Alternative contoured heel

[stauner]

My first post fell a bit flat so I might as well put in a suggestion for a replica of the heel found on the new USA tele deluxes.  Offer this option and I would choose a Warmoth body every time.

 

[AutoBat]

If you order it unfinished, you can sculpt it yourself, but it won't work with a Warmoth Pro side adjust.

 

[rockskate4x]

If you order it unfinished, you can sculpt it yourself, but it won't work with a Warmoth Pro side adjust.

I sculpted the heel like the above picture and used the vintage modern peghead. Highly recommend it.  :icon_thumright:

 

[stauner]

was it a difficult mod?  I'm still not sure about handling the finishing afterwards though.  This would still  be a welcome option IMHO.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Preferences are funny.  Other than a showcase body, I'd never scratch order a contoured heel.  With all the fuss about neck joint making or braking a guitar, less wood there doesn't seem logical.  Never played the W or Fender contoured heel, but the W looks more comfortable.  It's also compatible with the most necks and doesn't require a different neck plate.  The Fender one looks like a "mod," IMO.

 

[rockskate4x]

It was a very easy mod. I doweled up the neck screw hole that wasn't going to be used, and drilled the new hole exactly halfway between the two holes on the treble side of the heel. Then I penciled in the contours that I was looking for on the sides and back of the heel and went at it with a random orbital sander. After I got the rough shape I was looking for, I sanded by hand to sorta fine tune and smoothen things out.

 

[Paul-less]

I prefer no contour. My monkey fingers wrap around the joint anyways.


Yes, I used to bitch about the Gibson joint (still tied for the worst neck joint with PRS's old AND new style), but what it comes down to is that in the heat of battle, you're still gonna hit your notes. Anyways, how much time do you actually spent playing your E/A/D strings above the 12th fret?
If you answered alot, get a 24 fret Ibanez. If you answered correctly, a slightly bulky neck joint is "al 'ight!"

Ha ha ha, I can be a little Ghetto myself!  (I just spent an hour searching for the related image, Sorry, no luck!)

 

[Jackson56]

What about combining the Fender Deluxe heel with the Warmoth Contoured one?  Best of both worlds!

 

[Kostas]

The Warmoth contoured heel works great whether your hands are big or small. It helps your playing and it does not affect stability. I prefer it from the Fender version. With the introduction of the vintage series I believe they should offer it for free in all modern showcase bodies, they are already doing it for LP's. It's a shame expensive bodies not having contoured heel and I never understood why they don't do it when you ask them in unfinished bodies. They rout to the customers wish but they won't do contoured heel :dontknow:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

With an LP, the standard free option of a contoured heel is pandering to the LP crowd that has to be sold on the bolt-on neck.  With the Strat, those players are already used to the neck joint.  As in the real world, nothing is free.  I suspect the free contoured heel is hidden in the cost of the body.

IMO

 

[Cagey]

I suspect the free contoured heel is hidden in the cost of the body.

I'd bet with you on that.

Another thing I'd worry about if I was a manufacturer or an owner who might get somebody else to work on the thing is that the tech might not put the right screws back in the right holes and wreck the fingerboard. Especially these days where many use drill motors as screwdrivers. You'd never feel any resistance as you drove the screw too far.

 

[rockskate4x]

you'd feel plenty of resistance... and no one who can call himself a guitar tech would make a mistake like that. Even if they did miss up, yeah it'd be a big PITA but it'd be their fault and they would be responsible for covering the damages.

 

[Kostas]

I agree about the contoured heel cost being hidden in showcase LP bodies. The curved LP bodies on showcase are very expensive.

Most if not all strat players who are used to normal neck joint would love contoured heel if they can play in a guitar with it. I see no reason why not wanting it except being a vintage freak and believing Leo's guitars 60 years ago where the best guitars ever. Guitar world has not evolved much since the 50's but there are small things they can make our playing easier.

Any tech who would screw into the fingerboard is not a tech. Especially since Warmoth has taken care of this by putting the warning sticker in the neck joint. It's the customers responsiblity to leave the sticker in it's place if he's going to give the parts to a tech. It's also good to warn him if he gives his guitar for setup. In any case, contoured heel is not something new to the guitar world. It is standard in many guitars offered by different companies. Experienced luthiers (should) know about it.

 

[Cagey]

you'd feel plenty of resistance... and no one who can call himself a guitar tech would make a mistake like that. Even if they did miss up, yeah it'd be a big PITA but it'd be their fault and they would be responsible for covering the damages.

Not if you were using a drill motor as a screwdriver. I know; I've got a couple Milwaukees cordless units here that will break your wrist before they'll stall.

When I was building the shop, I used them to run in 1/4" x 3" lag bolts on the benches. I used them to drill into the concrete to set anchors for the walls. If you anticipate any resistance and hold on with both hands, those things will actually throw you on your ass or twist the heads off bolts that big. I'm talking wicked torque. An 8-24 neck screw wouldn't have a ghost of a chance. Drill motor would laugh at it.

As far as them covering damage, I don't care about that as much as you might think. I get attached to necks. Wrecking one would be like killing my dog (if I had a dog). Buying me another dog wouldn't even things up. I'd want a pound of flesh removed with a dull salad fork. And another dog <grin>

 

[Damon]

I've always wondered about W's contoured heel. If you keep the mounting holes at their normal angles, don't the screw heads stick up a bit on one side? And wouldn't that be more uncomfortable to work around than a traditional thick neck joint? I guess you could use individual washers and recess space for them, but that seems like a lot of extra work to me.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

I've always wondered about W's contoured heel. If you keep the mounting holes at their normal angles, don't the screw heads stick up a bit on one side? And wouldn't that be more uncomfortable to work around than a traditional thick neck joint?

No - the screw heads are rounded so that makes up for the angle. It is not an issue. 

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Consider a tiltback Strat head or Warhead, and you lose the side adjust, keep warmoth pro construction, and can have your altered heel. 
From out in the audience, it still appears to be strat-ish.

 

[stubhead]

a slightly bulky neck joint is "al 'ight!"

Ha ha ha, I can be a little Ghetto myself!  (I just spent an hour searching for the related image, Sorry, no luck!)

- Tezcatlipoca, the Horned Jaguar God of Darkness. Yo....

 

[stubhead]

If you buy a "reverse" - lefty-peghead, righty side dot neck you lose the side-adjuster too, right?

 

[AGWAN]

:sad:

I'm sad that I can't survive as a lefty unless every guitar I own is a Warmoth.

not that I dont WISH every guitar I owned was a Warmoth.

but sometimes... a man wants a 300 dollar beater that doesn't suck.

and he realizes... he must buy Right.