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Warmoth hack job?

H

Herbie Chesnutt

Guest
Mar 19, 2010
947
603
Wake Forest, NC
#1
I should be getting my Warmoth body in a couple weeks. I have the Warmoth neck already. I have all the hardware, tronics and strings ready to go.

I don't want buck this up.

So, I keep reading about these hacked up Warmoth builds. Can you guys give me details about what you mean by hack and give me some advice on how to not hack up my build?

I have already done a couple ReRanch bodies that turned out perfectly fine to me. I also have done some layers of tru oil on necks to a finish that is acceptable to me. Smooth and only slightly glossy. I'm not a wiz in any way with the soldering iron, but only doing a simple pbass wiring job on this one.

I've absorbed a tonna knowledge from TB, but I don't know what I don't know. Please give me as many protips as you can since I want to nail this build.

Thanks!!!
 
#7
Herbie Chesnutt said:
Great advice. The rattle can job has me sweating the most. Things can go south pretty quick.
Click to expand...

Routing, drilling and finishing were the biggest concerns for me. It's kinda hard to put wood back if you take too much out. If you aren't an experienced router you might want to ask a local luthier to do that part for you or just order the bass body pre routed. Drilling is much easier to do right and with a little practice you should be fine. Just be sure to mark your bits so you don't drill too deep on the tuner, bridge or pickup screws.
Probably one of the more common hack jobs I see involves sloppy string thru body drilling. If you have a bridge that requires a string thru body hole and ferrels be sure to use a drill press for those holes. The slightest off angle hand drill at the top of the body can make for some very sloppy alignment of the holes on the back side of the body.
Other than finishing, most of the other stuff is very straight forward.
 
#8
Make sure the screw holes in the body for the neck have enough clearance so that the screws pass through without the threads on the screws engaging the wood of the body.

A little wax, (bee's wax) on wood screws helps them tighten smoothly.

When I solder, I use a paper towel that is wet to wipe the tip of the iron right before making each joint. Keep your (flux core) solder in a plastic bag so it does not get dirty. When soldering to the back of a potentiometer, use a file, or sand paper to create a nice clean spot. Tin the wires, and solder lugs prior to soldering. Maintain a bridge of molten solder between the tip of the iron, and the work to conduct heat from the iron, by touching the solder to the iron immediately before touching the work, and feed the solder where the molten solder bridges the iron, and the work.

When laying anything out, measure three times, and cut/drill once, (hopefully).

I have found that Micro-Mesh abrasive pads are very useful. Rinse them often in a tub of water, as you use them.
 
#11
This is excellent stuff. Thank all of for this. I really appreciate it!!

Every pot I've soldered has like 4 lbs of solder cuz the dang thing just bubbles and curls but never settles in. Rough it up! Of course. Thanks for the tip. I just thought I had bad technique. I do, but that is a different story.

So, this is a SS p bass. The routes are all done. The string through is done at Warmoth. The neck is predrilled for those little nubbins so no screw holes. I'm thinking this will be pretty Herbie proof. But still.... Pick guard and straplocks will need to be drilled. Never done that.

How about scraping the binding.i've watched a tonna YouTube but I've never actually done it. Tips on getting that right? Frets? They seem a little sharp right now. Better to send that to a luthier?
 
#12
Depends how much stuff is pre-drilled. If it's a standard 34" scale neck w/ standard Fender neck heels dims, and the body is pre-drilled for that neck and routed/drilled for your bridge of choice, it's almost hard to muck it up.

Operative word there being "almost"

otoh, if any of the above isn't the case, all bets are off. e.g., with my current Warmoth-in-progress build the neck is from an older bass with non-standard heel dims, so I ordered the new body with no drilling and no routing. I'm having a local luthier/repairman do all of that work!
 
#13
Roscoe East said:
Depends how much stuff is pre-drilled. If it's a standard 34" scale neck w/ standard Fender neck heels dims, and the body is pre-drilled for that neck and routed/drilled for your bridge of choice, it's almost hard to muck it up.

Operative word there being "almost"

otoh, if any of the above isn't the case, all bets are off. e.g., with my current Warmoth-in-progress build the neck is from an older bass with non-standard heel dims, so I ordered the new body with no drilling and no routing. I'm having a local luthier/repairman do all of that work!
Click to expand...

Thanks. Almost everything is done as far as drilling. Just need to drill the pickguard and straplock screws. I also have to drill the holes for the pots. I suspect tape both sides to minimize tear out, correct?

It is unfinished with binding. I will do a reranch on the top and oil the back. Mahogany core wood. I'm mostly sweating the finish. Grain filling is some serious dark magic.

Thanks everyone. I kept seeing guys referring to hacked up builds and got concerned. I wasn't sure if I was missing the art here.

I will also have a tech to a proper setup and fret level once it is together.

Thanks again everyone.
 

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