Warmoth Questions

[BlackhawkRise]

I'm looking to design a guitar that bridges the gap between classical and electric playing. Right now I'm looking to assemble a Warmoth Strat with a maple neck and my fiance is going to custom paint the body (she's damn good at that type of thing). I'm originally a Latin music player but I want to move more towards electric because I think I'm really good at mixing the two styles.

Aesthetically speaking, I wanted a vintage truss rod style neck with no fret markers, so that it looks like a classical neck. I also want a rough feel to the back of the neck. I am also open to ideas how to get around the problem that classical necks are flat and wide and electric guitar necks are skinny and round. I'm thinking maybe a middle of the road approach would help best. Maybe slightly wider string spacing than a normal electric with an extremely flat neck?

My main question is, a big part of classical guitars is how light they are. I know there's no way to make an electric nearly as light, but I want to know my options. Durability is also a priority. What are the lightest woods Warmoth has for neck and body wood? I'm not concerned about the tone of the wood, my fingers have that in spades and I can coax a good sound out of any piece of wood.

 

[Mincer]

My first thought is that Warmoth might not be the right way to go. What they do is squarely in the electric guitar realm- even their chambered bodies feel more solid than hollow. You can order a super wide neck, but getting a neck that wide from them limits some of the other options. None of the back-of-the-neck profiles feel flat.

I don't know...maybe some of the Godin hybrid guitars would be a better choice here.

 

[ICTGoober]

Warmoth offers a super wide neck at 1.75" width, with their usual variety of neck carve profiles. They also offer guitar necks 2" wide, if you ask nicely. I have some clients who have popped for them, and had me finish and mount them. Suggest you email them or call them direct to inquire.

I quite like the way the super wide feels.

 

[NegativeEase]

Warmoth offers a super wide neck at 1.75" width, with their usual variety of neck carve profiles. They also offer guitar necks 2" wide, if you ask nicely. I have some clients who have popped for them, and had me finish and mount them. Suggest you email them or call them direct to inquire.

I quite like the way the super wide feels.

Yeah -a 1.75 (44.5mm) will definitely give it an acoustic feel -suggest that or a a 43mm with a nice C or D shaped profile

Or even cooler do an asymmetrical option.

Curious about what a thinner 2" neck would feel like -never tried one that wide on a guitar

 

[Chistopher]

I would say look at the most comfortable electric and classical necks you have and try to pick which one of those you think caters best to the how you would play an electric. I think trying to blend between them would merely promote compromise.

As for weight, Warmoth has a roasted maple neck and you can get a chambered roasted ash body. Basswood is lighter than ash but dings easily. I think that's as light as you can get. If money is no object and the weight is important. Paulownia is immensely light but Warmoth doesn't sell it.

 

[Mincer]

If you get an ultra light body, a super wide neck would absolutely be neck heavy, so there is that.

 

[BlackhawkRise]

A bit of neck dive doesn't bother me. Most of the time I play seated, but I'm used to playing standing without a strap. My SG has quite a bit of neck dive, but it's never bothered me.

I talked to a esteemed local builder and he says that he can custom make me a neck. He says that with quartersawn baked maple in the dimensions of a classical neck and graphite rods is strong enough that he can remove the truss rod, which will make the neck roughly 60% lighter.

Also apparently Guitar Mill has Paulowonia body's and nitro finishes? Has anyone tried this brand?

 

[Mincer]

I do think a custom-made neck is the way to go.

 

[hamerfan]

I wonder whether you would like a Gibson Chet Atkins STT

https://reverb.com/de/p/gibson-chet-...-sst-1987-2006

 

[Mincer]

What kind of strings will this use?

 

[BlackhawkRise]

I wonder whether you would like a Gibson Chet Atkins STT

https://reverb.com/de/p/gibson-chet-...-sst-1987-2006

Nah, I'm looking for closer to a guitar that looks and sounds like a Strat but plays closer to a classical.

 

[BlackhawkRise]

What kind of strings will this use?

I usually let the specific guitar designate what strings are on it, but hopefully I'll be able to get 12s or 13s on this one. The issue is that electric guitars have considerably more tension in the string than a classical, so even with a reinforced neck I may not be able to have no truss rod and have heavier strings.

 

[jeremy]

12s or 13s with no reinforcement is trouble. you dont need a truss rod necessarily, but a steel rod, or carbon fiber, or something. a truss rod is a better option

 

[Mincer]

I usually let the specific guitar designate what strings are on it, but hopefully I'll be able to get 12s or 13s on this one. The issue is that electric guitars have considerably more tension in the string than a classical, so even with a reinforced neck I may not be able to have no truss rod and have heavier strings.

But you are talking regular electric strings, right?

 

[GuitarDoc]

A bit of neck dive doesn't bother me. Most of the time I play seated, but I'm used to playing standing without a strap. My SG has quite a bit of neck dive, but it's never bothered me.

I talked to a esteemed local builder and he says that he can custom make me a neck. He says that with quartersawn baked maple in the dimensions of a classical neck and graphite rods is strong enough that he can remove the truss rod, which will make the neck roughly 60% lighter.

Also apparently Guitar Mill has Paulowonia body's and nitro finishes? Has anyone tried this brand?

Removing the truss rod won't make it 60% lighter. At most about 25-30%. A very light neck (with truss rod) is 16-19 oz. A dual action truss rod is 5oz. But then if you add graphite rods (admittedly very light compared to steel, but still with some weight...about 2oz each), even just one, you'll only save 15-20%.

 

[BlackhawkRise]

But you are talking regular electric strings, right?

Yup, unless someone invented some magnetic nylons I don't know about.

 

[BlackhawkRise]

Removing the truss rod won't make it 60% lighter. At most about 25-30%. A very light neck (with truss rod) is 16-19 oz. A dual action truss rod is 5oz. But then if you add graphite rods (admittedly very light compared to steel, but still with some weight...about 2oz each), even just one, you'll only save 15-20%.

Excuse me, I meant he said graphite rods are about 60% lighter than truss rods. I went back to confirm this with him.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Oh, yes. The graphite rods are indeed about 60% lighter than adjustable steel rods.

But you won't notice that little bit of difference as far as neck dive is concerned because the truss rod is so close to the body of the guitar (the center of gravity of the rod is about 8" from the body or 1/3 of the neck length, so the relative noticeable weight savings is less than an ounce). If the weight difference was in the tuners (out at the end of the neck/away from the body) you would notice a bigger difference.

I, personally, would rather have the convenience and functionality of the dual action truss rod than the carbon fiber/graphite rod.