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View Full Version : Chapin Stratahoula!!

Tag
10-12-2006, 11:41 PM
After quite a layoff, I have been slowly starting to play again. I just wanted to say thnk you to Bill Chapin for making the finest sounding Strat I have ever played. You do not even have to plug it in. The entire body and neck resonate like the best acoustics. My buddy who was doing the Bruno Cowtipper/Fender 66 Pro reverb shootout with me was so taken with it, he could not put it down. I had to pretty much pry it out of his hands with Ruffles (My Catahoula leopard dog) growling at his side. No way a Catahoula is going to let a Stratahoula leave this house!
Thanks Bill. The guitar is everything I was hoping for, and far,far more. What a great guitar!:)

VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, GOOD! :AOK
Dana Olsen
10-12-2006, 11:45 PM
FANTASTIC! Congrats Tag - I totally love Bill's guitars, you're a fortunate lad. I'm sure it will be "VERY VERY VERY GOOD" for you!

Dana O.
hawkeyeinexile
10-12-2006, 11:51 PM
as the original and continuing owner of the first Strata-houla, i can not but agree ;)

http://www.rjsanders.com/guitars/Stratahoula.jpg

:cool:
big mike
10-12-2006, 11:53 PM
Why weren't you playing?
MikeP
10-13-2006, 12:35 AM
Congrats on a great guitar!
On a side note...............I clicked on your sig & listened to your playing.........Wow very very nice ! I Love your style.
Tag
10-13-2006, 07:36 AM
Why weren't you playing?

Hey Mike!
Not ready to talk about that yet. Thanks for asking though! :) Back 100% now. VERY GOOD!
Tag
10-13-2006, 07:37 AM
Congrats on a great guitar!
On a side note...............I clicked on your sig & listened to your playing.........Wow very very nice ! I Love your style.


:) :) :) :) :)
scottcw
10-13-2006, 10:10 AM
One thing that Tag and I can agree on - Bill Chapin makes some of the finest guitars on this or any other planet.
TaronKeim
10-13-2006, 10:15 AM
Is there a particular reason why Bill's Stratahoula's aren't on his site? (I can take a guess, and if that is the reason why, pretend like I didn't ask, haha).

I really like his takes on organic wood looks and individually spec'ing out each peice of wood to make an instrument that is more than the sum of it's parts, had a dream I played a Chapin last night... maybe it is fate.

-TJK
GAT
10-13-2006, 10:24 AM
I have a Dakota Red Stratahoula, voiced for a thicker strat sound, It's my #1 strat now. Killer guitar. Yes Tag, very, very good!
57special
10-13-2006, 10:39 AM
Ruffles is a great name for a dog.
Marty s Horne
10-13-2006, 11:43 AM
Tag, glad you're back playing again and that Chapin looks (and I'm sure sounds) great.
ToneGurus
10-13-2006, 11:59 AM
Is there a particular reason why Bill's Stratahoula's aren't on his site? (I can take a guess, and if that is the reason why, pretend like I didn't ask, haha).
-TJKThere are quite a few on mine. Two sections, one on T-Birds and Houlas, and one on Hawks and other whacky creations....

Cheers,

Mike
TDJMB
10-13-2006, 01:11 PM
I've always liked the Strat sound and wanted to play one but, for years, couldn't find one that I liked. Then I got my Chapin ...
Shades
10-13-2006, 03:45 PM
Tag,
Glad to hear that you are still diggin' it.

TK- I was thinkin' of dumping the Houla model as I'm focusing in on Hawks and Devil dogs. Instead, I'm making 3-4 of them a year with each one being a particularly cool and unique piece. I love doing them as long as I don't get to where I'm not building anything else.
TaronKeim
10-13-2006, 04:48 PM
TK- I was thinkin' of dumping the Houla model as I'm focusing in on Hawks and Devil dogs. Instead, I'm making 3-4 of them a year with each one being a particularly cool and unique piece. I love doing them as long as I don't get to where I'm not building anything else.

Thanks a lot Bill, that clears it up for me! Maybe one day I'll be in that lucky 3 or 4:D

-TJK
lhallam
10-16-2006, 11:08 AM
My bud owns three strats but none of them are as chimey as my Stratohoula. Love the ringing piano tones and different sounds based on pup position.

Bill does great work.
TiEsQue
10-19-2006, 08:37 PM
I have a Dakota Red Stratahoula, voiced for a thicker strat sound...

How so? What features make it thicker sounding?
big mike
10-19-2006, 08:40 PM
How so? What features make it thicker sounding?

Bill's a freakin mad Scientist. Custom pickups and some other electronic wizardry, and he can and does voice and build for what you want, and stuff you didn't KNOW you wanted out of your guitar.

Guru. I'm telling you. There's not a better S or T Type guitar on the planet, and look at his Hawk's and Devil Dogs...Whoa!!!
AaeCee
10-19-2006, 08:45 PM
So Stratahoula owners...they have a 24 3/4" scale length, right? How different do they sound vs. a standard strat? Always been interested in them but was unsure about the effect of the shorter scale. Thanks, AC
big mike
10-19-2006, 08:47 PM
So Stratahoula owners...they have a 24 3/4" scale length, right? How different do they sound vs. a standard strat? Always been interested in them but was unsure about the effect of the shorter scale. Thanks, AC


Either or. Not all are short scale. I've seen standard, short, and PRS Scale on Houla's. Well, Danelectro scale really....
Shades
10-19-2006, 09:42 PM
So Stratahoula owners...they have a 24 3/4" scale length, right? How different do they sound vs. a standard strat? Always been interested in them but was unsure about the effect of the shorter scale. Thanks, ACI"ve built Houlas in the following scales so far...24.5", 24.625", 24.75", 24.9", 25", 25.4" and 25.5," 25.6" and Novak fanned fret. Some of them are set neck, some bolt-on, some voiced (construction, wood choice, scale, hardware and electronics) to sit between a traditional tone and other sounds, some more straight up traditional, some without a hint of the traditional sound at all. I know this can be a bit confusing, but it keeps things interesting and it helps make each instrument unique,
AJ Love
10-19-2006, 10:03 PM
I was/am *extremely* impressed by the sound of Joker's Chapin Telecaster in that Allesandro clip thread in the amp section. Granted, part of that is the Allesandro amp, but I'm wise enough to know that alot of that was the Chapin too... it definitely perked up my ears
cnardone
10-19-2006, 10:14 PM
If you are into Semi hollow you should hear my Redwood Fatline Chapin through the Beagle. MMMMMMMM good.
enharmonic
10-20-2006, 02:20 PM
I'm happy to see people showing love for Bill Chapin and his guitars. Bill sold me my first great guitar rig...a Dr. Z Rt. 66 with a Top Hat 2x12 loaded with a Naylor and a Celestion. KILLER setup.

Based on what he heard when he put that rig together, I trust his ears to get whatever is needed out of a guitar :)
TiEsQue
10-22-2006, 12:19 PM
I've always thought the idea of having a darker, jazzier sounding Strat-type guitar seemed like a very cool thing to have.
GAT
10-22-2006, 02:25 PM
How so? What features make it thicker sounding?

Bill told me he voiced this strat for a Rory Gallagher tone. He wound his own middle pu, the bridge is a Rio Grande pu that has huge magnets, and the neck is a different brand (I forget). Anyway, it still has that bell-like clean sound but is really fat, plus the alder body and the brazilian fretboard are nice and round sounding. It uses the standard strat scale length.

When I play live is where you can really here the solid push of the guitar, that and the fact that I play it through a Concorde! I use a '67 Vibrolux with Kendrick Blackframes for the clean sounds. Magic!
:cool:
Lucidology
08-01-2007, 04:18 AM
as the original and continuing owner of the first Strata-houla, i can not but agree ;)

http://www.rjsanders.com/guitars/Stratahoula.jpg

:cool:

Wow ....
decay-o-caster
08-01-2007, 12:58 PM
I don't even LIKE strats but I have 2 'Houlas coming! How do these things happen to me??? :confused:
TNJ
08-01-2007, 01:02 PM
Have to agree with ya, Tag!
Chapin's RULE...

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w186/jato07/PlayingaStratahoulainAnaheim.jpg

:cool:

S.
j
big mike
08-01-2007, 01:11 PM
I don't even LIKE strats but I have 2 'Houlas coming! How do these things happen to me??? :confused:

Bill Calls you up and says 'Hey Dave, I have this idea'

And usually you say 'Mine' before he gets it out.

At least that's what I'm thinkin! Bwahahahahaaa
decay-o-caster
08-01-2007, 05:59 PM
Have you been listening in on my phone calls again??? ;)
CarlWerkmeister
08-01-2007, 07:23 PM
Unique but somehow familiar....
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL83/523419/5137835/65507904.jpg
cnardone
08-01-2007, 10:15 PM
I love the split bridge. I know it is for different tones but which ones?

cmn
Shades
08-04-2007, 01:12 PM
I love the split bridge. I know it is for different tones but which ones?

cmnThe bass side is Tusq for clarity and snap to the bass strings. The treble side is graphtech string saver. I didn't like the standard graphtech on the bass strings as much and the extra snap and brighter sound helps in particular with shorter scale instruments (where the bass strings can get a bit duller sounding) when you are trying to preserve the ability to get a standard strat type tone (while simultaneously trying to expand the palette into LP junior territory as well. )
trisonic
08-04-2007, 01:32 PM
I don't even LIKE strats but I have 2 'Houlas coming! How do these things happen to me??? :confused:

Man! You're going to experience what epiphany means!

Dave, I love my two 'houla's - spoke to Bill about "Patrick" (who was attacked by the CS Fender) one of my suggestions was pronounced "killer!"

We'll see........

Best, Pete.
ToneGurus
08-04-2007, 03:44 PM
The bass side is Tusq for clarity and snap to the bass strings. The treble side is graphtech string saver. I didn't like the standard graphtech on the bass strings as much and the extra snap and brighter sound helps in particular with shorter scale instruments (where the bass strings can get a bit duller sounding) when you are trying to preserve the ability to get a standard strat type tone (while simultaneously trying to expand the palette into LP junior territory as well. )I love this shit. "Chapin Guitars - Expanding the Palette..."

Do you remember the Star Trek episode of "Spocks Brain" where Spock's er, uh, brain - has been confiscated to run the environment of some aliens...

Bill's intellectual curiosity is second to none. He is the most relentless person I've ever known, in terms of digging in and sorting this stuff out, and recombining it to great effect.

Some folks might be inclined to characterize this as "pedestrian" (my word, for brevity - because most of the construction happens to be bolt on) but I feel that they don't "get" what Bill really does with these instruments. Bill meticulously voices each one from its own strong assets. He does this in reference from very emblematic benchmark tones from which he synthesizes his creations. So it's new and unique yet still deeply rooted in timeless, classic guitar tones.

In the words of the Geico Caveman, " Uh, WHAT?"

Mike
decay-o-caster
08-04-2007, 11:45 PM
I love this shit. "Chapin Guitars - Expanding the Palette..."

Some folks might be inclined to characterize this as "pedestrian" (my word, for brevity - because most of the construction happens to be bolt on)...

Mike

And to address the whole bolt-on thing - I have a couple of bolt-on Chapins, including a semi-solid 335-in-disguise, that ring and sustain like the ballsiest LP you ever played. Bolt-on does not equal plinky when done properly. Bill does it properly. His guitars go to "11".