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Vintage threads from the first ten years

Re: Warmoth quality

11/22/2005 4:19 AM
mark h	Re: Warmoth quality I have had good luck with warmoth products. I think their necks are top notch. I don't go for the tiger or birdseye stuff though. Give me a plain looking quarter sawn piece of maple. Better chance of long term stability I think. I agree with Steve that getting a good neck,body match is somewhat of a crap shoot. It's serendipidy when you fall into that perfect guitar that "sings your song".I guess that's why when you find that special one, you hang on tight to it. I don't think it matters who built it, where it was built or what wood was used because if it's good it's, good. Good materials and high craftsmanship sure increase the odds though....M

11/22/2005 4:19 AM

mark h

Re: Warmoth quality

I have had good luck with warmoth products. I think their necks are top notch. I don't go for the tiger or birdseye stuff though. Give me a plain looking quarter sawn piece of maple. Better chance of long term stability I think.
I agree with Steve that getting a good neck,body match is somewhat of a crap shoot. It's serendipidy when you fall into that perfect guitar that "sings your song".I guess that's why when you find that special one, you hang on tight to it. I don't think it matters who built it, where it was built or what wood was used because if it's good it's, good. Good materials and high craftsmanship sure increase the odds though....M

11/22/2005 2:29 PM
Floyd	Thank you all, I just don't want to have this Warmoth guitar and a couple of years down the road read that anything purchased after some date from Warmoth is of inferior quality due to whatever, I am sure no one would. For $1300.00 I know I can put together a much better guitar than I could find in any Fender showroom for the same price but I would like it to retain at least a bit more than half of it's total cost in resale value just in case one of my arms fall of or something, you never know what could happen once you pass 45, buying guitar parts is not the only crap shoot in life.

11/22/2005 2:29 PM

Floyd

Thank you all, I just don't want to have
this Warmoth guitar and a couple of years
down the road read that anything purchased
after some date from Warmoth is of inferior
quality due to whatever, I am sure no one
would.

For $1300.00 I know I can put together a much
better guitar than I could find in any Fender showroom for the same price but I would like
it to retain at least a bit more than half of
it's total cost in resale value just in case
one of my arms fall of or something, you never
know what could happen once you pass 45, buying guitar parts is not the only crap shoot in life.

12/15/2005 10:29 PM
Adams	Quartersawn? Its not always so plain. It splits the medulary rays (spelling?)and can turn out being quilted

11/22/2005 9:13 PM
Eric H	Spot-on, Mark. I believe the original poster may have been thinking of Carvin necks --they used to specifically brag about their tolerances (they are nice necks --though not traditional). Any modern production builder can esily build to those tolerances with the kind of machinery available. What happens after 2 years under string tension is another thing. Wood is a very inconsistent material. Tone is another thing, and although I love building guitars, it's a lousy way to get one that has the tone your looking for. -Eric

11/22/2005 9:13 PM

Eric H

Spot-on, Mark.

I believe the original poster may have been thinking of Carvin necks --they used to specifically brag about their tolerances (they are nice necks --though not traditional).

Any modern production builder can esily build to those tolerances with the kind of machinery available.

What happens after 2 years under string tension is another thing. Wood is a very inconsistent material.

Tone is another thing, and although I love building guitars, it's a lousy way to get one that has the tone your looking for.

-Eric

11/22/2005 1:20 PM
Matt	I've built one Warmoth and one USA Custom. USA Custom is a similar company to Warmoth, started by a former Warmoth employee IIRC. Both of my guitars are nice and sound fine...but neither blows me away. The vast majority of USA Fenders or Gibsons or any other decent guitar company don't blow me away either. Building the guitars was rewarding and I learned a few things but I didn't save any money, just the opposite considering what you can buy a used USA Fender for. And the likelihood of you building that "special, one-of-a-kind, blows-you-away-every-time" guitar are very remote I would think. FWIW, I do prefer the USA Custom compound radius over the Warmoth compound radius. The Warmoth is too flat for me. My USA Custom with the compound radius and asymmetrical back profile is one comfy neck.

11/22/2005 1:20 PM

Matt

I've built one Warmoth and one USA Custom. USA Custom is a similar company to Warmoth, started by a former Warmoth employee IIRC.

Both of my guitars are nice and sound fine...but neither blows me away. The vast majority of USA Fenders or Gibsons or any other decent guitar company don't blow me away either.

Building the guitars was rewarding and I learned a few things but I didn't save any money, just the opposite considering what you can buy a used USA Fender for. And the likelihood of you building that "special, one-of-a-kind, blows-you-away-every-time" guitar are very remote I would think.

FWIW, I do prefer the USA Custom compound radius over the Warmoth compound radius. The Warmoth is too flat for me. My USA Custom with the compound radius and asymmetrical back profile is one comfy neck.

11/23/2005 10:09 AM
Steve the Hothead	Hey Fellas, I've built at least three Warmoth strats and two USA custom strats since the mid 90's and all came out good. Both companies have excellent products and Tommy at USA used to work for Warmoth for many years before opening USA custom. Tommy will work with you on getting whatever you want, he's really cool about that. Warmoth carries great products but will not work with you like Tommy will. The trick to keeping a stable neck for years is to seal it with a good lacquer or tung oil. I prefer at least 6 to 8 coats of tung oil and you talk about a really fast neck. Yowza... To me the one thing a strat lacks is that killer 80's fast neck that Charvel and Kramer were doing. IMO the best strat will have the good thick SRV strat tone but with a killer feeling neck that is effortless to play. If using lacquer get the reranch stuff as it works perfect. Getting a good neck/ body tone that works well is kinda tough. its a hit or miss type problem but in saying that most strats you play at the local GC will have that hit or miss combo as well. I feel rolling your own guitar is much more rewarding. Regarding the Carvin necks, I've used one in a build and it did play excellent and it was one neck I didn't even need to do a fret level on to still get a real low action so they do make them well. Steve

11/23/2005 10:09 AM

Steve the Hothead

Hey Fellas,
I've built at least three Warmoth strats and two USA custom strats since the mid 90's and all came out good.
Both companies have excellent products and Tommy at USA used to work for Warmoth for many years before opening USA custom.
Tommy will work with you on getting whatever you want, he's really cool about that.
Warmoth carries great products but will not work with you like Tommy will.

The trick to keeping a stable neck for years is to seal it with a good lacquer or tung oil.
I prefer at least 6 to 8 coats of tung oil and you talk about a really fast neck. Yowza...

To me the one thing a strat lacks is that killer 80's fast neck that Charvel and Kramer were doing.

IMO the best strat will have the good thick SRV strat tone but with a killer feeling neck that is effortless to play.

If using lacquer get the reranch stuff as it works perfect.
Getting a good neck/ body tone that works well is kinda tough. its a hit or miss type problem but in saying that most strats you play at the local GC will have that hit or miss combo as well.
I feel rolling your own guitar is much more rewarding.
Regarding the Carvin necks, I've used one in a build and it did play excellent and it was one neck I didn't even need to do a fret level on to still get a real low action so they do make them well.

Steve

11/23/2005 12:13 PM
Frank DeSalvo	^^ The only thing I don't like about the Carvin necks is that flat radius! I wish they offered a 12"~ ~F

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