Warmoth necks

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Warmoth and their necks are great! I have a Warmoth Jazz Bass and the quality is very high and could not be more impressed with it for the price.

I was experiencing pain in my left hand and discovered that a neck that had more girth (depth-not width if that makes sense) was more comfortable to play for an extended time. The thinner tapered necks seem to aggravate my carpal tunnel. I used to play at a bar that one of the Fender Master Builders would frequent and he stated that you have more leverage with a deeper taper neck and will have less fatigue as a result. I was considering a short scale at first but not anymore.

Hope that helps!

That's how I feel with my SR. It's too shallow. Ive got snoop dogg hands. Long and skinny fingers. It causes too much strain on my wrist with such a thin neck. My talman feels great. It's got girth too it. But, a new neck might just work for the OP. Or, a new bass entirely

 

[AskBass]

Definitely go and have a play of some of the slimmer Ibanez basses.

As an indication of how good a Warmoth with rolled edges can be i was at a shop on the weekend playing a frew basses and the sales dude grabbed the most expensive Ibanez they had on the wall (not really much choice in this place), a semi hollow SR30th4PE it think it was, which was about $2500 NZ. He handed to me saying "this is one of the nicest necks you'll ever play". He was quite taken aback and looked to be very unbelieving when i said that it was quite sharp on the fretboard edge and the fret ends were quite noticable. It wasn't until i got my daughter to feel it and she backed me up that he started to believe. Yes, it was a very nice neck, but the Warmoth with rolled edges and perfect fret ends is much better again.

I should add too that the slim taper, despite being the thinnest neck i've seen, is one of the most stable i've ever owned too.

I've played the sr700 and it was very comfortable but the sound wasn't my cup of tea (although very versatile). I also played a stingray and l2000 which also felt nice but lakland was like a glove to my hand. I already have a Jazz bass so I see no reason to buy a second one (when i'll buy a new bass it will probably be musicman).

That's how I feel with my SR. It's too shallow. Ive got snoop dogg hands. Long and skinny fingers. It causes too much strain on my wrist with such a thin neck. My talman feels great. It's got girth too it. But, a new neck might just work for the OP. Or, a new bass entirely

I would have bought the lakland if I didn't have a Jazz bass.

 

[Hevy T]

Op go try a Mim jazz bass deluxe or a mim geddy lee if you can! They have the kind of neck you are discribing

 

[non]

now with everyone's talk about how good the warmoth necks are you got me rethinking a warmoth build i did not go through with because warmoth only offers a 10" fretboard radius. i prefer 12" or flatter.
if you want a warmoth guitar you get pretty much any radius you want.
come on warmoth. show the bass players some love!!!

 

[TjMetalhead]

this makes zero sense. everyone has different shaped appendages and the shape of the neck will have tremendous impact on comfort. ergonomics is a real thing regardless of your thoughts on technique.

I agree, I've tried time and time again to get use to a P-bass neck and I can't. The nut width and back width is just too thick for my hands and my style of playing. Whenever I pickup a bass with a jazz style neck or a slim taper my hand flies all over the fretboard and I can play with more comfort and precision.

When I first started playing bass I brought my P bass in when I started taking Jazz lessons at my local community college. My teacher saw my technique and said "I love P basses but I think you would do a lot better with a jazz bass". I was pretty apprehensive at that statement but when I played a jazz bass it was so much more comfortable I realized my teacher was right.

 

[Snakeman1066]

FWIW I have tried just about every Major brand on the market over the past 30 years shy of Sadowsky...

owned and tried:

Fender
G&L
B.C. Rich
The Bass Company
Peavey
Ibanez
Traben
Dingwall
Rickenbacker
ESP/LTD (which was my favorite before Lakland)
Hartke
MTD
Tobias
Ovation
Kramer
Dean
Schecter
Musicman
Warwick

...and I find the Lakland Neck profile to be the most comfortable for me...I now own 5 of them and looking to pick up one more...and I'm in the process of selling off everything that isn't a Lakland (aside form a few basses that have sentimental value)

Lakland is my happy place...YMMV

 

[aldaa]

so this is just me, but I have a slim taper warmoth jazz neck. I also have a bass mods k534 5 string jazz bass. The warmoth neck hurts my hands, but the 5 string doesn't. The 5 string is just more comfortable, and I don't know if it's because of the shape, the thickness, or the width. FWIW, I have somewhat short hands and fingers.

also, the warmoth is very well made and a really nice neck... it just hurts my hand after a while.

 

[juancaminos]

This is not true in the slightest. I played an MTD for a decade and started experiencing pain in my fore arm of my plucking hand. switched up my technique to deal with the pain and many years of rehab with no benefit. Finally pick up my dream bass, ken smith, and pain is gone. I can play traditional 2 finger style all day long again with no technique change. as soon as I switch back to my MTD i get immediate pain. all basses are different and play different, this should be easily recognizable to any bassist on this site.

I couldn't agree more. That is why I don't totally agree with al the questions about nut/neck width. I mean...maybe as a starting point. I have played so many different basses in my years and they all feel different for reasons other than shape, width, etc. This goes for both hands. I could never buy a bass with out playing it first.

 

[Scoops]

took you long enough

Just so that the playing field is leveled, please provide pics of your technique.

 

[GregT]

The neck has everything to do with your comfort. No question about it. What works for one doesn't work for another. A neck can indeed be the cause of pain. Try other neck widths and profiles. My answer is yes, undoubtedly. Find a neck that works for you and it will help immensely if not completely. Or maybe not at all. The neck shape and width can indeed have that much effect on some people...… Like me, for example.
(Sometimes a post can look a little better after it's been edited.)

 

[groooooove]

there are so many reasons to buy a warmoth neck; quality is the first.

bad technique / hand pain is not one of those reasons though!

 

[DavC]

buy the Lakeland ..!

i really like my Warmoth 5ver deluxe J neck ... asym , the skimmer of the 2 nuts ..

not sure i've seen an asymmetrical 4 string neck ..

i'd check the neck specs on that exact Lakeland ..!! backside , radius , ... whatever ... then check Warmoth's specs ..

i'm 61 , with arthritis from 55 yrs piano , 45 bass/gtr ... for me , tooooo skinny/thin is just as painful as toooo wide/fat ... i prefer 9.5 , 10 ish radius ... YMMV

 

[bordinco90]

I really like the warmoth necks. I have a couple of p bass necks and they are fantastic! Very nice feeling, I prefer thicker necks like vintage fender p bass necks. These necks feel really nice. I love em!

 

[MITTENDORF]

I'd stay away from a Warmoth neck. They have about the sharpest edged fretboard of any neck I've ever touched in my life. Warmoth says that is normal; they don't roll the edges whatsoever because they say once removed you can't put it back. True, but talk about painful. Sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp. No fret dressing or leveling either, but they do slightly taper the fret ends even though you will still feel them sticking out of the fretboard like little staple nibs. They say this is normal too, due to expansion/contraction of the wood even though none of my other basses ever exhibited that. Warmoth says it is up to the customer to dress the frets and to roll the fingerboard edges, so do NOT buy a neck with a finished fretboard from Warmoth since you will have to remove the finish to roll the edges. Summing up, Warmoth necks are very sharp by design-frets and fretboard edges-and aren't made to be in top playable shape right out of the box. However, the back contour is great, just the right size, thin side to side, but they have a nice round back profile-with a bit of heft front to back. But geez they need to at least slightly get rid of that unbelievable sharp fretboard edge. Hurts to play. They are also quite heavy due to their constuction methods. Built well, but a work in progress. As they come, they HURT. You could skin a tomato on the fretboard edge. Most uncomfortable neck I've ever touched in my life.

 

[Willicious]

Recently I've had some problems with my left hand (some pain while playing) and although I am trying to work on my technique, I think that a more comfortable neck might solve the problem ( I played a lakland dj and it felt great).

At first I was drawn to assymtric necks, but I couldn't find any 4 string jazz that are a symmerical. Now I am considering buying the slim taper neck.
So what I'd to ask is how are the warmoth necks and specifically the slim taper jazz

Thanks in advance

What's your action like at the first fret?

 

[TjMetalhead]

I'd stay away from a Warmoth neck. They have about the sharpest edged fretboard of any neck I've ever touched in my life. Warmoth says that is normal; they don't roll the edges whatsoever because they say once removed you can't put it back. True, but talk about painful. Sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp. No fret dressing or leveling either, but they do slightly taper the fret ends even though you will still feel them sticking out of the fretboard like little staple nibs. They say this is normal too, due to expansion/contraction of the wood even though none of my other basses ever exhibited that. Warmoth says it is up to the customer to dress the frets and to roll the fingerboard edges, so do NOT buy a neck with a finished fretboard from Warmoth since you will have to remove the finish to roll the edges. Summing up, Warmoth necks are very sharp by design-frets and fretboard edges-and aren't made to be in top playable shape right out of the box. However, the back contour is great, just the right size, thin side to side but a nice and round back profile back with a bit of heft front to back. But geez they need to at least slightly get rid of that unbelievable sharp fretboard edge. Hurts to play. They are also quite heavy due to their constuction methods. Built well, but a work in progress. As they come, they HURT. You could skin a tomato on the fretboard edge. Most uncomfortable neck I've ever touched in my life.

Seems a little ridiculous to pay for a $300-$400 neck just to add more maintenance on top of it. I was considering getting one but due to my financial situation I was gonna wait till I could afford one. This made me think other wise. It seems getting a MIM Fender Jazz bass would be a better purchase.

 

[MITTENDORF]

Yes, Warmoth necks are not plug and play. Get out the sandpaper and files if you want the edges remotely comfortable.

 

[Btbp]

My experiences and conditions FWIW. I think I've posted this elsewhere but, my main basses have the same neck, Moon J with ebony fretboards, and the J is very narrow, even for a J.

These have a typical Fender radius, I think. My Lakland Skyline Decade has a very similar J profile neck in the nut width, but the fretboard is flat, and it has near mandolin-thin frets. The neck feels overall thicker because it has a chunky gloss finish, unlike my Moons which feel like they are open pore if not satin, which I love.

It's not an apples to apples comparison as the body characteristics are different and therefore position the arms and hands differently, but, I wouldn't call it pain, more like fatigue that I get with the Lakland, despite how solid and stable and, hard to explain, tight the neck is, kinda like a Rick's.

I had all three at a gig, started with the Lakland, and only made it though 2 or 3 songs before I started cramping up and had to swap out for one of Fenders, and then that awkwardness went away immediately.

That is cramping. I've never had hand issues until lately, despite playing with 104 Rotos and with an aggressive right hand fingerstyle technique and not low action, but now it's my left hand middle or ring finger that has started to give me trouble.

On a side note I have to wonder how Skyline necks compare with Lakland USA necks, the latter I've never tried. My Decade's neck is about the only thing holding me back from getting a 44-64 PJ.

On another side note I have to wonder how my Moons compare with more commonplace Fender necks, I should post some pictures.

 

[BAG]

I'd stay away from a Warmoth neck. They have about the sharpest edged fretboard of any neck I've ever touched in my life. Warmoth says that is normal; they don't roll the edges whatsoever because they say once removed you can't put it back. True, but talk about painful. Sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp. No fret dressing or leveling either, but they do slightly taper the fret ends even though you will still feel them sticking out of the fretboard like little staple nibs. They say this is normal too, due to expansion/contraction of the wood even though none of my other basses ever exhibited that. Warmoth says it is up to the customer to dress the frets and to roll the fingerboard edges, so do NOT buy a neck with a finished fretboard from Warmoth since you will have to remove the finish to roll the edges. Summing up, Warmoth necks are very sharp by design-frets and fretboard edges-and aren't made to be in top playable shape right out of the box. However, the back contour is great, just the right size, thin side to side, but they have a nice round back profile-with a bit of heft front to back. But geez they need to at least slightly get rid of that unbelievable sharp fretboard edge. Hurts to play. They are also quite heavy due to their constuction methods. Built well, but a work in progress. As they come, they HURT. You could skin a tomato on the fretboard edge. Most uncomfortable neck I've ever touched in my life.

Seems a little ridiculous to pay for a $300-$400 neck just to add more maintenance on top of it. I was considering getting one but due to my financial situation I was gonna wait till I could afford one. This made me think other wise. It seems getting a MIM Fender Jazz bass would be a better purchase.

Yes, Warmoth necks are not plug and play. Get out the sandpaper and files if you want the edges remotely comfortable.

I agree with the comments about the edges.
Much as i love my two Warmoth's i would never pay for a new one. Over here it would cost me around $650 NZD before shipping. Then I'd still need to have the edges rolled.
But having only paid around $100 Aud each for mine second hand the $500 it took to fix the fretless and $250 to roll the fretted, I've got two of the best necks ever at under $500 a piece. I may change bodies at some stage but i cant see me ever partying with these two necks.

 

[bearfoot]

It is also possible that your technique is fine, and you are having some inflammation from something in your diet, like bread, grains, even some plants. It's more common than many people know.
Last week, I experimented with eliminating carbs for 2 days, and my wrists/hands felt like new. I have not had pain playing bass, but normally have stiffness/soreness in my wrists. Seems to have crept back up slighty when I eat bread, but I have cut way back on it.
Food for thought