MIA Fender or Warmoth Build

[Low Class]

If you like a Warmoth P then that is what you should go with. However, although they look very much the same, a Warmoth and a Fender are very different. The Warmoth P neck is chunkier and is not available in the vintage 7.25" radius. Also the Warmoth body is 1 3/4" thick as opposed to the Fender 1 5/8". It may not seem like a lot, but the Warmoth is bulkier enough to make a difference.

Frankly, after owning more Warmoths than I can remember the past 30+ years I'll never own another one. Haven't had one yet that played or sounded like a Fender.

 

[Pocket4]

Lots of great opinions here. I have bought a fair amount of Warmoth parts, and did a complete build from them to make a tele bass. I do not own a high end Fender, but I have to admit that a such a purchase would be GAS worthy. I'm a parts guy by nature, and the Warmoth neck I used seemed over-engineered, bulky, and sterile compared to a vintage style Fender neck. The headstock of the Warmoth is inexplicably not correct to Fender, and I guess that matters to me. Again, as a parts guy, there is no substitute for realizing a bass that exists just because you want it exactly that way. Some of us think in terms of resale value, and I think that is a pretty heavy consideration.

 

[friendlybass]

Thinking about doing a build from warmoth routed body blank and paddle neck, get my feet wet with building. Really seems like a great value but I know with our northern brethren's currency not doing so hot a fender might be a better option. Check out the options G&L has on the SB1 and LB100 customish MIA instruments with much friendlier price tags.

 

[jp8848]

To address that concern, I have an all-Warmoth build that the neck and body came to me years apart and the neck pocket fit is so tight you couldn't cram a thought in there. Standard is standard. Here it is.

The MIM P body originally pictured was purchased out of the TB Classifieds.

WOW!! One sweet bass there Mega!! Thanks for the input!

 

[MegaSwing]

If you like a Warmoth P then that is what you should go with. However, although they look very much the same, a Warmoth and a Fender are very different. The Warmoth P neck is chunkier and is not available in the vintage 7.25" radius. Also the Warmoth body is 1 3/4" thick as opposed to the Fender 1 5/8". It may not seem like a lot, but the Warmoth is bulkier enough to make a difference.

Frankly, after owning more Warmoths than I can remember the past 30+ years I'll never own another one. Haven't had one yet that played or sounded like a Fender.

Perhaps that's why I've done so well over the years with the Fender body/Warmoth neck combination. And it was a fluke of circumstances for me. Fender bodies are everywhere in a way that Warmoth bodies are not. And Warmoth necks seem to get around. The Warmoth/Warmoth builds I have are still very fine, but their vibe is a little different, I must agree.