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Warmoth custom vs Fender jazz?
- Thread starter baba68
- Start date
One of the problems with building a parts bass is you'll never know what it sounds/plays like 'til after you've spent your money and put it together. If you're looking for a bass as your #1 player buy one you can play first. The Fender MIA reissues are good basses.
Edit: If you've got your heart set on building a parts bass, consider USA Custom Guitars as well as Warmoth.
Edit: If you've got your heart set on building a parts bass, consider USA Custom Guitars as well as Warmoth.
For the most part, I agree with r379. I built a parts P bass (Fender/Allparts though, not Warmoth). It turned out to be a nice bass, but not what I had expected. There's a bit of risk and chance if you decide to go the custom build route.
On the other hand, you could end up with something much better than what you could by in a store.
On the other hand, you could end up with something much better than what you could by in a store.
Wood quality will be fine with Warmoth or USA Custom. It's just that you NEVER really know what what two pieces of wood (neck and body) are going to sound like together or how it will play until the bass is assembled. That problem doesn't exist when you buy a bass off the rack. Then you can play it and listen to it.
The residual value of a custom build parts basses, is no where near that of an actual production bass. That said, if you spent $1500 on a Fender, & $1500 on a Warmoth.... & then decided you need to sell the bass, you won't get any where close to what you spent trying to sell a parts bass.
If you can get past that reality, it will be a custom, & be exactly what YOU decide it should be.
If you can get past that reality, it will be a custom, & be exactly what YOU decide it should be.
i'll voice a dissenting opinion here as devil's advocate
while i agree that one can never know what a parts bass will sound like until it's assembled, i believe one can have a very good idea if one invests the time to research prior to obtaining the parts
as for knowing how one will play, the playability will be adjustable just like any other bass...a set up will determine how it plays and feels
i do agree with the equity issue in that the fender will not depreciate as much and will have a larger market for resale...i also agree that being able to try before buying is a great benefit that isn't available on a parts build
this being said, i recently put together my first parts jazz with warmoth neck and body, and it sounds almost exactly like what i expected...i've adjusted the action via the nut, bridge and neck to play exactly how i like as well...perhaps i got lucky, but i like to think the hours i spent researching what i wanted paved the way for the luck
while i agree that one can never know what a parts bass will sound like until it's assembled, i believe one can have a very good idea if one invests the time to research prior to obtaining the parts
as for knowing how one will play, the playability will be adjustable just like any other bass...a set up will determine how it plays and feels
i do agree with the equity issue in that the fender will not depreciate as much and will have a larger market for resale...i also agree that being able to try before buying is a great benefit that isn't available on a parts build
this being said, i recently put together my first parts jazz with warmoth neck and body, and it sounds almost exactly like what i expected...i've adjusted the action via the nut, bridge and neck to play exactly how i like as well...perhaps i got lucky, but i like to think the hours i spent researching what i wanted paved the way for the luck
that's way too expensive. besides i like 70's necks with 7,25 radius, but i prefer rosewood over maple fretboard. so a 75 ri is out of the question (only maple..? hate the nat finish aswell)
if i can get a bass which is just as excellent as a customized fender, i'll rather build that one from scratch than using alooot of money on customizing a fender.
so the question is really if the quality from warmoth/USAcust are just as good as fender's?
if i can get a bass which is just as excellent as a customized fender, i'll rather build that one from scratch than using alooot of money on customizing a fender.
so the question is really if the quality from warmoth/USAcust are just as good as fender's?
I've done my fair share of bass-building. IMO, no one can beat Warmoth for their experience, wood selections, state-of-the-art equipment and build quality. The two necks I've bought from them are the best bolt-on Fender Lic. necks I've ever played. They are ROCK solid. The body is top-notch, built to my specs and great quality wood. Its true that you will never get your money back out of a Warmoth build, the individual parts are worth more than the whole due to the issue of user assembly. Keep in mind however that what you loose in resale value you gain in knowledge and experience. If you want a bass that will be your bass, that you have sweat and possibly blood invested in, and you want it to meet or exceed anything the Fender custom shop can produce.... Warmoth is a good route to go.
Something else to keep in mind, there are hundreds of guys on this forum, myself included, who are more than willing to help and offer advice during the assembly.
Something else to keep in mind, there are hundreds of guys on this forum, myself included, who are more than willing to help and offer advice during the assembly.
I used to own a Fender USA '75 reissue in black with a rosewood fingerboard. They are only available in natural finish now but rosewood is still an option according to Fender's website.
I agree with everything said so far. That being said, if you have some familiarity with tools and construction principles, do the Warmoth! Go for it! Feel free to ask me questions along the way too. Glad to walk you through it.
Look how my Warmoth/Sadowksy turned out...it simply BLOWS AWAY any Fender I have ever played in both look, feel AND sound (better photos coming shortly).
Look how my Warmoth/Sadowksy turned out...it simply BLOWS AWAY any Fender I have ever played in both look, feel AND sound (better photos coming shortly).
You could also look at http://edenhaus.com/ for parts. I think they can do just about anything you want in a radius. I don't have a bass neck from them but I do have a guitar neck that was on a Tele I picked up and it's amazing.
My 2 cents
If you like a Fender 62 RI just get that. As others say it will have value if you want to sell it some day. On the other hand, if you want something that Fender is not making, maybe look into a Boutique Bass company before going the parts route. IMO parts basses are good if you know what wood combo you want to use or for putting in a none standard pickup route. My parts basses are like that. But I do always put a Fender headstock decal on them.
My 2 cents
If you like a Fender 62 RI just get that. As others say it will have value if you want to sell it some day. On the other hand, if you want something that Fender is not making, maybe look into a Boutique Bass company before going the parts route. IMO parts basses are good if you know what wood combo you want to use or for putting in a none standard pickup route. My parts basses are like that. But I do always put a Fender headstock decal on them.
My latest parts project.
Walnut Warmoth body routed for Nordstrand Big Split pickups.
Warmoth Birdseye Maple neck with an unlined Ebony fretless board.
Walnut Warmoth body routed for Nordstrand Big Split pickups.
Warmoth Birdseye Maple neck with an unlined Ebony fretless board.
That one looks like a lacewood top.
Anyways....If you want a Fender style buy a Fender or some sort of variant. There are loads of Fender style variants in the bass world at this point of time. If you fancy making your own Fender copy for the sheer joy of doing it, get a parts bass and make a clone. Otherwise the parts bass route is your best bet to do something you can't immediately get in a branded Fender style at reasonable cost.
A parts bass will usually not recoup its value as a whole instrument, but you could sell its parts and my guess is you'd probably get a better return than selling an assembled parts bass, made of Warmoth parts, All parts, moses or what not.
Anyways....If you want a Fender style buy a Fender or some sort of variant. There are loads of Fender style variants in the bass world at this point of time. If you fancy making your own Fender copy for the sheer joy of doing it, get a parts bass and make a clone. Otherwise the parts bass route is your best bet to do something you can't immediately get in a branded Fender style at reasonable cost.
A parts bass will usually not recoup its value as a whole instrument, but you could sell its parts and my guess is you'd probably get a better return than selling an assembled parts bass, made of Warmoth parts, All parts, moses or what not.
