USA Custom Guitars S-Style body

I give this category a "10" because USACG was able to give me everything I wanted in my S-style body: Hollow, Swamp Ash body, drop top, tummy rout, end jack and top edging. Tommy was also nice enough to take the time to cut a back cover plate from the same kind of wood as the body so that it matches perfectly. I simply couldn't be happier.

In a word: "Perfect." The hollow Swamp Ash body is just perfect for my style of playing - and the reduced weight is much easier on my back. If you get a chance, have Tommy make one of these for you - you won't regret it.

The workmanship allowed the body to mate with the neck perfectly - very snug. All aftermarket parts fit fit without any problem. Again, I was very pleased.

The workmanship and the wood used should allow this guitar to last until I'm too old to play. I can't find any issues with durability.

Tommy provides the best customer support of just about any business I've ever dealt with. If you don't believe me, call him yourself and find out. Tommy answers emails usually within the hour, is never too busy to answer your calls (at least he makes you feel that way). In short, Tommy will go to great lengths to help you in any way he can to assure that you get the best guitar body/neck for your style of playing.
I was often unsure about which features I wanted. Tommy was so patient - telling me the advantages and disadvantages of each. I never once felt pressured. I frequently changed my mind - each time without complaint from Tommy. Yes, a definite "10."

Again, a "10" Tommy has helped me build 3 guitars. Within the next year or so I will begin ordering parts for my 4th. My order for the neck and body will be placed with Tommy and USACG.

(Just a note to parents who may have children who play the guitar: Often commercial guitar necks and bodies are too large for smaller hands. Have Tommy build a narrow nut (1 5/8"), shorter scale, small profile neck and a Dinky S body for you. They're a lot easier for young people to play.)

USA Custom S Style Body (price for body only)
2 Piece alder, 3.5 lbs
Maple/maple one piece neck, Buzz Feiten system (worth it!)
Traditional rout, vintage tremelo
Its a traditional strat style body.

It sounds excellent. I did a great deal of research and - happily - got just what I wanted. Clean and full sounding, I'm very pleased with it.

Bought unfinished body. 3.5 lbs and its a ringer. Did my own finish, dye/stain/tru-oil finish. Easy to do. All parts fit perfectly and without a hitch. The neck body fit just could not be better. Both parts were from USACG.

Fender style guitars are very durable. This on has been very stable as well.

As good as it gets. All of the people I spoke to, especially Tommy and Brett, were knowledgeable and most helpful. This is not some big business cranking out tons of widgets with phones manned by jaded and arrogant kids trying to impress you with their knowledge (lack of!). I am amazed how perfectly correctly they produced what I described. I would not hesitate to recommend USACG to anyone, and often do.

I've been playing a long time. I've owned two '54 strats, trem and hardtail, a '57 strat, a couple of 70's strats, and currently own a late 80's ash/rosewood strat. I've probably forgotten a couple. If I had them now I could probably retire. This is the best strat I've ever owned. ALL of the pickup postions sound very good. I used a fat asymetrical neck and it just rings out. If you have a good, solid idea of the sound you want - do your homework - and call USACG. They'll help you get it.
I've never rated anything a "10", and honestly don't usually give "9"s. This was one of the more satisfying purchases I've ever made.

late December 2005, Alder Body
1/4 sawn Maple/rosewood Neck
S/S/S
Lollar Blondes

After playing countless Strats in every music shop in NYC and not being all that impressed with one thing or another I decided I would try my luck with USA Custom.
Dont get me wrong, I played alot of great sounding guitars however there was always one thing that kept me from buying it. Either the neck didnt feel right or the Body was too heavy or too light. Tommy gave me exactly what I wanted, a 4lb Alder body no more no less and a FLAWLESS neck with great rosewood coloring. The pickups are lollar blondes which are amazing but thats not what this review is about. The USA guys are fantastic, the guitar was finished in ice blue and assembeled by a Sadowsky guitar tech. I could not be happier. This instrument is everything I wanted...

Tommy treat customers like gold! They had the patience to deal with a pain in the ass customer like me and answered every question. I can't forsee any reason I would have a problem but if I did something tells me they would take care of it no questions asked.

I play just about everything other than metal. fingerstyle Celtic-blues-rock-classical etc etc...

Made in USA by Tommy and his friends-
One-piece swamp ash S body
S/S/S with rear route
Maple neck.
22 jumbo 6100 frets
14? radius with
830 with standard taper .
hardware and PU that I used-
Wilkinson VS100
Complete ?GHOST? system, with Hexa pre-amp for midi and acoustic sound.
Kinman Woodstock PU at the bridge, Kinman Blues at mid and neck
Spertzel locking tuners
Graphtech nut

Finish made by ROXY ? Mary kay white, and satin finish for the neck. THE most amazing finish quality ever?

Well, lets talk about the ?ghost? system ? it?s fun, I?ts MIDI, it?s acoustic, BUT- before I got the guitar I taught it is a good idea, but AFTER I got this amazing STRAT, I realized I don?t need this fu-fu high-tech system, the guitar itself is soooo fine, so I didn?t want to ruin the magic.
IT IS- THE best Strat I ever had, the one piece swamp ash body is amazing- it sings, every note on any fret sound clear, sustain for ever, and have great balance with other strings. The Kinman PU, are simply the best choice for this type of guitar in my opinion.
The quality is very high and flawless, every fret is perfect, and the neck pocket fits the neck perfectly. I LOVE this guitar, do yourself a favor ? if u want a strat- give Tommy a call, I just cant imagine myself buying something else.

I play blues ,rock and fusion, I had many guitars, played them all, what can I say- I?m in love with this guitar.

I use many a fender deville amp at home, with RP2120 preamp, and BBE sonicmaximiser, and in professional recordings I have used many amps with this baby, all of them sounds like heaven.

My guitar builder was Herzel Raz, like me- he was amazed from the quality (this dude sew and heard 349587387 guitars in his life J ), the finish is perfect- so thin u can feel the grains ? J
Action , frets, everything is high quality

ARE U KIDDING ME?
PERFECT 10 again

Tommy is God. Period. The man knows everything, loves guitars, and his customers.
He is the example for the best customer support.
Ty and ROXy were great 2.

I?m a pro player, for about 15 years, first I was a little bit afraid to buy a guitar from the other side of the globe (I live in Israel), not knowing what it?s gonna sound like , now, I orderd another guitar from USACG, my second, but not the last? what can I say, I?m a USACG junkie?. LOL

1950's contour lightweight alder strat body, all dimensions taken from the owner Tommy's 1954 stratocaster. I asked for a very lightweight piece of wood, the finished body weighed 3 lbs. Nice grain on the body. Tommy, the owner of USA Custom Guitars did not even charge me extra for hand picking me a great piece of lightweight wood. The body is 2 piece, they will do you a 1 piece if you are willing to pay the extra dough. I got the univeral pickup route for total flexibility, and standard control cavity, neck pocket, jack route, and routed for the vintage 6 hole trem. Deep belly cut, nice forearm contour.

The neck is a standard 25 1/2" scale, with a compound 7 1/4" to 9 1/2" radius pao ferro fingerboard, 6105 frets, cream plastic dots, super soft vee back shape, about .930 thick, 1.650 nut width, small strat style headstock, called the US-2 I believe. It is not an exact copy of the headstock, but very close. Drilled for Kluson style tuners (11/32). Vintage style one way truss rod, headstock adjust.

I had the body finished by Roxy Guitar Finish in 3 color sunburst, they did a very fine job. I specifically asked that the red be blended into the black so it didn't have the "bullseye" look a lot of strats had back in the '60's. Nothing wrong with that, just not my cup of tea. Anyway, the finish is a very thin polyurethane, and was done exactly as requested.
The neck was also finished by Roxy in a vintage tint satin poly on the back, and gloss vintage tinted poly on the headstock. Again, very thin application of paint, and well done.

I used a 3 ply mint green pickguard and trem cover, Callaham hardware package, including trem and steel trem block, locking Gotoh Kluson style tuners, aged plastic parts, Bill Lawrence 280s pickups, in the cream color. I wired the guitar with a master volume and tone, and used rotary switch in the unused tone slot to obtain many additional pickup wiring options besides the standard 5 on a stock strat. Vintage bone nut, and small barrel type string retainers. I completely shielded the body cavities with copper shielding paint, and used an aluminum pickguard shield under the pickguard. I mention all the parts used because it does affect the sound of the assembled neck and body.

I'm giving this a 10 not because a strat body/neck has a ton of features, but because this is a faithful reproduction of a timeless classic. The additional tonal options of the additional pickup linkages do make the guitar more versatile than a stock strat however. Also, every single part on the guitar is the best possible available, and hand selected by yours truely.

I should start off by saying I put the guitar together myself, all assembly, wiring, nutwork, and set up done by me. I also realize that this review is for a USA Custom body and neck, but of course there is no way to describe the sound of the body and neck without the other parts, so I have described those as well. Since I built the guitar myself, I am somewhat biased, but I have been playing since 1968 and I know good tone when I hear it. The older I get, the less tolerable bad tone is, just makes me not want to play.

The guitar sounds absolutely superb! Acoustically, it is very alive, and resonates strongly against your belly when playing. You can feel every single note being played through the wood in this body, it is a very lively specimen. Unplugged, I swear it sounds as if the guitar has reverb built into it, I have never owned another solid body guitar with the acoustic depth of sound this one has. The combination of the lightweight body, and thick maple neck give this guitar an authoritative and lively tone.

I used a rotary switch in place of one of the tone controls. I bought it off a guy named Deaf Eddie, Deaf-Eddie.com I believe is his website. I got the V.3 model, which I think is the most useful when playing live. All of the additional pickup linkages happen with the 5 way in the bridge or bridge/middle positions, and is pretty intuitive. What this gives you is standard strat selections, the neck and bridge in parallel(Telecaster city), all 3 pickups in parallel, the neck and bridge in series(beefy humbucker tone, not as dark as a Les Paul, but very useful), bridge and neck in series with middle in parallel, the neck and bridge in series out of phase, and neck and bridge in series out of phase with middle in parallel. The Bill Lawrence pickups sound wonderful,and are completely noiseless. The guitar is absolutely dead quiet, even 6 inches from a TV screen.

The Callaham steel trem block is reputed to be the best, I never heard the guitar without it, but I do know this is the best strat style guitar I have ever heard, and is capable of producing a very wide range of sounds. The fact that I built it myself just makes it that much more enjoyable to play.

Played through my homebuilt Fender 5E3 Deluxe clone amp with a Weber Blue Dog speaker, the sound is heavenly. I set out to build a custom strat that was better than anything I could buy, and I believe I succeeded. This is my number one guitar, I can't stop playing it. I will NEVER get rid of this one. Never. It is the best blues and blues/rock strat tone I have ever had the pleasure to produce.

The quality of the body and neck is superb. The neck is carved to my specifications, and feels wonderful to play. The 7 1/4" to 9 1/2" compound radius fretboard is a standard USACG offering, and I like it a lot. Easy chording, and good note bending in the upper frets without any fretting out. The 6105 frets were installed well, but there are a couple just a skosh higher than the others, causing a bit of fret buzz. Mind you, I haven't leveled the frets yet, but probably will in the future, and will likely do it myself. I have the action set up medium height, a good blues action that suits my style. The satin poly is my favorite finish on the back of a guitar neck. It feels silky smooth, and never sticky. The pao ferro fingerboard feels great, and has wonderful grain. I really like the super soft vee back shape, very conducive to thumb over the neck blues style playing. The girth of the neck fits my big hands well.

The fit of the neck to the neck pocket is as good as it gets. Very tight, and the neck is on centerline with the body. I mention this because with a vintage bridge and the 2 7/32" string spread, if the neck pocket is not machined properly, the neck may be off center, causing the strings to be too close to one side of the fretboard. Not as much of a problem with a 2 1/16" string spread, but immediately noticeable with the wider spread. Spacing is perfect on mine.

One small gripe, and I only mention it to illustrate the type of customer service given at USACG. There was a slight communication error on the taper of the neck. Might have been my fault even. It was supposed to be 0.900" at the nut and taper to a full 1" at the 12th fret. When I received it and measured it with my vernier calipers, it actually measured 0.900 at the nut and 0.930 at the 12th fret. I called and spoke to Tommy who offered to make me a new neck. I'll tell you, I could not in good conscience take him up on that offer. The neck is flawless in all other regards, and in the end is not that big of a deal. I think that it is fanatastic that USACG would make the offer though.

The paint by Roxy is well done. I think that the grain on the body could have been filled in a bit better, as I can see that the paint has been sucked into the grain in a few spots when viewed in the right light. But I actually don't mind it, it reminds me of the way nitro will be absorbed into the grain on a vintage axe, and it lends to the vibe of the guitar. I built the guitar to be a late 50's/early 60's style vintage strat and I think it captures that feel quite well. Rolled fingerboard edges as well give it a broken in feel.

The guitar plays as well as I set it up. If it played poorly that would be my own fault, but it actually plays beautifully. Took me a few trys to get the nut done correctly, but I learned a bunch in the process. Leveling the frets would give me probably about another 5% improvement in playability, and I may do so in the future. But as received, the fret work is done well.

The guitar is IMHO every bit as good as any of the stuff coming out of Fender's custom shop, at about 1/2 the price.

Well, again, top of the line everything, wood, hardware, electronics. Put together by me expertly if I must say so myself! I did my homework when I put this together, and this is as reliable as an electric guitar can be. Of course, if it wasn't reliable, this would again be my own fault for doing a poor job on building it!

This guitar will live long after I am dead and gone. Probably long after my grandchildren are gone.

I would not hesitate to use this without a backup, I built it, I have confidence in it. The Roxy finish is not very thick, but looks to be very durable.

If I could give a 15 I would. Tommy and the crew at USA Custom Guitars are the nicest bunch of people you will ever meet. They built a quality product, done just the way I wanted it. Tommy knows good wood folks. When he offered to replace my neck due to a slight difference in the thickness of the neck, I was floored. As I said, I couldn't take him up on the offer, I felt it would have been taking advantage of his kindness. But that fact that he offered counts for a lot in my book.

Highly recommended folks.

Been playing over 35 years. I own 2 Taylor acoustics, another home built strat style guitar, an ES 335 clone, a Reverend Slingshot, a 5E3 Deluxe amp built by me, and currently building a Super Reverb style amp. I was a Les Paul player for many years, and owned a vintage Goldtop. But my love of the blues always brings me back to a strat.

I feel that this guitar is on par with any strat style guitar made by anybody. Any flaws or defects are as a result of my amatuer luthier skills, but all in all, this is my favorite guitar and I will never part with it.

For anybody thinking about building their own, you will never regret buying from USA Custom Guitars. Do your homework, invest in a few tools, and you can have the guitar of your dreams for less money than buying one. You will also have the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself.

2003, Strat style, 1-piece alder body. THREE POUNDS - and this is a solid guitar body - no tone chambers or extra routs! Sweet piece of wood, perfectly 2-tone finished and relic'd by the master, Mark Jenny at mjtelecaster.com. Tommy's strat body has the perfect contours, especially if you like the vintage lines. This body kills!
Standard strat configuration.

Because of the weight and the perfect straight grain, this body sings. It is far and away the most resonant strat I haev ever played.

Routing was perfect, all the cavities were great - 100%!

It's a strat - what can you say - you could chop wood with these things this morning and gig with it tonight.

Tommy Rosamond must be one of the most patient people on the face of the earth - he is busy as hell and he still cheerfully returns each and every email - and he knows how to answer questions directly.

Been playing 28 years, dyed-in-the-wool Strat guy - never thought I'd like anything but Fender - but this guitar kills! I'd buy another in a heartbeat; I have a neck on order for this guitar, to replace the Fender neck I have on it.

2 piece alder body routed for 3 single coils and a Wilkinson trem ordered directly from USACG after a VERY bad experience with a body from Warmoth (I intend to write a really special review for them!). Spoke directly to Tommy and agreed a weight for the body to balance with my existing neck. The look of the timber wasn't important as I also arranged to have it finished - in metalflake purple - in the US by Roxy who seem to be good friends with USACG.

I'm amazed the difference putting this body on the guitar has made. Everything else is the same - 3 x Rio Grande Halfbreed pickups, birdseye maple neck, Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard - but the sustain has improved and there's much more warmth than there was with the previous stock Fender US Standard body. This is particularly noticeable with the neck pickup. The bridge pickup also now sounds sweeter and less fierce than before.

I play bluesy RnB and some countryish stuff and have lots of other guitars including 2 other Strats, but this one now has what I would call the definitive Strat sound.

I never saw the body naked but it was delivered exactly as ordered. Roxy's finishing was a real treat. A very deep sparkly plum colour finish polished really flat and very shiny. It looks great under stage lights. The neck fit was so tight there was no danger of getting the alignment off centre as it really only fits in one position. This kind of fit must help the sustain too.

Fitting the studs for the Wilkinson trem was a bit scary, but Tommy recommended calling Manson Guitars here in the UK who use his parts for custom guitars and they were really helpful with advice on how to do it without damaging the finish. Again the fit is so tight I genuinely didn't think they'd go in but this must help the overall tone transmission.

After shielding the cavities, fitting all the hardware and setting it up this guitar looks superb and plays even better. The poly metalflake is obviously thicker than nitro but should stand the regular use it gets at gigs without much complaint. So far, so good!

Tommy's approach was very friendly, well-informed and helpful - always reassuring when you're commissioning something blind a few thousand miles away! Prompt to respond to e-mails

Been playing about 30 years, own too many guitars - Les Paul/Heritage 535/3xStrats/G and L Asat/Surfcaster/PRS Custom 24 and others - through Cornford 50w head and 2x12. As I get older I become much more choosy and I have to say that having the fender name on the headstock doesn't really matter that much to me any more.

Leo's genius was in designing them - not making them, and it's small businesseslike USACG turning out quality goods that does more for the Strat and what it should sound like than any number of endless variants on the model that Fender churn out. If I was building a guitar from scratch I'd have no hesitation in getting the body and neck from USACG.

Buying from the US is never cheap when you add in shipping, duty, taxes etc but I'm not aware of anybody in the UK offering the same product and finishing options, and I would never go near Warmoth again - I just wish I'd found USACG first!

This is a follow-up to a previous review. The guitar is now finished. The body is a strat style, solid mahogany body, no maple cap. It is routed hum-single-hum. It received Van Zandt Blues single coil pickups, after having the pickup cavities and pickguard totally shielded. The finish is a light mahogany stain with a thin lacqueur finish. It received a 21 fret hard maple neck, rosewood fretboard, with a 1 11/16" nut. It is the standard strat set-up, one volume two tone. Bridge is a solid brass, strings through the body. All hardware is gold.

This is the reason I am writing a follow-up. This is not the only guitar I have put together. What I have learned from this one is how much effect the quality of the wood in the body has on the sound. This guitar is by far the finest sounding instrument that I have had the pleasure of putting my hands on, regardless of price or vintage. The clarity and richness of the sound is extraordinary. The only way to accurately describe it is to say that it's actually alive. The guitar seems to breath. The sound seems to eminate from it's core. It's almost as if it had a soul.

Tommy at USA Custom Guitars sets the standards all other artists should reach for. He could not have been more helpful or informative. Nor could he have created a more extraordinary platform to build on. He is exceptional!

They are incredible in what they create and how they do it. I will go nowhere else from now on.

Solid mahogany Strat type body. Routed for hum single hum. Body features are exactly what I ordered.

An absolute work of art! Workmanship is Exquisite and Flawless. Grain pattern is absolutely beautiful. Two piece body beautifully matched.

Looks like it will last forever.

Tommy's service is second to NONE! Personal and exceptionally helpful. Great guidance and suggestions. Like talking to an old friend.

Just starting to finish the body. Haven't assembled it yet, but body sounds wonderfully resonant when tapped. I own a Washnurn custom tele w/Fender Strat Texas Specials, a Warmoth body personally made Tele w/Bill Lawrence pickups,a personally made strat with Wolfetone pickups, a 335 with Lindy Fralin pickups, and a Guild Bluesbird. By far, the best body I've ever purchased! I would buy another in a hearbeat. You just cannot go wrong.

All made between August 2001 March 2002

I have three strat bodies off these guys.
1.Once piece lightweight swamp ash
2.Mahogany with flame maple top
3.Hollow alder strat body

All of them strats1. HUM SING HUM 2.HUM SING SING3.HUM SING HUM.
Contoured heel.....all stunning pieces.the woods are gorgeous on every one of these darlings !
Fnish by Roxy paint finishing......he is the best man I can tell you on the planet.I've had.....trans purple.....black dye top and a new three D paint he is trying out.....and they are pristine flawless pieces of art.

The bodies sound fantastic........I've owned lots of guitars...these just do it for me...the Warmoth's are gone !!.... and sound like a completly dead compared to these pieces.....
All you could want in a body

Just gorgeous....thats all I can say !!!!

Tommy is the man..he is the most helpful dude on the the planet..its his company and it shows,nothing is to much for this guy,nothing..he used to work for Warmoth!!!!! Say no more..........

The best

I have been playing for 25 years and these are the best guitars I have ever played and owed.
Do yourself a favour if you want anything doing ring Tommy....forget Warmoth...they are history with this guy around !