So from what I've read I should get a Warmoth body and a USA Customs neck if/when I do a DIY build. Good to know.
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Warmoth necks
- Thread starter superfunk47
- Start date
I've found neckdive more a function of the relative weights of the the neck and tuners compared to the body and bridge rather than how the bass is worn.
How "sticky" the strap is on the shoulder also comes into play.
That's definitely one of the factors, but I've had a few basses with some dive, none of their upper horns met the 12th fret, but not wearing them really low helped out some. The lower and mid-torso helped to keep the bass in place somehow.
Yup- that, too. But wearing one's bass really low can exacerbate a dive issue, IMO.
I wear mine pretty low... but the problem is not where I play, it's more that the bodies of my Fender style basses are all well under 5 lbs.... so right there you are in trouble with a heavy neck.
+1!! That's what makes my '78 P my all-time fave.
Though I have been having a second honeymoon with the Warmoth lately. I love the even response and appreciate how incredibly stable it's been over the years. (Especially now that I'm dealing with some funky truss rod issues on another axe.)
Now that you mention it, I guess my Warmoth is kind of neck heavy, but for whatever reason that's never bugged me. (Heavy body? Medium strap height - torso?) The overall weight does get to me after 4 sets.
aw man.. i was going to get a warmoth neck for my birthday (today) but now you guys are scaring me off..
I have a Warmoth P (alder body, maple/rosewood neck) with non-ultralite tuners and a standard bridge.... 8.5 pounds, great balance. Only bass i have that has LESS neck dive actually has BODY dive, and weighs more than 10 pounds. It's a Fender.
Nothing to be scared of. They're fantastic necks. I'd argue that they're the best out there.
My Warmoth is a wenge/bubinga neck with ebony fretboard, 5-string, Gotoh tuners. It 'adjusts' down a couple of degrees, but not much. I wear mine pretty low too.
Weight-wise, that bass is fine. Walnut body. Seriously, all you guys complaining about weight need to man up and try my all-ovangkol Status Barracuda. That thing weighs a ton!
(I jest about the 'man up' thing BTW
)
The Warmoth is a chunky neck though IMHO - I went for the narrower nut option, but it's still wide with a pretty deep D shape to the back profile. I like it though, good and solid and I don't tend to need to access the lower strings on the upper frets much anyway.
Weight-wise, that bass is fine. Walnut body. Seriously, all you guys complaining about weight need to man up and try my all-ovangkol Status Barracuda. That thing weighs a ton!
(I jest about the 'man up' thing BTW
)The Warmoth is a chunky neck though IMHO - I went for the narrower nut option, but it's still wide with a pretty deep D shape to the back profile. I like it though, good and solid and I don't tend to need to access the lower strings on the upper frets much anyway.
You don't get it... Neck dive has nothing to do with total weight. A well balanced 14 pound bass is playable. A 8# with neck dive is junk.
Already did the heavy bass thing. I got over it. Why bother when I can get the same effect out of a bass that weighs 6-7lbs. Why carry around extra weight when it's not necessary?
Glad to see I'm not the only guy who has been less than thrilled with Warmoth necks..
Okay, glad is a poor word. I'd prefer that the money I have spent on Warmoth necks would have made my thrilled... I'll say this: They build them well; Nice rounded frets, good wood. Just too chunky for my tastes. If Warmoth came out and offered some options for bass necks as far as radius and thickness, I'd order one today, right now. Alas...
Okay, glad is a poor word. I'd prefer that the money I have spent on Warmoth necks would have made my thrilled... I'll say this: They build them well; Nice rounded frets, good wood. Just too chunky for my tastes. If Warmoth came out and offered some options for bass necks as far as radius and thickness, I'd order one today, right now. Alas...
You know, rather than just sit and complain, I just emailed Warmoth sales to see if they currently (and secretly, it seems) offer different bass neck radius profiles for those of us who like thinner necks. We'll see what they have to say - and you never know, right?
Fair point - I was going a bit OT with the point about total instrument weight. Hope my other comments were of use to the OP though. Everyone's preferences are personal to them, but I know that I like my Warmoth neck very much indeed.
So the good folks at Warmoth got back to me - Here's what they have said:
Hi Harry,
Thanks for the email. Im on TB as Wyliee and have been watching the thread. I do not believe our necks are too thick for most players nor are many being discouraged from our products. There are many thousands of satisfied Warmoth bass owners in the world and on TB! It is true our necks are not ultra thin, but our designs are *very* stable and much, much less prone to dead spots than vintage bass necks. This makes a winning formula for many bass players.
You asked about neck radius. We generally discuss radius in reference to the fingerboard radius. (ie. 10, 12, etc..). The TB thread seems centered around overall neck thickness and we do have alternate back thicknesses on the drawing board. They would still come with the Superbass construction. Unfortunately, I dont have an ETA for you. In the interim, we do make custom necks from time to time. Extra charges apply for the additional manual labor. If that is something that interests you, feel free to email me.
Best regards,
Eric Wylie
Project Manager
Warmoth Guitar Products, Inc.
Sounds like threads like this one on chunky Warmoth necks will continue for a while. I am always slightly bemused by the variations you can get here and there, on finishes, nut width etc. but one remains non negotiable; and it is quite obvious many want to negotiate.
I use my Warmoth necked basses, I've gotten used to them, but as noted before it could be a bit more comfortable.
In the other hand
Fact: Warmoth necks tend to have bigger heel sizes then some standard rout sizes, for fender type necks.
Fact: People without wood working experience buy and use Dremel tools and try to resize neck pockets to fit Warmoth necks.
Fact: they then sell their botched jobs on e-bay, so you might get a body that has had it's neck pocket enlarged and then you must add wood and or shims to make any other neck fit, even if they did a proper job on the routing.
Easy, there Tiger. I have two Warmoth necks, and I have not had to modify any of the 5 or 6 bodies (Fender) that I have used them with.
Have you owned any Warmoth necks? Have you experienced neck dive? If not, why perpetuate these opinions as "Fact"?
I have had neck dive with my Warmoth necks with certain bodies and not with others. Is neck dive a universal truth? No. And that's a fact.
Have you owned any Warmoth necks? Have you experienced neck dive? If not, why perpetuate these opinions as "Fact"?
I have had neck dive with my Warmoth necks with certain bodies and not with others. Is neck dive a universal truth? No. And that's a fact.
