Acoustic Strat

[elijah77jc]

Hey everyone, i'm new to the forum. Actually i've been reading for a while but just now registered.

anyway, i'm hoping to get some help on my next project. This whole thing started with the desire to make my own strat. I was almost done planning everything out when the idea struck me to go acoustic. I am an acoustic player and I've always wanted one of those thinline acoustics that is built for playing on stage such as the Chet Atkins sst, Tom Anderson Crowdster, and the Taylor t-5.

well my plan is to use one of warmoth's hollow strat bodies. I'm going to order the neck with a 1 3/4 nut width so it can have enough room for acoustic strings. I want to install an acoustic bridge and acoustic pickup system. but i'm coming across a few problems...

I don't have the tools for the drilling and routing and was hoping that warmoth could do it all for me. but i will need 4 holes for the controls (volume, treble, mid, bass) as opposed to the 3 that they can do. I'm going to have them finish it for me and i'm scared that if i try to drill an extra hole post-finish that it will damage it a bit. also, since i don't have the "proper tools" would a power drill suffice?

here is a concern brought up by tom anderson himself:

also most acoustic bridges you find will be too thick for the flat neck angle of a fender style guitar. you'll either have to put some angle in the neck pocket or shave the bridge way down.

here is the pickup system i'm going to use

http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/systems_element.shtml

but i'm unsure of how to do the onboard eq. I've never dealt with this kind of thing with acoustics. I want the mid, treble and bass to use the knobs that are normally used for volume and tone on a strat but would something like this work for an acoustic?

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_p...ch_Preamps.html

oh and finally, my inspiration...

http://www.andersonguitars.com/cfPages/sho...0&bodyWoodID=33

any comments or concerns would be GREATLY appreciated

[Mattia]

Just make the acoustic bridge as thick as you want it to be. Non-issue with the neck angle there; it's not like they're that tall. The issue with acoustic guitar-type bridges is that they're not adjustable, so you need to get the intonation spot-on in one go.

In terms of onboard EQ, use one designed for a piezo is you're using a piezo. Like the Fischman power chip, for example (or the LR Baggs equivalent), though I've never seen a 'strat mountable' 3 band EQ of that kind. A local place in Paris, 8 years ago, made some 3-band eqs themselves, but I have not clue if they still do, nor do I have contact info. Don't really know what I'd use for EQ stuff.

Drilling holes isn't that difficult; I mask with masking tape, and use a SHARP new good quality brad-point bit, drill through. Back up any hole you drill with scrap, and drill from the front. My opinion on the topic.

[Daniel Sorbera]

First off you won't get crowster quality sound out of a hollow strat body with an acoustic bridge.

I was talking with Tom about the crowdster on another forum and he told me the crowdster has a "true" acoustic top with bracing and everything. You can think of the guitar as a very shallow acoustic (Because thats what it is)

The pickups and preamp he uses are special made just for the crowdster ( thats why you can't find a peizo preamp with bass, mid, and treble knobs) So it sounds great in the crowdster and has the eq setup you can't find anywhere else.

I'm not trying to discourage you from building a crowdster like guitar, just making sure you realize the chances are very slim that a hollow strat body from warmoth will sound like a crowdster. If I we're you I would put the electric pickups in it but also as an "add on" sorta thing throw in a fishman or lrbaggs peizo loaded bridge.

I think you'll be much happier that way

Edited May 23, 2006 by Godin SD

[elijah77jc]

First off you won't get crowster quality sound out of a hollow strat body with an acoustic bridge.

I was talking with Tom about the crowdster on another forum and he told me the crowdster has a "true" acoustic top with bracing and everything. You can think of the guitar as a very shallow acoustic (Because thats what it is)

The pickups and preamp he uses are special made just for the crowdster ( thats why you can't find a peizo preamp with bass, mid, and treble knobs) So it sounds great in the crowdster and has the eq setup you can't find anywhere else.

I'm not trying to discourage you from building a crowdster like guitar, just making sure you realize the chances are very slim that a hollow strat body from warmoth will sound like a crowdster.

well i COMPLETELY understand this. The crowdster is only my inspiration and this guitar is only going to last me until i could afford to buy a crowdster for myself.

I'm hoping that it would end up sounding a little better than the chet atkins sst. but i'm no fool, i know this won't be a crowdster.

[Mattia]

To throw out an opposing viewpoint: Rick Turner, undoubtedly one of the authorities on the construction of 'stage acoustics' and pickup design (and use of modern materials in guitar construction, and many other things in between) has stated his belief that the best sounding electroacoustics are...solidbodies. That piezos work better in those than brace-topped electrics. Look at his instruments for some inspiration as well, if not in terms of aesthaetics, in terms of electronics/setup.

With these beasts, it's got a lot to do with pickup systems.

[rokeros]

Godin, you actually spoke to tom? and he relied lol. Haha Nice. I like David Crowder, good musician.

[elijah77jc]

Godin, you actually spoke to tom? and he relied lol. Haha Nice. I like David Crowder, good musician.

I've actually had a lot of input from tom anderson also. He says while this won't be a crowdster it could sound like a Godin.

http://www.bwacksforum.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=forum;f=6