Warmoth Build

[quindecima]

I have decided to assemble my own Bass. I am going to order a Dinky P and tilt-back neck from warmoth. I am pretty decent with wood working and have a drill Press lots of hand tools and pretty good with electronics. I have looked up how to install tuners from scratch but am hesitant on how to adjust the Truss Rod correctly and install the neck correctly. I have straight edges etc. Some help would be nice on this.

 

[eddododo]

This is a thread I’ll happily participate in, as an utter novice who has put together several Warmoths. Attaching the neck is as simple as screwing it in- wax your screws, don’t go too tight.

Truss rod is tricky, but it’s harder to figure out what you LIKE than it is to figure out how to do it. Just google some videos, honestly, and make sure not to turn it too much all at once.

If you’re doing Warmoth, I HIGHLY encourage using the graphite rods over the steel. My first Warmoth was a real beauty and played great but it was just too heavy- I picked heavy bodywood too but the steel rods really took it over the edge for me, and I’m not one to watch the scale before I purchase even.

You honestly won’t need many tools unless you specifically want to leave out some options on purpose for the sake of doing them yourself- if that’s the case, I’d suggest maybe a cheaper parts bass build, and you can apply the lessons learned to a real masterwork Warmoth build up. Just a thought

 

[quindecima]

I'm using a swamp Ash body and the graphite rods. I want to get the neck situated correctly, mostly side to side, I can deal with the truss rod. shall I string up the E and G and lineup the neck on those?

 

[eddododo]

I'm using a swamp Ash body and the graphite rods. I want to get the neck situated correctly, mostly side to side, I can deal with the truss rod. shall I string up the E and G and lineup the neck on those?

Unless I missed something, the neck on these is pretty snug, and the holes from body to neck are pretty flawlessly lined up IME. But yes that’s what I would do, whatever that’s worth. If somehow it seems off just loosen the screws and give it a nudge (obviously loosen the strings first, I’d be lying if I said I’ve never made that mistake)

 

[eddododo]

It’s pretty subtle, but remember the E is bigger and it can look lopsided sometimes, or like it’s action or distance from neck edge are too small.. if you find yourself second guessing from optical illusion, string up the same size string at both ends

Maybe I’m just projecting my own neuroticism

 

[quindecima]

Good point.

 

[The Ryantist]

Learning to set up a guitar/bass is highly valuable. Just practice. You won't ruin anything as long as you don't go way too tight on the truss rod

Step 0: Buy this tool: https://www.amazon.com/String-Actio...ocphy=9031012&hvtargid=pla-568730803100&psc=1

Stew Mac sells one for about $22. I normally like to buy the original and not the cheap knockoff. In this case, I did originally buy the Stew Mac version, and I lost it, so I bought this cheaper one. Of course I later found the Stew Mac one, but I actually like the Amazon one better. It's easier to read, and has a nice reference table on the back. But I digress.

edited to insert Step 0.5: Check if your frets are level. Hopefully they'll be good on a new Warmoth neck.

Step 1: Neck Relief. This is set with the truss rod and it controls the bow of the neck. It is not meant to control string action (it does, but that's a side effect, not the main purpose). I set my relief by stringing up the guitar to tension, put capo on the first fret, push down on the 12th fret, and then use this card to measure mystring height above the 7th fret. I'm looking for about 0.015" clearance above the 7th fret. YMMV. This way we are just measuring the bow of the neck and it totally eliminates any effect of the nut or bridge height.

Step 2: Nut height. This is one that's often overlooked by people. Do each string one by one. Press down a string at the 2nd fret. You're looking for a small gap at the 1st fret of less than 0.01" (paper thin). If the gap is bigger you can file down the nut slot for that string, and if the string touches the 1st fret then your nut is too low and open strings might buzz. Another way to see this is to hold down a string on the 3rd fret and tap on the 2nd fret with the other hand - that can help you see the size of the gap at the first fret. (The order of this step actually doesn't matter in relation to the others. You probably only have to adjust the nut height once for the guitar).

Step 3: Bridge Height. Here's where you want to adjust the action. Like I said in step 1, the action will change as a byproduct of adjusting relief, so always check your relief before setting up your bridge.

Step 4: Intonation. Do this last, as it most likely won't adjust the others. If you have to move the saddles a lot, you might have to repeat steps 3 and 4 again. But probably only upon the initial setup when you're building.

 

[Jisch]

To verify neck alignment tape kite string in the outer nut slots and their corresponding bridge saddles. The gap between the strings and the edge of the neck should be consistent all the way down the neck. I doubt anything will be off, but that's a good way to check. I do that before I mount the bridge or do neck screws (if I'm doing a bolt on).

 

[quindecima]

Another question...…….I have Hipshot lightweight tuners, I'm looking at these things and see that the bushing is threaded for the tuner body. I don't have the neck here yet but need to know how to proceed. I plan on waxing the outside of the bushing and installing them with a bolt backed by some plywood and then threading the tuner itself from the other side into the proper position and tightening the bushing to draw it the rest of the way up, mark the hole, remove the tuner, drill and install. Do I have this figured correctly?

 

[HaMMerHeD]

Is the headstock drilled already?

If not, just use a 14mm bit to drill the hole, insert the tuner body from the back, and use a 9/16" wrench to tighten the bushing down.

If it is pre-drilled, and the holes are the wrong size....good luck.

 

[quindecima]

Yes the headstock is drilled for 14mm but I don't know how tight of a install the bushings will be.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

It'll be a slip fit. The bushing will still turn in the hole (but shouldn't be loose).

 

[quindecima]

Outstanding! BTW I went to Navy 'P' school in Norman so long ago we had to shoot Dinos on the way to the barracks.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

Nice. It's a good little town. Most of the Navy buildings are still there, but have been taken over mostly by the University.

 

[TerribleTim68]

Learning to set up a guitar/bass is highly valuable. Just practice. You won't ruin anything as long as you don't go way too tight on the truss rod ....

Not to resurrect a dead thread, but this is probably the best, and most simple, walk-thru I've ever seen. Great info here, so thanks!

On a side note, I find the Warmoth thing funny. Having spent my high school years in the Tacoma, Washington area, and playing in local bands during the late 80s to early 90s, everybody around here knew Warmoth because it was "that little guitar shop down the road that sells parts". Nobody ever really built a full-on Warmoth build back then, but it was our local "go-to" for parts any time something broke. Pretty much all the local band members, myself included, ran straight here any time a pot broke, or we lost a knob, or a tuning key broke, or God forbid that one large groupie sat on your guitar and broke the neck. I can't tell you how many guys had a really sweet Ibanez or Kramer with a Warmoth neck on it from that scenario playing out far too often. Still today I live and work literally right down the road from the Warmoth factory and probably drive by it at least once a week. For whatever reason I just never viewed them as a high-end custom builder. Probably because we always used them for replacement parts. My only peeve now is that they closed the walk-in store when they moved to the current location. You used to be able to just pop in and buy whatever you needed. Need a new pot? Head to Warmoth! Need a jack? Head to Warmoth! Need some screws for a pick guard? Yup, stop by Warmoth! Now everything is online only. I miss the days of being able to touch stuff before you buy it. But hey, they did give me a sweet tee with the turtle logo on it!