Warmoth Woes

[jkokura]

You know what I do when I'm bored sometimes? I head to Warmoth and price out a new body and neck build.

I tend to dream up guitars that start at $1000 BEFORE hardware and electronics. I don't have that kinda scratch. Not even a little bit.

Jacob

[murdog47]

You're not alone   

[GermanCdn]

Yup.  I borders far past ridiculous.  I wanted to build a VIP Swamp Ash Special.  It was cheaper to go find the real thing.

I'm kinda lost now that they've changed the names of some of the guitar styles, guess I'll figure it out.

[croquet hoop]

Nearly one year ago I wanted a Strat as a second guitar, nothing too special, just a three single-coil instrument with a 21/22-fret neck, I thought a $400 Squier would do fine.

Two months later, I had a $600 Warmoth body and a $300 neck in my hands. I was not even dreaming of them, I just stumbled upon them in the showcase, and they screamed at me "buy me, buy me!" It was impossible to resist.

Since then I tend to avoid spending too much time looking at the stuff they put up. Although it's amazing.

[gtr2]

I've looked there a bunch but it usually ends up to much $$$ for something with little resale value should I not like the end guitar.

Josh

[culturejam]

Warmoth does not phase me. The few times I have priced out a very basic build, it's 2x what I would pay for a comparable guitar already fully finished, built, set up, etc. And if I'm going "custom" I'd rather get the body/neck I can't normally get, and then you're talking seriously big bucks...and then you have to build it!

I know the fun is partially in putting it together yourself and partially in getting the parts "to order", but I just can't square the cost.


Shit, now I'm going to go look on Warmoth. 

[jkokura]

Yeah. I think it's better to get stuff second hand, a part out or a whole guitar, either way. My current strat, which is quickly becoming my number one guitar, is a Warmoth Body and Neck. Got the body on Ebay on a freak stumble upon it's perfect for my needs manner, and the neck is from a guy who I bought something else from and really liked him and he said he had another... Anyway. Long story short, I'm $800 into this guitar in the end, but it's a perfect guitar really, and it's got the feature set of a deluxe strat from Fender. In the end I feel like I got a deal on that one.

But, if you're buying new from Warmoth, you get exactly what you want without hunting, and the body I want I'm NEVER going to find out there. What makes it the worst is that when you add in a $150 for the tele bigsby, $200 for the Tom Anderson Pickups, and the $165 for a Mastery Bridge, and the $50 for the locking Klusens...

Add the odds and ends, and we're looking at $1700ish for my Thinline Tele with Mahogany Back, Dyed Flame Maple Top with back route and no pickguard, Quartersawn Maple Neck with a Compound Radius Ebony 22 Fret Fretboard, with above mentioned accoutrements...

Too bad. It'd be a special guitar for sure.

Jacob

[RobA]

I've done this many times -- always ends up being too expensive when I put the body together I want.

I did get one of their conversion necks to put on my Ibanez body and it is really nice. I just did an unfinished maple neck with a bloodwood fretboard and the thing is great to play on. It's pretty ideal to be able to specify everything you want about the neck.

[jkokura]

I must say that I LOVE Warmoth necks. Their Standard Thin profile is great, I prefer the flatter or compound profiles, and they have GREAT workmanship. I'm not sure who or how they do their finish sanding after the boards come off the CNC, but they do a great job.

Jacob

[pryde]

I must say that I LOVE Warmoth necks. Their Standard Thin profile is great, I prefer the flatter or compound profiles, and they have GREAT workmanship. I'm not sure who or how they do their finish sanding after the boards come off the CNC, but they do a great job.

Jacob

In my experience Warmoth necks are hit or miss. Not so much the neck itself but the frets are typically poorly dressed, especially on the ends. I have bought a few and serviced dozens of their necks for customers and they are never leveled or dressed well if at all.

Not to say I don't recommend them because the wood quality, sanding and finishing is very good but if you want it "perfect" then some additional fretwork may be in order.

Also as said, if you are going to build a full custom Warmoth, make damn sure its what you really want long term because the resale value is poor.

[pickdropper]

I know 4-5 guys that are big Warmoth fans.  They have built some really nice guitars.  When it's all said and done the builds usually cost 1200-1500, although they can be higher or a bit lower.  I think the quality holds up well against off the shelf stuff at that price point.  You can get a nicer strat for $1500 with the exact hardware you want than you can usually get with a Fender for the same money.

The downside is if you sell it.  The resale value is pretty bad on Warmoth parts.  A buddy of mine was lucky enough to get a lightweight tele body and a really nice birdseye tele neck for $375 second hand.  It was half of what it was new.  I wish I had been there to snag that.

[croquet hoop]

In my experience Warmoth necks are hit or miss. Not so much the neck itself but the frets are typically poorly dressed, especially on the ends. I have bought a few and serviced dozens of their necks for customers and they are never leveled or dressed well if at all.

Not to say I don't recommend them because the wood quality, sanding and finishing is very good but if you want it "perfect" then some additional fretwork may be in order.

I think that's explicitely said on their website — they install the frets and bevel the edges, but they do not round the edges or level the frets. I am not sure many part sellers offer necks with this kind of job already done.

[jubal81]

I LOL'd at a lot of these posts. Like you guys are reading my mind.

I used to daydream a lot at Warmoth until 2010 when I got my Ric 620 and started building pedals. I only have a second guitar to have something with hum buckers and something to play if Ric is ever in the shop. It's 'The One.'

Now I browse Hoffman, Mojo, 18Watt, etc. and daydream about building exotic amps I can't afford.

[jimijam]

there are good deals to be had in the showcase if you dig for them. I recently got a beautiful lightweight (2.8lbs) chambered strat body with flamed maple top for under $200, and a flamed maple/dark indian rosewood neck for $175 (unfinished) and the quality was on par with the excellent parts I've used from them in the past. if you keep the options and finishes simple and stay away from rare exotic woods, a totally "custom" guitar with American made parts can be had for not unreasonable amounts of money. this recent build was around $700