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Warmoth custom vs Fender jazz?

#42
the lower resale value can work FOR you-i recently purchased an 80's era warmoth jazz bass,ash body,rosewood unbound dot neck,equipped w/emgs,and reverse klusons and case for $375! it is a great sounding player,and at this price,i can try changing components if i want (pickups,bridge). the warmoth neck is really sweet, and seems to have less dead spots than my 2 previous fender-made jazzes.....
 
#43
bassman10096 said:
The time and process required to really know what you will get in a set of self-chosen Warmoth options is significant. The average player doesn't have enough background to predict this accurately (It took me a couple of bass builds and surprise results to understand what I was doing.). I'd never discourage someone from putting together one of their own - nothing compares with playing something nobody else has and you imagined yourself. But it is often an adventure. I cringe every time I hear someone announce that they are going to combine a body in one exotic wood with a neck made from another with guts by particular makers - you know the story. The bass may look incredibly cool, but the sound could be good, bad, as expected, a total surprise, you name it.
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True, although this is more of an issue if you are going for exotic woods. It is a bit of a nail biter while you wait for the first chance to play it, but everything I've done has either met or surpassed my expectations.
 
#45
bassrique said:
I keep reading how some wood / pre /pup combos just don't work. Does anyone have any examples?
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It is all preference. they will all make noise, but maybe not a noise you like. Generally, you want to find a degree of balance. As an example of a production bass- the old gibson EBs are much darker than I like. Mahogany+short scale+ humbuckers-> dark dark dark.

When I did my last bass, I read alot about what people were putting in their Js, and based on reviews and sheer numbers, I ended up doing Nordstrands and an Audere for the electronics. The bass itself was not made out of anything exotic (maple/pau ferro, alder body). I figured, if it would work for others with similar set ups, then it would probably work for me (and it did).
 
#46
something i did was string up the bass without pickups and listen the the natural character, which told me my assumptions on pickups and electronics would work to produce the sound i wanted

i used a light swamp ash body with a wenge neck/ebony board fretless neck, which isn't standard issue fender, but isn't something that hasn't been done, either...
 
#47
I would recommend a Warmoth, if you have the time and patience. I am itching to piece together my own, but I came across this one (pictured below) here on TB. I just saw it and knew it was "it". I didn't get a cheap deal, but in comparison to the price of all the woods, hardware, electronics, it was half of the cost. Shaped and sounds like a Sadowsky and it is one of my main basses that I currently play.

2071706329_f3dd8edf7e.jpg
 
#48
As you can see, if resale isn't an issue you'll end up with exactly what you want. I assembled my first Warmoth 5 years ago and currently have 3 that I play regularly. They are as good as any boutique production style instrument out there and are exactly what I want. The quality of their parts and depth of their wood catalog is hard to beat on any level.
 
#49
if you dont care about resale value id go with a project bass. if you or a tech can assemble it well you will have a pretty dope bass.

i build a parts jazz and LOVE it. i prefer it over the production basses in the same price range... but thats just me.

also +1 for USA Custom Guitars. I used those guys instead of warmoth and am very satisfied. their jazz necks feel more like an actual jazz neck to me. i found the warmoth necks ive owned were a bit fatter than a standard fender neck. they also seem to offer more options and are super good have great customer support
 
#50
I don't have a dog in this hunt, but I will say this: I'm surprised more folks on TB have not used USA Custom for their bass parts. I have played both USA and Warmoth parts basses and much preferred the USA Jazz necks. As phatduckk mentioned, the Warmoth Jazz necks are somewhat chunkier. I guess that's because of the steel rods they use in their necks rather than the graphite rods USA uses.

USA is a smaller shop and gives you more options regarding neck radius and such and Tommy is a great guy to talk to. To those who care, Tommy occasionally gets air-dried (rather than kiln-dried) wood in and he will do one piece bodies in some woods.

Have I built a USA bass? No, I have not but I can assure you that USA is who I would go to if I were building a parts Jazz.
 
#52
I don't have a dog in this hunt, but I will say this: I'm surprised more folks on TB have not used USA Custom for their bass parts. I have played both USA and Warmoth parts basses and much preferred the USA Jazz necks. As phatduckk mentioned, the Warmoth Jazz necks are somewhat chunkier. I guess that's because of the steel rods they use in their necks rather than the graphite rods USA uses.
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I like the idea of graphite over steel because of that and the weight issue.

I understand fellow TBer Valenti switched from Warmoth to USAC.

I'm building a bass this year from one of these two makers. Perhaps I need to start a new thread on this?
 
#53
baba68 said:
If I decided to order the body and electronics from warmoth and the neck elsewhere would the neck fit?

i just want the 7,25 radius neck, warmoth doesnt have it.
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If you order the body and neck from USA they'll drill the neck mounting holes no charge. Ordering both the neck and body from the same manufacturer you'll know you shouldn't have any fitment issues.

If I were going to do this I'd order the electronics from the local store I do business with because I know I can get a better price than I could from Warmoth or anybody else.

I've done a lot of research on this stuff because I intend to build my own someday.
 
#54
baba68 said:
If I decided to order the body and electronics from warmoth and the neck elsewhere would the neck fit?

i just want the 7,25 radius neck, warmoth doesnt have it.
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yup. I have mix and matched usa and warmoth necks and bodies with no problem.

If you buy the neck from USA Custom Guitars they will recommend that they do NOT pre drill the neck's mounting holes b/c you cant guarantee it will match the body's. however an undrilled neck isnt an issue. I just ordered an undrilled usacg neck for a parts tele i built and drilling the neck mount holes was not an issue. it was my first time ever and i was surprised that it was easy and turned out just right in about 10 minutes
 
#55
r379 said:
I don't have a dog in this hunt, but I will say this: I'm surprised more folks on TB have not used USA Custom for their bass parts. I have played both USA and Warmoth parts basses and much preferred the USA Jazz necks. As phatduckk mentioned, the Warmoth Jazz necks are somewhat chunkier. I guess that's because of the steel rods they use in their necks rather than the graphite rods USA uses.

USA is a smaller shop and gives you more options regarding neck radius and such and Tommy is a great guy to talk to. To those who care, Tommy occasionally gets air-dried (rather than kiln-dried) wood in and he will do one piece bodies in some woods.

Have I built a USA bass? No, I have not but I can assure you that USA is who I would go to if I were building a parts Jazz.
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good points, but in regards to why everyone doesn't buy from one company, it's all personal preference...some probably feel the same way about warmoth that you feel about usacg

at the end of the day, both companies produce a great product, we just choose what works for our particular wants/needs

i have a tele neck from warmoth that's awaiting assembly into a partscaster, and it is the 'fatback' profile, which feels great--but i'd have preferred the even fatter model that usagc offers...but in the end i liked the side-adjust truss rod of the warmoth pro necks enough to go with them

...as an aside, i was concerned i'd have a neck-diver with my jazz build warmoth, but with proper hardware selection, it balances better than my fender GL (wenge/ebony neck and 3.5lb body, too)

if i do a standard alder/maple jazz next, i think i'll buy the parts from usagc
 
#57
Again, with Warmoth you cannot get a 7.25" radius, only 10". But you can with USACG.

However you cannot get blocks and binding fro USACG. Its a take/give sorta thing. Had I not been so smitten with the neck I bought, i would have gone USACG for the neck and body. But I chose Warmoth.
 
#58
I am considering to rather buy my neck at USACG now, and the body from Warmoth.
After what I've read, the USACG necks seems better, because the warmoths are too chunky. Also they do not have the 7,25 radius which I want.

So my question is really, is the warmoth body top class?
 
#60
I have a 2008 fender jazz bass american paid 1400.00 the neck got twisted and fender sent me another neck the problem is the bass does not play or sound the same, the original neck was all maple with a light coat of gloss. it jumped out at you with no dead spots and clarity and wasn't real bright. man do I miss the neck. what should I go with from warmoths necks, my body is alder with lindy fralin jazz pickups, I play through a ev b215m bass cabinet and ampeg svt vr head. diadaario nickle bass string finger player.
 

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