Building a Warmoth, need advice!

JSS

New member
I'm having a Les Paul Doublecut warmoth made for me. I will soon be placing my order, I think I almost know what I want. Anyway, I could use some advice on things I may or may not do with it.

I'm definitely at least upgrading to AAA quality wood for $50.00. Do you think it's worth it, instead of that, to spend $150.00 and get AAAAA quality wood?

I'm considering getting the 24 fret extension. This moves the neck pickup a little towards the bridge. Has anyone experienced any trouble with this?

Does anyone have any clue how much a tech will get me to put this beast together?

Also, if anyone has any specific comments on Warmoth guitars, please feel free to give your opinion.

Much thanks and gratitude,
Jeremy
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

All I can answer is the AAAAA question, and I would get it, only because if I am making a custom, im gonna go all out, with all the frills.
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

Go all out with the top... it'll be worth it in the long run. As far as the 24 fret thing, if you like the Les Paul sound (which I'm assuming based on the doublecut LP body), stick with the 22. As shown on those PRS guitars, the 24 fret ones make the neck pup not sound as good.

As far as a tech, most of the stuff you can do yourself. It shouldn't be too hard to put together.
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

I'd imagine a tech would charge around $40/hour to put it together. I've got 2 Warmoth guitars (a DC LesPaul and a strat) and another in progress (another DCLP), and the only thing I ever took it to a tech for was to cut and set the nut. Everything else was pretty easy.

For the AAAAA wood, just take a look at a lot of guitars and make sure you really want it. Same with the fret extension.. are you really going to use those extra two frets? If the answer is definately, then go for it.

As far as quality, I've never had a problem with mine. Sounds and plays awesome.

Heres a pic of the ones I've assembled. http://www.uwm.edu/~ascrowe/both_guitars2.jpg
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

id kick in the extra cash for the pretty top. as far as 22 vs 24, some like 22 cause the neck pup is right under the 2nd octave harmonic, some like 24 cause it pushes the neck pup off that spot.
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

My #1 is a warmoth telecaster. I am absolutely sold on warmoth's quality. I would recommend a few things:

1) order the body and the neck at the same time. They will "fit" it for you at the shop. The neck fit on mine was so tight I could pick the guitar up by the neck..before bolting it on.

2) while you probably can put most of it together by yourself, there are some things better left to a pro. You will need someone to cut the nut (order 2 blanks, in case one breaks).

3) I strongly suggest the warmoth construction neck-they are very strong and the compound radius is extremely playable. They put the truss rod adjuster on the side now, so you never have to remove the neck.
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

hacker said:
My #1 is a warmoth telecaster. I am absolutely sold on warmoth's quality. I would recommend a few things:

1) order the body and the neck at the same time. They will "fit" it for you at the shop. The neck fit on mine was so tight I could pick the guitar up by the neck..before bolting it on.

2) while you probably can put most of it together by yourself, there are some things better left to a pro. You will need someone to cut the nut (order 2 blanks, in case one breaks).

3) I strongly suggest the warmoth construction neck-they are very strong and the compound radius is extremely playable. They put the truss rod adjuster on the side now, so you never have to remove the neck.


Thanks for the advice I was actually going to order the body and then after a while the neck, but what u said make lotts of sence.
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

Warmoth will also install and slot a white corian nut for $15 or a black graphite nut for $20. This will save a lot of headache and practically make the neck playable out of the box!

Stirt-
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

For what it's worth....Les Paul Doublecuts have 24 frets anyways.
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

Rather than starting a new thread, I'll just post here.


Is it possible to order warmoth necks and bodies without the holes drilled for the screws in the neck pocket, then glue them together to create a set neck guitar rather than a bolt in? What's the worse that could happen?
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

theboatcandream said:
Rather than starting a new thread, I'll just post here.


Is it possible to order warmoth necks and bodies without the holes drilled for the screws in the neck pocket, then glue them together to create a set neck guitar rather than a bolt in? What's the worse that could happen?
warmoth necks come WITHOUT screw holes so that you can do it yourself and make a perfect fit. the worst that could happen is you glue the neck wrong and risk destroying part of the guitar body and/or neck
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

Instead of asking for the AAAAAAAAAAA top you might ask if they have anything really unique around. You know guitar companies often get in peices of wood that are really awesome, but don't meet the traditional "flamed" or "quilted" definition. You could probably get them to send you a photo of a few peices of top wood so you can choose.

With regards to the second "can you glue in your own neck" bit. While I think that you could probably glue in one of those necks, I don't know that it would be right. In PRS and Gibsons that I have seen, it's not like that they have a bolt on style neck that is just glued in. In both these cases there is a "tongue" of the neck that sticks into the body farther than the fretboard. If I take the neck pup out of my PRS, I see that the pickup actually mounts into the end of the neck. does that make sense?
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

HolyDirt said:
warmoth necks come WITHOUT screw holes so that you can do it yourself and make a perfect fit. the worst that could happen is you glue the neck wrong and risk destroying part of the guitar body and/or neck

Incorrect. Warmoth necks actually come with screw holes. I've seen them without, but on my order I didn't mention screw holes thinking that they would not drill them ... I was wrong.
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

hacker said:
My #1 is a warmoth telecaster. I am absolutely sold on warmoth's quality. I would recommend a few things:

3) I strongly suggest the warmoth construction neck-they are very strong and the compound radius is extremely playable. They put the truss rod adjuster on the side now, so you never have to remove the neck.

I was sold on the "Warmoth construction" neck too - until I inadvertently A/B tested it against a MIM Fender neck. The compound radius feels great and I like the bigger frets, so I put my Warmoth neck on my MIM Strat expecting to be happy. No be happy :grumble: The sweet highs were mostly gone and the guitar sounded a bit flat - and this was with new strings. Popped the Fender neck back on a day later and the guitar sounded right again.

IMO - and it's just that - the thicker than normal fingerboard and the double-expanding truss rod on "Warmoth construction" necks eats tone.

None of these comments apply to Warmoth's "Vintage" or "Vintage Modern" construction necks.

Someday soon I'll order a neck from Tommy at USA Custom Guitars to put on my Warmoth body. Then I'll get the shape, frets and tone I want.

Chip
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

HolyDirt said:
warmoth necks come WITHOUT screw holes so that you can do it yourself and make a perfect fit.

hmmm...all of mine have come predrilled -- necks and bodies.

the worst that could happen is you glue the neck wrong and risk destroying part of the guitar body and/or neck

I don't think it will work. Don't glued-in necks use dove-tail joints or something?

Anyway, why would you want to spoil the wood-to-wood contact between the neck and body with glue?
 
Re: Building a Warmoth, need advice!

theboatcandream said:
Rather than starting a new thread, I'll just post here.


Is it possible to order warmoth necks and bodies without the holes drilled for the screws in the neck pocket, then glue them together to create a set neck guitar rather than a bolt in? What's the worse that could happen?
There is really no need to do this. Typically, a set neck uses a tenon that is narrower than the width of the fingerboard and is inserted into a corresponding neck pocket. The fingerboard can then sit on top of the body and the neck set to its proper angle depending upon the bridge height. Having said that, I believe older Gibson's (Les Paul Jr.'s ?) have a neck tenon that was the same width as the fingerboard. In your case I could see one advantage to gluing it in. Depending upon how deep your neck pocket is you could carve the heel flow into the neck. This would remove the bulkiness of the heel. However, I assume that you have a neck tenon that is fit for a neck pre-routed neck pocket. You may expose the neck tenon if the heel was to be carved. Also, if you glue your neck in you will have a heck of a time removing it should repairs need to be done. You'll need to syringe water into the join and wait for the glue to dissolve.
 
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