TO BIND OR NOT TO BIND A STRAT?

[cmcall]

Mmmmm... wouldn't a white pinstripe looks better on a natural finish flame maple on mahogany body that a black one?

But thats Pin Striping, lot thiner than binding.

:icon_scratch: This is an interesting thread ...
As I have a Custom Build in progress at the Warmoth toy factory still.  :toothy10:
Which just happens to be a Strat with Top Binding  :laughing7:
(I'm Not using any binding on the neck)
Will have that 'Stunning Showcase Neck' (that I posted) on it.

So you have given me some idea of, who likes  :icon_thumright: & who dis-likes  :evil4: the use of binding on strats.
(That doesn't worry me in the slightest thou)

I thought I'd do something different this time around, as thats what Warmoth is all about .... something different !!
I will post plenty of pic's (when I get it)

Anyway here's some pic's of the Aerodyne Series of Fenders with Binding.
(Which I was kind of, in a way, basing my custom build around)  :icon_biggrin:

The last pic, is a custom build using Aluminium Binding.

Well I think I'm gonna go ahead with the full binding with a special request to Warmoth not to cut the forearm contour.
The binding will look better on a flat top I'm sure hehehe  :laughing7:
Now which will look better on the natural finish? White or cream binding???  :icon_scratch:

 

[AutoBat]

As long as it matches the other hardware and/or neck binding, either will work.

 

[cmcall]

As long as it matches the other hardware and/or neck binding, either will work.

Think I'm gonna go with the white binding cause eventually it'll turn cream in time anyway  :laughing7:

 

[swarfrat]

My earlier comments about binding notwithstanding... that aluminum binding is actually cool. But having a good photographer really helps sell it. When ordinary life happens to people who happen to be excellent story tellers, it becomes legend. Same with photography.

 

[stubhead]

Yes, you are right about the bridge. Having a 12" radius at the bridge of a Warmoth compound radius neck will result in some unnecessary compromises in action. Most tunematic bridges have plenty of room to file the inserts, it's not a dealkiller and any decent tech can do it. And it's easy to figure out if you have some common sense and experience in measuring & manipulating small things. The optimal bridge radius is about 19". There are people who play the 12" radius on a compound neck and "don't mind"; it would annoy me, at least.

 

[B3Guy]

Good choice. I myself almost went with a real-deal bound strat. I think it's darn sexy looking.  :icon_thumright:

Only thing that stopped me was I wanted the whole thing bound . . . neck and headstock. But binding on the neck rules out SS frets, and they don't bind fender headstocks at all.

 

[mullyman]

Hmmm, a flat top strat. Yum yum!! SRV's Hamiltone comes to mind. And I love the idea of binding on a strat, regardless. Of course I've only seen the natural masked binding up close so I can't really swear on the actual plastic binding. Either way, I think it will look nice no matter what you decide. If we all liked the same things this would be boring.
MULLY

 

[Jcurl02]

If it's not to late, take a look at my build.  It's a flamed maple on maple with top and bottom bindings.  It's on a no contour Tele.  I like the looks and heft of the flat sides.

There are more pics under under Work in Progress / Nearly Complete Buiild if you want to see more.

 

[stubhead]

One thing I WILL say* - I really like the had edge on the top of a guitar to rest my forearm on when I pick. With the forearm foldover it's like there's no guitar there, right when I need it. If you only ever expect to do the one kind of speed-picking where you're holding a partial palm-mute position, it doesn't matter. But if you have any interest in the "floating" kind of speedpicking, where you hold the pick in a fist and it's completely off the face of the guitar, then that big Telecaster forearm rest is very important. It's not going to, like, cut you if you forego the forearm "comfort" contour....

THE MARINES DIDN'T TAKE IWO JIMA
BY GETTING "COMFORTABLE,"
YA TIREBITERS
​

*(regulars have expect to me to say more than one thing, at times)