Can a Warmoth Pro neck handle heavier strings than a Vintage Modern?

[mrpinter]

I've been converting my guitars to heavier strings over the years. I'm getting used to heavier string sets for my acoustic, as well as for my electrics - where I'm starting to favor stiffer jazz strings over the skinnier sets typical of rock players. The tone is fatter, and they stay in tune longer.  The lightest set of strings on any of my guitars at present is a set of .09's on my Warmoth 72 thinline, and they're starting to annoy me (compared to my other guitars they feel "squirrely" and don't stay in tune as long). Instead of just moving up a gauge or two, I'm seriously considering going waaay up in string weight to some of Thomastik-Infeld's heaviest jazz roundwounds - possibly their medium set of Bebops (.014-.055).

Before you try to talk me out of it, I actually did have a set of those strings on an old beater of a flying V copy. It's neck had an uncorrectable back bow, and those strings straightened it out enough to be playable. And they weren't all that hard to play - which surprised me greatly (and it gave that guitar tone for days). I'm feeling pretty confident that the Warmoth Pro neck will handle the tension. But if this works out I have another Warmoth build with the rod adjustment at the peg head - a Vintage Modern, I guess. Does anyone have experience with heavy jazz style strings on one of these necks? Just curious at this point.

 

[Cagey]

I don't think you'd have a problem. But if you don't already know, be aware that you need to detune the strings a ways before you tighten up the truss rod so you're not fighting the string tension. It can be a serious fight, and adjusting nuts have been known to strip their threads or round out the adjusting flats as a result.

Just uncrank the strings, make your adjustment, and tune 'em back up. Don't adjust too much - usually an 1/8 turn is enough, more than 1/4 turn is too much. Let it rest for a day or so and see how things stand.

 

[mystique1]

The way Warmoth "big it up", I'd imagine they could handle any guage regardless of how heavy they are. I had one Pro, which as usual was beautifully made, but on other forums I'd read about metallic tone, and hate to say it, the Standard Thin Pro I had did have that sound. Maybe a thicker profile like the Boat, or Fat, wouldn't be effected by the truss rod the same.

 

[mrpinter]

I keep hearing about the Warmoth Pro necks adding a "metallic" or otherwise unpleasant sound, so I guess there's something to it. I have a couple of guitars with Pro necks on them, but I don't hear anything like that. Maybe it's because of my neck woods (goncalo alves over goncalo alves, and wenge over goncalo alves: warmer toned woods according to Warmoth's "Tone-O-Meter") and the strings I'm using - Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing flatwounds on one and T-I Blues Sliders on the other one. In any case I'm very happy with the way they sound.

In addition, my tech loves the Pro necks because of the easy accessibility of the truss rod adjustment. He has worked with some big names in the music world, and it would seem that he'd have a problem with these necks if they sounded wrong to him. Different strokes, I guess.

 

[Cagey]

I deal with a lot of "Pro" necks, and have never noticed any "metallic" or otherwise unpleasant sound to them. Perhaps if somebody had told me ahead of my getting the first one that I should hear that, I would have. I have very good hearing. But, another thing to consider is the power of suggestion, which is tremendous. People are surprisingly willing to work hard at believing the things they want to even if they make no sense at all.

 

[drewfx]

I keep hearing about the Warmoth Pro necks adding a "metallic" or otherwise unpleasant sound, so I guess there's something to it.

People regularly swear to hear all kinds of things that are demonstrably not there. So the "something to it" may just be imagination incited by expectations. Or it may be real and just be that a stiffer neck is more neutral sounding and perhaps some perceive this as "metallic" rather than "neutral". The strings are made of metal after all.


But I've never heard any of the purported metallic sound in either Warmoth Pro guitar necks or steel reinforced bass necks and I'm betting that if you strum hard and then mute the strings you aren't going to hear any metallic ringing in the neck. So where is the metallic sound supposed to be coming from?

 

[rapfohl09]

When I think of "metallic sound" I think of the sound made when smacking two pieces of metal together, so I really can't even wrap my head around a guitar making a "metallic sound"

 

[Ddbltrbl]

I deal with a lot of "Pro" necks, and have never noticed any "metallic" or otherwise unpleasant sound to them.

I second that. I have even swapped a couple of original necks for Pros at different points and never noticed any problems. In fact, the Pros always sounded better. :dontknow:

 

[jay4321]

In the (at least) 8 Warmoth Pro necks I've owned, most of which I currently still own, I've never heard anything unusual at all. Certainly nothing I'd describe as a "metallic" sound. I've only used standard thin and '59, all maple backs, with a variety of fretboards (maple, a couple types of rosewood & ebony). Never did any formal A/B'ing but I've definitely switched out necks a ton. A MIM Strat, Japanese Strat, USA Jazzmaster, and an Agathis Squier Tele Deluxe all went from original neck to Warmoth Pro. Another guitar had a Mighty Mite. I experiment with guitars pretty regularly until it jumps out at me or I sell it.

Since all of the necks in question are maple-backed and about the same thickness, there aren't that many variables in my collection. Fretboard wood is one and I can hear that, another has stainless steel frets, and there are various nuts, strings & tuners on them. But overall the Warmoth Pros sound like guitar necks. I'm sure there's a scientifically measurable difference due to construction but to my ears the necks themselves are not appreciably thinner sounding, or thicker, or brighter, or darker, no more or less sustain, no more or less attack, not more metallic, or woody, and so on.

Now change out pickups or strings, I can hear that all day. Or swap out a maple-board neck with a rosewood job. I honestly can't isolate what some people (and Warmoth) seem to be hearing based on the construction.

Where they are appreciably different is in stability, which is important in my climate and because I'm too busy to regularly adjust all of my instruments. They're also a small bit heavier due to the truss rod design. And the appearance is very different with the truss rod access being where it is (and lack of skunk stripe).

Personally I think there are tons of perfectly fine new AllParts and Mighty Mite necks out there for $90, or used Mexican Fender necks. I've just been using the Pros because I can set 'em & forget 'em.

 

[jay4321]

To answer the original question, the heaviest set of strings I have on a Pro neck are D'Addario 14-59 (acoustic strings), tuned to Eb though. No neck problems although the guitar in question needs some reworking.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Dick Dale puts .016 - .060 on his guitars, and those are regular old fashioned truss rods. You'll be fine.

As for the "metallic sound" - what a coincidence it always is that people seem to be able to hear a sound that corresponds linguistically to the construction. More metal? It must sound "metallic"! No finish so you can see and feel the wood? Oh, it sounds "woody"!  Chambered bodies will give you a "hollow" tone, of course. Springs in the back of your guitar give it a natural "reverb" - gosh, just like a reverb tank, what are the odds!

 

[mrpinter]

Well, I did it - I put a set of heavier strings on my thinline. I didn't go all out with the .014's I was thinking about, but with a much more conservative change fro the .09-.043 set to a custom gauge set I made from Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Bebop strings: .011, .015, .019, .028, .036, .050. I just got it back from my tech (I admit to paying for a pro setup, Cagey... I don't trust myself to do even that). The tech made a comment to the effect that the neck is incredibly stiff, and that it took hardly any truss rod adjustment - although he did lower the nut and the action in general.

It plays like a dream, you'd never think you were playing a set of 11's, and the tone is now "bigger" than with the 9's, as you would expect. These are now my favorite electric strings. They're very clear and punchy, and harmonically rich while still having a lot of fundamental in the tone, as a jazz string should.

So there it is. I didn't go for the super heavy strings, but the neck can apparently handle anything it's strung up with.