I've been looking into building a Warmoth bass and I was wondering if anyone knows how hard it is to build a decent quality one?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
How hard is it to make a good warmoth bass
- Thread starter Moopahtroopa
- Start date
It's actually very easy. Pick the options you want and enter your credit card. Then just wait for the boxes to show up and start putting it together. Warmoth quality is very good.
I agree, they are good quality parts and craftsmanship. Assembly is totally dependent on your skills.
Warmoth basically sells necks and bodies. You'll also have to buy all the other bits and pieces that make a bass, and put it together. You can get pickguards from them (I pretty much had to, for mine); some hardware; as well as pickups/ some electronics too. But, their choices are kinda limited. I built a very nice one (I think so, anyway) last year; a lefty mini-P Bass. Maple neck, swamp ash body, nitro 3 tone burst finish, etc., etc. It looks very much like my '78 P-Bass - which was the whole idea. Sounds and plays as good as it looks - and it looks very, very, nice. I had the luthier at Cowtown Guitars here in Vegas build it. He said it was the easiest thing he'd ever done; everything fit perfectly, and it only took him a day.
I think the hardest part of building a Warmoth bass is simply not getting carried away by the overwhelming number of choices they give you. If you go into the project with a very clear picture of what you want before you start, and have the self discipline to stick to that picture, you can wind up with an extremely nice bass for a reasonable price. I bought a lot of parts from Fender, and the pickups and most of the electronics from Allparts - as well as the bridge and tuners. Including having it professionally built (I'm on the national "Don't let this guy anywhere near a soldering iron" list), my Mini-P cost me just under $1600.
So, AFAIC, it's not hard at all to get a decent Warmoth bass. Just remember the 6P principle (Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance), and you'll be happy...
I think the hardest part of building a Warmoth bass is simply not getting carried away by the overwhelming number of choices they give you. If you go into the project with a very clear picture of what you want before you start, and have the self discipline to stick to that picture, you can wind up with an extremely nice bass for a reasonable price. I bought a lot of parts from Fender, and the pickups and most of the electronics from Allparts - as well as the bridge and tuners. Including having it professionally built (I'm on the national "Don't let this guy anywhere near a soldering iron" list), my Mini-P cost me just under $1600.
So, AFAIC, it's not hard at all to get a decent Warmoth bass. Just remember the 6P principle (Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance), and you'll be happy...
Last edited:
You are getting raw (well, finished perhaps) parts. a body and a neck, and maybe some hardware from warmoth. It's up to you to install electronics and bridge into the body, and maybe a pickgurd too. tuners and retainer to the neck. put it all together and set it up. maybe hunting down these item 'loaded' in the classifieds here would be a bit easier for your first one. good luck.
One Recommendation: Go for the Graphite reinforcement rods in the neck instead of the Metal ones. It's a considerable weight savings. That should provide a better balance and reduce neck dive.
You can get into trouble if you pick weird combinations of wood and stuff.
By and large, you know that ash body, maple neck, and '70s spaced J-J pickups will work a certain way. And an alder body, maple neck, rosewood board, and split-coil P pickup will work. You can be pretty confident in how the final product will look, sound, and feel.
But take a wenge neck with purpleheart fingerboard and 35" scale, bolt it to a korina body with zebrano top, put a MM humbucker in the neck position and a reversed-P in the bridge position ... and who knows? You may not be happy with the end result. Stick to tried-and-true combinations to avoid surprises.
By and large, you know that ash body, maple neck, and '70s spaced J-J pickups will work a certain way. And an alder body, maple neck, rosewood board, and split-coil P pickup will work. You can be pretty confident in how the final product will look, sound, and feel.
But take a wenge neck with purpleheart fingerboard and 35" scale, bolt it to a korina body with zebrano top, put a MM humbucker in the neck position and a reversed-P in the bridge position ... and who knows? You may not be happy with the end result. Stick to tried-and-true combinations to avoid surprises.
Last edited:
@ynot12 - show this gentleman what you can do with a Warmoth.
Tony just started toying with these after years of playing Spectors, and a few other brands. The Warmoths he has done so far are absolutely gorgeous. I had no idea it was possible!
Tony just started toying with these after years of playing Spectors, and a few other brands. The Warmoths he has done so far are absolutely gorgeous. I had no idea it was possible!
For a basic bass (nothing too complicated), it's a piece of cake, assuming you understand how to set up a bass and if you can do some soldering. Warmoth will install a pre-slotted nut so you don't need to worry about that too much, maybe a little touch up with the slot depths at the most. The Warmoth necks I have purchased have had very level frets, so that probably won't be an issue either.
But you'll need to install your hand-picked electronics, which will require decent soldering skills and the ability to follow a schematic. To me, that is the hardest part (and because I'm murder with a soldering iron, I farm this task out to one of my techs). Everything else is straight forward with simple hand tools.
They have some stunning finishes these days and lots of options for inlays and bindings. Select time-honored woods like ash, alder, maple, etc., can't go wrong and you can build a beauty. Just remember if you ever go to sell the odds are you won't recover your investment, but if you build a keeper you won't ever have to face that problem.
Good luck with it.
But you'll need to install your hand-picked electronics, which will require decent soldering skills and the ability to follow a schematic. To me, that is the hardest part (and because I'm murder with a soldering iron, I farm this task out to one of my techs). Everything else is straight forward with simple hand tools.
They have some stunning finishes these days and lots of options for inlays and bindings. Select time-honored woods like ash, alder, maple, etc., can't go wrong and you can build a beauty. Just remember if you ever go to sell the odds are you won't recover your investment, but if you build a keeper you won't ever have to face that problem.
Good luck with it.
Last edited:
Hello. Many answers are here: Be honest: Was your Warmoth build worth it?
Many more still are here: =1&c[node]=8"]Search Results for Query: warmoth build | TalkBass.com
If you want to start with something a little less expensive for your first foray, Precision Guitar Kits does some really nice kits that are high quality. Their bass offerings are limited to a JB and PB with no customizations. But they cost less than $400. And the materials and workmanship are top notch IMO.
One of these might be a good way to get your feet wet without buying a piece of junk. I've seen a few of their guitars and basses finished by people who either knew what they were doing or who did some research and took their time. I was pretty impressed by the results. They'll hold their own against almost anything out there.
One of these might be a good way to get your feet wet without buying a piece of junk. I've seen a few of their guitars and basses finished by people who either knew what they were doing or who did some research and took their time. I was pretty impressed by the results. They'll hold their own against almost anything out there.
Don't forget to coat any neck/bridge/etc mounting screws in paraffin before you screw them into wood. Much easier. Also, specify a weight for the body (medium, light etc). If you don't, they'll make your bass from whatever's next in the pile, you may like it or you may hate it.
Their parts are top notch. Final outcome depends on how well you are at picking stuff you like and your soldering, drilling, screwing, and set up skills. I always do the electronics and basic stuff, but leave the final set up to a pro.
One piece of advice: the custom ordering can be a Bit of a crapshoot with regards to weight and grain. The only thing of theirs I have been less than 100% satisfied with was a custom ordered Birdseye tele neck that I thought was skimpy on the Birdseye. With the showcase stuff, you know what it looks like and what it weighs. If you pick a naked body from the showcase, they can paint it. They will do some limited changes as well (battery boxes, different pickup routes if you call).
One piece of advice: the custom ordering can be a Bit of a crapshoot with regards to weight and grain. The only thing of theirs I have been less than 100% satisfied with was a custom ordered Birdseye tele neck that I thought was skimpy on the Birdseye. With the showcase stuff, you know what it looks like and what it weighs. If you pick a naked body from the showcase, they can paint it. They will do some limited changes as well (battery boxes, different pickup routes if you call).
As many have said: They make bodies and necks and do excellent work. Not cheap - but really good.
I have done MANY Warmoth builds over the years - and here's a few things that I have learned:
So once I had these things jotted down, I went to the Warmoth page. Knowing that they offer a discount for items they have in stock, I searched the in-stock selection of J necks and J bodies - nothing matched what I wanted so I proceeded pick out what I wanted. I had some questions on the body, so I called them and, working with a very nice fellow whose name escapes me, I ordered a Dinky J body, Alder, Painted "Spectra Blue" (dark blue with some metal-flake). I could have gotten a fancy top & cool finish, but that would have added cost and really wasn't what I wanted for this bass. The "Dinky" J body is a bit smaller than the classic Fender J - thus a bit lighter.
I thought I had a good neck for it (bought used) but that didn't pan out, so I later ordered my neck - J neck - flame maple (I decided to splurge), THIN profile, Graphite rods, drilled for Hipshot Ultralights (I happened to have a set), clear satin finish.
That cost me right around $1K for the body and neck. Yeah, I know - not cheap - but really well made.
I'm having a local fellow do all the rest - I told him wanted two Nordstrand Big Singles and a John East 3 band classic J preamp. He's making that happen even as I speak. I hope to have the bass by end of week or so. Total cost will be around $1500 - like a new Fender but *much* nicer.
So if you are on more of a budget and okay with a more Passive bass - and let's say you want a PJ of some sort, with an Ebony fretboard. Okay - so you go to the page, and see what they have in stock for bodies and necks - save some money that way - Get some good Duncan, EMG or DiMarzio PJs, Gotoh tuners & bridge and you're off to the races!
One thing I also suggest is don't buy an unfinished body. Why? Because they do a GREAT job of finishing them, and it's a total hassle. You can buy an unfinished neck and then tru-oil or tung-oil it later, but get a finished body. You'll be happy you did.
Good luck.
I have done MANY Warmoth builds over the years - and here's a few things that I have learned:
- Their standard bass necks are a bit chunky. Happily, they now offer a "Slim profile" for a minor up-charge.
- Their standard bass necks are rather heavy. I suspect this is due to the steel strengthening rods they use. Again, for an up-charge, you can get graphite (SO worth it!)
- It's best to decide what you think you want prior to visiting their web site. Get an idea in your head, maybe put it in spreadsheet. In my recent case, I decided that I wanted to build have bass with the following characteristics:
- Jazz bass profile (body / neck)
- Maple fretboard w/MoP blocks - ala '70s J-basses
- BLUE. It had to be, in some way, blue.
- Pickups would not be standard J's but Nordstrand Big Singles (I had those on my Fodera and loved the sound)
- Light. It could not be a back-breaker.
So once I had these things jotted down, I went to the Warmoth page. Knowing that they offer a discount for items they have in stock, I searched the in-stock selection of J necks and J bodies - nothing matched what I wanted so I proceeded pick out what I wanted. I had some questions on the body, so I called them and, working with a very nice fellow whose name escapes me, I ordered a Dinky J body, Alder, Painted "Spectra Blue" (dark blue with some metal-flake). I could have gotten a fancy top & cool finish, but that would have added cost and really wasn't what I wanted for this bass. The "Dinky" J body is a bit smaller than the classic Fender J - thus a bit lighter.
I thought I had a good neck for it (bought used) but that didn't pan out, so I later ordered my neck - J neck - flame maple (I decided to splurge), THIN profile, Graphite rods, drilled for Hipshot Ultralights (I happened to have a set), clear satin finish.
That cost me right around $1K for the body and neck. Yeah, I know - not cheap - but really well made.
I'm having a local fellow do all the rest - I told him wanted two Nordstrand Big Singles and a John East 3 band classic J preamp. He's making that happen even as I speak. I hope to have the bass by end of week or so. Total cost will be around $1500 - like a new Fender but *much* nicer.
So if you are on more of a budget and okay with a more Passive bass - and let's say you want a PJ of some sort, with an Ebony fretboard. Okay - so you go to the page, and see what they have in stock for bodies and necks - save some money that way - Get some good Duncan, EMG or DiMarzio PJs, Gotoh tuners & bridge and you're off to the races!
One thing I also suggest is don't buy an unfinished body. Why? Because they do a GREAT job of finishing them, and it's a total hassle. You can buy an unfinished neck and then tru-oil or tung-oil it later, but get a finished body. You'll be happy you did.
Good luck.
Thanks guys, what do you guys know about the bridge placement. Would I need to drill the holes for the bridge?
They do that, depending the bridge you want.
What were you thinking of building? you might get some more tips if you flesh this out a bit...
Please take no offense, but have you looked at their site?
It's pretty clear what they do and don't do, and the different options that you can get.
I was kinda hopin' to see more of everyone's Warmoth builds...
