterile" sounds like.  I can't hear it in my head.  I've heard people say that about Lace too, and I'm just not sure what is (or isn't) in the sound that bothers them.  I know a pickup can have little power or be too thin, and that's not good.  Is that what they mean?

It's all subjective.
I never really understood alot of these terms either, but once you hear them, you usually understand perfectly.
I never understood what "glassy" meant until i played a Strat's neck pickup clean with new strings.
I never understood what "clack" meant until i heard certain tonal characters of Jaco's playing.
Fretless "mwah" should be pretty obvious if you have ever heard a fretless bass.
I still have no idea what "burpy" means. Any ideas?
Put on the Motown records and you'll hear "thumpy"
Purple Haze was "fuzzy" as hell (my favorite guitar tone of all time FWIW :icon_biggrin

Being a studio oriented guy, when i think of sterile, i think of a very mono-ish track played over a stereo field.
Think of a dry guitar track (not necessarily clean,  just un-effected) being played in the center of a stereo field with no reverb or chorus or anything.
Am i on the right track?

 

[hannaugh]

I can hear all of those adjectives you listed in my head no problem.  I still can't quite hear sterile though.  I guess I just have difficulty thinking of it because "clean" and "sterile" are the same thing (or at least similar) in a non-guitar context, so I just think to myself "So it sounds too clean?  If you're going for a clean sound, why is that bad?".  I think I just need to hear actual sound clips to understand. 

When I get my LP back I'll find out cause I've got those Alumitones on there.  I still don't know what those things are going to be like.  The Laces told me that they are supposed to be great with effects, and that when I'm using distortion, they'll cut through and be a lot more articulate than most.  The guy who owns the local guitar shop says they're great for digital recording too, which is cool for me because I do the line in recording with my Tascam.  Fingers crossed they turn out to be cool!

 

[imminentG]

Oh man, "burpy" is my FAVORITE

I never thought about it in terms of guitar tone, though.

I guess I'd consider it even nastier than "thumpy"

it's almost more akin to the dynamics, if you ask me. Or rather, it COULD be


DOES BURPY COME FROM MORE THAN ONE PLACE?!?!?!?!?!