Oil finishes should be reapplied periodically. To keep this maintenance simple, I shoot the flat parts of a neck (front, back of headstock and the heel) with nitro and oil the playing part.
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Do what they say cant' be done...A Warmoth Build
- Thread starter chadhargis
- Start date
To get what I’ve wanted, the price for just the body and neck has been pretty high. I’d still like to try it some day, but I’d like my first build to be a cheap parts bass, not a $2k bass. It’s essier to overlook flaws on a cheap bass. I remember seeing a Warmoth bass on Reverb where they drilled through the fingerboard when installing the neck.
Race you to Milliways!
You got all the time in the Universe to get there. No need to race.
I thought about doing exactly that, but I've done a lot of reading on roasted maple and apparently Warmoth is serious when they say "no finish required". They provide a full warranty on the unfinished neck. One site I found said if you oil the neck with a couple coats of finishing oil that it will seal the wood more than enough but it's a good ideal to steel wool and re-oil the playing part of the neck periodically.
I love roasted maple. I already own one bass with a roasted maple neck and they are awesome.
Sounds like you're going to end up with a great instrument and yes, why worry about resale if the instrument is going to be a long term keeper and earner for you? I hope you get exactly the bass you want and enjoy the heck out of it.
Good choice on waiting for the graphite rods, I have two Warmoth necks, one with steel and one with graphite. While the steel rod neck is still really great, it is just a skosh heavier than I would prefer. I think you've made a wise decision all the way around. If not, oh well, at least you learned something.
Thanks all!
If this were a "boutique" style bass with fancy electronics, multiple pickups, etc....I would just buy it or have someone else make it. But it's a freakin' P bass.
I've had a Warmoth neck on a bass before. I had to dress the frets as they were beveled back, but not dressed on the end. Rolling the board is pretty easy too, just have to take my time and scrape gently with a razor blade then buff with 0000 steel wool.
If this were a "boutique" style bass with fancy electronics, multiple pickups, etc....I would just buy it or have someone else make it. But it's a freakin' P bass.
I've had a Warmoth neck on a bass before. I had to dress the frets as they were beveled back, but not dressed on the end. Rolling the board is pretty easy too, just have to take my time and scrape gently with a razor blade then buff with 0000 steel wool.
Fender buys some parts, makes some, and puts a bass together.
You can do that with Warmoth parts, and get a better bass, assuming you know what you're doing (I do). I reccomend people not do a Warmoth build...until they know exactly what they want.
Once they know that, the resale value is of no consequence, as it’s your dream bass, which you wouldn’t want to sell. I’ve owned a dozen prduction basses -all have been sold or donated.I’ve done a few Warmoth builds. Still have those.
My P costs a little less than an American Standard P. It’s got a roasted Maple neck, (graphite reinforced), stainless frets, All Hipshot hardware, a cool finish you won’t find on any Fender, every piece of it down to the knobs is exactly what I want, and it weighs 6.7 pounds.
Why would I ever want to flip that?
I’ve built several Warmoths to get “what I wanted”. the quality is there and you can definitely end up with a pro instrument for less cost - I have. That said the resale sucks. which is why Ive got my eye out for a American Standard Jazz V that I can plop Fralin/Emerson into. But ultimately if you love it and its a real player then where it was born is irrelevant to me.
You are all over it! My first “real” bass was a Warmoth PJ and it was great! I stupidly moved it to buy a fretless that I just had to have and still regret it.
It will be everything you expect, and this will be the longest 5 weeks ever. Good luck!
It will be everything you expect, and this will be the longest 5 weeks ever. Good luck!
I miss the old days when Warmoth used to have garage sales onsite in Puyallup.
I had a fine Jazz fretless built with a cocobolo neck with an ebony fingerboard and a beautiful figured koa body and a pair of 8 strings, one fretted and one fretless from stuff bought at those sales. Real cheap too.
I also bought someone else's Warmoth 5 string with Alembic pickups and alder body.
I would post a picture of all the Warmoths but frankly I'm too lazy at the moment. Here's a crummy shot of the 5 string:
I had a fine Jazz fretless built with a cocobolo neck with an ebony fingerboard and a beautiful figured koa body and a pair of 8 strings, one fretted and one fretless from stuff bought at those sales. Real cheap too.
I also bought someone else's Warmoth 5 string with Alembic pickups and alder body.
I would post a picture of all the Warmoths but frankly I'm too lazy at the moment. Here's a crummy shot of the 5 string:
I don't know. I've got a true "boutique" build commissioned and I've been waiting since June. Not the builders fault, he's one guy and he's very busy. I just have to forget it's being built so I want get so excited about it. It's going to be a truly special instrument.
The one I'm building will be a P bass, built to do P bass with flats stuff. Which I happen to love playing. I love old Motown, even though I'm not good enough even say the name Jamerson.
micguy: "My P costs a little less than an American Standard P. It’s got a roasted Maple neck, (graphite reinforced), stainless frets, All Hipshot hardware, a cool finish you won’t find on any Fender, every piece of it down to the knobs is exactly what I want, and it weighs 6.7 pounds.
Why would I ever want to flip that? "
Too true. Each to their own, whether that's buying with a view to resale, or building, commissioning, or buying of the rack and not worrying about possible resale.
I'm just starting to build a new bass, the first bass I've built since the early 80's. (I've has a long layoff from bass playing.) I built my first electric guitar in 1977, because I couldn't afford what a decent quality guitar cost in Australia back then. Being the late 70's, (and following the fashion of the time) all my early builds were laminated through neck construction, nothing like starting off easy....
I was lucky, I'd learned woodworking using hand tools, so dovetail joint type levels of accuracy came naturally. Apart from one acoustic guitar I haven't bought a guitar or bass for over 20 years and perhaps my current and future instruments won't have resale value, but I wouldn't want to sell them and when I die they can be given away. They all only cost the price of the wood, pickups and hardware. Maybe some of the grandkids will want them?
Why would I ever want to flip that? "
Too true. Each to their own, whether that's buying with a view to resale, or building, commissioning, or buying of the rack and not worrying about possible resale.
I'm just starting to build a new bass, the first bass I've built since the early 80's. (I've has a long layoff from bass playing.) I built my first electric guitar in 1977, because I couldn't afford what a decent quality guitar cost in Australia back then. Being the late 70's, (and following the fashion of the time) all my early builds were laminated through neck construction, nothing like starting off easy....
I was lucky, I'd learned woodworking using hand tools, so dovetail joint type levels of accuracy came naturally. Apart from one acoustic guitar I haven't bought a guitar or bass for over 20 years and perhaps my current and future instruments won't have resale value, but I wouldn't want to sell them and when I die they can be given away. They all only cost the price of the wood, pickups and hardware. Maybe some of the grandkids will want them?
You can sometimes score some good deals on Warmoth from their in stock stuff - otherwise by the time you add paint to a body, it can be pricey.
Only real issue is even if you spec out each part, you just never know how the end result will sound and play. I’ve built many a Warmoth Strat, and ended up swapping necks and pickups on one of them 3x before I was happy with the combination.
That Warmoth bass will be worth about $600 once completed - but you’re not building it for resale.
Only real issue is even if you spec out each part, you just never know how the end result will sound and play. I’ve built many a Warmoth Strat, and ended up swapping necks and pickups on one of them 3x before I was happy with the combination.
That Warmoth bass will be worth about $600 once completed - but you’re not building it for resale.
Every Warmoth part I buy is usually from the “in stock” section. I have a couple steel rod jobbies, but I can’t tell any difference in weight between them and my Fenders. Of course, I eat Wheaties... so...
Sounds like a great project, please post as you get it going. One thing I'd offer - I do alot of woodworking (furniture building); be careful where you get your Tung Oil. Most of what is sold is not pure but is cut with other things - solvents, additives, etc. Some are labeled as such - "Tung Oil Finish" for example, others are not.
Here's a really good article that explains what it is and how to use it. Like most pure finishes, first coat or two works best if thinned: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
When I need a product like Tung Oil, I usually buy it from Lee Valley, a Canadian-based woodworking company that is first-rate to deal with. Hopefully you live in one of the states that they can ship the real stuff to. Don't use Home Depot or paint store-sourced stuff. 100% Pure Tung Oil - Lee Valley Tools
Here's a really good article that explains what it is and how to use it. Like most pure finishes, first coat or two works best if thinned: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
When I need a product like Tung Oil, I usually buy it from Lee Valley, a Canadian-based woodworking company that is first-rate to deal with. Hopefully you live in one of the states that they can ship the real stuff to. Don't use Home Depot or paint store-sourced stuff. 100% Pure Tung Oil - Lee Valley Tools
Ya don't build Warmoth for resale. In fact ya don't buy Ibanez, Yamaha, G&L, Music Man or anything but Fender if you're worried about resale. Even with Fender resale is going to be less than ideal.
You build Warmoth to get something better than Fender for a lower or equal price.
I wanted a MM Stingray but just won't do a bass over 8.5 lbs. Won't do it. I ended up buying a G4 body and 2x2 maple neck. All Warmoth finished. I assembled it and have a great playing "MM Stingray" that weighs less than 8 lbs and has better hardware that a production bass and cost me about $1200. Win win in my book.
My Warmoth P is 32" scale. Sounds better than the G&L LB100 it replaced. P weighs less than 7 lbs and cost me a total of about $1000.
So I'm in for $2000 on 2 bases that are probably worth $1000 if I were to sell them which is a HUGE ADVANTAGE. They are far better than their $ value so they are not worth my effort to sell. I'll just keep on playing them.
You build Warmoth to get something better than Fender for a lower or equal price.
I wanted a MM Stingray but just won't do a bass over 8.5 lbs. Won't do it. I ended up buying a G4 body and 2x2 maple neck. All Warmoth finished. I assembled it and have a great playing "MM Stingray" that weighs less than 8 lbs and has better hardware that a production bass and cost me about $1200. Win win in my book.
My Warmoth P is 32" scale. Sounds better than the G&L LB100 it replaced. P weighs less than 7 lbs and cost me a total of about $1000.
So I'm in for $2000 on 2 bases that are probably worth $1000 if I were to sell them which is a HUGE ADVANTAGE. They are far better than their $ value so they are not worth my effort to sell. I'll just keep on playing them.
