Let the hate flow through you: My new Warmoth neck.

[InkStained]

I know the consensus around here is that Warmoth is worse than death, taxes and mandated vows of perpetual celibacy, but I'm happy with my new neck.

It's a one-piece maple Strat neck, vintage modern construction, satin nitro finish, 1-11/16" nut, 6150 frets, 10-16" compound radius, Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut, etc., paired with a 2001 Fender American Series Double Fat Strat body, which itself remains stock. Tuners and humbuckers are original.

I still have the original neck, which was rosewood. I always wanted a maple neck with this guitar -- I blame myself, growing up with images of EVH's early maple-neck guitars in my brain -- and nearly 16 years after I first bought the guitar, I now have one.

I enjoy how it feels -- very shred-friendly; it's a shame I can't actually shred -- but I'm still gauging how it actually sounds. I only have about 70 or so minutes on it so far. I think it's at once clearer and somehow *darker* than the original neck, but I'm still not sure.

Pics, to stoke your hatred:

 

[goodkungfu]

Nice. Warmoth make excellent stuff. Anybody who says otherwise is a deplorable. ;-)

 

[InkStained]

Nice. Warmoth make excellent stuff. Anybody who says otherwise is a deplorable. ;-)

Well, the sentiment certainly is deplorable ...

Seriously, there is *a wealth* of awesome aftermarket stuff out there.

 

[FatsoForgotso]

Looking good! Maple necks deserve to be on Stratocasters dude. The other guitarist in my band has built two Tele deluxes through them. Turned out great both times so I struggle understanding Warmoth hate. I actually have them building me a Shoreline Gold Jazzmaster with a matching headstock right meow. I have no doubt it will rule.

 

[fenderjapan]

I don't know who is talking poorly about Warmoth but it surely wasn't me or anyone I know who works on or plays guitars.

 

[trouw2112]

No warmoth hate here. They need a little tlc when you get them, but the options are nothing Fender can touch. I dislike fender's thick neck finishes. Roasted maple or a tru oiled neck is the way to go for me.

 

[Ncp10]

Single truss rods sound better to me, so yeah.

 

[InkStained]

Another view. It seems to have this birdseye thing going on in the front with a light flame fest in the back and on the sides.

 

[bluegrif]

Yeah, I'm frankly a little puzzled by your expectation of hate. Warmoth may not be the flavor of the month, but their products have been well regarded for decades.

If there has been a bit of smack talking about Warmoth, I suspect a lot of user error. I've owned some pretty dull sounding Warmoth necks, and some really nice sounding ones. It took me a very long time to realize I simply don't like the sound of double trussrod necks on Fender style guitars. All the best sounding necks I've owned have been plain old, vintage-style single action rods. So I learned not to order Warmoth's "modern" construction necks. It's not a quality issue at all. Just a matter of which type of construction sounds best to me. Also, I think it's unrealistic to expect a new neck to need no fretwork. If you get a neck that doesn't need any fretwork, consider yourself lucky. Either that or you just aren't all that picky (or use rather high action).

I do have one Warmoth neck with modern construction (well, modern circa 1990) that sounds very good. But still, isn't the best for classic Fender tones. It's installed on a guitar I designed which uses Fralin SP43s, which have a bit of a P90 vibe to them. It works well on that guitar. But these days, I avoid that type of construction whether it's Warmoth or anyone else.

 

[war-knuckles]

i love warmoth. id take a partscaster with a Fatback neck from warmoth over any american fender off the wall every day of the week.

 

[Bossanova]

I have necks #4 and 5 on the way from them. Love love love, playing a stock Fender is like going back in time to living in a post-industrial war zone after bathing in the Mediterranean Sea while bending strings on smooth 6100SS frets

 

[e-flat]

I built my P Bass from an alder Warmoth P body & Jazz neck with a Spitfire guard & Novak vintage P pickup. The neck pocket was glove-tight and I had a good experience in my dealings w/ Warmoth. I also have a Tele neck from them on one of my main guitars. Great stuff.

 

[Jven]

Am I the only that can't see the pictures?

 

[Trebor Renkluaf]

Am I the only that can't see the pictures?

Nope. Apparently you need a google account to see them. Pretty soon you'll need a google account to take a leak.

 

[luv]

Am I the only that can't see the pictures?

Neh. Me either. Just see giant (-) signs.

 

[R3deemed]

I hate it.

I hate that I can't see the pics in the OP.

 

[orogeny]

no pictures

 

[RayBarbeeMusic]

I don't know that they get the love that USACG does around here, but h8? Nah.

 

[Rocco Crocco]

Where's the pics?

 

[Pondhawk]

I have a google account and I can't see them, either.