A Modern Contoured Heel

[jco5055]

I would love this option of course, but I did just recently own a Vigier (great guitar, but not a true lifetime instrument so I traded it for a Hartung on it's way), and anyone who's played one knows that Vigier Excalibur models have the basic square heel, and honestly it didn't bother me at all, so I can at least accept the current version of a contoured heel for the forseeable future. If anything it just feels slightly wrong to be thinking about building a V-R/V-K/Soloist and be the current heel haha.

 

[bigfrets]

  I agree with this suggestion
  I can't even find a pic of what the option "Contoured Heel" is any where on the website.
  Maybe there is, but I didn't see it.
  I see a user pic of a sideways slanted heel, which i have never seen before
  But a slanted heel that goes lengthwise to the neck is what i am looking for,( i do have a grinder)
  also I want to put a Jackson 24 fret neck on the body , so it looks like i will mount the bridge myself 12.25" from the 12th fret
  I really like the Z Body it looks like a music man Majesty a little bit with the long upper horn for balance

 

[stratamania]

Pic of current contoured heel for those who can't find one.

Ref: https://warmoth.com/guitar-body-contours

And on one of my builds...

Final3 by stratamania, on Flickr

 

[timanator]

Looks like Musicman's Jason Richardson model now has a really good modern heel too Come on Warmoth!

 

[molul]

Or perhaps it's the idea of a modern contoured heel that's important. Perhaps it doesn't really matter if the heel of a Strat is more comfortable. Perhaps a nice smooth heel feels great when you hold or pick up the guitar. But when you play it - does it really matter?

What do you guys think? Is it really that important? :dontknow:
I've had two Warmoth bodies previously with contoured heels. But the latest body, from the showcase, didn't have a contoured heel. And I realized that I didn't really feel any difference between these bodies.
These guys doesn't seem to mind the standard heel ...

[youtube]https://youtu.be/XjzYDbeRL-Y[/youtube]

[youtube]https://youtu.be/D4OxW_0qqv8[/youtube]

[youtube]https://youtu.be/LoZCpEYLISw[/youtube]

All my guitars, including my first warmoth strat, had standard heel. My last build, a Jazzmaster, had it contoured. It feels way more comfortable and I wish I had chosen that for the previous warmoth.

My next build will have a Fender elite contoured heel, which seems even more comfortable.

It depends on each individual. I happen to enjoy comfort options a lot.

 

[timanator]

Just checking in, soon I hope!

 

[Hendrix]

I've been drinking green tea all day....and now you're gonna bring out the demon in me??!! :icon_biggrin:




You will never find a more ardent advocate for a comfortable contoured heel than me. I don't like feeling a sharp corner in the palm of my hand every time I go for the glory notes any more than you do.


But....


Here are a few of the factors Warmoth has to wrestle with:


1. Fender's vintage/original USA heel and neck pocket spec is the cornerstone of our business. How far do you dare stray from the thing thing that pays your rent and keeps the lights on?


2. Our products are complicated enough as it is. Us veterans may have no problem navigating the dizzying array of options, but first-timers are intimidated. How much more complicated can we make things before the amount of options is more harmful than helpful? Our options need to be simpler to understand, not harder. Our website needs to be simpler to order from, not harder.

this is my solution with Warmoth body and neck , best options without change Fender's vintage/original USA heel and neck pocket spec . only need change screw length and add 12 mm screw ferrules sunken , which is minimum cost to change .

this is How to made ergonomic bolt-on heel joint/guitar contour with sample hand tool so it not much more cost to do it by CNC .

 

[rainfall]

new interface, new bump... WARMOTH let's do this contoured heel thing!!!

 

[JohnL2112]

So I am working on this. I got a soloist body on sale as my beater body (I will then do this on a strat I own, then order a nice soloist body). I know sharpy is a dumb marking choice...

I am using the fender contour neck plate as a template (on the front since it is parallel to the body) and I rough cut with a band saw. I am still working on getting sanders, but I thought... why not just use a block like this (I don't work for either the seller or the manufacturer, its just what I got since)

I have 2 options for this:

1. Use a modern construction neck, only use the 3 compatible screws
2. Use a modern tiltback w/o side adjust, drill 4th hole with a drill press, buy a neck with no holes drilled

Preferably going forward, what I'd actually do is:

1. Obtain a broken/second stock neck (@The Aaron, can I buy a broken neck?)
2. Carefully re-saw the neck exposing the side adjust mechanism.
3. Take measurements with a digital caliper
4. Design a template for inserts that avoid the side adjust mechanism
5. Design a template for the back of the guitar that matches, with inset bolts/washers a la ibanez
6. Send the plans to warmoth with some sort of "I release all claims to this" kind of form.

I'll make a separate post in the appropriate forum, but I think this is of value and worth doing! Maybe someone with full industrial facilities can make some money off of charging for this

Edit: whoops, had some personally identifying info penciled in the back there.

 

[aarontunes]

So I am working on this. I got a soloist body on sale as my beater body (I will then do this on a strat I own, then order a nice soloist body). I know sharpy is a dumb marking choice...

I am using the fender contour neck plate as a template (on the front since it is parallel to the body) and I rough cut with a band saw. I am still working on getting sanders, but I thought... why not just use a block like this (I don't work for either the seller or the manufacturer, its just what I got since)

I have 2 options for this:

1. Use a modern construction neck, only use the 3 compatible screws
2. Use a modern tiltback w/o side adjust, drill 4th hole with a drill press, buy a neck with no holes drilled

Preferably going forward, what I'd actually do is:

1. Obtain a broken/second stock neck (@The Aaron, can I buy a broken neck?)
2. Carefully re-saw the neck exposing the side adjust mechanism.
3. Take measurements with a digital caliper
4. Design a template for inserts that avoid the side adjust mechanism
5. Design a template for the back of the guitar that matches, with inset bolts/washers a la ibanez
6. Send the plans to warmoth with some sort of "I release all claims to this" kind of form.

View attachment 58753
View attachment 58752

I'll make a separate post in the appropriate forum, but I think this is of value and worth doing! Maybe someone with full industrial facilities can make some money off of charging for this

Edit: whoops, had some personally identifying info penciled in the back there.

Looks like you're doing a bang-up job! Can't wait to see it finished.

What you describe in your "preferably going forward" paragraph is essentially what we did for the sculpted heels on the Warmoth Redshifter and Meadowhawk guitars.

So we know how to and have already done this. We know exactly where the SAM sits inside a neck, right down to a gnat's eyelash. Unfortunately that's not something we can do as a standard offering because it departs from Fender's neck pocket specs, and sets us up for all kinds of crazy issues.

And sorry, we don't let damaged parts out of the building.

 

[JohnL2112]

What you describe in your "preferably going forward" paragraph is essentially what we did for the sculpted heels on the Warmoth Redshifter and Meadowhawk guitars.

So we know how to and have already done this. We know exactly where the SAM sits inside a neck, right down to a gnat's eyelash. Unfortunately that's not something we can do as a standard offering because it departs from Fender's neck pocket specs, and sets us up for all kinds of crazy issues.

And sorry, we don't let damaged parts out of the building.

Yeah, I figured for brand reputation reasons that'd be the case. What's Warmoth's stance on once I get this right, if I made a "how to do this yourself OMG ALL WARRANTIES EXPLODE" tutorial? I suppose templates/plans is a no-no for a bunch of legal reasons, but a "Hey I did this" kind of thing, is that ok ish?

 

[aarontunes]

Yeah, I figured for brand reputation reasons that'd be the case. What's Warmoth's stance on once I get this right, if I made a "how to do this yourself OMG ALL WARRANTIES EXPLODE" tutorial? I suppose templates/plans is a no-no for a bunch of legal reasons, but a "Hey I did this" kind of thing, is that ok ish?

That would be great....that's what Unofficial Warmoth is all about!

 

[GT1-Reach]

So I am working on this. I got a soloist body on sale as my beater body (I will then do this on a strat I own, then order a nice soloist body). I know sharpy is a dumb marking choice...

I am using the fender contour neck plate as a template (on the front since it is parallel to the body) and I rough cut with a band saw. I am still working on getting sanders, but I thought... why not just use a block like this (I don't work for either the seller or the manufacturer, its just what I got since)

I have 2 options for this:

1. Use a modern construction neck, only use the 3 compatible screws
2. Use a modern tiltback w/o side adjust, drill 4th hole with a drill press, buy a neck with no holes drilled

Preferably going forward, what I'd actually do is:

1. Obtain a broken/second stock neck (@The Aaron, can I buy a broken neck?)
2. Carefully re-saw the neck exposing the side adjust mechanism.
3. Take measurements with a digital caliper
4. Design a template for inserts that avoid the side adjust mechanism
5. Design a template for the back of the guitar that matches, with inset bolts/washers a la ibanez
6. Send the plans to warmoth with some sort of "I release all claims to this" kind of form.

View attachment 58753
View attachment 58752

I'll make a separate post in the appropriate forum, but I think this is of value and worth doing! Maybe someone with full industrial facilities can make some money off of charging for this

Edit: whoops, had some personally identifying info penciled in the back there.

hhmmm very cool.

I have a super nice Musikraft neck that needs a Body and for the last few days i pretty much settled on the Warmoth Soloist body for it, but some kind of contoured heel is a must for me.

I think i will buy a light Soloist body from the showcase with the DIY-paint option.

I will show my luthier these pictures and will ask him to replicate what you did. Afer that, he can paint the body.

He is very busy and i think it will take some months but i will post pictures once the body/guitar is finished.