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Warmoth Bass build

The_Conqueror

The_Conqueror

Sep 5, 2020
21
42
26
Söderhamn
#1
I’m a hard rock/metal bassist influenced by Steve Harris, Cliff Burton and Duff McKagan about to build a Warmoth Jazz bass with the following specs. What do y’all think?

BODY
Chambered mahogany
Flamed maple cap
Pearl pickguard
Red dyed top and black back gloss finish
Chrome hardware
Seymour Duncan quarter pound J/P pickups
Vol/vol/tone/toggle controll layout
Contoured heel
Fender hi mass bridge
Side mounted Stratocaster jack socket (think Ibanez JEM/Jackson Rhodes V/many Explorer-type guitars) to prevent the cable from getting ripped out, should it be stepped on

NECK
Flamed maple neck (vintage tint, satin finish)
Ebony fingerboard
24 stainless steel 6100 frets
No inlays
Luminescent side markers
Hipshot D tuner on E string and Schallers for the 3 others (vintage clover buttons)
Brass nut

I’m after a fairly Traditional looking, unique and versatile bass. Is this it, or am I WAY off? According to what I like in basses (and guitars) as far as woods and hardware this should be it, but maybe I’m missing something?
 
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#3
mdogs said:
How do we know if you are missing anything? I will say, I hope you are perfect in your guessing about what you want. If not, selling will be a nightmare, prepare to lose about 75% of what you spend, if you can sell it at all.
Click to expand...

Man this forum can be noxious sometimes. OP is asking for expert opinion on his build sheet.. if you dont have those expertise thats fine.. But maybe don't answer instead of being an a-hole.
 
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#5
The_Conqueror said:
I’m a hard rock/metal bassist influenced by Steve Harris, Cliff Burton and Duff McKagan about to build a Warmoth Jazz bass with the following specs. What do y’all think?

BODY
Chambered mahogany
Flamed maple cap
Pearl pickguard
Red dyed top and black back gloss finish
Chrome hardware
Seymour Duncan quarter pound J/P pickups
Vol/vol/tone/toggle controll layout
Contoured heel
Fender hi mass bridge
Side mounted Stratocaster jack socket (think Ibanez JEM/Jackson Rhodes V/many Explorer-type guitars) to prevent the cable from getting ripped out, should it be stepped on

NECK
Flamed maple neck (vintage tint, satin finish)
Ebony fingerboard
24 stainless steel 6100 frets
No inlays
Luminescent side markers
Hipshot D tuner on E string and Schallers for the 3 others (vintage clover buttons)
Brass nut

I’m after a fairly Traditional looking, unique and versatile bass. Is this it, or am I WAY off? According to what I like in basses (and guitars) as far as woods and hardware this should be it, but maybe I’m missing something?
Click to expand...
I can't envision what the control plate and jack think would look like together. Personally I think, right angle cable connectors should supercede the need for that
 
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#9
deff said:
I can't envision what the control plate and jack think would look like together. Personally I think, right angle cable connectors should supercede the need for that
Click to expand...
Angled cables are great and all, but if they jack is on the bottom of the instrument you will still accidentally pull the cable out if you step on it, a gigging musician's nightmare.
Side mounted Stratocaster jacks might look a bit odd at first, but they are very practical
 
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#11
I have a Warmoth bass I built up with Bassline 1/4 pounders. It sounds pretty mean but I can tell you that I really had no idea what it'd play or sound like till I got it together.

I think that working with electronics and all that is fun, so if you dig that kind of thing and are comfortable with basic soldering, etc., I say go for it.

While the other poster approached you in a pretty unfriendly way, they do have a point in terms of cost and value: no one will pay you close to the actual value of the parts after you get it together if you don't like it, but there aren't many ways to tell whether you'll like it or of it will sound or play the way you want until you get it together.

It'll be fun though and you'll have a connection to that bass, which is cool. It's a worthwhile thing to do and you will have a quality instrument afterwards assuming you have some basic skills, even if it's not exactly what you are looking for.


joe
 
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#12
All this talk about losing money when selling a custom-built instrument...what if he doesn’t intend to sell it? I believe his intent is to build a bad-assed bass to play.

with regard to the spec sheet, I wouldn’t do the 24-fret overhang. It apparently gets in the way of truss rod adjustment and necessitates removing the neck to gain access to the rod nut.

Although the Duncan QP PJ pickups are a popular set, also look into the DiMarzio model P and model J pair. The model J pickup is hum canceling. If you’re die-hard on Duncan’s, perhaps consider a Hot Stack J pickup otherwise you’ll have 60-cycle hum whenever the J pickup is being used.

And perhaps with the red body and ebony fretboard, black hardware might be a better match.
 
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#13
I am going to echo JoeDaddio. I have 4 complete Warmoth builds, bodies & necks. Everything else is the dream machine = very cool choices for your vision. Picking the electronics and hardware is the most fun I admit. The only thing you cannot install is the sound in your head. You will not know how it all shook out until it's done. Warmoth is top shelf quality, so my basses all panned out. Each one is its own personality and they please me.

You are doing the right thing sticking with proven wood/neck combinations. When you dabble with exotics it can become problematic when they don't play well together. It sounds like you are on your way.
Good luck and post when it's done!

P.S. A Strat connection is not necessary. Get the jack on the bottom of the body - I think they have a standard location. Use a right angle plug and thread it from behind over the bottom of your strap/top of strap pin and into the jack. You can jump on it all night and never pull it out.
 
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#14
Do I understand correctly that you plan to put the strat jack on the side of the body? If so, how will you get the jack plate to follow the radius on the side of the body?
 
#15
eastcoasteddie said:
All this talk about losing money when selling a custom-built instrument...what if he doesn’t intend to sell it? I believe his intent is to build a bad-assed bass to play.

with regard to the spec sheet, I wouldn’t do the 24-fret overhang. It apparently gets in the way of truss rod adjustment and necessitates removing the neck to gain access to the rod nut.

Although the Duncan QP PJ pickups are a popular set, also look into the DiMarzio model P and model J pair. The model J pickup is hum canceling. If you’re die-hard on Duncan’s, perhaps consider a Hot Stack J pickup otherwise you’ll have 60-cycle hum whenever the J pickup is being used.

And perhaps with the red body and ebony fretboard, black hardware might be a better match.
Click to expand...
Your points with the black hardware and truss rod access are very valid. However, I've never been a fan of black hardware and as long as upper fret access is an issue, resulting in the extra frets being a waste of money, they're staying as well.
As for the pickups I've used the quarter pounders for years with no issues, so I think I'll play it safe and stick with them, at least for now

Thanks for the imput!
Wilhelm
 
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#18
I like the build, the jack mount is unusual but if you can make it work why not? Only thing for me is I don't care for the scooped tone of QP's and I'm also a fan of the old Dimarzio Model P and J, but if the QP's work for you go for it. I'd love to see some detailed pics when you're done!
 
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#19
The_Conqueror said:
I’m a hard rock/metal bassist influenced by Steve Harris, Cliff Burton and Duff McKagan about to build a Warmoth Jazz bass with the following specs. What do y’all think?

BODY
Chambered mahogany
Flamed maple cap
Pearl pickguard
Red dyed top and black back gloss finish
Chrome hardware
Seymour Duncan quarter pound J/P pickups
Vol/vol/tone/toggle controll layout
Contoured heel
Fender hi mass bridge
Side mounted Stratocaster jack socket (think Ibanez JEM/Jackson Rhodes V/many Explorer-type guitars) to prevent the cable from getting ripped out, should it be stepped on

NECK
Flamed maple neck (vintage tint, satin finish)
Ebony fingerboard
24 stainless steel 6100 frets
No inlays
Luminescent side markers
Hipshot D tuner on E string and Schallers for the 3 others (vintage clover buttons)
Brass nut

I’m after a fairly Traditional looking, unique and versatile bass. Is this it, or am I WAY off? According to what I like in basses (and guitars) as far as woods and hardware this should be it, but maybe I’m missing something?
Click to expand...
Sounds good. My personal choice for a Warmoth neck was to get quartersawn maple, graphite rods, wenge fretboard, no inlays, 6230 frets and a TUSQ nut. I also did Hipshots with a D-Tuner on the E string.

My body choice was waaay different.

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