Warmoth

[Subscript]

I've been considering making a 5 string jazz... but then they only do the deluxe shape with the rear route.
And they don't do pickguard holes. Can any of you experienced guys comment on the difficulty of that? Not that I've never used a drill before but if the body is finished I could see that being an issue.

Almost every Warmoth project I see ends up looking fantastic and it's been something I've wanted to do for a long time. Prices seem reasonable and tons of options so I can get exactly what I want.

 

[BioDriver]

Love their bodies, not a fan of the necks- too heavy for me. Personally I'd look at US Fender or Allparts necks on eBay instead.

 

[line6man]

Love their bodies, not a fan of the necks- too heavy for me. Personally I'd look at US Fender or Allparts necks on eBay instead.

Get some Ultralite tuners then.
Works great for me.

And Fender/Allparts aren't going to work if you want something other than Maple/Rosewood or Maple/Maple.

 

[FL Knifemaker]

Love their bodies, not a fan of the necks- too heavy for me. Personally I'd look at US Fender or Allparts necks on eBay instead.

I just don't see a difference in the weight of maple necks from any company. Even if the Warmoth has slightly more meat on the neck, they just don't feel any heavier to me. Now the very thin MIJ jazz necks or 1 5/8" wide P necks might be a LITTLE lighter but???

If the maple that Warmoth uses is more dense, I would prefer that for sound quality.

 

[line6man]

I just don't see a difference in the weight of maple necks from any company. Even if the Warmoth has slightly more meat on the neck, they just don't feel any heavier to me. Now the very thin MIJ jazz necks or 1 5/8" wide P necks might be a LITTLE lighter but???

If the maple that Warmoth uses is more dense, I would prefer that for sound quality.

I believe it has more to do with their steel reinforcement rods than the wood.

 

[SamTheButcher]

I believe it has more to do with their steel reinforcement rods than the wood.

Agreed.
But even then, I don't understand what the big deal is about the slight size/weight difference. I can barely tell (and never notice anymore) the difference from it and a standard jazz. It just Is. I love my Warmoth neck. Bought one 'raw' and finished it myself. Doesn't react to weather/humidity changes nearly as much as some other necks that I've had, and I can get the action nice and low.....they make 'em sweet!

Might be an excuse for pics.

Before:

After:

 

[drewfx]

I've been considering making a 5 string jazz... but then they only do the deluxe shape with the rear route.
And they don't do pickguard holes. Can any of you experienced guys comment on the difficulty of that? Not that I've never used a drill before but if the body is finished I could see that being an issue.

Almost every Warmoth project I see ends up looking fantastic and it's been something I've wanted to do for a long time. Prices seem reasonable and tons of options so I can get exactly what I want.

Drilling pickguard holes is just about the easiest thing. It's a very small sized drill hole, so you don't really have to worry about the finish cracking.

They also should have a new top routed 5 body coming sometime:

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=10702.msg144552#msg144552

Like the new neck profile SlingBass4 mentioned, they don't always announce stuff formally right away, even if it's already available (if you ask the right person). The forum has lots of hints and glimpses of what they're working on that might be coming sometime soon.

And just because they say they won't do something now, doesn't mean it won't be possible in a couple of months, so if you want something special, you can ask again a little later.

drewfx

 

[atrapp]

Well they make Sadowsky parts so they must be good

 

[Soma666]

Agreed.
But even then, I don't understand what the big deal is about the slight size/weight difference. I can barely tell (and never notice anymore) the difference from it and a standard jazz. It just Is. I love my Warmoth neck. Bought one 'raw' and finished it myself. Doesn't react to weather/humidity changes nearly as much as some other necks that I've had, and I can get the action nice and low.....they make 'em sweet!

Might be an excuse for pics.

Before:

After:

as a leftie and a massive jazz bass fan, i must say, WOW man, that is awesome

 

[AndyLES]

Here's my question - how cost effective is building a bass via Warmoth parts instead of just buying a bass off the shelf?

 

[bassman74]

Warmoth body are awesome.

If you buy it finished, you'll be amazed by the finish quality too!

I was happy with my warmoth neck until i tried USA custom guitar necks. I prefer their weight, feel, and options.

you should take a look at them

 

[line6man]

Warmoth body are awesome.

If you buy it finished, you'll be amazed by the finish quality too!

I was happy with my warmoth neck until i tried USA custom guitar necks. I prefer their weight, feel, and options.

you should take a look at them

Not to be a Warmoth fanboy, but the problem with USAGC aside from them only offering Maple necks is that they do not have the Fender licensing, so you get a cheap looking copy of a Fender headstock instead of the real thing like Warmoth.

 

[David Jayne]

Here's my question - how cost effective is building a bass via Warmoth parts instead of just buying a bass off the shelf?

It's not cost effective. It will generally cost a a bit more to go the Warmoth or other parts route, and that's provided you can do all the work yourself. Cant? Add hundreds more.

The ONLY valid reasons to do it, and they're good reasons, are: 1) you want something nobody offers off-the-shelf and/or: 2) for the heck of it, and you can afford it.

I've done it several times, and I won't do it again. Also be aware that if you build a dud, and you want to sell it, you'll always lose a bunch of dough. Parts basses are tough to sell.

But if it comes together just right and you love the result, it's worth it.

 

[David Jayne]

Not to be a Warmoth fanboy, but the problem with USAGC aside from them only offering Maple necks is that they do not have the Fender licensing, so you get a cheap looking copy of a Fender headstock instead of the real thing like Warmoth.

Sure, but it's easy to mod into the proper Fender shape. Minor difference.

Major differences? USACG necks are MUCH lighter, like half a pound in some cases. They use carbon stiffening rods instead of steel, or they'll omit them if you want.

Truss rod nut location? Your choice.

Nut width? Neck thickness/profile? You have several choices.

Warmoth quality IS excellent, but I much prefer USACG, at least for necks.

 

[pasta4lnch]

fwiw I played a P neck at a local GC and REALLY dug it. it was a tad beefier but in a very good way. it was all rosewood so cant comment much further than that . . .

 

[line6man]

Sure, but it's easy to mod into the proper Fender shape. Minor difference.

I'm not sure what you mean?

Trying to modify the shape of the headstock means you have to do the finish work yourself, or pay a paint shop to do it, as opposed to having USACG do it when you order.
That adds a significant amount of time and effort to the project, and possibly cost as well.

 

[line6man]

Here's my question - how cost effective is building a bass via Warmoth parts instead of just buying a bass off the shelf?

The bass that I built simply does not exist in an "off the shelf" Fender.

First off, AFAIK, Fender only makes one unlined 4 string bass, and that's a Precision, not a Jazz.
Boom, already I have eliminated every bass you could find on the wall at Guitar Center...

The appeal of Warmoth for me is the customization.
You can get things from Warmoth that are not available with a Fender.

 

[FL Knifemaker]

The bass that I built simply does not exist in an "off the shelf" Fender.

First off, AFAIK, Fender only makes one unlined 4 string bass, and that's a Precision, not a Jazz.
Boom, already I have eliminated every bass you could find on the wall at Guitar Center...

The appeal of Warmoth for me is the customization.
You can get things from Warmoth that are not available with a Fender.

That's exactly why I'm building my own Iceman. Once done, the "Parts Iceman" will be well above and beyond the Ibanez version in both quality and components and in a PJ configuration that they don't offer.........and yes, it will cost 3X as much and probably have the resale value of an Ibanez

 

[bassclef112]

I have assembled 3 Warmoths - a "standard" passive Jazz (custom color, BB neck), an active P/J with fancy wood, and a full blown tricked out (read $$) P/MM, all with jazz necks.

Every aspect of these basses is first rate. The necks are beautiful, stable and consistent though I found the BB to be a touch chunkier but not much. I also don't understand the "weight" issue that comes up - these are all top quality items that play and sound great.

The bodies and finishes are absolutely flawless.

I found Warmoth quality so high that when I wanted a "straight" Jazz I went with them rather than an off-the-shelf. It cost less than an MIA standard and blows it away IMO.

As with any parts bass, yes I'd take a big hit if I tried to sell these, but I have no intention of doing that. If you are buying a bass that you may not want to keep - in other words, to possibly flip later on to fund something else - don't do this. Buy a known brand that will give you a chance to recoup some cash. But if you are willing to put the bucks into something you expect to keep, then I recommend a build.

I got exactly what I wanted - basses I couldn't get anywhere else for the money - that play, sound and look excellent and I would put them up against many that are at a much higher price point. These 3 basses are an exceptional value and I am more than very satisfied with them.

 

[CDweller]

I have a Warmoth Jazz. It has a quilted maple top on an ash body, finished in cherry burst. I bought the body on impulse because it is probably the most beautiful burst finish/wood combo I have ever seen. It's also a tank with its weight at well over 5 lbs. I also bought a Warmoth Maple Jazz neck at the time, which I outfitted with Schaller BMFL's and a Hipshot D-Tuner.

I've since been exposed to USCG necks, and I have to say I'm impressed. I have put the original Warmoth Jazz neck up for sale on ebay, and have a USCG neck that I'm outfitting with Gotoh's whatever their nomenclature is but they're even lighter than Hipshot Ultra-lites (phew). The bass was just too heavy for me with the original all-Warmoth components. I'm losing about a pound with the USCG neck, and the bass will now be sub 9 pounds. I'll post pics when it's back together.

The USCG does not come with the Fender headstock curve, of course. I order them unfinished, and have my local luthier cut them to the Fender spec and then lightly finish them with a tinted gun stock oil. I've purchased three necks in the past month (two fretted and one fretless), and they kill. Incredibly light, and the quality is great. With a light gun stock oil finish, I've never felt a neck more pleasant to touch. Additionally, they come with a svelte early sixties profile, which I prefer to the Warmoth's much thicker profile.

I would be happy to buy a Warmoth neck if they were lighter, but Warmoth refuses to change their steel-reinforced neck design, and thus they're too heavy for me. There is no question about Warmoth's top-shelf quality.