hi I'm toying with speccing a custom build but i want to be sure I know what I'm talking about.... I have a Warwick 5 Corvette $$ with Bartoloni active preamp now. It's bubinga and pretty heavy after three hours ...but I love playing it. My other bass is a Godin A5 fretless...it too is nice but I used the Warwick more these days because it works with the band I'm in... So, back to the custom. I had a Fender Jazz 5 and never really got comfy with it. I'd switched from a four string so part of that was the transition. However, one day I picked up the Warwick 5 and fell in love. The neck was so playable, unlike the Fender which I struggled with sometimes. I sold the Fender bought the Warwick. So now I'm thinking about a custom. The Fender J is a 9.5 radius C shape and 1.50 at the nut...not sure what the measurement is at a 12th and 20th. The Warwick specs say it is 26" radius which seems off the charts since the flattest specs I see everywhere else are around 11.5. It is1.8 at the net and 2.4 at the 12th and 2.7 at the 24th. Does that seem right to you luthiers? I do love the neck on the Warwick but I'd be happier to get a lighter body with kick ass electronics and pups.
So you're looking to get a lighter bass than the Warwick, but want to keep as much of their specs as possible in a custom build? That should be no problem at all. Your specs for the "Fender J" above seem to be 4 string specs though, as the Fender J 5 has a 1.875 (1 7/8") neck, with a 9.5" radius. I personally find the Fender 5 neck width to be a little cumbersome for my playing, as it's basically the same width as many six string bass necks. Well, not wide spaced sixes I guess. The 26" radius on the fretboard of the Warwick is quite a bit flatter of course, and if that floats your boat, then go for it. If you want a completely custom bass, then I'm sure your luthier can build you whatever you want. I find the Warwick necks to be pretty thick and rounded on the back, so that might be something to consider as well if you like the way it feels. What kinds of other specs are we talking about for your custom build?
thanks for the info. I thought I pulled the specs from Fender's site but.....1.875 sounds more correct given the Warwick's 1.50. I thought a 26" radius was off the chart so I wanted to check in with some experts....thanks again. and the more I think about it the more I realize I came close to switching back to a Four String when I was struggling with the JazzV...at the time I thought it was a transition thing...but the more I look at the specs I realize the Warwick neck is a much different beastie...and I have to say I was hooked five minutes after sitting in the store and playing around with it....I didn't buy that day but after looking around and trying different basses....I went out and bought one. The only other bass I have come close to buying was Warwick Dolphin ..not the Pro2 but a lovely used bass I found in a music store in Edmonton Alberta while visiting my daughter - strange place to find such a great instrument. The price was okay but they didn't have a hard case and I wasn't going splash cash on a gig bag given I was flying back to Toronto. The other specs? EMG soap bar pups, Bartoloni pre amp, Gotoh pegs and I have a BadAss V bridge...brand new I bought years ago when I was going to customize the JazzV but abandoned the idea because I just never warmed up to the bass. Body style is Gibson Thunderbird....think I'll duplicate the Warwick headstock set up and call it a ....Warbird!!! John Entwhistle..one of my early heros whom I like to copy in terms of style...had a Fenderbird....Tbird body with a Fender neck...but it was always a four string.