well, weight is OK by me so chambering not high on my list. Still having serious questions about pickups though.
Delano Extender, Novak Dark Star, Lace Aluma Bass Bar, or Qtuner? So many choices and so little time!
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well, weight is OK by me so chambering not high on my list. Still having serious questions about pickups though.
Delano Extender, Novak Dark Star, Lace Aluma Bass Bar, or Qtuner? So many choices and so little time!
A bit of great news, horrible news on my latest project.
Great news: the body looks beautiful with several applications of Howard’s Feed n Wax.
Raw wood:
One coat:
Four or five coats:
And the roasted maple neck is absolutely beautiful as well:
But the horrible news and general PSA is that Guyker hardware comes with the softest, bull****iest screws I’ve ever had the displeasure of using.
This is after predrilling AND applying wax to the screw itself. I felt almost no resistance before the head of this screw sheared off. Now I have to get my screw remover kit out and probably butcher this.
I’ve reused the screws from dozens upon dozens of cheap basses and have had the head strip out but never once had a screw shear off like this. I should have gone with my gut and just bought Gotoh tuners but I’d read decent reviews of the Guyker tuners. Live and learn, and follow along as I try to figure out how to remove this, plug, and re-drill for tuners of known quality.
I use their 3-string retainers (Hipshot copy) on flat headstocks but they don’t come with screws, so I just use whatever pickguard screws I have around to install them. I’ll continue to use those, but never again with their “critical” hardware.
Since I’m replacing the tuners, I’m kind of wondering if I should go with black hardware instead. Thoughts?
Great news: the body looks beautiful with several applications of Howard’s Feed n Wax.
Raw wood:
One coat:
Four or five coats:
And the roasted maple neck is absolutely beautiful as well:
But the horrible news and general PSA is that Guyker hardware comes with the softest, bull****iest screws I’ve ever had the displeasure of using.
This is after predrilling AND applying wax to the screw itself. I felt almost no resistance before the head of this screw sheared off. Now I have to get my screw remover kit out and probably butcher this.
I’ve reused the screws from dozens upon dozens of cheap basses and have had the head strip out but never once had a screw shear off like this. I should have gone with my gut and just bought Gotoh tuners but I’d read decent reviews of the Guyker tuners. Live and learn, and follow along as I try to figure out how to remove this, plug, and re-drill for tuners of known quality.
I use their 3-string retainers (Hipshot copy) on flat headstocks but they don’t come with screws, so I just use whatever pickguard screws I have around to install them. I’ll continue to use those, but never again with their “critical” hardware.
Since I’m replacing the tuners, I’m kind of wondering if I should go with black hardware instead. Thoughts?
Either way would look great, the black to match the PUP, but you still have silver frets, so the chrome would also look great. Not helpful, I know.
Why doesn't anyone make black frets, or do they?
That’s a bummer about the tuner screw. Good luck getting it out of there as cleanly as possible.
My vote for a replacement is black Gotoh GB7’s (if the bridge is also going to be black, blank hardware should really really nice on that body and neck!)
You’re right, I’ll stick with chrome since I already have a bridge. Gonna order some Gotoh Resolite tuners when I get home.
Black frets wouldn’t work because it would just be a coating or anodization, which would get filed right off when leveling the frets.
Forgot to mention earlier: I think my favourite tuners are actually Grover Minis: Mini Bass Machines (144 Series) - Grover Trophy
However I will note that I’ve had a similar issue with one of Grover’s screws breaking on me, same as what happened to you with the Guyker tuners. It was only one screw, so maybe that was a freak accident… But worth mentioning.
Never had the slightest issue with anything from Gotoh.
However I will note that I’ve had a similar issue with one of Grover’s screws breaking on me, same as what happened to you with the Guyker tuners. It was only one screw, so maybe that was a freak accident… But worth mentioning.
Never had the slightest issue with anything from Gotoh.
The frets are an easy-to-ignore part of the color scheme. They don't really count, unless you're doing something like gold frets with gold hardware. So I vote for all black hardware, and don't worry about the frets matching anything. That bass with all black hardware would POP!
I’m not sure how many of us are looking to build Warmoth 5-string’s, but if you are, you may have noticed that with their latest site update, a few of their 5-string bridge options disappeared. They only offer Hipshot A-style (the 17.5mm/.687” version that they also sell…) and Schaller 496. That’s it. They used to offer probably 5 different bridge screw patterns, but I guess they’re trying to streamline and get rid of what doesn’t sell.
Kind of a bummer, but all is not lost. I inquired within and received a response specifically regarding the BadAss V option that I was hoping to use in the near future…because I have a Hipshot Kickass 5 bridge I purchased specifically for my next build.
They said that it can be done as a $45 up-charge, but makes the body non-returnable.
Just have to pick “no bridge route, grounding hole only” in the options and then add the BasAss V route in the notes during checkout along with a statement that I understand that it is $45 extra and non-returnable.
…or just buy the A-style bridge and not worry about it…
Kind of a bummer, but all is not lost. I inquired within and received a response specifically regarding the BadAss V option that I was hoping to use in the near future…because I have a Hipshot Kickass 5 bridge I purchased specifically for my next build.
They said that it can be done as a $45 up-charge, but makes the body non-returnable.
Just have to pick “no bridge route, grounding hole only” in the options and then add the BasAss V route in the notes during checkout along with a statement that I understand that it is $45 extra and non-returnable.
…or just buy the A-style bridge and not worry about it…
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It's not the trickiest thing in the world, but is a bit time consuming to get it exactly right. I just realized that my latest project was supposed to be drilled for bridge mounting holes but was not, so I reached out to Warmoth to see if maybe they'll offer a small refund. I was so excited to get started, I never noticed the missing holes.
I couldn't extract the broken screw in my headstock last night, so I used my Dremel to file it flat to the headstock and mounting Gotoho tuners at a slight angle, which I think looks even better than the original layout. Definitely need to get some Resolites, cuz the light body makes for some neck dive.
Will share photos later.
Warmoth offered to send me a prepaid label to send the body back to drill it, but when I asked for a partial refund, they said they'd send me $50, so I'm taking that option. I just need to get my painters tape, yardstick, tape measure, and length of string out.
I definitely want to go with black hardware. The honey color of the body and Grade B maple syrup color of the neck, plus black dots and black pickup are gonna work better with a black bridge. I probably won't worry about the chrome strap locks or neck plate for now.
I still need to figure out how to wire this one up. I'm going to mount two slide switches to the rear cavity cover; one for series/parallel, one for tone bypass/tone rolled down with a cap and resistor to mimic a tone pot rolled all the way down.
Nope, I want to maximize showing off the wood here, hence the hidden controls. I generally don't adjust controls mid song, but still want options.
I consider having them drill the A-style holes, and perhaps I can make and mount a template of sorts that would allow for me to drill holes for the Kickass…
I realized I had all the parts I needed to get this project together. I took the Hipshot bridge from another project as well as the Gotoh Resolite tuners. Black hardware was definitely the right move, but I’m going to keep the chrome straplocks and neck plate.
The electronics are super secret, ultra mojo, unobtanium and I’m hesitant to reveal my secret formula, but I trust you folks.
I was going to put switches on the back control cover, but decided to go straight to the jack and try it out. Pickup is in series now. Wasn’t sure how I’d like the Bartolini but it’s a great pickup.
Bass is probably sub 8 pounds and balances nicely.
I have five Warmoth fretless necks on various basses but this is the first Warmoth body/neck I have ever put together. Every photo I took made the body look blue until I hung a blue towel behind it.
It's a seafoam green body, with Rosewood/Maple unlined fretless neck, Dimarzio Model J pups and J Retro electronics.
It's a seafoam green body, with Rosewood/Maple unlined fretless neck, Dimarzio Model J pups and J Retro electronics.
Gorgeous and love the clean simple look! I have no clue about finishing wood, always get my Warmoth bodies finished, even the tele I built with a roasted swamp ash body and nothing but a satin finish on it, gorgeous, want a bass like this now. I'd have screwed it up somehow LOL Great job!
BTW...The Rotosound 45 to 105 string set came with a .100 E String as packaged!
Thanks! I went with the simplest finish you could possibly do. It’s not going to provide any protection from dings, but it’ll protect the wood from getting super dirty or dried out. Most would use some sort of hardening oil finish, and I did debate using something else like Rubio Monocoat, but decided that Howard’s Feed n Wax was enough of a finish for my needs.
