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Help with my Warmoth build

Raoul_Duke

Raoul_Duke

Jun 13, 2010
750
1,767
Michigan
#1
I'm craving that vintage jazz bass feel/tone. Since I can't afford an Alleva Coppolo or a Low End, or something like that, I figured maybe I can pull off something nice with Warmoth parts and the right electronics. Before I do anything, I wanted to ask around, and there aren't a lot of luthiers in the area for me to speak with. So, I figured I'd ask here.

My first question is, how much of an impact does the neck wood have on the tone as opposed to the body wood, and does one matter more than the other? I was considering a swamp ash body with a maple neck/maple fingerboard, but I could save a little money by getting a wenge neck/ebony fingerboard. Is wenge going to spoil the vintage sound?

My second question is about pickups. I'd like to get some Lindy Fralin single coils to put in it, and I'm torn regarding the preamp. I was hoping maybe theres someone here who has some ideas about which preamps would marry well with the Fralins.

My third question is about luthiers in the area. I live in Lansing, Michigan. Does anyone know of a bass guy in the mid-MI area who can do a pro setup? I was thinking I'd just have this thing put together at Elderly Instruments here in Lansing, but maybe you guys have a better idea.

Thanks in advance for any help!
 
#4
Thanks for the votes of confidence, I'm in SW Michigan though, Elderly is a great place to have work done, I generally don't do assemblies, it is cost prohibitive for the customer, as I usually go by my hourly rate. Doing the assembly yourself could be a great learning experience, and save you a good bit of money. As for a pre with Fralins, I have found the typical Audere, Aguilar, & East pre's all sound good with Fralins and don't color the sound too greatly. You may want to look into Alan Crinegan(?sp)ACG pre amp. It's a filter based pre, that is built by John East, and has had great reviews for clarity. I am sure most of the guys here would be glad to help you along with the assembly of your bass if you decide to go that way. You can PM me if you need help closer to home.
 
#5
I think the wenge/ebony neck will bring you further from a vintage sound, but you may be able to compensate with the preamp. Also, your gear will have an influence on your sound. What is your rig made up of?

Here is my experience with Warmoth and different woods. I have a ’65 p-bass. Its original neck is maple/rosewood. I decided to replace it when the truss rod gave out and a local guitar tech pointed me toward Warmoth. The first replacement neck was rosewood/rosewood. The change in sound wasn’t too noticeable. After a while (on a whim) I switched that neck for one made of maple/ebony. The change in sound was quite drastic. It went from warm-mid to bright-high.

I also just completed my first full Warmoth build. It’s a j-bass body chambered wenge/wenge with a p-bass neck fretless wenge/ebony. The pups are Dimarzio DP123’s, standard j-bass passive. Total cost including assembly was 1400. It is an absolutely stunning instrument of superior quality. While it is on the heavy side, around 12 lbs, the tradeoff is in the sound and playability. It has a sound that I can only describe as warm and woody.
 
#6
To dtiii: I play through a custom cab setup that consists of one 12, two 8's, and a 6in mid driver. I have a markbass little tube and an alembic f1x, but I don't have a power amp for the alembic and I don't feel like lugging around a rack setup anymore, so it's not going out on gigs. I also have a T-Rex tube compressor and an MXR M80 DI/distortion, both of which are dear to my heart.
I'm not married to the idea of wenge/ebony. I'm actually thinking I may order a custom neck rather than one from the showcase so that I can take advantage of a couple other nice options (slim taper, less frets, hipshot ultralites). I've always been fond of the maple-neck/maple-fb combo when I hear other bassists playing them, but they always sound too bright when I'm playing them (does that make sense?). I'd like something a little warmer. Hence the wenge. I'm sort of considering a goncalo alves fingerboard now. I have an FBB with a goncalo alves body and I love the look.

To Musiclogic: I'm not sure I want to try setting it up myself. It sounds like fun, but I'm so poor right now. I think if I wanted to make it my first project, I'd start with something a little cheaper.
Thanks for the advice on preamps! And also the reassurance on Elderlys. I've had a bunch of work done there, but nothing major. They charge $84 an hour and told me the whole build would take about four or five hours. Is that about right?
 
#7
I’m not too familiar with your rig setup so I can’t really comment. All of my gear for the last 15 years is Hartke and I’m very satisfied. I was all SVT’s before that but my back doesn’t allow it anymore. :(

Custom ordering a neck will probably serve you better because you’ll get exactly what you are dreaming of and you will have a little more time to save up as you finalize decisions. I’m sure that you’ve been to the Warmoth site, probably several times a day. I know I was as I conceptualized my build. Their wood description page is pretty detailed when it comes to tone. I’ll point out that they don’t list goncalo alves as a fingerboard wood, so you should check with them.

Yes. It makes perfectly good sense regarding your perception of what another player sounds like compared to you, even when using the same setup. There are two positions of perspective here – the player’s and the listener’s. They could be very different, the stage versus the audience. It helps to stand back from your rig in order to get a truer sound of what the audience will hear.

When it comes to neck/fingerboard wood selection I think that the fingerboard wood has the immediate affect on tone while the neck wood has a secondary affect. Rosewood (warm) on maple (brighter) produces a tone that is generally warmer but balanced by the brightness of the maple. Ebony (bright) on wenge (mid-ranged) seems to cater to the high-end but is rounded out by the wenge. My maple/ebony neck is bright/bright. I add the bottom through my rig. The combination gives me a cool growl that easily cuts through two guitarists, especially when I use a pick. Of course body wood, pickups, electronics, rig, etc… are factors, but it seems to me that it starts at the fingerboard where the initial contact is made. If I’m off base here, somebody please correct me.
 
#8
Well, I've made most of the decisions on the bass.

Body- Standard shape swamp ash jazz bass body in lake placid blue. I love blue and swamp ash has always been a favorite tonewood of mine (turns out it's one of the more affordable ones to boot).

Hardware- Black Gotoh 201, because it's cheap in price and gets good reviews. Black BML light tuning machines because they're light and they don't necessitate a custom neck with smaller holes.

Electronics- Lindy Fralin single coil jazz pickups and a Low End preamp with stacked volume/tone for each pickup and a stacked treble/bass control.

The neck I'm still not sure about, but I've narrowed it down to three options. Each has their advantages.

1. A padauk neck with a ziricote fingerboard. Padauk is supposed to be a bright sounding wood and I was thinking the ziricote would warm it up a tad while also looking really cool. It would very expensive though. About $430.

2. A bubinga neck with a pau ferro board. About $40 cheaper than option number one, and kind of the opposite take. I'd have a slightly warmer sounding neck and a brighter sounding fingerboard.

3. A wenge neck with an ebony fingerboard. It's a showcase neck that comes in at a showstopping $280. I owned a warwick thumb for about a year, and although I didn't like the instrument, I loved the neck feel, so it's an option.

4. The old standby of maple/maple. It's a little lighter than the more exotic woods (I think?) and it's the one I have the most experience with. It's a little more expensive than the wenge neck at $320 because it needs a finish. I might rule this one out just because I have two basses with maple necks already.

I could really use any informed opinions on any of these combinations. Dtii is right in that I'm spending waaayyyy too much time on the warmoth site trying to come up with the magic formula. It would be great to hear some opinions from people who actually build instruments on the areas in which each wood excels. Just for the record, I play mostly funk/blues/motown, but I'd like this thing to be versatile.

I apologize in advance if any of this sounds stupid or amteurish.
 
#10
Raoul_Duke said:
4. The old standby of maple/maple. It's a little lighter than the more exotic woods (I think?) and it's the one I have the most experience with. It's a little more expensive than the wenge neck at $320 because it needs a finish. I might rule this one out just because I have two basses with maple necks already.
Click to expand...

You could try a bloodwood/bloodwood neck. The Warmoth site describes it as being about as bright as maple and it doesn't need a finish. I'm planning on getting one, just got to get the summer work over with.
 
#12
AltGrendel said:
You could try a bloodwood/bloodwood neck. The Warmoth site describes it as being about as bright as maple and it doesn't need a finish. I'm planning on getting one, just got to get the summer work over with.
Click to expand...

I kinda ruled that one out based on color alone, but I would reconsider if some builders who have worked with it have favorable reviews. For instance, part of the reason I ask about bubinga is that I've heard builders say it can get "squirrely". I'm not sure what that means, but it doesn't sound good.
 
#13
Here is some advice from a guy finishing up a Warmoth build ('twas a guitar, but a build none the less). If you have little or no experience I would strongly suggest a cheap build before you build your dream bass. I have made so many small / irritating mistakes on mine that is almost funny. I was able to fix everything I did wrong, but man, practically nothing went right. Everything I did I would do better next time. So in that way it is a great learning experience. I'll definitely do another. But if you really want to build your dream bass now, have a qualified tech assemble it for you. It sounds expensive, but after you get all the gear you need that you didn't think you needed...

No matter what, best off luck!
 
#15
^^Yeah I'm going to have it assembled by a pro. It's too big of an investment to do it myself. I don't even trust myself to pick the woods without a significant amount of advice. :(

I have a Warmoth Padouk neck w/ ebony board. I love it, far more punchy and growly then my previous Maple/ Pau Ferro neck. It's almost the sound of a graphite neck but with the organic feel of real wood in my hands..
Click to expand...

Thank you! That helps quite a bit. It sounds like an interesting combination that deserves some consideration. I think padauk would look pretty hot under any darker fingerboard wood.
 
#16
Me, were I doing what YOU want to do?

I'd first decide how fancy it should look. You want to go large? Then get a pretty top. Save money? Don't. Warmth site will provide prices.

Second, decide who will finish it. I *highly* recommend Warmoth. They do a great job on body finishes (I've had several). It's worth the money to get the bass to your house ready to put together - trust me.

Now, as far as woods - I'd go standard: Maple neck, rosewood or maple fretboard (you choose - the sound will be the same and I like the look of maple) - Body wood is where you'll hear some difference. 99% of guys today like Swamp Ash - but anymore I'm preferrring Alder. Why? It's *just a bit* warmer. *Just a bit* less "Snappy". And these days, I'm liking warmth over snap. But it depends on what you want to hear.

P'up - -Fralins are a fine choice; I've had very good luck with Nordstrands - And Carey is super responsive / cool. If you want "old school" Jazz vibe, get single coils. If you want something a bit more modern, there are TONS of options. I've often thought a Warmoth build using Nordstrand Big Singles would *kill*...

And I'd leave it passive. You can always put a preamp in it later *if you need it*.

Does that help?
 
#17
BigOldHarry said:
Me, were I doing what YOU want to do?

I'd first decide how fancy it should look. You want to go large? Then get a pretty top. Save money? Don't. Warmth site will provide prices.

Second, decide who will finish it. I *highly* recommend Warmoth. They do a great job on body finishes (I've had several). It's worth the money to get the bass to your house ready to put together - trust me.

Now, as far as woods - I'd go standard: Maple neck, rosewood or maple fretboard (you choose - the sound will be the same and I like the look of maple) - Body wood is where you'll hear some difference. 99% of guys today like Swamp Ash - but anymore I'm preferrring Alder. Why? It's *just a bit* warmer. *Just a bit* less "Snappy". And these days, I'm liking warmth over snap. But it depends on what you want to hear.

P'up - -Fralins are a fine choice; I've had very good luck with Nordstrands - And Carey is super responsive / cool. If you want "old school" Jazz vibe, get single coils. If you want something a bit more modern, there are TONS of options. I've often thought a Warmoth build using Nordstrand Big Singles would *kill*...

And I'd leave it passive. You can always put a preamp in it later *if you need it*.

Does that help?
Click to expand...

Yes, that helps a lot. One thing I'm worried about is that I'll decide on some exotic neck wood like padauk or bloodwood, which are both supposedly similar to maple, and then I'll get the bass put together and find out that the exotic woods totally don't mesh well with an old school pickup like the Fralins. Like, it'll be bright and stable and heavy like maple, but it'll just sound weird.

I already know I'm not interested in a laminate top and I want my body to arrive with a finish. The body and hardware are basically where I'll be saving the most money. I considered alder because it's lighter, cheaper, and little warmer than swamp ash, but I had to trust my ears on that one. Most of my favorite bass sounds have come from stingrays and fender jazz basses with swamp ash bodies.
 
#18
Raoul_Duke said:
Yes, that helps a lot. One thing I'm worried about is that I'll decide on some exotic neck wood like padauk or bloodwood, which are both supposedly similar to maple, and then I'll get the bass put together and find out that the exotic woods totally don't mesh well with an old school pickup like the Fralins. Like, it'll be bright and stable and heavy like maple, but it'll just sound weird.

I already know I'm not interested in a laminate top and I want my body to arrive with a finish. The body and hardware are basically where I'll be saving the most money. I considered alder because it's lighter, cheaper, and little warmer than swamp ash, but I had to trust my ears on that one. Most of my favorite bass sounds have come from stingrays and fender jazz basses with swamp ash bodies.
Click to expand...

Then you should get a Swamp ash body - period. The cost delta is small. Get it 3 tone sunburst and you're *all* kinda vintage - and it's only what - $35 more than a clear finish!

Here's what they have in stock *right now* and at a discount:

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I'd also get the neck finished too.
 

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