Warmoth Boatneck Experiences

[apj]

Hello

Looking for some opinions on the warmoth boatneck. I had posted a while ago and received recommendations for the 59 roundback based on liking my PRS singlecut neck. I'm however looking for something a tad larger and wondering how much bigger this will feel at 1" - 1" with a 12" radius.

I have played a Kotzen tele which I understand has a C neck at 1".

Are there any production models similar to the boatneck?

How much larger is it going to feel than the roundback?

Thanks for the help!

[JB6464]

Re: Warmoth Boatneck Experiences

I have a friend who built a Warmoth Strat with boatneck and 6100 frets , It was like playing a baseball bat .
I much prefer the 59 roundback and 6150 frets .

[ItsaBass]

Re: Warmoth Boatneck Experiences

Have you tried the '59 round back with a 12" radius? The flatter board will make it seem thicker, while it might make the boat neck excessively thick.

That said, the great advantage of the boat neck is that it can always be shaped to taste once you get it. You can give it a sharper V, an asymmetrical profile, thin it a little, etc.

You owe it to yourself to check out Musikraft instead of Warmoth. They have about a zillion neck profiles, many of which are very cool, while Warmoth only has a handful, and they're pretty run of the mill. You can also choose any radius on any neck at Musikraft, while Warmoth generally locks you in to to a certain radius for each neck type.

I love fat necks, but with Vs and curvy fretboards. The one time a tried a 1" U neck with a 9 1/2" radius (flatter than I normally order), it just didn't feel right in my hands. The over all thickness was good, but it was too "square" all the way around. Needed more V and more curve on the board.

Here's an example of what Musikraft offers (better resolution version here: https://musikraft.com/cmspage.php?page_id=33):



This doesn't even get into the fact that they offer a plethora of profiles based on actual black guard Tele and Esquire necks, selectable by serial number of the original blackguards they were used on.

[JB6464]

Re: Warmoth Boatneck Experiences

Do you know if Musikraft will do a 7.25 radius , 1 3/4 wide nut and 22 frets ?

[ErikH]

Re: Warmoth Boatneck Experiences

I'm all about the Boatneck contour from Warmoth. I have two guitars with that profile. It's the most comfortable in my big hands but I like it with the compound radius rather than a flat radius.

[ItsaBass]

Re: Warmoth Boatneck Experiences

Do you know if Musikraft will do a 7.25 radius , 1 3/4 wide nut and 22 frets ?

Yes, they will. Those are normally available options on most, if not all, of their necks.

I have a 1 3/4” ‘60s style veneer maple Tele neck from them myself.

They do 22 fret models with a fretboard overhang, so they’ll work in a standard Fender neck pocket.

Unless you want something truly exotic, or a body/neck shape that Musikraft just doesn’t make, they are superior to Warmoth IMO. They even make [unlicensed] replacement necks for G&L guitars, which nobody else has ever done. This is a really big deal, because G&L is quite limited in terms of neck options, and they have never licensed outside builders.

[JB6464]

Re: Warmoth Boatneck Experiences

I like it with the compound radius rather than a flat radius.

Are you talking about a flat straight radius like a 16* from the 1st fret to the last like Jackson guitars ?
A compound radius gets flatter as you go up the neck ( 10-16) but starts out curved to you taste .

[ErikH]

Re: Warmoth Boatneck Experiences

Are you talking about a flat straight radius like a 16* from the 1st fret to the last like Jackson guitars ?
A compound radius gets flatter as you go up the neck ( 10-16) but starts out curved to you taste .

Flat as in straight as in the same from first to last fret. That's what I meant. I prefer the 10-16" compound that Warmoth offers.

[apj]

Re: Warmoth Boatneck Experiences

Yes, I was originally looking at Musikraft. By the time I pay to finish the neck, they just seem to be much higher in price than warmoth. I'm also factoring in likely having to do a fret dress and level for both companies.

[ItsaBass]

Re: Warmoth Boatneck Experiences

FWIW, Musikraft's frets arrive perfect, already leveled, dressed, and polished.

They don't seem much, if any, more expensive than Warmoth to me, and what you get is way better.

Look at Guitar Mill too. They have become another one of my go-tos, starting this year. Also perfect fretwork (the hands down best in the industry IME).

A bit cheaper from Warmoth doesn't add up to a savings if you are compromising specs. And it is't as if Warmoth necks are cheap anyhow.