Trying to decide on my project

[CD]

I could use some advice on the guitar I'm planning to build. Any advice would be appreciated.

I'm really looking for a thick sound like a les paul but with a locking tremolo. Something towards the sound of the first Van Halen album, but a little thicker I guess. I am the most comfortable with a strat style body so I've decided to go with the rear routed Strat body style. The neck I've pretty much decided on the 24 3/4 conversion since I have small hands and my favorite guitar has that scale.

I'm undecided on the body woods really. I've been thinking about using mahogany or korina for the body and either birdseye maple (with the mahogany) or korina (with the korina body) for the neck. I'm not sure if the mahogany setup will be as thick as I want, but I think maybe the korina/korina would be too mushy with the Dimarzio Tone Zone I plan on putting in the bridge. I'm also not sure what type of fretboard would go well with the korina neck.

Aslo I bought a Schaller licensed floyd after reading it was warmer sounding than the OFR. Any opinions on that too?

 

[Superbeast520]

Hey CD, I can tell you what I know about a maple neck and Black Koriona body.........Its very Deep and Heavy but not as Dark or Mushy as  Mahogany, I just got off my Beast and that sucker is Deep..........Im tripping how Deep the growl gets but still has nice clarity, Im not sure what affect a Black Korina neck would have but if its anything like the body........WOW!!!!!.........though Im thinking some of the clarity Im hearing may be because of the Maple neck, as Its Quartersawn as well so possibly a little stiffer and brighter than typical maple?????
One thing Im almost certain of though, and thats "I don't feel you would be disappointed in any way with a Korina / Black Korina body....."
The Thump is amazing........Im shocked it has this much of an affect really, I knew woods colored the sound but this is rediculous......in a really great way.
Im not sure what affect the 24 3/4 scale neck would have but, I sure like the sound of Les Pauls but I also like the clarity of strats so Im thinking go Black or Plain Korina for body wood, its Killer.............Deep and Clear..      thats my bit...

 

[Jay Davidson]

Remember that we only route our bodies for the Original and Schaller Floyd Roses at the Warmoth Plant.  It sounds like you might have a Schaller, but the term "licensed" makes me a little worried.  There are many, many "licensed" Floyd Roses out in the market that don't match up to the original specs.  Be sure you confirm that the post spacings are the same on your bridge as the Original to confirm that the two will fit.  http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/options/options_guitar_bridge_routing.cfm

Also, what makes this bridge "warmer" sounding?  Are they using softer metal or something?  :icon_scratch:

 

[CD]

Thanks for the replies. Yes Jay it is the Schaller bridge not just some licensed piece of scrap metal. It is stamped with the Schaller name, licensed under Floyd Rose patents, and the Made in Germany by Schaller stamp.

There is a lot of bullshit that people will talk about guitars and how things are supposed to effect the tone. I've came across that the Schaller floyd sounds warmer than the OFR a few times. I've always read they were just as stable and a bit warmer so when I found mine on ebay pretty cheap I couldn't resist buying it. I don't remember the exact reason it's supposed to sound warmer. It's probably hearsay.

Oh yeah, to add I'm not getting the body routed for the recessed floyd. I want the bridge to sit on the body.

 

[Elephant_Talk]

If you want the van halen sound, you should get a hard ash body.  It would be heavy, but the tone would kill.  Eddie used ash on his frankenstein guitar.

 

[CD]

I knew about the ash body. He used the Ibanez Destroyer on VH1 as well and it's body was korina while the neck was maple. That's what's got me thinking of korina/korina, because I think the bolt on neck/body would make it sound more snappy.

 

[Boobala]

Listen to this guy's tone...

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDJg-WjjSYI[/youtube]

It's the closet to Van Halen I've ever heard.

His signal chain is...

Ernie Ball Musicman Axis -> Dime WAH -> Vox Tonelab SE -> Boss PS-5 -> (recorded dirctly into PC).

EBMM Axis specs:
Basswood with bookmatched figured maple top.
High gloss polyester finish.
Selected maple neck and fingerboard.
MusicMan® Floyd Rose licensed locking tremolo.
DiMarzio custom wound humbucking pickups.

 

[thumb55]

the Korina (or Alder Ed claimed to in a recent interview) Destroyer had a tune-o-matic bridge.

the "Frankenstrat" that Ed used on VH1 was a Hard ash body, but at that time had a Vintage trem.  After Ed moved on to the Floyd Rose he experimented with different body woods.  Probably how he ended up with basswood.

With him you never know, there is as much dis-information as truth.  (i.e. the original neck supposedly "died", so what neck is on the current guitar? for $25k we can find out)

The Schaller Floyd you are going to use is diecast and will be a litte more mellow than the Orignal Floyd. (hardened steel)

I kinda think of the body as the "tone" and the Fretboard as the "articulation".  I haven't messed much with different neck woods, most everything I've ever owned has been maple, (aside from a couple of Gibsons) but thats more of a choice of feel.  I'd like to try a rosewood or wenge neck sometime though.

If you used a Korina body and neck with a Floyd I'd lean towards a Brazilian or Zircote fretboard.  Brighter than normal rosewood but not too bright like ebony, maple, or pau fero.

I have a Korina strat with a Maple neck/Ebony board.  EMG's, LSR nut and Wilkinson trem.  I love it, but it's not a 80's guitar.  (I'm building that one now)  If I did it again I'd probably get less "hot" of a fretboard.

 

[CD]

You can't trust a word EVH says, I think he's proven that with everything he has said and done over the years. :tard:

I know the wood of the Ibanez after looking it up on the internet and confirming it on the Ibanez website.

 

[WarmothRules]

I have a squire 7 string with bass wood i'll tell yeah besides it being a cheap guitar that bass wood is a great tone wood. Ibanez's trems, low pro's and what not actually change the tone quite a bit. If you ever want a very warm floyd rose original. Try these

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Floyd_Rose_tremolos_and_parts/String_Saver_Saddles_for_Floyd_Rose_Tremolo.html

 

[givememytoys]

you cant go wrong with a strat body of black korina and a maple neck it has a well rounded tonal quality deep low end good mids alot of bite  and great articulation. it has a great big guitar sound . like superbeast said it has a majic sound. i love mine . now im curious how this combo would sound  with a ebony fret board i think im going to try it. next project

 

[Nando Vallart]

Everybody who have played a guitar with a Black Korina body says it's a magic sound wood... Damn someday I'll need to get one! :laughing7:

 

[Alfang]

Hey CD, are you plannibg to paint it or you want nice wood to show off?
If your gonna paint, just get a cheap alder or swamp ash body, I would go to the bodies showcase and sort the list by weight.  I did this, I bought the lightest swamp ash they had, 2 pounds 1 ounce i think it was, it was only 159 buck? somewhere in there.  then I found a nice maple neck,  painted it like eddies Black and white pre frankie, and put in a Setmour duncan SH11 pickup , sounds just like eddie.

I can and do play this guitar all day long , It's actually a better guitar than Eddie ever used in the DLR era.

 

[CD]

Thanks for the advice, but the idea for me was to leave it natural as I love that look on guitars. I'll probably try painting something in the future after this project though.  :rock-on:

I think I have pretty well decided on a 24 3/4 conversion CBS strat neck, all maple and a black korina body rear routed.