warmoth neck + good pickups on squier tele body?
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Cagey
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Unlike necks or acoustic bodies, the bodies for electric guitars are generally pretty straightforward. It's essentially a slab of wood used as a platform to hold pickups/controls and anchor strings. They don't contribute much to the sound due to the amount of mass involved. The only reason any of them cost a pile is the use of fancy wood species or high-end finishing options. Not that there's anything wrong with that - a brief look through Warmoth's showcase will get your lust up - but if you just want a run-of-the-mill Strat/Tele body, there are jillions of them online for $50 or so.
The neck and pickups are what really determine how the instrument is going to play/sound, so that's where you want to pay attention and spend the money. Go for it. You'll be glad you did.
The neck and pickups are what really determine how the instrument is going to play/sound, so that's where you want to pay attention and spend the money. Go for it. You'll be glad you did.
Cagey
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It's a pain in the ass, but it's not particularly difficult. You do need the proper paint remover, because it's polyurethane on there and that stuff will fight you tooth, fang and claw coming off. Get something based on methylene chloride or dichoromethane, or the paint will just laugh at you. Pay attention to the label! It's poisonous stuff.
You should know that Fender isn't known for using high-grade pieces of wood to make Squires - quite the contrary - so you never know what you'll find under that paint. Finally, it's highly likely the body is a glue-up of several pieces, so it won't look good naked.
You should know that Fender isn't known for using high-grade pieces of wood to make Squires - quite the contrary - so you never know what you'll find under that paint. Finally, it's highly likely the body is a glue-up of several pieces, so it won't look good naked.
Ace Flibble
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I feel it important to note that while in the case of bolt-on builds the body wood certainly need not be your biggest concern, there still is appreciable difference in sound between a body made of seven pieces of agathis glued together (Squier) and one made of a single piece of ash (some American Fenders, G&L, Warmoth, Musikraft, etc). Also, with a set neck guitar, not only can you really hear more of a difference between body woods but you can even really feel the difference, too. For neck-through, it's the neck/body center wood that dominates, again.
So in this case, yes, a Squier body or other cheap body may do the job just fine. I just don't think it's sensible to state that that will be the case for any and all guitars.
So in this case, yes, a Squier body or other cheap body may do the job just fine. I just don't think it's sensible to state that that will be the case for any and all guitars.
Strat Avenger
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Cagey said:
While I agree with this about 99%, in my experience, a heavier, more dense body tends to make the guitar sound "brighter" (hard ash comes to mind), while lighter, less dense woods tend to sound "darker" or project less high frequencies from the strings to the pickups. I have no scientific explanation for it, but it has been my experience. A thick, hard finish also "seems" to project more high frequencies.
But yes, the neck, pickups, and bridge are the greatest contributing factors to electric guitar tone.
Strat Avenger
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leo12. said:
+1 This is so true.
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