which body to use for a strummer build?

[appar111]

Yep, that time again...going to put together another rough and tumble guitar, this time much closer to a strummer copy than my previous strummer “inspired” guitars and I'm wondering which body I should use.

I have a beat up pine tele body that I could use (lovingly called the poopcaster by my wife due to the homebrew brown enamel finish I painted it with). Numerous dings, dents and scratches. 3.5 lbs, looks like hell, but once it’s painted with flat black paint and beat up some more, who will care, right? Plus, the cost is zero dollars.

Other choices include:

Something from Warmoth or USACG—decent price, good quality wood, etc. I feel a little weird about buying a brand new body just to primer it w/ auto primer and paint it flat black. Cost? About $150-170.

Something from Marc Rutters – great pricing, great quality, but I think he’s been super swamped lately or maybe my emails are just getting blocked by his email filter (darned email security!). Cost? About $125-ish?

Mighty Mite – an unfinished swamp ash body (which is all I can find from them on Ebay as far as tele bodies) is super cheap. Cons—need to grain fill. Or do I? If this is a beater, perhaps not—like I said, coat of primer and flat black paint, yadda yadda. Cost? $95 shipped.

Last choice would be something else from Ebay, like a MIM body or Squier CV body, or other finished Mighty Mite tele body. Depending on color, might not need to even paint it. Cons—super thick poly finish, which I don’t necessarily mind, I just hate seeing all the seams through the paint. This would be muchly negated if I primered and painted right over that poly (plus, an “ignore alien orders” sticker or two covers up a lot).

So let’s vote!

1. Junker pine body in the garage
2. USACG/Warmoth
3. Rutters
4. Mighty Mite unfinished
5. Fender MIM or other finished body from Ebay

[Ripthorn]

It's hard to beat free....

[davmac]

WWJD? Yep, Joe would definitely take the free one.

[mgaut051]

poopcaster

[Pistonhead]

Poop!!

[appar111]

So far it looks like alot of votes to use what I gots, which is probably what Joe would've done.

How well will pine hold up to lots of bashing around, leaving in the car, dropping, smacking against amp cabinets and the occasional cymbal, etc.? Dings I can deal with, I just don't want the pine body to crack in half or something!

[rip_topaz]

If it splits, glue it back together and rock on.

[R. Stratenstein]

Just voted for poopcaster.

I figure if a guitar body earns a name, even if it's not the nicest name, it's got soul, and deserves to be developed into something playable, and be played. How hard are you planning to abuse it? Unless its got some splits or checks already developed, Yer old Poopster should hold up just fine, and like others have said, price is certainly right. And since you're thinking about painting the other possibles, you could always give Mr. Poopy a new coat of a better color.

[appar111]

Update:
The poopcaster has been chosen as the body I will use. It's already heavily dinged, but no splits, cracks or checking in the body. Apparently the brown enamel I painted it with has kept it safely intact.

Some grey primer and flat black paint, and some sanding with a sanding sponge, a Kiss sticker (hey, gotta make it my own, right?) and a question mark painted on the back of the body, and I'm well on my way!

I'll update w/ pics tonight....

[junk mutt]

Yay !! good old poopcaster.
Why don't you build a matching bass, and call it the poopmaster? ;-)