Warmoth Guitars

[AtlMusicMan86]

I've been thinking about doing a custom Tele style guitar from Warmoth, so was wondering if anyone here has done a guitar from Warmoth and how the craftsmanship of it was. Was it what you thought it'd be? Did it meet or exceed your expectations? Did it sound and play good?

[jimshine]

They have been around since the mid 70's, they are dong something right. I should also mention a final assembly requires great care to align and install components, and do the final setup work to the guitar. If that work is substandard, it will reflect in the final guitars performance.

[JxD]

I ordered a Telecaster style guitar from Warmoth. It turned out excellent and is probably my favorite current guitar. I really only have good things to say about it. I probably should have initially taken it to a professional for a set-up, but I decided to do it myself. It took me about a year and a half to get everything exactly right (kind of learned as I went), but now it is the love of my life. That said, they can be expensive for what you're getting. If you want a maple, alder, or swamp ash tele, it would probably be cheaper and safer to go into a music store and try out a few different guitars. If you want a black korina tele-style guitar with P90's and an exotic wood neck (my current desire), they're a pretty good alternative.

[AtlMusicMan86]

Gotcha, yea I'd be having one of the techs that I know here in Atlanta setting everything up for me. I was thinking about getting a Nash T 63 (still in the thought process) but through Warmoth I can get the same guitar with a killer flamed neck that the Nash doesn't come with for $700 cheaper. So I wanted to hear from owners and users before I jump the gun on the Warmoth.

[antiquodian]

Get the sculpted heel. Their stock heels are gigantic.

[Dale]

They tend to be very good - as good as you are at assembly and set up.

[Burruss]

Gotcha, yea I'd be having one of the techs that I know here in Atlanta setting everything up for me. I was thinking about getting a Nash T 63 (still in the thought process) but through Warmoth I can get the same guitar with a killer flamed neck that the Nash doesn't come with for $700 cheaper. So I wanted to hear from owners and users before I jump the gun on the Warmoth.

I'm in Atlanta too. Who is/are your favorite tech(s)?

[Voodoo Blues]

I assembled a Warmoth tele for a friend and I was not impressed at all. The parts were probably 5-6 years old but overall I thought they had the same quality as a Squier Strat.

[moosewayne]

I've had lots of good experiences with their stuff.
I know some people have had less than great experiences, but everything I've ever got from them was top quality stuff.
I'm going on 15 years of my main strat having a Warmoth Clapton contour neck and.....well, 15 years being my number one guitar is saying something.

[superrock]

they make great stuff, and i would assert that the deals on used bodies and necks are there to be had. if you don't mind a ding or nick, gather the parts you have in your minds eye over time. it won't be quick, but it is fun to do. i scored an early warmoth birdseye tele neck and it resides on my current favorite tele. it will probably be here for good. finding the early stuff is fun, too... their body builder is great, but i always wing up at like 1k with my cockamamey options, which is why i look to the used market...

[superrock]

a pro setup will get you where you want to be with their parts, as stated...

[EADGBE]

I think they're a great idea. I just wish they had more choices in body and headstock styles. I wish they had replicas of all of the great superstrats of yesteryear. Like the various Barettas, and Gunslingers, and maybe even bolt on versions of the Hamer standard.

[rjpilot]

I think they're a great idea. I just wish they had more choices in body and headstock styles. I wish they had replicas of all of the great superstrats of yesteryear. Like the various Barettas, and Gunslingers, and maybe even bolt on versions of the Hamer standard.
They can do custom whatever you want.. youwould simply need to draw it. They would have to pay for licensing rights on each type of headstock. You could always buy a body and stick a used gunslinger neck on it.

[MasterEvan07]

I'm probably going to make a parts(tele)caster from them as soon as they pickup 2Tek bridges (which Zilmo told me would be quite soon!)...it shall be excellent!

I made a Strat-copy out of Warmoth parts...I had no idea what I was doing and it was many years ago but I thought and still think it was/is a pretty dang good git.

[scorched]

I got tired of shopping for guitars and not being satisfied with the products offered - unless you wanted to pay $3000+ for custom shop. I decided to create my own custom shop. I now have four Warmoth guitars and I'm in planning stages for number five.

Had some trials and tribulations learning to dress frets, bridge setup, etc. But now I'm confident with what I'm doing. I shoot my own Nitro, stain and color the wood, etc. It becomes your baby and you get exactly what you want.

I have nothing but praise for the quality of the parts I've gotten. I found the neck profile I love. I love their chambered bodies. I have a chambered strat from them that is simply the finest sounding guitar I've ever owned and I've had three custom shop Fender strats.

[darkinners]

my band's guitarist was a Warmoth addict, he has like 5 or 6 Warmoth guitars. I tried all of them, ALL of them sounded and played amazing.
in particular one of his Warmoth 63' Strat copy was beyond amazing. Been bugging him sell me that strat and he just keep saying no :/

So, recently I build myself one Warmoth 57' strat copy, it's an awesome guitar and it's cheap too compare to those big brands.

[RAILhead]

Far exceeded my expectations. I built a thinline Tele with TV Jones pups and most bells and whistles, and it's one of my main players. I'll post pics later

[GuitslingerTim]

Some advice: if building a parts guitar is a one-shot deal, stick with traditional woods, traditional hardware, and the vintage trussrod.

The only trouble I had was getting unexpected results from exotic wood combinations and learning which neck profile suits me.

The last two strat clones I assembled turned out good; one is alder with a two piece body and a birdseye maple neck with a kingwood fingerboard: it's more of a superstrat type with an HSH pickup configuration and a two-point floating trem; it does what it was designed for extremely well, while offering a nice variety of tones.

The last one I constructed has a one-piece alder body and a high dollar uber-flame maple neck with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard; I finished it in three color sunburst Reranch lacquer: it not only looks good, it feels and sounds great, and is by far the best traditional strat-type guitar I've owned.

[Dale]

The center one is one of my Warmoth's.

http://drpietrzak.com/music/others.JPG

[mainsale]

I built this Warmoth Strat about two years ago. I took my time and put top shelf components in it and it came out great! It has low action and wonderful vintage tone thanks to a set of Lollar dirty Blondes with a blender pot. I'm going to do a P-bass next!

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Mainsale/BluesAlleyStrat_011110_3596_edited-.jpg

[JB6464]

The center one is one of my Warmoth's.

http://drpietrzak.com/music/others.JPG

Wow , the neck looks huge,lol.
What are the neck specs on it ?

[MasterEvan07]

I built this Warmoth Strat about two years ago. I took my time and put top shelf components in it and it came out great! It has low action and wonderful vintage tone thanks to a set of Lollar dirty Blondes with a blender pot. I'm going to do a P-bass next!

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/Mainsale/BluesAlleyStrat_011110_3596_edited-.jpg

I dig bro! :aok

[JaySwear]

My two current Warmoths (with an SG in the making right now...)

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6277201781_b07973f64d.jpg http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1402/4729417190_738f676fd1.jpg

I don't think you'll be disappointed! The only thing I wish they did would be a nitro finish on bodies (they do a clear nitro finish on necks). But everything I've received from them has been completely flawless.

[HaywireGuitars]

Here are some pix of Haywire Custom Shop builds with Warmoth bodies. The link will give a full list of specs for each guitar.
Please note: None of these are for sale.


http://www.warmoth.com/Gallery/GalleryEntry.aspx?id=2843

Additional photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/haywirecustomguitars/6158750106/in/set-72157627697662206
http://www.warmoth.com/Gallery/GalleryEntry.aspx?id=2843http://www.warmoth.com/Gallery/GalleryEntry.aspx?id=2484http://www.warmoth.com/Gallery/GalleryEntry.aspx?id=1583http://www.warmoth.com/Gallery/GalleryEntry.aspx?id=2480http://www.warmoth.com/Gallery/GalleryEntry.aspx?id=2615

[Dale]

Wow , the neck looks huge,lol.
What are the neck specs on it ?

59 profile, 24.75" conversion neck. It is the same size as the LP.

[JB6464]

59 profile, 24.75" conversion neck. It is the same size as the LP.

Cool , thanks for the info.
In the pic it looks like a 1 3/4" width neck at the nut which is what i use on my strat builds. Easier to to full chords in the first 3 fret areas.
It must be an optical illusion without the binding on the neck.

[otaypanky]

I put my first parts guitar together a few months ago and I'm crazy about it. Warmoth body and neck. The body is chambered black korina and the neck is a one piece goncalo alves with stainless frets in a fatback shape. Both were perfect, didn't even need finish sanding. I bought the neck as a replacement for an '89 MIJ start but it was so nice I got a body for it.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w49/otaypanky/f616a1a1.jpghttp://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w49/otaypanky/6418d1c9.jpg

[JB6464]

I put my first parts guitar together a few months ago and I'm crazy about it. Warmoth body and neck. The body is chambered black korina and the neck is a one piece goncalo alves with stainless frets in a fatback shape. Both were perfect, didn't even need finish sanding. I bought the neck as a replacement for an '89 MIJ start but it was so nice I got a body for it.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w49/otaypanky/f616a1a1.jpghttp://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w49/otaypanky/6418d1c9.jpg

Awesome ! :dude:
Whats the neck specs on that one ?

[kleydj13]

I love Warmoth. I have a strat and a tele that are mostly Warmoth parts. The tele is my newest and I sprung for a Goncalo Alves/Pau Ferro neck with the '59 contour and SS frets. Its amazing. I love the feel of the bare wood.

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz146/kleydj13/IMG_0334.jpg?t=1314675290

My strat is more traditional with an alder body and a maple/rosewood neck. Very resonant and is probably my best sounding guitar. I absolutely love it as well.

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz146/kleydj13/Warmoth%20Strat/IMG_2612.jpg

[erksin]

Being a lefty, if I want something nice I usually have to make it myself or pay out the nose for something custom that I'll never get a chance to try before buying. Over the years Warmoth has consistently been a great option for me without having to spend a ton of money.

1988 Strat - neck, body, pickguard by Warmoth:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b164/erksin/strat1.jpg

1992 Tele - neck, body, pickguard by Warmoth:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b164/erksin/Tele2.jpg

Two homemade builds with Warmoth necks; the 12 string also has a bookmatched Swamp Ash top on it courtesy of Warmoth:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b164/erksin/Erksquire1-1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b164/erksin/EricktoneXII.jpg

The only thing I've been disappointed by is their amber tint finish on their necks - especially the satins. It is bright pumpkin orange, nothing remotely close to a vintage yellow. If they finish your neck - go with the clear, it'll yellow on it's own in a few years - my Strat has aged wonderfully.

[mdog114]

I've done 4 and each one is fantastic. The parts and their tolerances are very precise and the quality of wood they use is very nice.

The main aspect is who assembles it, if that person doesn't have a clue, then you may be not impressed at all.

[docsmith]

I've put together 4 Warmoth guitars - and the 5th is in process. I've found their quality to be outstanding. As other posters have noted, the end result is very dependent on assembly & set up.

If you don't know what you're doing, the results will be disappointing.

[mrpinter]

I'll echo what others have been saying... I recently had a Warmoth 72 Thinline style tele built for me, and I love it. I paid a professional guitar tech to assemble it and set it up for me, and I'm happy with that decision - for the nice guitar I got it was all money well spent. The nut needed some work, but other than that it didn't need even so much as a fret dressing. All was good (and I would have been willing to pay for finishing touches like that, but it didn't need much except careful assembly). I know I'd probably take a beating if I ever wanted to sell it, but I knew that going in. It's a custom instrument for a really very reasonable price. Here is a pic of it:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u293/mrpinter_photos/warmothteleoncouchnatlight.jpg

[Loobster]

I've built a couple. Neither were particularly amazing. I'd put their quality on par with regular production run US Fender. Definitely nothing better than that.

[dazco]

I built several warmoths and this is just my opinion, but i think it's the worse way to go about buying a guitar. 2 reasons. 1, i feel thier maple doesn't sound quite right like a fender should. And 2, when you assemble a guitar you have zero idea of how it will sound till you've already paid for it, then if you sell it you will take a bath compared to having bought a fender.

I built several as i said, and none were particularly good sounding. In fact, among the fenders i've owned including lower end ones i've been much happier with the tone. And when buying a guitar off the shelf you can check it out tonally first and see if it's worth while. So for me at least the best way is to buy a guitar close to want you want and mod it to your specs if a guitar customized to your needs is the goal. There are usually fenders that will get close to your desires and a bit of modding can get you the rest of the way.

[Loobster]

Agreed ^

[KBR]

Warmoth & USACG are both Incredible, I should know made a ton of em.

I would never buy a guitar that is by a company unless a cheap O slide Guiitar.

[koa]

I've built a few guitars from Warmoth parts. I had no prior experience and I thought they turned out great. Everyone who played them were impressed with the quality. They were super easy to put together and all if the wood options make for a really fun project. The fretwork on the necks I bought were fine but I've heard stories of guys needing to have theirs leveled. I say go for it. Its really fun. Just plan on keeping it forever... The resale blows on these.

[mdog114]

Here's a pic of one of my main players along with a clip of how it sounds.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/mdog114/Strat0001.jpg

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=6237304

[blueman61]

[QUOTE=KBR;12568225]Warmoth & USACG are both Incredible, I should know made a ton of em.

Totally agree. My Warmoths are great guitars and hold their own or surpass any similar guitars I've played including vintage Fenders. I have built 9 of them including Teles, Strats, and LPS and a 5 string bass. The quality and consistency is superb. I wouldn't hesitate to buy stuff from them even though I tend to build my own bodies and necks from raw lumber these days. I've bought really nice body blanks from USACG at reasonable prices and wouldn't hesitate to buy from those guys either. God companies both.

[ieso]

working up a warmoth tele at the moment

http://gtroblq.blogspot.com/2012/05/egos-warmoth-partscaster.html

the workmanship, as far as I can tell so far, is top notch.

[waygorked]

I have built 2.5 Warmoths so far, a tele, strat, and an in-progress Jazzmaster. My other guitars are a Fender Eric Johnson strat and a PRS DGT. My first one, the tele, was all top shelf components (Callaham, Fralin, RS Guitarworks, etc). I put it together, and while it played and felt amazing, it sounded average at best, like a good Mexican Fender. Not what I was after for a $1k investment. I took it apart and let it sit in pieces for about 6 months, assuming that it was a poor match between the neck and body woods. I decided to put it back together again for some reason, this time with threaded stainless steel inserts for the neck screws. Suddenly it absolutely sang, and is now my favorite guitar ever. It sounds way better than my EJ, and hangs with my set neck DGT for sustain.

Does that reveal issues related to Warmoth quality? Probably not. More likely it had something to do with me not properly locking in the neck when I put it together the first time. My Warmoth strat kills my EJ, and my EJ is a truly Great Fender Strat.

[RobT]

I put together a couple of guitars using Warmoth parts, including the one pictured below. I have also purchased three necks for the strats that I own. I prefer a 1 3/4" nut and their 59 roundback profile. I'm currently waiting on another telecaster body with a strat neck route, neck P90 and the Evertune bridge route. I have had no issues with Warmoth's quality. I have been very pleased with their products. I've done my own setup and fret dressing but this isn't any different than most of the guitars I've purchased.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd215/robteejr/WarmothLPSJazz.jpg

[footiee]

did 2 strats using warmoth body and neck, was decent but with a similar quality there are cheaper ones, not that they are bad but they don't drop my jaws. actually i dont have very fine ears and imo, as long as it have a proper fitting and a decent quality of wood, it will do the job pretty well. anyway it was years ago, i am really dated right now so not sure of the current situation.

i will personally spend more on hardware side, that does seem to affect tone more than anything else. i will almost never scrimp on bridge side, its always been callaham (only on the bridge sides, tuners are good but nothing to shout about, pickups wise, not a fan of it. )

[Cylon]

i love their bodies cause they list the weight

[Teleplayer]

Warmoth parts - built by Fred Marotta in San Diego. I've had it since 1997. When I gigged, it was my #1 on stage for 7 years solid. Guitars from a few top boutique manufacturers came and went while this one stayed with me. Of course, Fred is an absolute magician with all things string-related.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/Teleplayer59/MarottaTele.jpg

Here's another one Fred built. Put very specific pickups in it. Had a clear pickguard that was held on solely by the fretboard and friction. No screws. I saw it up for sale on here a number of months ago. The owner had put a tortoise pickguard on it that really didn't fit, drilled screw holes into the body for the pickguard, etc. Replaced the pickups. Had a chance to buy it back, but it was no longer the same guitar. This one was on stage with me for 7 years too - mainly as my #2:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/Teleplayer59/Telecaster.jpg

USACG body and neck (Fred Marotta and Tommy at USACG have known each other for about 100 years, btw). Pro built by the renowned "Chip" at the Music Gallery Inc. in Highland park, IL. Chip is a tech extraordinaire. Guy's been working on high-end guitars for 30 years. Incredible touch, a real pro.

The top on this thing was whack. Fralin Blues Specials. Bradley sealed pots with lifetime warranties. Yet another guitar that kicked most of the boutique pieces out the door.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/Teleplayer59/100_0358.jpg

[Stinky Kitty]

When it comes to Warmoth, it comes down to two things. Picking the right combination of body wood/neck wood and then making sure the person putting it together knows their way around luthiery. If you dime those two considerations, you will have yourself a nice guitar for peanuts compared to a custom shop Strat.

[Boris Bubbanov]

The ones shown here that I like best are all very "custom" interpretations of and takeoffs from the usual Tele or Strat concept. No pickguard, or bound, or alternate takes on the '72 Deluxe, and so forth.

The disconnect is when people try to clone existing Fender models, past or present. Ken Warmoth has chosen by design to deviate from the accurate shapes of the T and S Fender bodies and invent his own variation. And the heels on the Warmoth necks, as they transition into the neck section, are jarringly different from Fender's shape or Guitar Mill or Allparts or Mighty Mite or Musikraft or WD or anyone else that's real ubiquitous. Not ugly so much as "wrong" and a quick slap in the face to anyone who really really sweats the fine details of Fender factory parts.

I've got 12 Warmoth necks, half Vintage and half Vintage Modern, mostly but not all Rosewood board maple necks, about half Strats and half Teles. They're very good, very nearly as good as my favorites, USACG. From a functional standpoint, except for the 1 piece Indian Rosewood neck that took forever to "come in", they're very very good.

Warmoth bodies? I uh, no, I didn't get along with them. I've got a Warmoth body, what's left of it I guess, on a rack somewhere. A dud? I dunno. Nothing ever fit right or sounded right - just bad chemistry I suppose. Maybe I didn't have enough skills at the time but the USACG bodied projects I started the same time just turned out so cool.

[pcauchi]

i put together a couple of guitars using warmoth parts, including the one pictured below. I have also purchased three necks for the strats that i own. I prefer a 1 3/4" nut and their 59 roundback profile. I'm currently waiting on another telecaster body with a strat neck route, neck p90 and the evertune bridge route. I have had no issues with warmoth's quality. I have been very pleased with their products. I've done my own setup and fret dressing but this isn't any different than most of the guitars i've purchased.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd215/robteejr/warmothlpsjazz.jpg


can we please see more shots of this one please!

[Boris Bubbanov]

I don't know how many guys have laid a new USACG Tele body and a Warmoth body and an existing Fender body one over the other and taken precise note of the differences between them. Sometimes, there's guys I would recommend not do this at all, and that they stay with the attitudes and beliefs they have about what resembles what and what doesn't.

Maybe it is a bad thing when you can glimpse an image of a gorgeous Warmoth T body on a guitar forum and all one sees is the fact that the right upper quadrant of the body is more like a hook on the Warmoth, as compared to the generous Leo shape and the clone by USACG. Maybe it is better not to place a Fender factory pickguard over that Warmoth body - just buy the Warmoth guard and don't be anal about it.

I want my Fendery guitars to have the basic "Marilyn Monroe" design language to them, as to the basic profile of the guitar. Loni Anderson was not an ugly woman but she wasn't Marilyn. If you model the guitar body after Loni you get a different result - but hey, it is each guy's money and he should do only what he wants to do. That's the rule.

[blueman61]

I put together a couple of guitars using Warmoth parts, including the one pictured below. I have also purchased three necks for the strats that I own. I prefer a 1 3/4" nut and their 59 roundback profile. I'm currently waiting on another telecaster body with a strat neck route, neck P90 and the Evertune bridge route. I have had no issues with Warmoth's quality. I have been very pleased with their products. I've done my own setup and fret dressing but this isn't any different than most of the guitars I've purchased.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd215/robteejr/WarmothLPSJazz.jpg

Love this one. Was thinking about doing a solidbody jazz guitar myself. Can you describe its sound? What sort of amp are you using with it? Did you carve your own tailpiece? Looks great and sounds better, I'll bet.

[RobT]

Pcauchi,Blueman,
This was my first Warmoth build and it was a good learning experience. I own a couple of high end acoustic arch-tops that I hated to take out of the house plus they are true acoustics and they don't really get that thick but clear Wes type tone. so I decided to build something like a Nickerson Skylark. The body is a chambered mahogany body with a carved sitka spruce top. I went with a natural binding,sunburst finished and black back. I have a Duncan Jazz in the neck. Warmoth uses the second pickup location as fixture point for their CNC machine so there is a small hole about the diameter of a pencil eraser that I had Warmoth fill before painting. The neck is mahogany as well, ebony board, 1 3/4" nut width, 12" straight radius, fat back profile (if I had to do it again I would go with the 59' profile-- the Fat back is just too fat) and single truss rod. Gold Open Back Sprezel tuners, CTS pots, copper shielded cavity.
I purchased a truss rod cover from Shark Inlay, I made the pickguard but I wasn't happy with that one so I made another but the old guard (same shape) is shown in the picture.
I purchased the bridge and tail piece off of Ebay from Bill Gagnon. Bill Gagnon makes very good ebony parts at a reasonable cost. I cut the tailpiece to size and attached it via inserts to a Stanley cabinet hinge. This is the one weak point and I will replace this when I find the right hinge. The height of the bridge required me to shim the neck pocket and I used a walnut shim dyed with Stewmac ebony dye ink that went from 1/8" to nothing. That put it at a good height for the bridge. I fit the bridge via the sandpaper method taped to the top...this was probably the most labor intensive and mind numbing part. A lot of back and forth, check, back and forth, recheck ....etc.

I've got another tailpiece that Bill Gagnon made that is short and uses the violin type of attachment but I have not changed it out yet. This was a fun build and the guitar has a very nice tone that easily replicates the early Pat Martino, Wes Montgomery type of tone. The Jazz is a great clean but warm pickup. I use Thomastik round wound Bebop 12 gauge strings and I mostly use this with a Genz Benz Acoustic amp or my SF Pro Reverb. r/rob

[dlc1953]

I don't know how many guys have laid a new USACG Tele body and a Warmoth body and an existing Fender body one over the other and taken precise note of the differences between them. Sometimes, there's guys I would recommend not do this at all, and that they stay with the attitudes and beliefs they have about what resembles what and what doesn't.

Maybe it is a bad thing when you can glimpse an image of a gorgeous Warmoth T body on a guitar forum and all one sees is the fact that the right upper quadrant of the body is more like a hook on the Warmoth, as compared to the generous Leo shape and the clone by USACG. Maybe it is better not to place a Fender factory pickguard over that Warmoth body - just buy the Warmoth guard and don't be anal about it.

I want my Fendery guitars to have the basic "Marilyn Monroe" design language to them, as to the basic profile of the guitar. Loni Anderson was not an ugly woman but she wasn't Marilyn. If you model the guitar body after Loni you get a different result - but hey, it is each guy's money and he should do only what he wants to do. That's the rule.
Yes but there have been alot of great lookin women since Marilyn and some I dare to say,much better!

[Ruraltom]

My uncle put this Warmoth together for me when I was about 14-15 ('88-'89) as my first real guitar. Was my #1 for many years. Great sounding 2-piece Mahogany, maple cap neck with tung oil only... and many, many pickup combos over the years!
http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m628/RuralTom/DSC00014-1.jpg

[dman11]

here my WARMOTH
Twins

http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/133/58a7e731647940ac9240a3a5329b0ad0/l.jpg

[kleydj13]

I've got two Warmoths and they are my only two electrics. I love them. The biggest draw for me is the custom options. Almost every detail on the neck I chose. If you want really top quality look to USACG. But if you are on a moderate budget and need custom specs Warmoth is the way to go.

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz146/kleydj13/Gear/IMG_0406.jpg

The tele has a Swamp Ash body and a Goncalo Alves neck with a Pau Ferro Fretboard. '59 roundback with Stainless Steel 6105 frets. Best playing tele I've ever owned. Still dialing in the right pair of pickups. Sounds killer, very warm and round.

Strat has an Alder Body and a maple/rosewood neck. Rings like a bell. Best sounding guitar I've ever played. Frets are getting a little worn though.

Both are amazing instruments.

Overall, I love DIY projects. It usually takes a while to dial them in - finding the right set of pickups, getting the setup just right. I guess the wood just has to get to know each other. I plan on building more and more and more and more...

[Palladio]

Gotcha, yea I'd be having one of the techs that I know here in Atlanta setting everything up for me. I was thinking about getting a Nash T 63 (still in the thought process) but through Warmoth I can get the same guitar with a killer flamed neck that the Nash doesn't come with for $700 cheaper. So I wanted to hear from owners and users before I jump the gun on the Warmoth.

This is going to be a long reply, but having gone down this route I'd like to offer my opinion from experience regarding a custom Tele build of any sort. Carefully consider the following:

1. Time - it takes time to do the research to pick a truly good combination of parts, have them made, shipped and put together. This can either be a fun process or a waste of time when you could be doing other more productive things, depending on your situation.

2. Cost - It's easy to think you will save $700 or whatever going with a partscaster build instead of buying a Nash, Danocaster, etc. But when you really add up all the parts, buy similar quality pickups (Lollar, Fralin, etc.), factor in shipping, paint/finish work, assembly and set up costs (assuming you aren't doing all this yourself) that savings gap may be narrower than you think. From my experience, a first rate partscaster is going to cost around $1000-1,300 if you are having others do all the assembly. A used Nash can be had for $1,500 or less if you shop around. So the difference really isn't a huge savings.

3. Risk - There is no way to know how any given guitar is going to sound until it is completed and you can play it! Heck, go to Guitar Center and play several examples of the same model Fender, Gibson or whatever. They will not all sound and play alike even though they are "identical" builds. So you run a risk of going through the process, spending $1,000+, and ending up with a guitar that you're not crazy about. Which brings me to my last point....

4. Resale - If you don't like the way it turns out, or just get tired of the guitar at some point, you will lose money on resale. A Mark Jenny Tele build will cost you about $1300 but these guitars sell all the time on Ebay for $600-750 used. On the other hand, if you buy a used Nash for $1400, you will probably be able to sell it for around $1400.

If you like tinkering with guitars and enjoy the whole "GAS" aspect of researching and picking out all the parts for your build, doing the partscaster thing can be a fun learning experience. Or if you just have to have some very particular type of build that no one makes, then of course building your own is the way to go. But if you just want the best playing and sounding Tele you can get with little risk, I'd go play a bunch of used Nash guitars (or whatever brand/maker appeals to you) and pick the best one. The extra $300-400 you spend won't make much difference down the road if you love the guitar.

As for Nash in particular, I've played maybe 10 of them, and they were consistenly great sounding and playing guitars. Not identical, but VERY consistent. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if you found one you liked and could afford it. Unless you have a very good guitar tech doing your build, and pick out just the right parts, I think you'll have a hard time doing as well or better than Nash. There's a reason Nash, Danocaster, Kirn, etc. have such good reputations - they build great partscasters. There is a bit of an art as well as science to building a great guitar, and they have the benefit of a ton of experience doing it. I think it's worth paying the slight premium for the benefit of this experience, unless you really enjoy the process of doing it yourself and don't mind the risk that it might not turn out as you had hoped.

I decided to do my own Tele build, thinking I would save a bunch of money. After several different builds and changes to get a guitar I'm truly happy with, I would have been better off buying a Nash. I certainly didn't save any money. However, I did enjoy the process and learned a lot, so I don't regret it. Plus there is something fun about owning a guitar that is uniquely your build.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

[melodiusthunk]

Whoa! That is a work of art.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd215/robteejr/WarmothLPSJazz.jpg[/QUOTE]

[tooter007]

here my WARMOTH
Twins

http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/133/58a7e731647940ac9240a3a5329b0ad0/l.jpg

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice....twice.

[waygorked]

@ Palladio:

I agree with everything you have said. A partscaster is a terrible investment, assuming you plan to ever sell it. But the beauty of a partscaster build is that all the parts can be sourced used, with the exception of unique neck and body woods. Standard parts are almost constantly available. If you want a maple strat neck with a rosewood board and 6105s, you'll find a good used one within a couple of weeks tops. Not happy with the result? Part it out on ebay.

I built a hollow telecaster a few years back, thinking a fat maple neck would work with a mahogany chambered body. The quality was great, but the tone was not what I was after. I used great parts: Lollar Imperials, RS Guitarworks electronics, Callaham bridge. The neck and body were new Warmoth, most other parts used. Once all my costs were accounted for, including all the ebay fees and shipping charges, I actually made about $150 on the thing.

I would also point out that for many of us you are undervaluing the relevance of building your own guitar. For me, the self build aspect is the point, not the product. I get almost as much out of building as I do from playing.

[melodiusthunk]

...I want my Fendery guitars to have the basic "Marilyn Monroe" design language to them, as to the basic profile of the guitar. Loni Anderson was not an ugly woman but she wasn't Marilyn. If you model the guitar body after Loni you get a different result -

:agree

[RAILhead]

My Warmoth guitars:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/Christine05.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/LaCabronita05.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/Lisa01.jpg

[louis]

Here's mine with KOA body and Seymour Duncan's little 59's,
a real little Devil!!


http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa411/lola428/louis-strat-04.jpg

http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa411/lola428/louis-strat-05.jpg



Louis

[pcauchi]

Pcauchi,Blueman,
This was my first Warmoth build and it was a good learning experience. I own a couple of high end acoustic arch-tops that I ... r/rob

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE REPLY! Incredible looking instrument!

[RobT]

Pcauchi, My pleasure. As another gentleman mentioned above, one can't under estimate the pleasure one gets from seeing your own guitar take flight. I've assembled a few others since this one and I've learned something new each time. My next build will be from ground up. Its a lot of fun and if you do it right you will have great guitar. If you do it thinking you can make money on it or you can initially do it better than some of the experienced builders, than you will most likely be disappointed.

[Dale]

I finally was able to get a few better pictures of my favorite Warmoth build. I still love this thing and it has been played for years now ...

http://drpietrzak.com/music/warmoth6.jpg

http://drpietrzak.com/music/warmoth1.jpg

http://drpietrzak.com/music/warmoth3.jpg

http://drpietrzak.com/music/warmoth5.jpg

[ackbar]

http://i.imgur.com/rFz7B.jpg

[tooter007]

My Warmoth guitars:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/Lisa01.jpg

:drool:thud:beer

Nice.

[Dale]

Nice!

[D-Rock Bahamas]

I am on my 3 rd warmoth build, I have owned custom shop fenders and les paul standards.

I love the extra wide necks so I am addicted!

I send my parts to a fantastic luthier working with Dan Erllwine, Elliott, the guitars arrive with amazing action, sustain, cannot be any better.

I believe if you send the parts to a proper luthier, thet finished product is as good as any high end custom shop guitar.

IMHO

[billkahler]

I modified a Mex Strat with a Gibson scale neck, got a luthier to set it up and it makes me smile every time I play it. Actually the only original piece is the body. The Warmoth neck is fantastic. This experience has led me to wanting to build a Warmoth.

[Gclef]

I built a tele and a strat from warmoth parts.

The tele is alder/spalted maple with a mahog/ebony pro fatback neck. The 6130 frets i had put on are not to my liking. This will get a maple/maple '59 with some sort of ss jumbo frets.
It plays like butter and sounds good. It sounds awesome with the neck from.......

My strat. I built a chambered alder with a maple/maple '59 pro neck. Ss jumbos. Hardtail. Candy tangerine.
This one eats my '90 strat plus deluxe ( which was a really god one) for lunch. I played a '72 strat that sounded better, but the tight radius and and narrow nut limited the playability for me. My buddy (who's played a bunch of vintage 60's strat) is hounding me for this one.
I had it setup by a local pro and it is seriously my best playing guitar and is tied with my rg520qs for sound.

It weighs just over 6.2 lbs btw.

I will build another in the future.

[mdog114]

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd215/robteejr/WarmothLPSJazz.jpg

That's sweet!

I build all of mine with 1.75" necks too. I've done 4 Warmoths and have 2 necks on older Teles.

Top shelf stuff.