Warmoth graphite stiffening rods?!

[carlos840]

Hi all,

So, i remember a few months ago loads of people, including me where fighting to get warmoth to include graphite stiffening rods as an alternative to the usual steel rods!

Since they included that option i havent seen many threads discussing it and have not seen a single thread discussing the result!

Has anybody tried the new necks and how did they find them compared to the old school steel rods necks or to a Fender with graphite rods neck?

[electracoyote]

I'm curious as well. I love the Fender necks with graphite composite rods, and I'm very interested to know how the Warmoth necks do in a side-by-side comparison.

[carlos840]

No Warmoth love?

[aproud1]

Waiting for a paypal transfer and I'm ordering one. Probably tomorrow or Friday. Let you know what I think. Going to finish it myself so might take a little bit for a full review.

The weight of warmoth necks is the only thing that stopped me from ordering another. The materials they use in the parts I've bought from them are top notch.

Planning on doing a full build.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by aproud1

The weight of warmoth necks is the only thing that stopped me from ordering another. The materials they use in the parts I've bought from them are top notch.

The extra weight in Warmoth necks is usually attributed to the steel reinforcement rods they use.

Did you request steel or the much lighter graphite composite rods?

[aproud1]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

The extra weight in Warmoth necks is usually attributed to the steel reinforcement rods they use.

Did you request steel or the much lighter graphite composite rods?

I'm definitely doing graphite. I wouldn't have ordered from them if they only used steel. That was my point but guess it wasn't very clear.

Looking forward to a new build.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by aproud1

I'm definitely doing graphite. I wouldn't have ordered from them if they only used steel. That was my point but guess it wasn't very clear.

Looking forward to a new build.

Ah, gotcha.

Your Warmoth neck with composite support rods should be much, much lighter than the other version with the steel rods.

Please let us know when you have a chance to get everything put together how the Warmoth composite rod neck compares to any American made Fender neck (P bass and Jazz), also with composite rods since 1995.

[carlos840]

A full review with pics would be great!
Cant wait !

[scotch]

I'm curious how people like them as well! It makes total sense, but the only Fender I had with the graphite rods was also the most prone to movement. Go figure... I'm pretty much a believer these days that if a piece of wood wants to move, it's gonna move!

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by scotch

I'm curious how people like them as well! It makes total sense, but the only Fender I had with the graphite rods was also the most prone to movement. Go figure... I'm pretty much a believer these days that if a piece of wood wants to move, it's gonna move!

THAT is weird. Something very wrong there.

I've had some flexi-necks in my time, but every reinforced neck I've ever had has been stable as the day is long. ESPECIALLY the Fender graphite composite rod necks.

Which is why I'm very interested in the new Warmoth version. I have a build planned.

[onestring]

I have one of the new graphite reinforced necks in my hands as of yesterday. I hope to put it on a J body this weekend.

It's 1lb 13.8 oz out of the box--half a pound less than my steel bar neck!

I have to say, the workmanship was oddly sloppy for a Warmoth. It's not like I get a ton of stuff from them, but I've bought a few bodies and necks over the last 25 years and they have all been gorgeous and perfect on arrival. But the fingerboard on this one shows some marring from the fret finishing, and one of the tuner holes is a little scruffy (there is a slight overhang of wood on the back of the E tuner hole I'll have to file out and a little chuffing). I've spent the last day mulling a return but I think I'm just gonna go for it--I don't want another long wait since I've already spent a couple years slowly assembling parts for this project, and these issues are just cosmetic really. But still, heads up to Warmoth: QC alert!

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by onestring

I have one of the new graphite reinforced necks in my hands as of yesterday. I hope to put it on a J body this weekend.

It's 1lb 13.8 oz out of the box--half a pound less than my steel bar neck!

I have to say, the workmanship was oddly sloppy for a Warmoth. It's not like I get a ton of stuff from them, but I've bought a few bodies and necks over the last 25 years and they have all been gorgeous and perfect on arrival. But the fingerboard on this one shows some marring from the fret finishing, and one of the tuner holes is a little scruffy (there is a slight overhang of wood on the back of the E tuner hole I'll have to file out and a little chuffing). I've spent the last day mulling a return but I think I'm just gonna go for it--I don't want another long wait since I've already spent a couple years slowly assembling parts for this project, and these issues are just cosmetic really. But still, heads up to Warmoth: QC alert!

Interesting.

Do you have access to an American Standard Fender Jazz (post 1995) to do a neck comparison?

Looking forward to seeing your new build.

Subbed.

[scotch]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

THAT is weird. Something very wrong there.

I've had some flexi-necks in my time, but every reinforced neck I've ever had has been stable as the day is long. ESPECIALLY the Fender graphite composite rod necks.

Which is why I'm very interested in the new Warmoth version. I have a build planned.

I've started learning more advance guitar/bass repair and I'm getting exposed to a really wide range of instruments. It's amazing how a non-reinforced two piece neck from the 60's (Kent hollowbody) can be more stable than a quartersawn, truss rodded and graphite reinforced neck! It happens. I believe it's all in the wood. A good, dry piece is going to stay true while a sketchy piece is gonna move. There's often no way to tell, either. Wood sure sounds great, but it's equally mysterious and temperamental! (Part of the fun & intrigue, really!)

[onestring]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

Interesting.

Do you have access to an American Standard Fender Jazz (post 1995) to do a neck comparison?

Looking forward to seeing your new build.

Subbed.

I don't have any Fenders around to compare. I'm generally an el cheapo Fender-style parts bass guy. I have another Warmoth, a Mighty Mite fretless neck, and a 15+ year old Stew-Mac neck hanging 'round though (that last was on my main bass forever until she got the dreaded hump and s-curve and had to be retired). Going Warmoth is really as "high end" as I get. This is for a simple, straight ahead build but I'll gladly post a pic when I'm done.

[Mike M.]

I have a neck on order from Warmoth for my Jazz bass, but I ordered the steel rods. I wanted to make sure that this neck was going to be as solid as possible. Reason being, I bought the bass used and it came with a Kubicki neck. All was fine for quite a while and then a warp developed and two differant techs couldn't correct it.

The new neck should be here in about a month. Just hope it all works out once and for all for me.

[Illinimax]

Just got one of the these and it's perfect. Swapped out a steel version I've had for a years and greatly prefer the feel and tone of the graphite version. The notes have more bloom and heft, less 'clang' if that makes sense. With the new thin neck profile and graphite rods, Warmoth has won me over.

[fu22ba55]

I'm one of the idiots that made the big stink about the steel rods in the first place.

I got my graphite-rodded Warmoth neck a few weeks back. I ordered mine without frets since I want to shape my edges a bit before fretting, and I haven't had mine fretted yet, so no sound test.

But in my hands? Hell yes lighter than the old steel-rodded versions. I need to dig up my postal scale and weigh since I have accurate measurements of my old steel one.

[carlos840]

Good to hear! If you dont mind letting us know how it compares sound wise once you tried it it would be great!

[onestring]

I've been having fun with mine. Here's the heel--I imagine the "G" is Warmoth code for graphite. Can anyone confirm?



This went on a 4 1/2 lb ash Warmoth J body. It was incredibly lively/resonant with XL 170s on it. With a set of several years old TI's it sounds very Let Me Roll It/Band on the Run to me. Nice.

Subjectively, the profile is a little chunkier than most J necks, but comfortable. Dead spots? None audible to me. Sounds very even all over the neck. The weird thing is that there is the typical Fender-ish spot around Db where you can feel the neck being less resonant, but the actual quality of the note does not change-it still rings out clear and true.

Compared to my steel reinforced Warmoth, it definitely has a different vibe sonically (I like both!). Objectively, it's lighter for sure. And where my steel reinforced neck has worn a few different sets strings and doesn't need any tweaking between them (it appears to just stay perfect) the graphite neck definitely needs adjusting if you switch to a different string set with different tension. To be expected.

Headstock gets my traditional SP decal:



The cosmetic workmanship issues I mentioned earlier, while still surprising, become irrelevant to me with the neck on. Feels good, plays great, sounds excellent, good value. They have a winner.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by onestring

The cosmetic workmanship issues I mentioned earlier, while still surprising, become irrelevant to me with the neck on. Feels good, plays great, sounds excellent, good value. They have a winner.

This is good news.

Have you played a Fender MIA neck for a comparison?