My Quest for a Better Strat/Dumble tone

[talbany]

I know many here who have struggled with getting a better Strat tone from there ODS style amps..To those I will offer this..
I purposely set out to try and build a more Dumble friendly Strat,Taken advice from other luthiers who were willing to share there thoughts and recommendations..I also knew that I got close from My EJ Strat so the possibility was there.. Here is what I used..

Light weight Swamp Ash ( 80's Schecter Strat Body)
Fender Hot Rod 50's Style Maple/Rosewood Neck .. Most luthiers preferred the Maple slab w/ash, but I like the feel of Rosewood so IMO..Both should work fine..
The Pickups I used were the Tom Anderson MonsterTone pickups..Coil tapped on Bridge.. Seymour Duncan makes an equivalent to this in there Quarter Pounders..Fender also makes a 50's (Alnico V's)over wound repro set that also (from what I hear)sounds good!!
After putting the guitar together and testing it sounded better than all my other Strats (MIJ 90's w Fralins and Jeff Beck Strat a few others) but still sounded a bit thin in the low mids ..
I then ordered a Callaham Vintage bridge set w/steel block and saddles and was the missing ingredient.. This pulled out the low mid push it needed and also added some well received sustain!!
So far I am very pleased with this Strat (w/102 replica) The tone is thicker (still Stratty) not at as thin and has some nice sustain and is more inline with how my Tele's sound through the amp..

A few things that made the difference

Pickups Tom Anderson Monstertone's or 10% Overwound Alnico IV or V's
Callaham Bridge (Steel Block)
Light Ash Body
Big 50's Neck
I am on the road now but when I get home I will post some Pics and even some sound files but thought some here would be interested in what I've discovered... Your YMMV of coarse,but this should put you on the right track as far as What worked for me in getting a better sounding Strat through My amps..I'll try to answer any questions about the guitar

BTW..After I built the guitar I remembered this Thread.. It seems TAG got similar results..Ash Body Strat..I am pretty sure those guitar used Steel Blocks and Fat 50's Pup's as well..

https://tubeamparchive.com/viewtopic.ph ... sc&start=0
Good Luck!!

Tony

[aflynt]

The Callaham bridge IS great! It made a huge difference in the Strats I've tried it with. I wish I could find something like that that would fit into my swamp-ash Anderson Hollow T to give it more low mids.

Pickup-wise, I've had good luck with my Lollar Specials too in an Alder Strat.

-Aaron

[talbany]

A friend that sold me on the Callaham had it in his Ash Strat..He mounted a Lollar Tele (bridge) in the bridge of his Strat that had some nice low mids to it..Sounded BIG in OD..I was thinking of doing that to mine but had the Tom Andersons lying around and I kind of like the "true" coil tap for different tones..

Tony

[67plexi]

The Stratocaster into the ODS high plate V-2 is a interesting subject .
I have played Stratocasters since 1982 have gone through many some have it and some don't
I am no expert on the subject I have been told that it's the difference in woods like a flat sawn neck
will resonate the best Fender changed the pickup wire in 1957 and again in 1963
My latest tone experiment is the ODS high plate V-2 with a fender Esquire type build the first Fender
guitars. The advantage over the Stratocaster is one pickup less string pull #1 Esquire is a maple flat sawn
neck pine body weight is 4.0 pounds it sustains for a long time acoustically.
Esquire #2 light weight swamp ash one piece body flat sawn maple neck with a Brazilian rosewood finger
board it has a different resonance than the pine body but this #2 is one of the best sounding guitars I
have ever played its weight is 6.0 pounds I'm still blown away, played it with the band last night for the
first time. It sounds and feels like a old friend and only have five hours of play time on it.
#2 does have a 1949 control out of a Fender steel guitar and a .05uf @ 400v bumblebee Sprague.
is that it I'm not sure. Good luck with the Stratocasters.

Steve.

[talbany]

Steve
I hope you are well!!

Over the past year I have been working on this project a little at a time,trying different woods,necks,and LOT's of pickups!!..Like amps there are many variables some just seem to come together to form a wonderful instrument..You cannot explain it..some sound great to some and OK to others,but the 1 thing that I discovered that made for the best sounding Strat through a Dumble was (in order of what made the Biggest impact)

1 Pickups
2 Trem Block/Saddles/Nuts
3 Pots/Caps/strings
4 Wood Finish (Poly vs Nitro,unfinished)
5 Wood type/Neck

IMO The actual wood type is not a critical on a Strat as it would be on a Tele or a Paul and most guitars without the tremolo system!!..But at the same time like an amp it's a system and everything has to be there for it to be a Great instrument!!...IMO

Fender actually preferred Southern swamp Ash Bodies,, But changed up due to finishing costs and availability and not many complained about tone!..In some cases I had a hard time telling the difference in Alder and Ash!

Tony

[PaisleyTube]

wood is organic material so every piece does differ

my favorite Strat does well with D-types....

alder body
nitro primer only
baseball rw slab board neck
real 60s tremolo, block and saddles
cstm shp 54 pu's
custom cmw-wiring

[67plexi]

Hey Tony hope all is well with you. This is still one of my favorites 7/61 been playing this one
for thirty years. Before I got it someone overspray it with pearl paint other than that it's stock.
As far as playing in public it's counterfeit guitars and amps now.

Steve.

[Teleguy61]

Hey Tony hope all is well with you. This is still one of my favorites 7/61 been playing this one
for thirty years. Before I got it someone overspray it with pearl paint other than that it's stock.
As far as playing in public it's counterfeit guitars and amps now.

Steve.

Know the feeling well. I have an old Strat I have had for 45 years. I only take it out of the house when it's never going to leave my hand, and I won't tell anyone what it is, just an older Strat.
The 5F6A stays home now.

[talbany]

Hey Tony hope all is well with you. This is still one of my favorites 7/61 been playing this one
for thirty years. Before I got it someone overspray it with pearl paint other than that it's stock.
As far as playing in public it's counterfeit guitars and amps now.

Steve.

Steve
I am well Thanks!!.. Awesome Strat!!..I love the color..Enjoy

Last night after or gig,it was pretty cold so myself and the drummer pulled our cars up to the front of the club to load up,we both had them running to warm up had everything in the car and were just getting paid when we noticed Gils's car was missing..Somebody actually stole his car..WTF!!..My car was right behind his running as well..I had my new Strat and my Les Paul Classic PP and the SSS in the car..Had Gil not pulled in front of me all my gear would have been stolen!!..NEVER AGAIN!!.. We were a sidewalk away (In a heavily Policed Old Town Manassas V,A) and were in plain view of both cars from the windows in the front of the club which was mostly glass...WOW!

Tony

[David Root]

Man, I hope those thieves get their weenies whacked!

[ODwan]

The Callaham bridge IS great! It made a huge difference in the Strats I've tried it with.

Yes, sir! And now pair it with some of these Raw Vintage springs and it's vintage heaven! Fat and punchy!

Cheers,
Timo

[vibratoking]

[NickC]

I also like the Callaham stuff. Replaced stock American Standard Tele bridge with Callaham, and Callaham stainless compensated saddles. Great improvement.

[Zippy]

Be glad they ONLY stole the car and gear...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... iolin.html

Last night after or gig,it was pretty cold so myself and the drummer pulled our cars up to the front of the club to load up,we both had them running to warm up had everything in the car and were just getting paid when we noticed Gils's car was missing..Somebody actually stole his car..WTF!!..My car was right behind his running as well..I had my new Strat and my Les Paul Classic PP and the SSS in the car..Had Gil not pulled in front of me all my gear would have been stolen!!..NEVER AGAIN!!.. We were a sidewalk away (In a heavily Policed Old Town Manassas V,A) and were in plain view of both cars from the windows in the front of the club which was mostly glass...WOW!

Tony

[John_P_WI]

Ya hey der Milwaukee Interestingly, the location is not in a bad area and is located across from a large medical complex. It sucks none-the-less.