Yep, that's how I do it, works just fine. Even if the holes wound up slightly off square (they haven't), they're short so it wouldn't affect things too much, unless they were way off. And as you say, measure twice ...
Sounds like you've got this.
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Do what they say cant' be done...A Warmoth Build
- Thread starter chadhargis
- Start date
Sounds like you've got this.
Hey Lefty!View attachment 3194415 Well, it's not a 34" scale P-Bass, but it is a Warmoth; a 30" scale Mini-P. Swamp Ash body, 3TB lacquer finish; Maple neck w/ Coral dots; Schaller bridge and tuners (yeah, I love 'em, too); SD Vintage pickup; "vintage" wiring and cap; and fairly high-end bits and pieces. It's pretty much a Mini-Me clone of my '78 P-Bass, and even with paying Chris Davis (the luthier @ Cowtown Guitars) to build it, it cost just under $1400. If you're a righty, and can find an in-stock body and/or neck that you like, you could probably do even better than I did. The real problem with Warmoth is that they're masters at overwhelming their customers with So many cool options...It takes iron self control to stick with what you originally wanted, in the face of all the choices they throw at you...
How did you have your tuner holes drilled out?
Warmoth did it. I did have some concerns about it, so I sorta test fitted the tuner bushings before I gave the pieces to Chris. They seemed like they'd fit, but that they'd have to be pressed in. He didn't have any problems, apparently; at least he never mentioned any. He did say it was one of the easiest builds he'd ever done, though...
Well FINALLY...Warmoth has shipped the parts. Good grief I'm impatient.
They are slated to be delivered on the 18th, just in time for my holiday vacation. I should be able to work on it over Christmas and have 'er ready to play by New Years.
More to come!
They are slated to be delivered on the 18th, just in time for my holiday vacation. I should be able to work on it over Christmas and have 'er ready to play by New Years.
More to come!
If you’re worried about the resale value of a bass, it means you’re buying a bass you probably don’t really want. I’ve never understood the need to constantly buy/sell/trade instruments. It’s not a car. It doesn’t have a limited lifespan, nor is it quickly outmoded by technological advancements. It’s a bass guitar. And how many times do people on this forum lament “I should never have sold X bass.”
Both my basses are Warmoth builds. Why? Because Fender (and all the others) don’t build/sell the bass I want. My red bass is chambered with a beautiful flame maple top and white binding. Roasted maple neck. 32” scale. Curtis Novak bisonic pickup built to my order using a white bobbin to match the binding. It weighs under 7 lbs. Fender makes nothing like it, and if they did, it would cost 2x or 3x what I paid to make it myself. This bass is literally the only one like it ON THE ENTIRE PLANET. It’s beautiful. It’s unique. It looks like a boutique bass that cost a fortune. It’s lightweight and at the difficult-to-find scale I prefer. I’d put it up against any Fender. And I don’t care if I could only sell it for $5. Because I have no plans to sell it. Ever. Why would I want an assembly-line Fender where my bass is identical to a million others? No thank you. Warmoth FTW.
My next bass will also be a Warmoth build. Shoreline Gold with a handcrafted tort guard from Spitfire. Medium scale with a Geezer Butler P from EMG (I have a Geezer P/J on my other Warmoth build). Fender makes no such beast. But I can. Thanks Warmoth.
Both my basses are Warmoth builds. Why? Because Fender (and all the others) don’t build/sell the bass I want. My red bass is chambered with a beautiful flame maple top and white binding. Roasted maple neck. 32” scale. Curtis Novak bisonic pickup built to my order using a white bobbin to match the binding. It weighs under 7 lbs. Fender makes nothing like it, and if they did, it would cost 2x or 3x what I paid to make it myself. This bass is literally the only one like it ON THE ENTIRE PLANET. It’s beautiful. It’s unique. It looks like a boutique bass that cost a fortune. It’s lightweight and at the difficult-to-find scale I prefer. I’d put it up against any Fender. And I don’t care if I could only sell it for $5. Because I have no plans to sell it. Ever. Why would I want an assembly-line Fender where my bass is identical to a million others? No thank you. Warmoth FTW.
My next bass will also be a Warmoth build. Shoreline Gold with a handcrafted tort guard from Spitfire. Medium scale with a Geezer Butler P from EMG (I have a Geezer P/J on my other Warmoth build). Fender makes no such beast. But I can. Thanks Warmoth.
What he said...I hear great things about the Fender RW p bass. So much so that I got one delivered today for $800 brand spankin new...and sold my $2k Nash p bass, with which I could not bond for some reason.
Lot of truth here.
I've bought, sold, and traded many basses for the express purpose of finding what I really want. I do tend to get bored with things easily and will trade basses off. I've only been playing for 8 years, so I am still very much a "newbie" and want to try different things.
A P bass is something I think most working bass players will tell you is valuable to have in your collection. As stated above, Fender didn't make what I wanted. They make something close, but it's double the price and not as good as the Warmoth I'm building. I don't plan on selling it.
Indeed. It may not be the "perfect" or "best" fit for all genres/styles, but it will never sound out of place no matter what kind of music it is. When in doubt, you can't really fail with a P-bass.
I picked up a 2018 RW Precision neck and put on a USA AVRI '63 P-Bass body. Wow! is an understatement. These necks are like Custom Shop necks with amazing fretwork and rolled edges.
Sounds very interesting, can't wait to see the result. I like to tinker with things too, but my craftsmanship doesn't live up to my standards! 
Subbed for updates... I love a good parts bass build and I am a strong advocate for Warmoth stuff, very good quality in my experience.
I will argue the cost savings though. Sure you can save a few bucks, maybe even a couple hundred but you should really consider putting a value on your time and ancillary expenses like tools and such that are required to complete the build.
If you are building to save money... you will still simply get exactly what you pay for. Also, that expensive Fender will come with a case and a warranty. I won't belabor the resale issue, most guys building a parts bass seem to be quite content to take the hit in order to get their specs on an instrument.
I will argue the cost savings though. Sure you can save a few bucks, maybe even a couple hundred but you should really consider putting a value on your time and ancillary expenses like tools and such that are required to complete the build.
If you are building to save money... you will still simply get exactly what you pay for. Also, that expensive Fender will come with a case and a warranty. I won't belabor the resale issue, most guys building a parts bass seem to be quite content to take the hit in order to get their specs on an instrument.
That would be in the money saving column as well. I really, really, really enjoy building things. From my time as a kid playing with Erector Sets and Legos to hopping up cars and motorcycles, I love working with my hands. If I wasn't working on building the bass, I'd probably be out spending money entertaining myself in other ways. So my time is a cost saving. I get to do something I enjoy while not paying someone else to bolt my bass together.
So it works for you but some deem buying a production bass a waste of money when you can buy the parts for less and build it yourself.
Most importantly, it really is not just a simple matter of having someone "bolt my bass together". As you, yourself have discovered, there is plenty of prep work and research time involved to make a build go smoothly with all of the compatible parts. You've got to place the hardware and drill pilot holes. Warmoth does not do much of the fine detail work. There's also the final setup that likely includes some minor fretwork, nut filing and truss rod adjustment.
For a craftsman who loves to tinker with stuff and has the tools and skills, it's a great experience. If you think you can just buy a bunch of parts, throw them together and have a great instrument, you are in for a disappointment.
True. I enjoy quality workmanship and have a sense of accomplishment when I produce excellent results. I take my time. I read and research to learn from others. I have some old junk parts, a body, and neck to experiment on. I’ve already dressed many fret edges and have practiced rolling the fingerboard on my crap junk neck.
You are correct that you don’t simply bolt the parts up. I’ve been working with wood since I was five or six years old. It’s extremely satisifying work.
I don’t enjoy painting as much as you really have to have the right space to work in which I don’t have. But I ordered a finished body so I’m good there.
You are correct that you don’t simply bolt the parts up. I’ve been working with wood since I was five or six years old. It’s extremely satisifying work.
I don’t enjoy painting as much as you really have to have the right space to work in which I don’t have. But I ordered a finished body so I’m good there.
Unless of course you have more time available than money and/or your livelihood is not earned through billable hours. Whatever a boutique bass maker would charge me per hour is a lot more than I’m making after work while watching a basketball game on TV.
I’ve put two Warmoth basses together successfully and I knew literally nothing when I started. The only work I paid for was to have the Novak pickup wired up (I used a concentric knob setup and had no clue how to do it). The EMG Geezers were literally plug and play. Zero soldering required. The only non-common tool I had to buy was a feeler gauge to help with setup.
As for necks, I’ve owned three Warmoth necks. All were beautifully crafted and finished. No sharp frets, no sharp fingerboard edges. One neck could not be brought into proper relief and was replaced by Warmoth. I love both my ebony fretboard neck and my roasted maple neck (try getting either from a sub-$1500 off-the-shelf Fender).
Pick your neck length, headstock style, neck wood, fingerboard wood, fret size, fret material, body wood (chambered/non-chambered), find one that fits the weight you desire, choose from a massive list of finishes, pick your own bridge, your own pickups...the world is your oyster. Frankly I don’t understand why more people don’t try it. It’s like speccing your own fully-custom bass from a boutique builder without the $4,000 price tag.
I’m not trying to knock Fender. I love the Fender brand. But let’s be real: there’s nothing they do in 2018 that’s magical (unless you’re paying big bucks for some Custom Shop work). They’re a large company with lots of mouths to feed, making assembly-line products for mainstream retail. I’d take either of my Warmoths over an off-the-shelf Fender American Standard model any day of the week, and each only cost me Fender American Standard prices (or less).
I just finished my first Warmoth build a few months ago, I can’t be more pleased how it turned out! The Swamp/Flame maple body is gorgeous and love the neck profile, like my ‘72 Jazz bass. Put in some Nordstrand NP4a pickups and it sounds killer! Had it Plek’d a few weeks ago, so it plays great!
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Sweet bass!
There is a PLEK machine locally at Joe Glaser's shop. I'm going to see how it plays and if I need to get it PLEK'd I'll drop it off at Glaser's.
Just got the UPS notification that there are two boxes from Warmoth waiting for me at home.
First order of business, check the fret ends and dress them if necessary and roll the fingerboard to give it that "worn in" feel. Then let the Tru Oil flow!
Roasted maple doesn't REQUIRE a finish, but I'm going to oil finish it just to keep it from getting so grungy. Not looking for a glossy finish on the neck...in fact...I hate them. The headstock will get a shot of poly to seal the waterslide decal, but other than that, there will be no hard finish on the neck.
First order of business, check the fret ends and dress them if necessary and roll the fingerboard to give it that "worn in" feel. Then let the Tru Oil flow!
Roasted maple doesn't REQUIRE a finish, but I'm going to oil finish it just to keep it from getting so grungy. Not looking for a glossy finish on the neck...in fact...I hate them. The headstock will get a shot of poly to seal the waterslide decal, but other than that, there will be no hard finish on the neck.
But if you oil that neck you're going to cover up that delicious maple syrup smell!
