Routing query?

the_jaffa

Is there any downside to a swimming pool route on the top of a Fender style guitar? It would all be covered by the scratchplate but wondered if there were any practical or aural downsides.

Anyone got any experience?

octatonic

None at all.

the_jaffa

Excellent, job's a good'un then. That's what I expected but as it's my first build I thought it was worth asking the question. Makes sorting the top route a whole load easier.

Cheers

octatonic

I should say that the is my (not uninformed) opinion- not gospel.

I'm sure some folks believe there is but you are taking out a tiny amount of the guitar's mass.

I doubt anyone can tell the difference- it isn't like an acoustic guitar where removing mass from the braces 'tunes' the response of the soundboard.

Most of the tone of the instrument comes from the pickups/amp/speaker- the wood you use is a factor but removing such a small amount of body mass won't make a difference to tone.

Andyjr1515

I share @octatonic 's view. I doubt very much if anyone would be able to tell the difference...

WezV

on a trem routed strat a swimming pool route means you have almost no  wood between bridge and neck, that just doesn't sit right with me.   

I don't think its the loss of mass you will hear, but the potential loss of stiffness with a full swimming pool and trem route

personally i would rather have something  like this

than this

Sporky

On the upside it means you can bung in pretty much any pickups you want.

My Talman has an Olympic swimming pool rout and sounds ace. It's also made from wood pulp and resin.

http://monkeyfx.co.uk/pictures/Talman/routtop.jpg

the_jaffa

@WezV do you mean that the lack of material between the bridge and the neck would be an issue due to a loss of stiffness in the body? I think I can see what you mean. With a 5/8" route on the top for the pickups and the same on the back for the trem spring cavity that only leaves 1/2" between front and back which isn't a huge amount. It wouldn't be over the whole pool though I guess.

Hmm

WezV

That's my concern. I am not saying it will suddenly implode or sound terrible. I am saying I would rather have some extra wood there than not.

What are you aiming for with the swimming pool route?

the_jaffa

Totally see what you're getting at.

The only reason I'd been looking that way was it simplifying the routing of the top but I want to get the guitar right so I don't mind putting more effort in if there is a good reason for it.

Andyjr1515

It's no big deal and routing two rectangular chambers is pretty much as easy as routing one, so that seems the way to go. However, I still have no problem with swimming pool routs - especially on a trem fitted strat. The strings are attached to a wobbly set of springs and I can't see that there is any difference in the stability of the pivot screws. A lot of the Squier strats have swimming pools....

the_jaffa

I'll have another look at the plan on the top to figure out the best way. Might be able to sort a hybrid of the two and get some more support across without making the route too complicated. Should be fine I reckon.

I want to get this right

octatonic

I've never had any issue of stiffness or stability from a swimming pool route.

Every piece of wood is different so it is possible- it is remote enough for me to not worry about it.

WezV

Its worth considering it from the mass production point of view as well as individual limited experiences.


It makes a lot of practical sense as you get a slightly lighter guitar you can put any pickup combo on and goes together easier. It probably shaves a good few seconds off the time taken to route each guitar. It was done pretty consistently by quite a few manufacturers for a number of years.

Then it stopped. It was replaced by the partial swimming pool style I linked to above... Even right down to the cheapest brands.


A few seconds extra to do it properly are nothing to a small builder, everything to a big factory.

Sporky

WezV said:

Then it stopped. It was replaced by the partial swimming pool style I linked to above... Even right down to the cheapest brands.

I wonder if that was linked to a shift from using pin routers or ganged pattern routers to CNC. With CNC it'd be quicker to do the partial pool style than the full swimming pool

stickyfiddle

Less mojo

impmann

TBH, I don't worry about such things - my USA standard has a swimming pool rout and it sounds huge. Once the plate is back on, who cares really?

the_jaffa

Spent the last couple of hours with a body template, some tracing paper and a load of drafting equipment and have got a good top route sorted. Just back in from the garage after cutting it out. Looks good, successfully houses all the bits it needs to and should route from it fine.

I already have a separate template cut out for the neck pocket, trem and additional (redundant) trem so should be able to get the full top template sorted at the weekend.

Cheers for the help with advice everyone

Pic of new route here: