based on what donnie told me to do...thanks man, has anyone come across this a squire strat early- mid 90s mad eout of ply?

I was going to use this to make my parts caster guitar, but after looking at the wood(s) will it affect my sound, even if i get emg's and a floyd rose as well as some other interesting pieces here is a pic..

I posted some of this on the other thread...

The Squier Bullets with hard tails from a few years ago were laminate bodied as well. A good number of the old MIK and even a lot of the MIJ S/E series Squiers were laminate bodied. The easiest way to tell at a glance with no tools is to check the body thickness. The laminates were generally 1 1/2 inches thick whereas the solid wood bodies were 1 3/4. That's not 100% foolproof however, but in general it stands. MOST of the laminate bodies I've seen were 1 1/2 inches, but so far ALL of the solid ones I've seen were 1 3/4.I guess if you have a hard time with eyeball measurements you still need a tool, but at least you don't have to take it apart.

The Bullets are newer than your date range, but the MIKs and MIJs fit. I have a MIK VN series from 1996 and it is solid wood, but I've seen some from the VN plant, also from 1996 (and +/- a year or two), that were laminated so there does not seem to be any absolute rhyme or reason.

It is probably not plywood per se. It looks like thinner sheets of wood laminated together; much better quality than plywood. I doubt very seriously they'd be able to round over the edges very well with plywood.

I wonder how the resonance is? I would think that resonance would be better on a solid body; even better with a set neck and better yet with a neck through.

You know, laminates\veneers are not necessarily bad and bottom line is that if you like the way it sounds then that is what matters most.

The laminate body S/E series MIJs get generally high marks across the board, and high prices now too. The Bullet I had was kind of a turd, but I've had some laminate body MIKs that hung pretty well. If you like the body and it played well when you had it together it is an excellent base for a project.

I used to think the set neck and neckthroughs were the sustain masters, especially with thinner finishes, but the Charvel Model 4 I have hangs a note longer than anything else I've ever played. Bolt on with enough coating to cover a small freight train. Hopefully, the Highway One gives it a run...

thanks guys, i havent heard the sound in a long time. I gave up guitar in the late 90's and early 00's i recently got back into it last year and i am loving it.

I wanted to out fit it with a reverse 70's headstock, emg pick ups a floyd rose trem...im still deciding on what else i want done.

As long as you have another axe, or two to play while you are making your mods that sounds great!

i have 7 axe's this squire is a hobby that i am starting to make my own guitar

Depending on the level of project you're looking at, you can take that laminate body and strip it down then either stain or burn the wood with a torch. The different grain orientation on the layers will make them color slightly differently. Then tung oil the body and set it up. Get a unique look on the edges and especially the contours.

I did that on an old bass, I think it was an Ibanez. Looked pretty wild. If I can dig up any pictures I will.

thanks frost, i was actually going to do a james hetfield and add layers of different car paints and then sand away the finish, ill do that with the body too...sounds cool, ill prob do that first before anything else.

If you're going to strip the body down it's worth checking out anyways. If you don't like it when it is raw don't tung oil it, just go with the primer/auto paint instead.

Good luck on the project! I have almost as much fun screwing around with guitars as I do playing them

Will any of the wood be showing?

The top of the "plywood" might look okay, but the sides will look kinda stripey. A plywood body can sound just fine!

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

i thought just the top and bottom. like i said i don't know yet but its def a work in progress or a learning in progress on how to make guitars

Hi deth crimsonx: well that's exactly what cheap bodies are for. Go wild - with no fear that you might spoil a fine bod.

And then again, if ply bodies really do sound less good than solid ones; well, any difference will be lost beneath a set of EMGs.

Go to your project without worries.

Good luck - C

http://store.guitarfetish.com/gukibuityo.html

Use this site if you want to fool around with guitar building.

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'05 Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS
'07 Gibson GOTW week 40 1984 reissue Flying V
'08 Gibson Robot Explorer
'08 Gibson Robot SG
'09 Dave Murray Artist Series Stratocaster
'09 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
'09 Gibson Les Paul Studio

Again thanks guys, you have been more than helpful.

one more question it may sound dumb...but if i get a lefty strat neck and have that as my reversed neck and if it comes with the truss rod installed, do i have to reverse it for right hand playing?