Just out of curiosity how much does a warmoth custom usually run by the time you have everything put together including decent electronics? I got 1000 dollars fir a new bass and im assuming that is not enough but im just curious
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Warmoth basses
- Thread starter Bubbacritz
- Start date
Totally depends on the specs. Do you plan on having them finish it, or doing it yourself? Active or passive? Specs are going to play a big part in what you pay.
id have them finish it if i had the money or if not i would just have a laminated wood on top and active and i was planning on making the body and neck maple
Well you're going to HAVE to have a finish on them whether you like it or not. Your woods will discolor if you don't put a finish on, unless you get a wood that doesn't require a finish, like bubinga. I don't know what would happen to a laminate without a finish, but it doesn't sound like it would be good for the top.
sorry i phrased that wrong its getting kind of late what i meant to say is that i would get a natural finish since i would assume thats cheaper but im not really speaking from experienced since ive never come near a custom bass company
Well, I've done some hypothetical shopping around Warmoth while trying to come up with a price for my Gecko 6, and actually, a top with a clear finish costs more than a solid finish. However, there are probably some better tonal qualities with tops as opposed to solid finishes. I'm not really speaking from experience, but mostly what I see around here.
For my Warmouth guitar, I got a flame maple top on swamp ash and just put a coat of stain on it with an old sock. Very low tech and not very protective. But it has aged ok and has a patina now. Still plays and sounds like crap though...
You can save some money by buying from the in stock section, if they have what you want. You could also do an oil finish, which is not hard for the do-it-yourselfer. I have a bubinga neck and a wenge neck. They feel amazing! They cost more than maple but you don't have to worry about a finish.
I did a little pricing last night to see how much I would have to spend to assemble a Jazz bass. I was looking at around $1100 or so for everything except the bridge that I want, which would run me another $100, and another $80 for a case. But, I would most likely take it to a local luthier to assemble so its done right, so who knows how much that would cost. I might be able to reduce some of that cost by getting hardware second hand or what not.
$1G can be tight if you're talking about something with a top laminate, but you can just go in the body/neck builders and play around to see the prices. Note that some woods require an isolator coat, and are thus more expensive to finish.
Don't forget all the miscellaneous parts/electronics/knobs/switches/strings/etc. Here's a list of stuff you might need:
Body
Neck
Pickups
Pickguard (if necessary)
Pickguard screws (if necessary)
control plate (if necessary)
neckplate
neckplate screws
vol pots
tone pots
tone caps
knobs
switches
output jack
jack plate/ferrule (for side jacks)
tuning machines
strings
bridge
string ferrules (for string through bridges)
string retainers (if necessary)
strap buttons
shielding
wire
Possible additional Costs:
Shipping
Case
Any tools you might need
Camera - to take pictures for us
Depending on what options you pick, and what parts/electronics you might already have lying around, you could spend anywhere from ~$900 to ~$2000 on a Warmoth. At the low end, you're talking solid (or tranparent) finishes/cheapest woods/cheapest body styles out of the Showcase + cheapest (decent) parts. Note that even a "cheap" Warmoth should be a great bass if you don't use garbage for pickups/parts.
drewfx
[Edit - added a few items to list]
Don't forget all the miscellaneous parts/electronics/knobs/switches/strings/etc. Here's a list of stuff you might need:
Body
Neck
Pickups
Pickguard (if necessary)
Pickguard screws (if necessary)
control plate (if necessary)
neckplate
neckplate screws
vol pots
tone pots
tone caps
knobs
switches
output jack
jack plate/ferrule (for side jacks)
tuning machines
strings
bridge
string ferrules (for string through bridges)
string retainers (if necessary)
strap buttons
shielding
wire
Possible additional Costs:
Shipping
Case
Any tools you might need
Camera - to take pictures for us
Depending on what options you pick, and what parts/electronics you might already have lying around, you could spend anywhere from ~$900 to ~$2000 on a Warmoth. At the low end, you're talking solid (or tranparent) finishes/cheapest woods/cheapest body styles out of the Showcase + cheapest (decent) parts. Note that even a "cheap" Warmoth should be a great bass if you don't use garbage for pickups/parts.
drewfx
[Edit - added a few items to list]
A Warwick is an entirely different kind of bass.
Warmoth mostly does Fender style instruments. If I wanted a Jazz bass, why the hell would I choose a Warwick instead?
Bubinga and Wenge are beautiful woods, but I would never want to own either personally because the tone is supposedly warm.
The OP said Maple for the neck and body, so I am assuming that he wants a really bright bass?
I went with a Padouk neck on my Jazz bass because it's supposedly similar to Maple tonally.
Canary wood is another great choice because not only does it sound similar to Maple, but it also looks *somewhat* similar as well. (Both of these woods need no finish. Canary can take a finish if you want one, but it would be insane to want to finish it. Raw wood is awesome!
)
- Aug 5, 2005
- 7,243
- 92
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: J.C. Basses
Why not go to Warmoth.com and price a bass? I found that the Gecko 6-string I want will cost ~$1400.
If anything, you could just buy the woods and hardware, then decide which electronics you want at a later time.
To give you an estimate (idk exactly what you want):
Body - Walnut Body w/ Quilt Maple Top & Maple Line, Routed for 9V battery box: $430
Neck - Maple Neck w/ Ebony Fretboard & Quilt Maple Headstock: $380
Paint - Purple dyed body & headstock: $220
Total for Woods & Paint- $1030.
Presume $500 for electronics and hardware, and you'll be looking at $1500 for a custom Gecko 6.
However, since we have no idea what you want in the bass aside from the neck and body woods, we can't be of any help to you.
If anything, you could just buy the woods and hardware, then decide which electronics you want at a later time.
To give you an estimate (idk exactly what you want):
Body - Walnut Body w/ Quilt Maple Top & Maple Line, Routed for 9V battery box: $430
Neck - Maple Neck w/ Ebony Fretboard & Quilt Maple Headstock: $380
Paint - Purple dyed body & headstock: $220
Total for Woods & Paint- $1030.
Presume $500 for electronics and hardware, and you'll be looking at $1500 for a custom Gecko 6.
However, since we have no idea what you want in the bass aside from the neck and body woods, we can't be of any help to you.
A Warwick is an entirely different kind of bass. If I wanted a Jazz bass, why the hell would I choose a Warwick instead?
+1
Talk about missing the point entirely
My first Warmoth build ended up at $1600, not including my labor for building.
My second Warmoth build ended up at $2200 not including my labor for building and some additional stuff I had Mike Lull do to the bass.
$1000 for a Warmoth is a bit tight once you factor in all the extras. Warmoth isn't the route to go if you're trying to save money. They are the route to go if you want very high quality parts and lots of options based around a Fender template (i.e. scale, neck joint, etc.).
My second Warmoth build ended up at $2200 not including my labor for building and some additional stuff I had Mike Lull do to the bass.
$1000 for a Warmoth is a bit tight once you factor in all the extras. Warmoth isn't the route to go if you're trying to save money. They are the route to go if you want very high quality parts and lots of options based around a Fender template (i.e. scale, neck joint, etc.).
ya i figured it would be to tight and i wouldn't know how to assemble it, ill just stick the used american p bass deluxe i was aiming for
- Aug 5, 2005
- 7,243
- 92
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: J.C. Basses
Assembling a bass is extremely easy. Really. Everything is pre-routed and drilled for you, so it's just sticking parts into their places, and if you've got $1000 to spend on a bass, you probably know the basic parts of a bass. 
Carvin is another route if you've got $1000 to spend. They've got some cheaper 4-string models that you could probably get for that price. Fully-customizable, pre-assembled, and neck-thru options exist.
Carvin is another route if you've got $1000 to spend. They've got some cheaper 4-string models that you could probably get for that price. Fully-customizable, pre-assembled, and neck-thru options exist.
While it is "easy" enough to put the parts together, getting the resulting instrument to play well can be a whole 'nother ball of wax.
imho putting together a parts bass isn't a way to save money - getting a used production instrument is the way to do that.
imho putting together a parts bass isn't a way to save money - getting a used production instrument is the way to do that.
- Aug 5, 2005
- 7,243
- 92
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: J.C. Basses
Assembling a guitar vs. setting one up are very different. If you can assemble a bass, you can have a good tech set it up for another $60.
Used is always the way to go, if you can, though.
