Google image search: inside Warmoth's factory. I would love an opportunity to take a tour through there, as I'm in Seattle and they're based in nearby Puyallup, Washington. Some dude there might be looking at a color palette right about now to choose that seafoam green on my order that I want so badly.
Orientation: Right-handed
Core Wood: Maple
Heavy and bright with as much sustain as possible.
Laminate Top / Unique Choice (Optional): None
Because SEAFOAM GREEN.
Control Cavity: Top Rout
This was a serious consideration described in detail in my third post. I want the controls to be mounted to the pickguard, not through a rear rout.
Pickup Routs: Humbucker / Strat Single / Humbucker
The obvious choice for a dual humbucker Strat. I'm interested in placing the Sustainiac's circuit board in the center single-coil pickup rout if it will fit and not cause interference with the electromagnetic field. That circuit board would be unseen as it's tucked underneath a pickguard cut for dual humbuckers only.
Bridge Rout: Recessed Original Floyd Rose Tremolo
There's a second option in this category to "use studs from bridge on order". Bingo.
Input Jack Rout: Strat Top Jack
Because a Strat just isn't a Strat without it.
Neck Pocket: Strat Shape, Standard 4 Bolt Mounting Holes
Body Contours: Strat Style, No Contoured Heel
Battery Box Rout: Single Battery
Sustainiac needs juice, you know.
Finish: Solid Color, Seafoam Green
My favorite feature for the body, along with the maple construction, is long-awaited.
And for the pickguard:
3-Ply Black/White/Black
NO pickguard should be single-ply! Every pickguard should be three-ply or more with a beveled edge! Stop cutting up the knuckles!
Humbucker / None / Trembucker Pickup Routs
But of course. Sustainiac circuit board to be covered up by the middle section of the pickguard...? I'm happy that Warmoth offers a proper wide Trembucker rout option for the bridge position.
Floyd Bridge Cut
11 Mounting Holes
I'm not a vintage cat. Gimme the standard eleven holes, not old school eight.
Standard Countersink
The SRV countersink option adds countersinking to the pickup and pickup selector switch screw points. I just don't think I need it.
Tone, Tone 2, 5-Way Selector Switch Routs (NO volume)
No volume control rout, as described in the Liberating The Fingers post.
I'm a few months late to the party, but this new song from Sunny Day Real Estate is incredible. Jeremy Enigk's vocals are like those of a ghost of an old sailor with old stories to tell.
EDIT 10/15/2014
The custom black/white/black pickguard and rear trem cover are now on order. The only change I made since this original post was to add the SRV countersink. I decided that the mounting holes for the pickups and the pickup selector switch were a go, since the work done is free of charge and the required undercut screws are available to order on Warmoth's site. I also ordered two dozen pickguard mounting screws (need 17) and the Strat recessed jack plate, which comes with two of its own screws for mounting to the body.
I did not order a jack to go with the jack plate yet; some research will need to be done to pick the right one, both for the size of the body cavity and the type of jack. I wonder if I need a stereo jack to activate the battery when a cable is plugged in. Remember, the Sustainiac remains active even when its sustaining function isn't turned on.
Copper shielding and wiring are also available to order on Warmoth's site, but I will address those things when I can focus on ordering all of the electronics stuff together. I'm well over halfway through this project in terms of cost. Smaller steps—Schaller tuners, Duncan TB-6, potentiometers and selector switch, knobs, battery box, Sustainiac—from here until the end. I might have all of the materials by the end of the year, which is better than I had anticipated when I started this blog. Then two months of assembly and testing, and Big Riff should be fully operational by my 30th birthday in March.
