I have a Holy Diver, and plan to build a Warmoth

[BaLLsAgNe]

As the title implies, I have a Holy Diver just waiting to be put into a guitar. Ive decided that I want to build a Warmoth Soloist , and Im pretty sure on just about everything that it will be except for the body wood. The neck is going to be maple with an Ebony board (Warmoth only make bolt-ons so it will be bolt on), but Im not sure if I want an Alder or Mahogany body. I know the generally HDs are considered great in Alder, but how would it fare in a Mahogany soloist. If musical style matters bands like Dream Evil, Helloween, Queensryche, Nocturnal Rites, and Iced Earth come to mind.

[Antag]

Yes, Holy Diver sounds great in alder - it could certainly cover what you want like that.  But I think it would still work pretty well with a mahogany body too - especially with maple bolt-on neck & ebony board.

FWIW, I have a warmoth strat with a korina body, maple neck/ebony fb & it's a great guitar.  Sounds absolutely HUGE with enormous fat midrange & unbelievable warmth to the sound.  Where it falls down is that it's a little "blurry" & perhaps too rounded to play ultra tight palm mute metal riffs, not that it can't do that, but many of my other guitars are much better suited to that style.  I'm guessing that a mahogany body (especially a soloist which is smaller than a strat) won't have that problem...

[Modular1]

i had my holy diver in my usa strat and it sounded awesome. really full rock sound.

ive moved it to a home built frankenstrat copy which has a rough carspray finish on an alder body. it sounds more 'woody' in the cheaper body but still has a real cool tone. the guitar seems to have its own character which i really like.

i put the original pups back in the strat because i got tired of the look of it and i had no 'proper' strat.

really chuffed with the HD in the cheapo guitar tho :)

[ericsabbath]

how about mahogany + maple top?  :D

[Philly Q]

how about mahogany + maple top?  :D

Depends on the body style - if it's a (Warmoth) "Flat Top" Soloist the maple's only a veneer so it doesn't really affect the tone, it'll just sound like mahogany.  If it's a "Carved Top", then it's a proper big 5/8" maple slab.

Of course it'll look good either way.  :)

[Ribboz]

Sounds amazing in ash. Just amazing.

[Modular1]

Sounds amazing in ash. Just amazing.

I think that's what fender USA strats are made of right? If so I can concur.

[Dr. Vic]

I think that building a warmoth guitar is an awesome project as well as being also pricey.

I hope for you that you'll keep this guitar for a long time, which is why I'd suggest you to choose the wood you prefer tonewise and see after that if you will keep the HD in it or change it for another BKP.

 :japon:

[Philly Q]

Sounds amazing in ash. Just amazing.

I think that's what fender USA strats are made of right? If so I can concur.

Nearly all the American Standard models are alder. 

They do sometimes have ash as an option, but only with particular natural/translucent finishes - e.g. the current catalogue has Sienna Sunburst with an ash body, but all the other colours are alder.

[Tomcaster]

Well ash is getting more popular again due to the Highway 1 series . Especially the one with thin nitro body is a promising tone foundation.

[Ribboz]

Well the only problem with warmoth is they don't hold any value for resale. Its so frustrating trying to sell something from them. If its not complete vintage its chances of selling are low. 

[Philly Q]

Well ash is getting more popular again due to the Highway 1 series . Especially the one with thin nitro body is a promising tone foundation.

I apologise for being so pedantic, but the Highway One models are all alder as well, apart from the H1 Texas Tele.

[FernandoDuarte]

Well the only problem with warmoth is they don't hold any value for resale. Its so frustrating trying to sell something from them. If its not complete vintage its chances of selling are low. 

Well, it's as I said you before, most people prefer the Strat or Tele headstock, you prefer that Kramer one, if your neck were S or T headstock you would have sold it much more easy. Also if you accept abroad buyers...

But Warmoth doesn't sell as good as Fender, not even "close"... It's good stuff if you're 100% right of what you want and don't plan selling it, because if you've to do it'll loose some money...

[PhilKing]

I have a HD/Trilogy HSS set in a Warmoth Swap Ash body wth a thin flamed redwood top and walnut vaneer between the redwood and swamp ash.  The neck is maple/ebony and is scalloped from the 13th fret.  It has a Wilkinson convertible VS100 bridge and Sperzel tuners.  The sound is awesome, the guitar rings really nicely and can push hard, but I have the strat tones when I need them.  Alder might give you a little more bottom end thump.  The soloist body is a little smaller than the strat so it might be OK with mahogany too.

[BaLLsAgNe]

yeah I actually decided to forget about the whole warmoth thing. I have another guitar I can put the pickup in anyway, and lately Ive been really happy with what I got now. Thanks for the replies