What do you think

[Jcurl02]

Hey guys....  I'm seriously thinking about making my first guitar.  I have a few factory guitars but want something unique.  For electrics I have a MIM Anniversary Strat, a Gold Top Les Paul Deluxe, a Gretsch BST1000.  For acoustics I have a BC Rich, an Applause, a Fender 12 String, a Takamine South Western, and a Martin D18 (autographed by none other than Gordon LIghtfoot).

I'm thinking I want a to do a Mahagony with Flamed Maple Top Tele.  I don't want any contouring or weight relief.  I want it be be heavy and solid.  I don't like humbuckers so I was thinking of a strat rear rout.  (kind of a single cut away Heavy Stat).  I was thinking of using Fender Noise Less pickups.  (Actually buying a complete pickguard assembly and taking out what I need to wire).  After reading the posts, I realize the the Pot and switch will not work witha rear route but I'll have ot buy longer stemmed one.

The neck would be a Flammed Maple Vintage Modern.

So, comments please.  How do you think this will sound?

Also, I've seen some interesting colors  / finishes on some of your guitars.  If I order one, hwo do I specify the color more than just the basic name on the order form?  Is it possible?  Does it cost more?  I don't want aany strange just want to be sure it looks good.



Thanks

 

[rockskate4x]

If I understand correctly that you want some sort of noiseless single coil tone on a more midrangey tonewood, like a mahogany or korina, I think of Paul Gilbert's fireman guitars. If you dig his more recent tone using these new guitars, the paul gilbert injector pickups (noiseless for strat) may be the thing for you.

I think from what you described, it should essentially sound like a strat. Your choice of pickups will be most important for shaping the tone of your guitar.

 

[Jcurl02]

Thanks for the quick reply.  I'll look into those pickups!

 

[Strat Avenger]

I say go for it. 
I wouldn't go with the Fender Noiseless, but rather the Dimarzio Area-67s. They are noiseless, and sound like the traditional single-coil.

 

[Jcurl02]

OK, Sorry but probably a dumb question, but this would be the first buidl for me....  If I go with a Strat style single coil setup, reer routed, do I stil need to do copper shielding and if so is the paint better? 

I'm also thinking I want eh 6 hole vintage as I want the hardware gold and don't want the expense and trouble??? of the Floyd.  Any thougts?  What nut would you recommend?

Thanks all!

 

[Corey P.]

First off, welcome to the forum!

I would definitely recommend the more modern Wilkinson Tremolo (2-studs as opposed to 6 screws) if you don't want a Floyd, which is available in gold if that's what you're after.

Shielding is a pretty contentious topic.  IMO with noiseless pickups you wouldn't need shielding, but others will feel differently.  I would recommend considering Lace Sensor Golds for a passive noiseless option.

Finish-wise I would simply experiment in the body builder until you land on the look you really want, and yes, you choose the finish from a drop-down menu when ordering, and the choices are the same as in the body builder.  If you want something that you're not sure is offered, the best bet is to call, Warmoth's customer service is great.

 

[Cagey]

No, you don't need to install copper shielding or conductive paint unless you like the appearance of it. As far as which one's better? They're equally useless in this application.

You don't need to limit your choices to a 6 hole Fender or Locking Floyd Rose vibrato. The 6 hole is an old design that only still exists for those who insist on a "vintage" appearance.  It works, but it's not that great. I would never use one. The Floyd is a substantially better design, but it is expensive. It has also been deprecated by even better designs such as the Wilkinson. There are a number of other designs from other manufacturers that are very similar to the Wilkinson and simply differ in appearance, but that's the basic design you want. It costs less, weighs less, is less complicated and easier to take care of, is easy to set up and highly reliable/repeatable and works like a champ. Gotoh, Fender, Schaller, Wilkinson, Hipshot, et al all make bridges based on that design now.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

The difficulty of shielding is that the pickups are looking for noise.  So you can shield the body of the guitar to it's theoretical maximum, but the business end of the pickups is pointed outwards and trying to pick up the strings.  Or noise.

However, in some applications shielding can be beneficial.  If you have an active preamp, like in a bass, that can boost your signal a significant amount of level, it is worth being sure the preamp is shielded.  So the cavity that contains the electronics should be shielded.  A significant level is something that is difficult to agree on, especially on a forum.  But for a guitar that has passive pickups, there is very little if any advantage to shielding the instrument.  It can look cool, and it might set your mind at ease, which are both good reasons considering it is a custom instrument for you.
Patrick

 

[Jcurl02]

Guys,

Thanks for the input  I'm leaning towards the Lace Golds.  I'm getting ready to put togethr my shopping list.  But first, another question.

I read in one or more of the posts that if I do a rear route then the standard POTS will not work unless I countersink or route the cavity deeper.  The other option I saw was the use of larger shafted pots.  While searching for the correct post in the forum, I came across a post that said the standard ones would work.  Which is the right answer?  If it is the long shafts?  Do you know the part number? 

Back to the tremolo question, if I go with a Wilkinson for a Floyd, does that force me to a ncek width?  I want a Tele neck.  What is the best nut for either one?

Again thanks.

 

[Cagey]

One of my brothers is a big fan of the Lace Golds, but I haven't heard them yet so I don't have an opinion. I will say this, though - he's a picky little rascal. If he says they're good, I'm inclined to believe him. He's owned a lot of guitars and three times as many pickups. But, you have to understand that "tone" is highly subjective. One man's "excellent" pickup is another man's garbage. So, take all the opinions for what they are - opinions. They're not facts, or anything close to them.

As far as pots go, buy the long shaft parts. You can always put a stop nut and a washer at the appropriate point on the shaft to make it the right height for the surface. Plus, they make wiring easier. If you have a short shaft and it doesn't fit, there's very little you can do about it easily, if at all. Close as I can tell, Warmoth only sells the long shaft parts. I've never had to specify, and that's always what I get. They also come with enough washers and nuts, including lock washers, so that you can install them in anything.

As for vibrato bridges, the Wilkinson and Floyd Rose both will work fine with a Fender neck, which is all Warmoth sells. I don't have any direct experience with the hardtails they sell, but I suspect it's the same situation. They're not going to sell things that won't work together. It would cause too much grief on the buyer and seller sides both.

Don't worry about the nut, what you want is something less than a 2 3/16" overall width on the saddles, since that's the width of the neck at the heel. Usually, 2 1/8" works well, maybe a little less if you want a lot of real estate on either side of the high/low E strings.

 

[Corey P.]

One man's "excellent" pickup is another man's garbage. So, take all the opinions for what they are - opinions. They're not facts, or anything close to them.

This.  A thousand times this.  I would definitely love for there to be giant arrows saying "This is the absolute best for what you want," but everything out there is good for something, and what that something is will be different for a lot of folks.  Even toy guitars and cheap amps the size of a deck of cards make it on to major label recordings with giant budgets because there's something unique that can be accomplished with them.  For me, I have a Strat I love, but if I had the money I'd absolutely build another to try another combination of electronics and hardware to use for different styles or sounds, with a unique finish I haven't seen.  And that'd be after I put together a Tele, P-Bass and LP-style guitar.

That isn't meant to be discouraging or say "don't make informed decisions," the experimenting is the fun part.  And where I've amazed myself is at how disciplined I've become at saving money after finishing a build and getting the itch again.  :guitaristgif:

 

[Strat Avenger]

Guys,

Thanks for the input  I'm leaning towards the Lace Golds.  I'm getting ready to put togethr my shopping list.  But first, another question.

I read in one or more of the posts that if I do a rear route then the standard POTS will not work unless I countersink or route the cavity deeper.  The other option I saw was the use of larger shafted pots.  While searching for the correct post in the forum, I came across a post that said the standard ones would work.  Which is the right answer?  If it is the long shafts?  Do you know the part number? 

Back to the tremolo question, if I go with a Wilkinson for a Floyd, does that force me to a ncek width?  I want a Tele neck.  What is the best nut for either one?

Again thanks.

I had a set of Lace Golds, and they sounded sterile and lifeless to me, but to each his own.

Sometimes I wonder if I should even give advice on this forum, because it seems that people do the opposite of whatever I recommend.

 

[Cagey]

I had a set of Lace Golds, and they sounded sterile and lifeless to me, but to each his own.

Sometimes I wonder if I should even give advice on this forum, because it seems that people do the opposite of whatever I recommend.

People pay more attention than you might imagine, unless/until you give some indication that you're insane. I'm officially ignored by two people at least, so there's some strong indication that you shouldn't listen to a word I say. Be that as it may...

As I said in a previous post, I haven't heard the Lace Golds yet, but I have heard other versions and I'd agree with you - they sound sterile and lifeless. Perhaps it's a design feature and precisely where they're trying to go with the things. We're not the first to have this opinion. I've read it numerous times on other forums. But, I also trust my brother's ear. So, at some point, I'm going to have to try them on myself and see if they like me.

Of course, that means building another guitar....

 

[Corey P.]

I think part of going with a noiseless pickup is giving up a little of what makes a single coil/strat what they are.  :dontknow:

 

[Cagey]

I think part of going with a noiseless pickup is giving up a little of what makes a single coil/strat what they are.  :dontknow:

That's true. A single coil/Strat is a noisy bitch, so you have to be prepared to lose that <grin>

I suspect a lot of guys think they're losing some tone or frequency response by going noiseless because all that raspy EMI/RFI that they normally hear isn't there any more. The only thing they hear now is the strings, and it seems empty. But, I've got a pretty wide selection of noiseless pickups here, and they all sound great in their own way. Wind 'em tighter/looser, scatter wind them, different magnet material or pole configuration, all that has an effect. Still, what I've heard of the LACE sensors has been pretty sterile. Maybe things have changed - I certainly haven't heard them all - so I have to reserve judgement until then.

 

[reluctant-builder]

I had the stock pups in my MiM Strat (which were all hum and fairly useless for making music) replaced with Texas Specials, which I've very much enjoyed. There is a very, very slight amount of hum that comes from the single pup toggle positions, but it isn't remotely noticeable unless you listen for it. In the dual pup positions, quiet as death ... at least until I play something, which is unmarred by interference. And the overall character is still 100% Strat.

 

[Corey P.]

I think part of going with a noiseless pickup is giving up a little of what makes a single coil/strat what they are.  :dontknow:

That's true. A single coil/Strat is a noisy bitch, so you have to be prepared to lose that <grin>

I suspect a lot of guys think they're losing some tone or frequency response by going noiseless because all that raspy EMI/RFI that they normally hear isn't there any more. The only thing they hear now is the strings, and it seems empty. But, I've got a pretty wide selection of noiseless pickups here, and they all sound great in their own way. Wind 'em tighter/looser, scatter wind them, different magnet material or pole configuration, all that has an effect. Still, what I've heard of the LACE sensors has been pretty sterile. Maybe things have changed - I certainly haven't heard them all - so I have to reserve judgement until then.

Aye, some dudes have to have their 60 cycle hum.  :dontknow:

Regarding the sterile impression, fair enough; I'm basing my opinion mainly on a friend's Strat, who's primarily a blues player in the SRV mold, and has always gotten some really great sounds out of his Lace Golds (in a Warmoth strat, too) through whatever amp I've heard him through (obviously the biggest common denominator is that it's him playing), and he recommended the same Lace Golds when I was looking for aftermarket pickups for a MiM Strat, so I bought an EMG SA set.  :icon_jokercolor:

But yeah, to me the idea of a flat-EQ is very appealing, but where flat = lifeless, not so much.

 

[drewfx]

Lace Golds are fine - as long as you don't expect them to sound like vintage single coils.

They are sort of their own thing (in the same way EMG's are their own thing), sort of hi-fi, and very responsive/touch sensitive. And also try them through a decent compressor pedal, as they can be too touch sensitive for certain things.

 

[Jcurl02]

Thanks guys for all your input.  I think I'll probably order a complete "kit" next week.  I'm struggling with the finish and top wood selection.  I know it's a personal thing and not a tone thing so I won't ask for opinions.

Thanks again!!!!

 

[crash]

I've got Lace Hot Golds in my strat in the neck and middle position.  One sugestion, set up one knob for the Bill Lawrence Q filter.  You will be able to get vintage strat tones from it.  Of course, I have not tried Lindy's, Kinmans, Fender CS, so I may not know what I am missing.  Perhaps I should build another strat with one of those... for purely scientific comparisons  :evil4: