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New Warmoth wenge neck - AWESOME!!!

Bass Viking

Bass Viking

Aug 30, 2004
10,347
13,461
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
#1
I received a new Warmoth 4 string Jazz neck 2 days ago. It's wenge with an ebony fingerboard. I installed on my Warmoth black korina body yesterday and man is it nice! The back of the neck feels nice to the touch, as does the fretboard. Interesting thing about the ebony: it isn't jet black like on my other Warmoth necks. It's more dark brown in colour with a few lighter streaks. Like the other necks, it's fairly chunky and rounded at the back but I find it comfortable to play. In fact, it seems to play easier than the others (although that might have something to do with the new strings I put on).

The notes sustain really well and ring out clearly. I've seen Bass Northwest describe the Warwick Thumb as having the clear open sound of a piano. This is a good description of what I'm hearing with this neck.

I had Warmoth install and slot a corian nut and they did an excellent job. No further cutting of the slots needed. Since the wenge requires no finish, all I had to do was install some Gotoh tuners and attach the neck to the body. I'll be putting a string retainer on later today.

Wenge and ebony are some of the best tonewoods available for bass. Put the 2 together and the results can be spectacular!
 
#2
I have to agree with everything you wrote! I just recently built a warmoth parts bass using a wenge/ebony neck on a walnut body. Oh man...it's awesome. The wenge neck is real thick, but I like that rock solid feel...it's faster than I expected too.

Good stuff
 
#4
i was wondering the same thing about the neckdive.

sounds like a great wood combination. i've been thinking about building one with a wenge neck and mahogany body.

good to know about the nut installation too - i would much rather have them do it.

we need pictures!

JR
 
#7
I notice in your profile that you have a Dinky style body. Do you get neck dive or is the walnut heavy enough to counteract the neck weight?
Click to expand...
Body weight isn't the important part. I have a Dinky J body - no neck dive problems. Here's why: (1) The Dinky J's top horn extends just as far up the neck as a standard J horn would. The location of the top strap button is far and away the biggest influence on balance. All but the lightest swamp ash bodies have plenty of weight to hold the neck up - if the strap button is located correctly. (2) My Dinky J body is light, but heavy enough to utilize the leverage the top horn creates to hold up the rather heavy Warmoth neck (the steel reinfocements plus dual action steel trussrod make Warmoth necks stable, but definitely on the heavy side).

I've had several custom builders explain the priority they give top horn length when working up custom body shapes. I had assumed adding weight, particularly to the "tail" near the bridge, would counteract the effect of a short top horn. Not the case - the top strap button is the fulcrum - moving it has more direct effect than adding weight at the short end of a lever (the body).

The long and short is that the Dinky bodies balance just as well as the standard J's and P's. They are, however, a bit slimmer/easier to handle than standards. I notice this whenever I pick up a Fender Jazz.
 
#11
Here are some photos:

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