Potential Strat project - firebird pickups? Trems? Body wood?

mo6020

stickyfiddle said:

mo6020 said:

I'm pretty late to this, but I've had a few beers now so I'm going with broadcaster bridge pickup, firebird in the middle, and a widerange humbucker in the neck. 

I am not smart enough to figure out how that needs wiring, but even if you were stuck with a 3 way switch you'd still have 3 amazing sounds in one comfy guitar. 

Haha hardly late - I only opened this thread a few hours ago and no decisions made yet. That also sounds like a lot of fun to be fair, but I think a Tele template would suit it better. I do have a hankering for a thinline at some point. I have a spare neck that'll get used when I find the right body

Yeh, I'd also put it in a tele too, I think the cool kids call a 3 pickup tele a nashville tele. You heard it here first.

stickyfiddle

Just to add as the title may not be clear, I'm also very much open to any thoughts on different bridges & trem systems (not just bridge pickups) 

What should I do as someone who loves Bigsbys and doesn't like how floating Strat trems go out of tune when you bend one note against another fretted, unbent string...? 

stickyfiddle

Ok I can't stop staring at the mockup and have a few clear weeks over the summer where work is looking quiet and I'm not going on holiday, so shit's getting real... 

I have a couple of options on bodies with universal routes - one roasted aldar at 3.4lb, and one in swamp ash at 4.1lb 

Any wisdom as to what's going to work nicely here? Obviously lighter is nice, but not sure on the body wood itself. 

Whitecat

Here’s the one I mentioned in the other thread (soz, I’d overlooked this thread somehow despite being able to contribute to it!) - The pickups are Seymour Duncan Antiquties - HB in the bridge, FB in the neck. Base model is a 60 Strat and there’s nothing really unusual about it otherwise that you can’t see other than perhaps the roasted quartersawn neck. Body is alder, relic level is ‘Journeyman’, weight is just over 7 1/2lbs. 

Possibly a coil tap would be nice on the bridge just for that extra sound or two, but it’s not a dealbreaker. As I said before, clean neck tones are just incredible. The bridge is awesome too, I play on that a lot more than I expected I might, and the middle position is unique, unlike any other guitar I own, so all three switch positions have their own mojo. It’s a pickup config I highly recommend. 

stickyfiddle

Whitecat said:

Here’s the one I mentioned in the other thread (soz, I’d overlooked this thread somehow despite being able to contribute to it!) - The pickups are Seymour Duncan Antiquties - HB in the bridge, FB in the neck. Base model is a 60 Strat and there’s nothing really unusual about it otherwise that you can’t see other than perhaps the roasted quartersawn neck. Body is alder, relic level is ‘Journeyman’, weight is just over 7 1/2lbs. 

Possibly a coil tap would be nice on the bridge just for that extra sound or two, but it’s not a dealbreaker. As I said before, clean neck tones are just incredible. The bridge is awesome too, I play on that a lot more than I expected I might, and the middle position is unique, unlike any other guitar I own, so all three switch positions have their own mojo. It’s a pickup config I highly recommend. 

Oof that’s gorgeous. Do you have any recordings of it? 

Why do I feel like the answer here is to get a couple of different options and sell whichever I like least…? 

Pabcrane

I think three Firebird pickups with a five-way switch would be fantastic. Or even just the middle and neck if you're keen on a PAF-type in the bridge.

Given that you don't particularly like a Strat vibrato and do like Bigsbys have you thought about using a Jazzmaster body with its wang system? I find it's a bit more like a Bigsby. (Obviously it won't be Strat shaped though which was the initial idea!) Or I'm pretty sure that Fender put out a Paranormal or Pawn Shop Strat body with a JM/Jag Wang on it a number of years ago.

stickyfiddle

Pabcrane said:

I think three Firebird pickups with a five-way switch would be fantastic. Or even just the middle and neck if you're keen on a PAF-type in the bridge.

Given that you don't particularly like a Strat vibrato and do like Bigsbys have you thought about using a Jazzmaster body with its wang system? I find it's a bit more like a Bigsby. (Obviously it won't be Strat shaped though which was the initial idea!) Or I'm pretty sure that Fender put out a Paranormal or Pawn Shop Strat body with a JM/Jag Wang on it a number of years ago.

That's my thinking re pickups. I'm wondering about the most efficient way to go about it, but most likely will start with 3x FBs and go from there. 

I do love a JM (and have 2...!) but really want a strat format for this thing. And sadly Strats just look terrible with any other trem system. I suspect I may just have to get up the learning curve and work out how to use the bar and how to adjust my playing to deal with and/or avoid those specific lines where I'm playing open strings against bent ones.

Pabcrane

stickyfiddle said:

Pabcrane said:

I think three Firebird pickups with a five-way switch would be fantastic. Or even just the middle and neck if you're keen on a PAF-type in the bridge.

Given that you don't particularly like a Strat vibrato and do like Bigsbys have you thought about using a Jazzmaster body with its wang system? I find it's a bit more like a Bigsby. (Obviously it won't be Strat shaped though which was the initial idea!) Or I'm pretty sure that Fender put out a Paranormal or Pawn Shop Strat body with a JM/Jag Wang on it a number of years ago.

That's my thinking re pickups. I'm wondering about the most efficient way to go about it, but most likely will start with 3x FBs and go from there. 

I do love a JM (and have 2...!) but really want a strat format for this thing. And sadly Strats just look terrible with any other trem system. I suspect I may just have to get up the learning curve and work out how to use the bar and how to adjust my playing to deal with and/or avoid those specific lines where I'm playing open strings against bent ones.

Yeah, I know what you mean about Strats looking a bit off with other wang systems.

I too like Bigsbys and Jazzmasters - but I put together a  partscaster from a body my brother gave me so I could have a Strat-type guitar (a standard set-up with three singlecoils and six-screw trem). I did get used to the Strat wang bar after playing it for a little while and it's fine (even though I still prefer the others).

Good luck and I hope to see the end product soonish!

victorludorum

Pete Townshend uses a double mini-hum Strat I think.

stickyfiddle

victorludorum said:

Pete Townshend uses a double mini-hum Strat I think.

Yep I think so, though iirc minihums like his old LP Deluxes. I can't actually find any pictures, but The Painted Player makes a tribute version so it must exist! 

Offset

stickyfiddle

@offset nice - what is it? 

stickyfiddle

As for this build, I have a body on order. I went Swamp Ash because it was 100 bucks cheaper and has way deeper contours. Still only ~4lb so should make a sub-8 build once done

Sporky

If you can, get a G&L Dual Fulcrum bridge - they used to be available as spares, and probably still are. That and the Parker one are my two favourite non-locking trems.

Offset

stickyfiddle said:

@offset nice - what is it? 

https://reverb.com/item/83042314-fender-made-in-japan-elemental-stratocaster-2022-stone-black?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=83042314

stickyfiddle

Sporky said:

If you can, get a G&L Dual Fulcrum bridge - they used to be available as spares, and probably still are. That and the Parker one are my two favourite non-locking trems.

Ooh that G&L is a goooood call actually. 

I recall really enjoying those whenever I’ve tried them. 

It’s that or trad Callaham Fender-style, or maybe a PRS one

Sporky

And I still think the G&L thing of having volume, tone, and bass roll-off is genius. Being able to thin out the sound a bit is really handy. Or set it with the bass slightly rolled off, and you can turn it up to thicken everything up a bit.

Offset

stickyfiddle said:

@offset nice - what is it? 

Just imagine it with Firebird pups in it...

stickyfiddle

Offset said:

stickyfiddle said:

@offset nice - what is it? 

Just imagine it with Firebird pups in it...

Nah, I can’t deal with black guitars that don’t have binding. 

I’m copper all the way for this thing

Offset

stickyfiddle said:

Offset said:

stickyfiddle said:

@offset nice - what is it? 

Just imagine it with Firebird pups in it...

Nah, I can’t deal with black guitars that don’t have binding. 

I’m copper all the way for this thing

Neck or body?  Or both???