Build a Warmoth guitar?

[GeorgeStevens]

If you're building for fun and/or the learning experience I'd say yes. But if you're building a player it's going to be a crap shoot as you don't know what you have until that first note is played, you don't have an approval period like you would on a purchased guitar if it turns out to be a dog, and resell is horrible if you decide to do so down the road. Also, guitars aren't "bolt & play" as the frets will need leveled/crowned and the nut slots adjusted for best playability...and this requires special tools & know how to get right. And do you have soldering skills, have proper soldering equipment, and have an understanding of guitar wiring?

Personally, I've built a few strat style guitars and they play better than off the rack guitars...but I feel my best all around guitars are the ones I found by running the racks for the sound/feel I wanted from the get go. Things like wood and sum of the parts are unpredictable which can result in a dog, a gem, or anything in between once its done, and then there are a gazillion pickups to choose from...but I learned a lot in building guitars.

 

[rauchman]

Hmmm

All I can say is my 3 Warmoths get played more than my factory guitars (2 Gibson LP's, Gibson Midtown, G&L USA Legacy Special, Fender MIM Strat).

Yes, by the 3rd one, I had my specs dialed in, but even so, my 1st gets played just as much.

 

[ghotiphry]

I've got some amazing Warmoth gear that would cost three times the amount if purchased from a "boutique" shop.  Many of the builds I have done have been "bolt and play."  Not perfect, but as good as you get on an off the rack Fender.  I've never built a dog, and I've done upwards of 10 builds.

You can buy pickguards prewired.

You can get a luthier to help with the fretwork and final setup.

You can also get exactly what you want, how you want it.  Ever played an unfinished pau ferro neck that's been burnished?

It really doesn't take much more than a screwdriver and a drill, if so inclined.  Maybe a little super glue to seal up the edges of the holes you drill.  Granted, you can do more with more, but you can get by with less.

I don't build for resale.  Indeed, you're paying retail when you buy, and selling at a discount because it's used gear.  So, you're correct, it makes the most sense to build for yourself.  But anyone else here will tell you the same.  I have sold some, and it made the most sense to part them out.  People who buy used Warmoth gear are looking to reassemble it into their own builds, or so has been my experience.  And yes, I took a bath on the price.  I accepted that up front. 

 

[BroccoliRob]

Yo, George, did u sign up for the message board solely to throw shade for some reason? weird first post

and you can't "run the racks" to find a Strat at Bob's music emporium or the pawn shop down the street and expect it to have a zebra top with tortoise brinding and a padauk neck with lightning bolts.

Like when I worked at a sub shop (short for submarine sandwich) in my early 20's. the only good thing about the shop is that they give u a free employee sub every day, but they don't limit you, so you can make the best ones. you can put extra meat and lots of peppers, and get a cup for sauce to dip it. its not available at any sub shop, only if you work there, because it's an ultra sub. the sub shops know if they sold an ultra sub to customers, they'd never eat a regular one again.

shopping the Big W is like u can order that ultra sub any day but the sub is guitar parts

 

[elstoof]

That’s all of us enlightened then. Thanks George

 

[elstoof]

This “you might end up with a dog” idea is a strange one, I guess it depends if you believe some wood is magical compared to other pieces.

I don’t buy into that personally, so there’s only two factors that determine the quality of your final instrument - how accurately the parts are machined, and how well the instrument has been assembled. Everything I’ve had from Warmoth has been machined absolutely to spec, so if your guitar is playing like a dog it’s because you bollocksed up the assembly. I can understand why you’d rather blame it on a bad piece of ash, however

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

I agree with a lot of George's points.    Setup and trouble-shooting a guitar can be challenging depending how things turn out.  It depends a lot on the individual's background and experience.    Doing this as DIY is a shortcut, because IMO the assembly should really be the job of a professional.  It an attractive path because of the potential to end up with high-end results for less half the cost of a factory built guitar.  However that won't apply for every project.  Guitar playing and guitar building are definitely two separate hobbies and not everyone will be good at both - I know I'm not!

The part where he wrote its a crap-shoot is an exaggeration.  People who have experience with factory guitars will have a better idea what to expect from various wood and pickup combinations.  If you choose randomly, then you will get a random result!

 

[DustyCat]

Where I come from, dogs are good.

 

[TBurst Std]

The issue is player, vs teacher, vs luthier.
Often any one of the three, because they are adept in one area, presume they are not only knowledgeable but also adept at the other 1 or 2.
That is a GREAT fallacy. This often perpetuded in many areas of business.

The best player I met couldn’t teach or even discuss setting up a guitar, much less build one.

The best teacher I met was a below average player, have no idea of his guitar setup/build skills.

The best luthier (for guitar) I met was a so so player, couldn’t teach guitar, and top of it, couldn’t teach luthier skills either.

 

[TBurst Std]

Similar to this, I had a friend that wanted to build a guitar.  I asked if he knew how to set one up which he said yes.
So I took one of my spares and totally miss-adjusted everything other than nut. I even re-wired it wrong. Then I gave it to him and said, fix it.
Being he had played the guitar before, he knew what could be done.
8 weeks later, he brought it back to me (about half done), said show me, then took up paper and pen.

 

[swarfrat]

Skipping the initial "wasted" money on guitars never works. You just waste more money on expensive guitars if you try. Try a couple (in series, not all at once) before you decide where to drop big coin

 

[braziers]

Odd first post, to just start bashing?

Let's remember, Warmoth sell guitar PARTS, not complete guitars.
You CAN buy enough parts to assemble a complete guitar, if you wish, or simply replace an existing part on an existing guitar. But at no point do they sell, or claim to sell, complete guitars.
As such, any build, no matter how complete, should expect to see some final tinkering to get it exact.
Whether you trust yourself to do that, or put it into the hands of someone more experienced, is completely up to you, and could ultimately determine the quality of the finished guitar.

And let's be honest, a significant majority of sub $1500 guitars coming out of Gibson, Fender etc. have their faults and require some tinkering to be perfect too.

I expect 99% of others on this board are the same as myself, I don't expect (or necessarily want) resale to be high on a Warmoth guitar or parts, because it's something I've ordered, to my specifications.

 

[elstoof]

That’s why I consider it even less of a “crap shoot” when buying Warmoth parts - they make aftermarket parts and in pretty much any industry, they’re an upgrade over OEM. I can spend 20k on a Ducati and it’ll be a good bike as stock, but if I want to get a better suspension I have to shell out extra for Ohlins and have it installed and set up for my weight, riding style etc by a professional mechanic. Some people can do this work themselves, most can’t, or won’t or just shouldn’t, same with setting up a guitar

 

[braziers]

That’s why I consider it even less of a “crap shoot” when buying Warmoth parts - they make aftermarket parts and in pretty much any industry, they’re an upgrade over OEM. I can spend 20k on a Ducati and it’ll be a good bike as stock, but if I want to get a better suspension I have to shell out extra for Ohlins and have it installed and set up for my weight, riding style etc by a professional mechanic. Some people can do this work themselves, most can’t, or won’t or just shouldn’t, same with setting up a guitar

Exactly this.
I can build a push bike with my eyes closed, but after 15 years I still can't confidently setup a derailleur, so I get a professional to do it.
I can comfortably build a guitar and get the majority of the adjustments right, but I always take it to a professional for a final setup.
Some people aren't comfortable even putting the bits together, or swapping bits on an existing guitar, and that's fine.
But by no means should you be doing it if you're not comfortable or confident in what you're doing, only to then blame it on the parts rather than your lack of build skills.

 

[SeattleScotty]

That’s why I consider it even less of a “crap shoot” when buying Warmoth parts - they make aftermarket parts and in pretty much any industry, they’re an upgrade over OEM. I can spend 20k on a Ducati and it’ll be a good bike as stock, but if I want to get a better suspension I have to shell out extra for Ohlins and have it installed and set up for my weight, riding style etc by a professional mechanic. Some people can do this work themselves, most can’t, or won’t or just shouldn’t, same with setting up a guitar

Yup. Warmoth only makes the bodies and the necks, and they do great work. Beyond that, it's up to the user to build a nice guitar with it. Warmoth doesn't produce 'dogs' - some guy the other day said his order got delayed because they had to scrap his neck because it didn't meet their standards. If you build a guitar with their parts and it sucks, it's probably your own fault lol.

 

[alexreinhold]

Two things:

but I feel my best all around guitars are the ones I found by running the racks for the sound/feel I wanted from the get go. Things like wood and sum of the parts are unpredictable which can result in a dog, a gem, or anything in between once its done, and then there are a gazillion pickups to choose from...but I learned a lot in building guitars.

Very different experience for me. Over the years, like all of us, I got exposed to all kinds of different guitars. Some great, some not so great. And it took me ages to figure out what individual parts I liked/not liked about the guitars. When I discovered that I could actually build a guitar myself, I just went for it and I can attest (without sugarcoating anything) that my Warmoth Strat plays, sounds and looks better than any rack Strat I had played before (disclaimer - I never owned a custom shop). The same can be said for the Les Paul I just finished for a friend - good luck trying to find a Paula with a Floyd and an unfinished Strat-scale neck.

Like when I worked at a sub shop (short for submarine sandwich) in my early 20's.

Dude, I was a sandwich artist myself (late teens though). When my friends visited they always ordered a veggie delite for 2.5€. That experience was like ordering the cheapest Squier and getting a full blown Warmoth with unique choice black korina and flamed maple. We still miss those veggie delites.

 

[SeattleScotty]

I agree with a lot of George's points.    Setup and trouble-shooting a guitar can be challenging depending how things turn out.  It depends a lot on the individual's background and experience.    Doing this as DIY is a shortcut, because IMO the assembly should really be the job of a professional.

This is definitely key. I don't know how to do any of that, so my plan is to install the tuners, truss rod cover, and stuff like the output jack, but leave the actual assembly and soldering to a professional. It would have to be setup by a pro after anyways, so I might as well have them do the majority of the work. I don't mind paying a professional to practice their trade in the slightest bit, rather the contrary, I like supporting small businesses and independents.

Does this sound like the best option to you? Would you recommend attaching the neck to the body at all, or just leave that entirely to the tech?

 

[elstoof]

If I was a tech, I’d rather be given a box of parts than something half assembled. That way I know I’ve done it all to my standard, no guesswork about whether the neck screws were over torqued or whatever

 

[SeattleScotty]

Ok, in that case I probably won't do much. How much do you think would be a fair price range to do a full assembly?

 

[BroccoliRob]

Two things:

but I feel my best all around guitars are the ones I found by running the racks for the sound/feel I wanted from the get go. Things like wood and sum of the parts are unpredictable which can result in a dog, a gem, or anything in between once its done, and then there are a gazillion pickups to choose from...but I learned a lot in building guitars.

Very different experience for me. Over the years, like all of us, I got exposed to all kinds of different guitars. Some great, some not so great. And it took me ages to figure out what individual parts I liked/not liked about the guitars. When I discovered that I could actually build a guitar myself, I just went for it and I can attest (without sugarcoating anything) that my Warmoth Strat plays, sounds and looks better than any rack Strat I had played before (disclaimer - I never owned a custom shop). The same can be said for the Les Paul I just finished for a friend - good luck trying to find a Paula with a Floyd and an unfinished Strat-scale neck.

Like when I worked at a sub shop (short for submarine sandwich) in my early 20's.

Dude, I was a sandwich artist myself (late teens though). When my friends visited they always ordered a veggie delite for 2.5€. That experience was like ordering the cheapest Squier and getting a full blown Warmoth with unique choice black korina and flamed maple. We still miss those veggie delites.

Heck yes, my turtle. I dont eat a lotta subs any more due to eating them every day for like 5 years but sometimes i still like one for night lunch (what i call dinner when im feeling saucy). Speaking of sauce, who among u would consider sauce a form of slime? It's basically slime with purpose, if u ask me. Which is a good thing.