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Warmoth Versus All Parts???

bassgod76

bassgod76

Garbage bassist, but I love this goofy instrument
Mar 13, 2003
5,329
1,133
South Florida
#1
I'm considering a jazz bass project. Gonna go with the 70's vibe with olympic white body and maple w/ black block inlays.

I'm digging Warmoth's product a little more due to pics from their website.

I was looking at USA Custom Guitars, but they don't have the license for the Fender headstock shape. :(

So... Between Warmoth and All Parts, who makes a better product?

Is there another good company out there that does this who has a Fender license?
 
#2
One thing to note- most of the Warmoth b/b necks you'll see in the showcase will have a 21st fret and an overhang, which ruins the 70s vibe you said you were trying to create. All the Allparts b/b necks I've ever seen (including two I owned) are 20 to the heel like the Fender. If you go Warmoth make certain the neck you select is 20 frets to the heel. Make sure your body has 70s pickup spacing, too, or it'll be just a b/b neck bolted onto a 60s style body.
 
#4
I used to pride myself on knowing something about the electric bass, then I meet someone like Auriaprottu.:D

Well, since you know way more than I, what is 70's pickup spacing, and how is the sound different?
 
#5
Philbiker said:
I think that Warmoth and Allparts are about the same quality. It's like asking what's better Gibson or Fender.
Click to expand...

One thing is different: All parts has their necks (and their bodies - I *think*) milled off-shore from US or Canadian wood. I'm not sure if it's Japan or Korea. Warmoth, unless something has changed, is all here in the US.

I have had several Warmoth bodies and necks, and while I really dig what they do with bodys & finishing, I'm not wild about their necks. Too fat for my tastes. I emailed them about this, and they explained that it is a trade-off for stability, since they include graphite re-enforcement rods in the necks (something Allparts does not do). I just sold my Warmoth J neck and bought a new Allparts J neck.

But they do GREAT paint.
 
#6
I chose an Allparts neck a couple of years ago, because I felt that the *sound* would be closer to a old Fender neck (neither has Warmoth's "stiffening rods"). To this day, I haven't actually played a bass with a Warmoth neck, so I can't be sure about this theory. In any case, my Allparts neck is good and straight.
 
#10
I replaced the Warmoth neck on my P-Bass with an AllParts Jazz neck and love it. It's not as chunky as the Warmoth neck was. I've never owned a Warmoth body, but if I were building a bass I would look at Warmoth for a body and either Allparts or USA Custom Guitars for a neck.

HERE is a great place with really good prices on AllParts necks. I found them just after I bought mine off of Ebay.
 
#14
bassgod76 said:
It seems that an allparts neck with a warmoth body is the way to go?
I notice that allparts has limited options as far as body finishes go.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I have for my FrankenSaber....

And warmoth has a WHOLE LOTTA options for paint/wood.

But you wanted to go Olympic white, yes? That's easy...

Go to the Warmoth page and look at the dye finishes over quilt maple - yikes!
 
#17
As I mentioned in my first posting, I'm avoiding USACG because their headstocks don't have the fender shape. Just talked to the helpful folks at dguitar parts. I will save a good amount of dough by purchasing allparts through them. Let the fun begin!
 
#18
BigOldHarry said:
One thing is different: All parts has their necks (and their bodies - I *think*) milled off-shore from US or Canadian wood. I'm not sure if it's Japan or Korea. Warmoth, unless something has changed, is all here in the US.

I have had several Warmoth bodies and necks, and while I really dig what they do with bodys & finishing, I'm not wild about their necks. Too fat for my tastes. I emailed them about this, and they explained that it is a trade-off for stability, since they include graphite re-enforcement rods in the necks (something Allparts does not do). I just sold my Warmoth J neck and bought a new Allparts J neck.

But they do GREAT paint.
Click to expand...

Actually Warmoth reinforcement rods are steel.
 
#19
bassgod76 said:
As I mentioned in my first posting, I'm avoiding USACG because their headstocks don't have the fender shape. Just talked to the helpful folks at dguitar parts. I will save a good amount of dough by purchasing allparts through them. Let the fun begin!
Click to expand...

Glad to see they are working out for you. Let us know how the experience is. I would like to buy some stuff from them in the future.
 
#20
bassgod76 said:
I used to pride myself on knowing something about the electric bass, then I meet someone like Auriaprottu.:D
Click to expand...

Oh, believe me... most of what I know about the differences between years of Fender I've learned since the invention of teh Internets. But I'm a pretty good student, and I try to sort the facts from the BS as best I can.

Well, since you know way more than I, what is 70's pickup spacing, and how is the sound different?
Click to expand...

From about 1970 up until 1983 or so, the bridge pickup is about 0.4" closer to the bridge. The spacing between the pickups is about 4". Whether there's a difference in sound is a can of worms. My guess is that every bass' tone is affected to some degree or another and the question is really one of whether it can be heard, in what conditions and by whom in the given bass.
 

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