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Warmoth Bass worth building?
- Thread starter solidmaui78
- Start date
I have 4 and I love 'em! Just to echo, if off-the-rack is enough for you then do that. If you want something more (in every way except resale), get a Warmoth made the way you want.
Even the standard P or J duplicates are better versions IMO. That's not to say you won't find a really nice Fender. It means you'll always find a really nice Warmoth.
Even the standard P or J duplicates are better versions IMO. That's not to say you won't find a really nice Fender. It means you'll always find a really nice Warmoth.
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Is it worth it to build a Warmoth bass? Depends.....
Yes, if you want a Fender Custom Shop quality (or better) bass that's a keeper and don't mind paying between $1000 and $2000 for the final project.
No, if you intend to resell and expect to get anywhere near what you paid for it.
If the fully completed price is within your budget they are great basses. I'd put up any of the ones I've made against any bass at any price point. You can go as conservative or as nuts as you want on the material selections and finishes. Body and headstock shapes are limited to industry standards for the most part (Fender, Gibson, etc) unless you go with a plank or paddle options in which case you're in for some fun wood work. Generally speaking the quality of the parts is first rate (as good or better than any MIA fender) and their sales staff are very helpfull and polite. Never had to return anything they sent me so not sure how that department is to work with.
Yes, if you want a Fender Custom Shop quality (or better) bass that's a keeper and don't mind paying between $1000 and $2000 for the final project.
No, if you intend to resell and expect to get anywhere near what you paid for it.
If the fully completed price is within your budget they are great basses. I'd put up any of the ones I've made against any bass at any price point. You can go as conservative or as nuts as you want on the material selections and finishes. Body and headstock shapes are limited to industry standards for the most part (Fender, Gibson, etc) unless you go with a plank or paddle options in which case you're in for some fun wood work. Generally speaking the quality of the parts is first rate (as good or better than any MIA fender) and their sales staff are very helpfull and polite. Never had to return anything they sent me so not sure how that department is to work with.
I think the main reason for the poor resale value is: The buyer is unsure of what parts were used. Who did the finishing? What was the quality of the finish? Who assembled the parts? What was the quality of the assembly. What was the quality of the setup, and on and on. You can put together a great bass from Warmoth parts. It will be fairly expensive, probably over $1,200.00 Resale will be about $400 to $600.
Rocky
Rocky
Thats a pretty low estimate considering what ive seen them go for as of late. I actually havnt seen a decent warmoth go for $600 or less in a while. It seems like resale is starting to creep up on warmoth basses a bit. If theres any indication that warmoth is gaining more and more interest from people its all the threads popping up recently.
EDIT: I also dont think the lower resale has to do with the things you mentioned either.
Who did the finishing/whats the quality - Unless its an obviously bad job, who cares. You think companies like fender has so special paint jobs that set them apart?
Who assembled the parts - Again, unless its something really involved, who cares. If people can trust foreign companies to throw together basses they love this is peanuts.
Who assembled it/set it up - Yet again, this shouldnt matter. As long nothing is in bad shape everything can be setup properly when you buy it. Hecck, setup is usually normal routine when buying a new bass. Do you think fender basses (regardless of where its made) are always setup well?
Based on my experience (And I've done several Warmoth bass) the numbers are right.
I just sold a loaded Warmoth body on ebay for $300. Pickups, preamp, bridge - all top notch - cost me about $800 total. $300. VERY annoying...
That said, Warmoth DOES do very nice work. I just won't do another Warmoth build again. I might *buy* some other guy's loss-leader... but no mas for me.
Which reminds me - anyone want a Warmoth 5 string...?!?!?
Almost everyone cares about these things, and it does matter. People trust Fender, Musicman, G&L, etc. to do a good professional job in designing and assembling the products they sell. They do not trust a random stranger to do the same. Now any random Warmoth bass could have been assembled by the finest tech on Earth, but most people don't think so, and for good reason. Most Warmoth instruments are bought and assembled by duffers. This is a widely known fact, and that affects resale value greatly.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Parts basses are a lot of fun to build and play.
Then when someone asks what kind of bass that is you can say "I built it."
Then when someone asks what kind of bass that is you can say "I built it."
Here is your answer - On to part 2 of the thread!
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/warmoth-owners-club-part-2-a-767785/
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/warmoth-owners-club-part-2-a-767785/
Im not saying they dont matter, im saying thats its somewhat ignorant to base a selling price or what youll pay on it for that reason. Youre dillusional if you think those companies always send out instruments well setup or that retailers always have them well setup either. Build quality and playability after setup is what give most companies a good name and following. The problem is people like yourself who think a good setup is worth a ton of extra money, try and chew down prices on basses that arent mainstream because you feel it may not be set up, and assume larger companies or the higher end basses sold by companies are all set up perfectly. I can go to any music shop and order a bass form just about any company and a lot of them wont be setup properly or the way id like them to be. The opposite also applies, i can buy a cheapo bass and it can be way better set up than a fodera, alembic, or anythign else out there. Youre trying to make a point by backing it up with nonsense.
You could get a chambered walnut jazz body.
EDIT:
You know, despite what everyone says about their crappy resale value, I never see any cheap warmoth basses for sale (like sub-$400, I mean, obviously there are a few that are cheap compared to the cost to build them)
Based on my experience (And I've done several Warmoth bass) the numbers are right.
I just sold a loaded Warmoth body on ebay for $300. Pickups, preamp, bridge - all top notch - cost me about $800 total. $300. VERY annoying...
That said, Warmoth DOES do very nice work. I just won't do another Warmoth build again. I might *buy* some other guy's loss-leader... but no mas for me.
Which reminds me - anyone want a Warmoth 5 string...?!?!?
So, you had warmoths that you sold for less than you could/should have. Thats another really common problem. A lot of poeple go for quick sales or take whatever offer them get and are done with it. That doesnt just effect warmoth basses but many others as well. The reality is that Fender should have lower resale simply because of the number of them out there and thie rquality (or lack of).
The reality is that Fender DOES have a higher resale than any Warmoth. Man, you're one of those bitter-enders on ebay that attempt to sell an item for week after week at a high price because *you* know the "real value" better than the market does, aren't you??
Fender only has high resale because you and everyone else makes them that way (for no real reason). Its sad to see so many higher quality basses being sold for less new or used when they are higher quality.
No, im not one of those people. I have as much fun laughing at those people as anyone else does. lol
Asking whats fair and whats unrealistic are two different things.
Also, as far as fenders go, i dont hate them. I hate the bs hype and prices that dont refelct the quality of the instrument. Ive played and would like a number of fenders but whenever i find one thats to my liking (regardless of how "over the top" or "plain" it is) the price is always stupidly high. Theres no reason a mass produced instrument should fetch a custom built price.
Fact - When you buy a Fender, Musicman, G&L, Rickenbacker, et.al., you are guaranteed an instrument that is assembled and set up by professionals.
Fact - buying a Warmoth gets you no such guarantee.
Fact - Because of this, you are MUCH more likely to get a bungled kit instrument than you are from any major (or minor) manufacturer.
The vast majority of people don't like a bass that has been slapped together by a unknown rank amateur. Especially a rank amateur with a soldering gun. Nor do they like highly personalized kit instruments. Most people, were they inclined to go with a kit, would rather pay the retail cost for new parts and oversee it's assembly themselves. THIS is why Warmoth instruments don't hold their value.
Bwahahahaha, are you joking or under the influence of some illicit substance? You actually think that all thoe mass produced instruments those companies pump out are assembled and set up with loving care by professionals (rickenbacker, maybe, since they dont really mass produce like the others you mention).
Crazy, not really. Illogical, highly.
A Fender product musta really crapped in your Cheerios one morning.
Sorry Adrenaline. I couldn't resist. When someone has a chip on their shoulder about a product, it's kinda obvious.
Regardless of how beautiful the Warmoth builds I've seen (and played) and how much better they may actually be, a seller has to be patient on TB to get any kind of good money in resale. That supports your initial point somewhat. It must be really frustrating to watch those silly uninformed Fender buyers jump on those rediculously high asking prices that are fetched weekly here in the TB classifieds.
The one thing that gets me though, is the folks with Warmoth builds with the Fender decal on the headstock. What's up with that?!?
Now back to the OP. If I had 1150 to spend, I could build a Warmoth that may be better than the last 2010 MIA JB I had, but I won't know for sure until it's finished. Or I could just go to a couple of stores and try a couple of Fenders until I found one that I was pleased with (as I did with my last MIA Fender
)If your not too sure about building one, find a used one. That's what I did. Got it for less than $500 and it probably cost the original owner a little over a grand to make. They don't hold their resale value terribly well, which is good if you want to buy one. After I swapped the strings that were on it it sang. It plays extremely well and sounds great. I'd put it against an American fender easily.
Is it worth it? I can't say. Would you build it yourself or have a local luthier do it? That could add a decent amount to your overall cost. I agree finding a nice fender would be easier, but getting something tailored to your specs for almost the same price is a pretty good deal if you decide to take the plunge.
Is it worth it? I can't say. Would you build it yourself or have a local luthier do it? That could add a decent amount to your overall cost. I agree finding a nice fender would be easier, but getting something tailored to your specs for almost the same price is a pretty good deal if you decide to take the plunge.
