Well my first build has had a major setback. The bog-standard paddlehead neck that I ordered from Warmoth arrived yesterday some 4 weeks later than originally promised. I eagerly opened the box and examined a reasonably nicely done piece that looked like it would work in all respects except . . .

Contrary to what their web site stated (see http://www.warmoth.com/bass/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=faq2 this was updated within two hours of my call - I guess they have the resources to do that) and what I had been told by the sales rep who took my order, the bolt holes had been drilled in the heel. Not a problem - except that I need to know where they are located so . . . I call Warmoth and run back into a problem I had encountered before: sales is 'completely separate' from manufacturing and they 'don't have the resources' to find out exactly where the holes that aren't supposed to be there are located.

Perhaps I'm wrong about this but it doesn't seem unreasonable or even difficult for them to provide some basic information about the dimensions of their products - Warmoth (at least the sales operation) seems to think differently. As a result, the neck that I waited so long for is headed back and my bass is where it has been for weeks - in limbo. I did extract a lukewarm promise to consider paying for the shipping given that the condition of the product had been mis-represented - but I won't hold my breath.

I assume that for anyone who is just trying to bolt a replacement neck on that Warmoth provides what they're looking for, but I found them obtuse, bureaucratic and unhelpful, though they were polite on the phone. Did I have bad luck or are they always a pain to deal with? And is there anyone else out there that might be just a little more helpful? Surely there is.

Overall, the sales reps are quite friendly, and try their best to be helpful. BUUUT, it seems like whenever there's an issue, they are unable to resolve it in any way. I've written about my experiences before (which, overall were great), but, in the cases where they do make a mistake, they don't seem to own up to it...instead, the buyer takes the hit...really, there's not much we can do at that point, but suck it up (which doesn't seem right, considering we're shelling out tons of cash...).

I understand your frustration and I'd be annoyed too, but...couldn't you just measure the hole locations?

Asad

i've never had a problem with warmoth.
although you seem to have one of those unique problems that i always seem to have.
still you'd think that people on the other end of the line should have better knowledge on what they are selling.
warmoth is a good company and i'm sure they'll make it right.
i know, it's just a drag waiting.

Everyone I've dealt with at Warmoth has always been great to me. Sorry to hear about your experience. Was it just one person you talked to that caused you trouble? You said "they" in your post but I'm not sure if you meant the specific guy on the phone as representative of the company, or multiple individuals who you talked to.

couldn't you just measure the hole locations?

Yes - though I wouldn't have enough confidence in the accuracy and precision to set up the CNC router to the resulting dimensions. One solution is to whip up some rudimentary doweling centers to mark the locatons and then just drill manually but . . .

I am also missing a couple of critical dimensions, specifically the radius of the heel and the radius of the fillet between the sides and the heel. I had previously asked for those as well and was told that the information existed only in the bowels of their CNC router and could never be found.

The holes were the last straw - having to guess-fit dimensions that Warmoth knows to a high degree of precision seemed like a waste of everyone's time, so I called once more. No rancor, no harsh words, just a bewildering refusal to help - which is surprising as I assume their sales reps would want to know this stuff as well.

I apologize, but I don't understand what the issue is.

To measure out the holes, double-stick tape some posterboard to the heel of the neck and trim the posterboard to the dimensions of the neck heel. Poke holes where the drill holes are in the heel, remove newly cut posterboard sheet with holes in it and double-stick tape it to the body neck pocket. Drill away, no rocket science there.

I am also missing a couple of critical dimensions, specifically the radius of the heel and the radius of the fillet between the sides and the heel.
Radius of the heel? The heel is flat. What do you mean by the "radius of the fillet"?

Radius of the heel? The heel is flat. What do you mean by the "radius of the fillet"?
No, the end radius...end of the neck, not the bottom of the heel.
And the "fillet" I almost guarantee is 1/4" as it's prolly a 1/2" cutter doing the bullwork. Get yourself a set of radius guages, or trace the heel and then get a hole template (you know, the plastic grade-school things) and match it up. Better yet, don't rely on the CNC to do the neck pocket at all and make your own 1:1 template off the exact neck you recieve, and make it RIGHT. OR, get a neck pocket template form StewMac and be done with it. It will be compatible.

hmm, they always been helpful to me, even the time when their website screwed up while I was ordering, their customer service manager emailed me the next day. We have a couple of their employees here on TB, they will probably chime in :)