Want To Put A Hollow Body Strat Together, Could Use A Sanity Check

[WiFiGuy]

Ok (insert the emoticon of someone rolling up their sleeves and clapping their hands together)---gonna build me a git box!!

Maybe "build" is the wrong word. Since this is my first attempt, "assemble" may be a bit more like it.

Whatever anyone wants to call the process, I'm excited and looking forward to both the challenge of getting it done and the end result: my first new guitar, built exactly the way I want it!!

Been readin' up at various sites, lookin' at tutorials here and elsewhere, and marveling at the craftmanship and creativity that many of you possess. So now that my brain is fully swimming in a sea of details, here’s the “vision” so far:

Sound

I play in a neighborhood jam band and we play all sorts of music, from blues, to country, to progressive modern (not much into metal though) to classics from the 60’s and 70’s. This being said, I’d like it if I could get a guitar that could give me a bluesey sound, a country twang, and could even sound like an acoustic. I can use my POD to get crunchy stuff and power chords going if necessary.

Look

At first I was thinking of a painted or dyed finish, but in seeing some of the guitars many of you guys have made, I’m leaning toward natural finish, clear coated for protection with black or stainless hardware.

Here’s what I have come up with so far re parts etc., this list was mainly compiled from Warmoth's web site:

Body: Warmoth Hollow Strat, Bubinga over a Mahogany base, with one F hole and routed for a pickgaurd

Neck: Warmoth Pro construction, Arrow, Standard Thin, Mahogany

Frets: SS6105 stainless

Fretboard: Ebony

Nut: Earvana

Tuners: Gotoh Kluson

Tremolo:Gotoh Wilkinson

Pickups: EMG SA/SA/81

***Since I’m new to all of this and don’t pretend to know what I’m, talking about, please feel free to make any necessary suggestions or to flat out tell me if I’m doing something dumb or that won’t work very well****

Here’s a question:

Since I’d really like to be able to get an acoustic sound when needed, should I consider going with some saddle pickups? I’ve seen a few guitars in some of the "finished" galleries were the builder included Graphtec Ghost Saddle pick ups, but I really don’t know much about these. If I could simply throw a switch and go from the magetic pickups to the piezo for acoustic strumming, I’d like that. Will this be a big deal to install or require a bunch of routing etc?

For assembly and finish, I was thinking of doing that myself. I can solder and am pretty good with assembling stuff. My assumption based on what I’ve read is that I’ll have to spray about 12 coats of clear nitro cellulose sealer on the neck and body from a spray can.

Anyway, let me know what you guys and gals think of all this.

[mikhailgtrski]

Since I’d really like to be able to get an acoustic sound when needed, should I consider going with some saddle pickups? I’ve seen a few guitars in some of the "finished" galleries were the builder included Graphtec Ghost Saddle pick ups, but I really don’t know much about these. If I could simply throw a switch and go from the magetic pickups to the piezo for acoustic strumming, I’d like that. Will this be a big deal to install or require a bunch of routing etc?

FWIW I've got an LR Baggs T-Bridge and it gives me a nice faux acoustic sound (run it separate from the magnetics into the PA, with just a little eq tweaking), good enough to have a few guitar players in the audience looking around for the hidden acoustic player.

I'm guessing their X-Bridge (Strat trem) would sound just as good. It wouldn't require any more routing than a standard trem. A little more wiring, but it's not rocket science.

Mike

[marksound]

I have an X-Bridge in my MIM Strat. I mounted a Fishman Model G outboard preamp to my pedal board and I run one side of a Y cable from the guitar to the preamp. From there it goes to the PA.

Yeah, I've seen guys looking around for the hidden acoustic player too.

[erikbojerik]

Having a Baggs or Ghost system along with the EMG active system, you'll need two output jacks. Unless I'm missing something, you won't be able to pull it off with just a single jack and cable, unless you go with an XLR jack/cable or something.

A 3-way switch (EMGs, EMG+piezo, piezo) would probably be best.

Strat-style trems are notorious for going out of tune unless you have a lubricated nut + locking tuners. Forget about a locking nut on a Strat trem as there's no way to tune up without unlocking.

Bubinga is a beautiful wood, almost too beautiful to cover with a pickguard...although a pickguard is part of the "Strat look". If you go without a pickguard, then one F-hole may look funny, which means you may want 2 of them, which then complicates the control layout. If you go without a pickguard, do you rout from the back, or use pickup rings? Hmmm....

A hollow Strat with F-hole will be more prone to feedback than a hollow Strat without one.

[WiFiGuy]

Thanks for the quick replies, and I appreciate those of you who took the time to read and share your insights.

Re the X-Bridge---yup, that sounds like what I need for my accoustic sound, I'll be adding one to my parts list.

Although the X-Bridge or something like the X-Bridge appears now to be a "given" for this guitar, the EMG pick ups are not. I checked their website and read that the primary ads to going with their active system are noise reduction and volume. Since I'm basically a hack playing with a wanna-be jam group, maybe I don't need to complicate things by going quite as upscale as that of the active route. I gotta figure that there are alot of traditional passive pick up configs that'll give me a very nice sound but without the complications of trying to integrate the two systems. I'd be open to any pick up suggestions that you guys might have experience with.

Re the switch, yes I will look into something that would give me the most versatility. Ideally, I'd like to be able to switch between the mag pups as is normally done AND mix in the piezo if desired OR just go with the piezo when a true accoustic is needed. If a three-way will do this, then it'll be on the list as well.

Re the the lubed nut and locking tuners--thanks for setting me straight on this, it makes sense.

Re the pick guard, since this guitar will be strummed a good bit of the time, I'd feel better about the guard. While I'm not so focused on a "Strat Look" appearance, I'd hate to marr the finnish or have it show wear. I saw some clear pick guards that I'll take another look at---or I'll find one that works with the wood tone. I saw a couple finished strat style hollows that had guards in the picture galleries and they didn't look too bad to me.

Re feed back, I had heard that a hollow body with F hole is more prone to this, but feel that I should be able to deal with it if it rears its ugly head. At present I play a '81 Gibson RD Artist that from time to time picks up sound through its humbuckers. Although it is very infrequent, I have been able to control it by moving or repositioning amps etc.

Anyway, happy Friday to all of you and thanks again for the words of wisdom. I'm happy to hear from any and all.

[prs man]

I would say for a blues tone to use {2]rio grande muy grande strat pickups neck and middle and a hot rail in the bridge.

this is the pickups I use on several guitars and just love the sound.

I have 3 strat all with rio grande pickups.

have you thought of doing a hard tail string through bridge bridge.

I think you can get a hard tail bridge with piezo.

emd pickups

they are no noise and that is cooll until you want a little feed back. check out the sound that the old blues player got and they did not have emg pickup and that is the tone that we are all in search of.

I have a couple of guitars that have fender texas special pickups and they have got a nice sound. after all is said let your ears be the judge

I hope that I have helped

Good luck