Mighty Mite necks vs. Fender vs. Warmoth

90dphillips · #1 03-16-2013, 02:25 AM

I have a Fender American special P bass, but I can't seem to keep the Jazz necks off my mind.
I've considered getting a jazz neck for my P bass through Fender or Warmoth, but then I stumbled across the Mighty Mite. It's a lot cheaper for sure, but what are the main comparisons?
Would this be a huge step down for me?
Which neck should I go with?
Is it even a good idea to replace the neck?

Thanks for any feedback

pghjeeper · #2 03-16-2013, 02:53 AM

I had a mighty mite neck and I wasn't impressed with the quality. It wasn't the most stable neck I owned, and the frets where poorly done. I gave it to my nephew and bought an all parts Geddy
Lee type neck. Totally killer thin, fast and very well constructed. I havnt used warmouth but they look awesome

**mjac28** · #3 03-16-2013, 03:09 AM

I believe in going with the manufacturer of the bass for replacement parts unless they don't have what you want.

awamori · #4 03-16-2013, 03:35 AM

I'd take Warmoth neck just for the choices you get with materials and dimensions.

Warmoth will take 3-4 weeks to build a unfinished neck and add another 2-3 weeks for finished neck. If my past experience with ordering from them is correct.

90dphillips · #5 03-17-2013, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pghjeeper

I had a mighty mite neck and I wasn't impressed with the quality. It wasn't the most stable neck I owned, and the frets where poorly done. I gave it to my nephew and bought an all parts Geddy
Lee type neck. Totally killer thin, fast and very well constructed. I havnt used warmouth but they look awesome

The Geddy Lee type would be ideal, how much did it cost?

90dphillips · #6 03-17-2013, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjac28

I believe in going with the manufacturer of the bass for replacement parts unless they don't have what you want.

That's excellent advice thanks

90dphillips · #7 03-17-2013, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awamori

I'd take Warmoth neck just for the choices you get with materials and dimensions.

Warmoth will take 3-4 weeks to build a unfinished neck and add another 2-3 weeks for finished neck. If my past experience with ordering from them is correct.

I DO like the option to customize, but I'll have to weigh price if what I hear is true that their necks are more expensive than most...
But maybe they're also among the highest quality, huh?

Roaddog77 · #8 03-17-2013, 02:16 AM

I liked Warmoth better than Mighty Mite. I like the options Warmoth has as well vs the manufacturer

khutch · #9 03-17-2013, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjac28

I believe in going with the manufacturer of the bass for replacement parts unless they don't have what you want.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 90dphillips

That's excellent advice thanks

I did that a while back when I was looking for a fretless neck. Did all but beg Fender to sell me one. They told me that they license their designs to Mighty Mite, All Parts, Warmoth, maybe others, I forget, to serve people like me and if I wanted a neck that is where I should go. Maybe their policy has changed since then, let us know if they tell you different. They did say they would sell me a headstock decal for it if I put a third party neck on a Fender body.

Ken

sbpark · #10 03-17-2013, 01:49 PM

http://www.usacustomguitars.com/index.html

**eddododo** · #11 03-17-2013, 01:51 PM

I've had a lot of luck with actual fender necks on eBay,
but I will say that I am a huge warmoth fan.. I have a fretless neck that is so stable it's insane, though they are a tad bit heavy because of the steel rods but they have options around that

Scott in Dallas · #12 03-17-2013, 02:17 PM

Mighty Mite necks are nice. The wood is good quality and they're made to the proper specs. I've got one sitting here on one of my Strats and it's great.

If you buy a new neck from Warmoth, USACG or Mighty Mite, none of them have more than basic fretwork on them. All will play amazing with a professional fret job and a good nut, all will be a crapshoot without.

Warmoth and USACG give you options like reinforcement, exotic woods, different fretwire, and different board radii. Decide what you like, and if the features on the MM neck match, pull the trigger. If there's something different you want that justifies the extra expense, the other guys can make you something exactly the way you want it, and they're both great companies to deal with.

doppelganger · #13 03-17-2013, 04:42 PM

Bought a mighty mite and the frets are not level, so I'm not impressed. It's sitting on the floor now!

StuartV · #14 03-18-2013, 12:44 AM

I had a US P with a Warmoth neck (with steel reinforcing rods). I sold the neck and put an Allparts Geddy-style neck on it and loved it.

I also have an Allparts fretless neck on my Warmoth J body that I put together. I really like that one, too.

Scott in Dallas · #15 03-18-2013, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doppelganger

Bought a mighty mite and the frets are not level, so I'm not impressed. It's sitting on the floor now!

I just got a 500 dollar Warmoth bass neck that came with a note saying I should get the frets leveled. Expecting more from a 100 dollar MM neck is probably a tad unrealistic.

mbelue · #16 03-18-2013, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott in Dallas

I just got a 500 dollar Warmoth bass neck that came with a note saying I should get the frets leveled. Expecting more from a 100 dollar MM neck is probably a tad unrealistic.

I'm somewhat confused by this, is it impossible to level frets unattached to a body?

Liam76 · #17 03-18-2013, 02:51 AM

I've been looking for a new fretted neck for one of my j-basses, and I think I might go with a loaded Fender off of eBay when the right one pops up, but that's just because I'm too lazy to get a Warmoth neck and get the frets dressed, buy a nut, tuners and drill for them, etc.

I have a fretless Warmoth, and the neck is beautiful, plays like a dream. It is a bit chunky for a jazz neck. The fretboard is a pretty good-sized slab of ebony, but if I had the patience to wait for a new one again, I'd definitely get another Warmoth neck.

Grabow · #18 03-18-2013, 04:15 AM

I own 3 Warmoth necks, 2 jazzes and a P, none of them needed fret leveling and i love each oone of them, stability and sustain are out of this world.
Warmoth tip: buy from thier showcase, can sort by weight, large selection and cheaper

doppelganger · #19 03-18-2013, 06:46 AM

You can level the frets an refret if you want. My thinking is I buy something, it should be right when I get it. No matter the price.

SolarMan · #20 03-18-2013, 06:55 AM

You can buy a neck that has been given a pro fret job and ready to install when you get it:

http://www.ceghardtails.com/

[Why don't the neck builders do this step on their own? Good question.]