My dad told me over 30 years ago if your buying cars or guitars to resell your in for a losing proposition.
I am excited to see how this comes together.
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Do what they say cant' be done...A Warmoth Build
- Thread starter chadhargis
- Start date
I am excited to see how this comes together.
That's easy…I asked them.
That being said, it's possible it was a more viable option due to the rear-routed configuration I ordered. I could see them either turning down my request or perhaps asking for an even higher additional cost if it'd been a front-routed design.
When I ordered my warmoth body, I asked them to omit the truss rod channel and dowel the index hole (since my bridge wasn’t going to be covering it). Cost was $30.That's easy…I asked them.
That being said, it's possible it was a more viable option due to the rear-routed configuration I ordered. I could see them either turning down my request or perhaps asking for an even higher additional cost if it'd been a front-routed design.
Warmoth DOES make some sweet flamed necks. Yours is a very nice one. Sweet P-bass!
Here's my Warmoth Jazz flamed, satin-finish neck:
I did have a Fender Decal on her (last pic.), but I took it off.
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Here's my Warmoth Jazz flamed, satin-finish neck:
I did have a Fender Decal on her (last pic.), but I took it off.
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Honestly, I was really torn about the decal. Yeah, it's not a Fender. But I did some searching and reading. If you have a Fender body and you damage your neck but use a licensed Fender neck to repair it, it's a Fender bass. Then if years later, you damage the body and replace it with a licensed Fender body...it's still a Fender. If you replace the pickups...it's still a Fender. If you replace the bridge...it's still a Fender. It's sort of like the janitor who brags about having used the same broom for 20 years. Only had to replace the handle 5 times and the broom part 10 times...but it's the same broom.
So that go me thinking...what exactly IS a Fender? Is it something made in a Fender factory, or is it the shape, feel, look, and sound? I think it's more of the latter. So I decided to put the decal on.
As I said before, I'd never sell it as a Fender. The Warmoth logos are burned into the neck heel and pocket. I put the Warmoth decal under the pickguard. I kept invoice from Warmoth as well as the build sheets to show it is indeed a Warmoth build. Plus, I think most anyone looking to buy a Fender P bass would know the one I'm building isn't really a Fender. Fender never made a P bass this nice.
Well, after the small set back of the cloudy decal because I was a doofus. I sanded the poly down thin, peeled off the old decal and buffed the area under where the decal goes.
Just got done spraying and HOLY COW...it's beautiful. Honestly, I think I love tinkering with basses as much as I love playing them. Sad to think that in a couple days she'll be done. Guess I'll have to build another one!
Here's the still very wet headstock:
Just got done spraying and HOLY COW...it's beautiful. Honestly, I think I love tinkering with basses as much as I love playing them. Sad to think that in a couple days she'll be done. Guess I'll have to build another one!
Here's the still very wet headstock:
I was going to say that you wouldn't need to go through all that if you just went without a decal but wow! That's some good work. I wish i had the skills, tools and patience to do work like that.
Tools consisted of a can of SprayMax 2k clearcoat poly, some sandpaper, and a Fender 60's era waterslide decal. The patience is something I don't have which is why I screwed up the first time. Forgot to shine up the area under the decal.
Now all that's left is to polish out the few specs of dust that fell on it using 800, 1500, and 2000 grit wet sanding, then following with automotive scratch remover.
Then comes mounting the tuners, which I sort of dread because I have to drill 8 holes in the back of the neck for locating pins. Not a lot of room for error, so there will be much measuring before I put the drill to it.
After the tuners are on, the neck can bolt up. But first I'm going to make the truss rod adjuster route hidden. I have a sample of the Warmoth tort pickguard material coming that is 2"x2" and will cover that route perfectly. Going to sink some tiny craft magnets in the body and use a cell phone magnetic mount plate on the back of the cover. No tools required to remove for adjustments!
Yeah, they've totally kept their $2k-ish value.
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But I suppose, if one wants to split hairs (wait…wait…let me get my X-ACTO knife), there is a big difference between "worth" and "the price one can fetch for it". If @chadhargis is successful in this venture, then it's totally worth the price-tag, regardless of the price he could fetch for it should he decide to sell it.
I, and probably a great many others, am very aware the resale value of my own, rather unique Warmoth creation is pooptastic, but "resale value" isn't the point. Often it's to create something that doesn't exist in nature, rather than being forced to buy strictly off-the-shelf items other people say is the way to go.
(Note: Still a work-in-progress)
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Something that doesn't exist in nature or a lefty version of a nice production righty. I want to do a Warmoth build sometime and build my dream P-style.
Automotive headlight restorer works great on poly finishes. It's a very gentle buffing compound for plastic.
Final Result
The project was mostly smooth sailing until it came to mounting the Fender tuners which have not one, but TWO locating pegs on the back. It was a major pain in the butt to get them drilled right, but luckily the ugliness is hidden by the tuners and no one will know how bad it is except me. Yes, it bugs me. Hopefully I forget in time. The tuner for the E string is ever so slightly crooked. Nothing wood filler and re-drilling it won't fix, but It's really not that bad and I wanted to play the dang thing. If I'd have done tuners with screws, it would have been a non-issue. Lesson learned.
After bolting it all up, I knew there would be adjustments, and there were. The neck needed a shim to allow the action to go as low as I like. Without the shim I could only get down to about 6/64" off the 17th fret and I like mine lower. Now my E is at 4/64" with some adjustment left. It's amazing what a business card can do.
The truss rod needed about a quarter turn to flatten it, and I suspect it will move some over the coming days. The frets seem to be dead level. No buzzing anywhere.
I eyeballed the pickup and set it by ear like I usually do. The Fralin pickup sounds really good. It sounds like a P bass should. Sadly, I don't have my rig at the house as I'm playing at church for Christmas services today and tomorrow, so I left it there. I'm sure it will thunder through the Noble DI.
So, did I succeed in having a bass as good as the $2000 Fender. I believe so. I certainly have a prettier bass. And P basses aren't complicated. It sounds like a P bass. It plays nice. I still have some neck finishing to do once the Tru Oil fully dries out. It's still a little sticky from the coats I put on last night. I made some mistakes I wouldn't make again if I did it over, but it's not bad for the first parts bass I've ever built.
So...without further delay....here are the finished pictures:
The project was mostly smooth sailing until it came to mounting the Fender tuners which have not one, but TWO locating pegs on the back. It was a major pain in the butt to get them drilled right, but luckily the ugliness is hidden by the tuners and no one will know how bad it is except me. Yes, it bugs me. Hopefully I forget in time. The tuner for the E string is ever so slightly crooked. Nothing wood filler and re-drilling it won't fix, but It's really not that bad and I wanted to play the dang thing. If I'd have done tuners with screws, it would have been a non-issue. Lesson learned.
After bolting it all up, I knew there would be adjustments, and there were. The neck needed a shim to allow the action to go as low as I like. Without the shim I could only get down to about 6/64" off the 17th fret and I like mine lower. Now my E is at 4/64" with some adjustment left. It's amazing what a business card can do.
The truss rod needed about a quarter turn to flatten it, and I suspect it will move some over the coming days. The frets seem to be dead level. No buzzing anywhere.
I eyeballed the pickup and set it by ear like I usually do. The Fralin pickup sounds really good. It sounds like a P bass should. Sadly, I don't have my rig at the house as I'm playing at church for Christmas services today and tomorrow, so I left it there. I'm sure it will thunder through the Noble DI.
So, did I succeed in having a bass as good as the $2000 Fender. I believe so. I certainly have a prettier bass. And P basses aren't complicated. It sounds like a P bass. It plays nice. I still have some neck finishing to do once the Tru Oil fully dries out. It's still a little sticky from the coats I put on last night. I made some mistakes I wouldn't make again if I did it over, but it's not bad for the first parts bass I've ever built.
So...without further delay....here are the finished pictures:
Looks great! That roasted maple neck is beautiful! I wouldn't sweat the crooked tuner - I don't know of I'd have noticed it if it hadn't been mentioned. Pretty fast work getting it together, I tend to be a lot slower ... it's not rocket science, but I'm always nervous about trashing something by being careless (which I've done a couple times, but as you said, things can generally be salvaged one way or another). Nicely done! 
Pretty fast work getting it together, I tend to be a lot slower ... it's not rocket science, but I'm always nervous about trashing something by being careless (which I've done a couple times, but as you said, things can generally be salvaged one way or another). Nicely done!
I thought it took forever! The waiting for finish coats to dry sucks.
I had the body done in one night which included shielding everything with copper foil.
I wanted to cover the truss rod adjustment route but the scrap pickguard piece is too thick. Think I’m gonna try a thin tort colored pick.
I looked for a long time for some one that made an early 50s style Precision bass with a 1.5" nut width. Couldnt really find anything without going to a more custom expensive build, So i went with a Warmoth build
Heres what i ended up with. ITs got a Roasted maple/Roasted maple neck and Fret board (Both unfinished), Hipshot ultralite lollipop tuners, Warmoth swamp ash body with their yellow tint gloss finish. The pick up is a Seymour Duncan custom shop stacked coil wired series/single/parallel, Strung up with some D'addario tape wounds. Sounds and feels amazing, No regrets
at all
Heres what i ended up with. ITs got a Roasted maple/Roasted maple neck and Fret board (Both unfinished), Hipshot ultralite lollipop tuners, Warmoth swamp ash body with their yellow tint gloss finish. The pick up is a Seymour Duncan custom shop stacked coil wired series/single/parallel, Strung up with some D'addario tape wounds. Sounds and feels amazing, No regrets
Id love one, If i didnt have to part with $6400. I still got to get a custom logo for my headstock. Trying to pick something unique. This was my first roast maple neck, They dont nee to be finished so they just feel fantastic
Posted one a few posts up.
Amazing man! I really wanted to leave my neck raw, but I'd worry about it being unprotected, so I figured the tru oil would be the trick...and it's nice.
Too bad these things are so expensive. I'm ready to build another one!
I have another Fender that i bought used with a thick glossy neck. I sanded it down to bare wood and finished with tru oil. Came out great as well. Tru oil is really great
Id love to do another Warmoth. I was really impressed with the quality and finish. My fret ends were perfect. I've been really tempted to do a build with their Mooncaster hollow body. The tops on them are killer
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