Keep in mind that Warmoth necks are not plug and play. Sure, you can use them out of the box, but they are not ideal that way and aren't intended to be by Warmoth. I was shocked to learn that, and even more shocked at the number of people who accept this without question.
A Warmoth neck will require fret leveling and crowning as well as filing down the sharp fret edges. They advertise that this is how they are meant to be, since they require the player to do a fret job to the individual player's preference.
And, I was even more shocked to learn that the fretboard edges are not addressed. At all. They are sharp enough to nearly cut you. Warmoth's response was that it is up to the individual player to roll the edges to their liking-even though the neck may already have a finish on it. Warmoth states that rolled edges, once removed, cannot be put back. They don't address the fact that in order to roll the edges, the neck will have to be refinished.
Again, they are not plug and play.
Years ago I bought an all PauFerro jazz neck. It had a beautiful "sanding sealer" finish (all necks, whether technically advertised as not having a "finish" are all actually shipped with at least a sanding sealer finish). However, the fretboard edges were terribly uninvitingly sharp, the fret nubs were sticking out a tiny bit like little thumb-tack tips, the neck was heavy as a boat anchor (not their fault), and frets weren't the least bit level. When I inquired about all the above, that's when I got the response-from Warmoth-that this is normal for a new Warmoth neck. They are not intended to be a "finished" product at the time of purchase. That's up to you (or a luthier) to do a fretjob, leveling, rolling the edges, and refinishing the neck.
From Warmoth's website: "Please note, Warmoth does not perform fret leveling. Most Warmoth necks are playable as they are received and do not require fret leveling. However, because wood moves with changes in temperature, humidity and string tension fret leveling may be required. This is best done after the neck has been strung up to pitch for several days and allowed to adjust in the assembled state. For this reason, Warmoth leaves this fine tuning to the end user. On necks with Maple fretboards, where the finish covers the fretboard, the finish is sprayed directly over the frets. This finish will wear off quickly with use, or it can be scraped off quite easily. A fret leveling operation will also take it off."
Again, Warmoth never addressed the need for a refinish after you roll the edges a bit to get rid of the super sharp fretboard edges. My neck was shipped with a beautiful sanding sealer finish (that I did not want to ruin), and it would not look the same once I took sandpaper to roll the edges. That concern was not addressed by Warmoth. It's part of the experience.
Needless to say that was my first and last Warmoth neck.
