I will second the clunky part. The tone still sounds good. But for a jazz neck it is quite thick. (Rosewood with blocks in my previous post)
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Warmoth build?
- Thread starter Mediocrity Man
- Start date
This was the 51 slab body I just finished for myself. It's essentially a cabronita with a neck pickup (TV Jones pickups). All of my basses have warmoth necks besides my Ric for obvious reasons. I love their P bass profile neck I have ones from 90s, 00's, and 10's and love them all. All totally different materials as well.
Ductapeman
Ringmaster and Resident Geriatric
Depending on what you're after, it can absolutely be worth it--
I have no experience with Warmoth. That being said...
I, like you, had this glorious vision of a bass to match my 2001 Mustang Bullitt in Dark Highland Green. I bought a used bass at a local shop (got a good deal) and refinished it myself. I also rebuilt it with top-of-the-line components. When it was done, it was indeed beautiful. Unfortunately, I never bonded with it in terms of feel or tone. I sold it for a considerable loss. Lesson learned: be sure you love the bass before you spend the money. That's kind of hard to do with Warmoth or other component guitars. You are taking a pretty big leap of faith that you will love the feel of it.
Currently, I have had the itch for a Fender Jazz Bass in Fiesta Red. The OEM options are a MIM Road Worn ($1,100 new, hard to find used), or Fender Mod Shop ($1,900 new). Ultimately, I purchased a used 2018 Fender USA Professional in Natural Ash that I am having stripped and refinished by Pat Wilkins. I should have around $1,200 into it when all is said and done. MIM would have sufficed, but I had the budget for a USA. I made sure I played the heck out of that bass before I sent it out for refinishing. It's a fantastic bass with my eyes closed, and should be the bees knees in Fiesta Red.
I, like you, had this glorious vision of a bass to match my 2001 Mustang Bullitt in Dark Highland Green. I bought a used bass at a local shop (got a good deal) and refinished it myself. I also rebuilt it with top-of-the-line components. When it was done, it was indeed beautiful. Unfortunately, I never bonded with it in terms of feel or tone. I sold it for a considerable loss. Lesson learned: be sure you love the bass before you spend the money. That's kind of hard to do with Warmoth or other component guitars. You are taking a pretty big leap of faith that you will love the feel of it.
Currently, I have had the itch for a Fender Jazz Bass in Fiesta Red. The OEM options are a MIM Road Worn ($1,100 new, hard to find used), or Fender Mod Shop ($1,900 new). Ultimately, I purchased a used 2018 Fender USA Professional in Natural Ash that I am having stripped and refinished by Pat Wilkins. I should have around $1,200 into it when all is said and done. MIM would have sufficed, but I had the budget for a USA. I made sure I played the heck out of that bass before I sent it out for refinishing. It's a fantastic bass with my eyes closed, and should be the bees knees in Fiesta Red.
We'll have to disagree. Below is my P bass - all Warmoth wood. 6.6 pounds total and hangs on a strap with absolutely no hint of neck dive. Roasted maple, graphite rods, and the thin contour all contribute to make the neck even lighter than my Mighty Mite fretless one (which has no reinforcements or frets, but it still heavier than my Warmoth ones). Yes, it's possible to get a heavy Warmoth neck, but they give you options that determine what you get - they're not all heavy.
I've been thinking about putting together a 51 Precision. The usual slab body, tele neck and single coil thing. My question for anyone who has done a Warmoth build. It is worth the money? I'm guessing about $800 or more when done. My other option was to eventually find a Sting bass which run around the same used. It seems with a parts bass I'll never recover my money if I'm not happy with the results. I have this glorious vision of a trans blue finish over alder with a roasted maple neck.
Check out this little beauty (no affiliation with the seller...):
Grove Stairway Bass 2013 Blue | Jay's Gear Locker
This one here ain't no slouch either (again, no affiliation with the seller...):
Warmth '54 "P" style Custom Bass with Seymour Duncan and TV Jones Pickups
The Warmoth has a split coil pickup... they cost more...
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Not a dime. Warmoth has worked out really well for a few people I know and not so well for a few others. And there is just no resale potential at all if it doesn't come out like you wanted.
That's a beaut! Glad to see the TV Jones pups. my next build will be a homemade body with some zebra wood that I have left over from a coffee table. The wife is on board, but only if I use all gold hardware. I've been eyeballing the TV Jones for the build.
@fretno will have to give you the details on that one as it is his beautiful bass. I do remember that it was built as a 32" scale with a Seymour Duncan CS '51 Stack pickup (Stinger version). I think there are more pics and info on page 4 of the thread I linked to for it. Where are the 51-56 single coil precision basses?
Assembling all the damn parts together to create a properly playing instrument.
@2saddleslab is the TBer I was trying to think of in my post above...and here he is! He's built some great looking slab style basses.
@2saddleslab ....where's the cool Red one with the pinstriping? Although that one may not be a Warmoth if I recall.
I used Varathane Vintage Aqua stain. It goes on thick, like paint. I sanded to about 320 (the fine sanding prevents absorption of stain), kept applying coats about ten minutes apart, wiped down with mineral spirits between coats. When all that was done, I let it sit for a couple days, applied Tru Oil. I was hoping the amber tint in Tru Oil would get me a greenish hue. It “kinda” worked.
One thing that surprised me about the ‘51 P Bass is how bright it can get. I put Lindy Fralins in mine. Don’t get me wrong, it sounds freakin’ fantastic, but I assumed the ‘51 would be dark sounding for some reason. Regardless, for $800 bucks in all, I think it was definitely worth it, and I would definitely do it again.
I put the roasted maple neck on mine, btw. It’s a Jazz neck, and it feels like heaven.
Edit: The Warmoth neck does feel “chunkier” than my Fender Jazz neck.
I put the roasted maple neck on mine, btw. It’s a Jazz neck, and it feels like heaven.
Edit: The Warmoth neck does feel “chunkier” than my Fender Jazz neck.
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