Contoured Hell default on strat bodies: why not?

[Bruno]

I guess it's an old story, but not knowing well...I  propose it again.
Why did the strat bodies are not sold with default Contoured Heel like others confort contours?
Ok, with a solist body I can choose a carved body and so not all confort contours are ok, but with strat bodies....
Thanks

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Just a guess, but because they're selling them to Strat people.  They'd probably get just as many or more requests to leave it alone.  That and making it free would make the cost of Strat bodies go up.  The Strat body and necks are probably Warmoth's bread and butter.  Why give away free what you can sell a higher price.  With the LP, it's probably an easier sell to offer the contoured heel as a free upgrade for a few reasons.  The standard, uncontoured neck joint on what is generally accepted as the best set neck guitar ever made is already a tough sell - making a bolt-on version of the set necked Real McCoy.  Also, a fancy topped, finished LP body in the showcase is hovering around a grand, sure the contoured heel is free on those.  Right?

 

[SustainerPlayer]

Also I wouldn't go for both contoured heel and a 720-mod. I wouldn't like the idea of the neck hanging in too little wood. But that's just speculation - I haven't tried the combo and have no sources to quote for that. But I do have both the contoured heel and the 720-mod on different bodies.

And to me the contoured heel doesn't make that big a difference for playing all the way up the neck.

 

[Bruno]

With the LP, it's probably an easier sell to offer the contoured heel as a free upgrade for a few reasons.  The standard, uncontoured neck joint on what is generally accepted as the best set neck guitar ever made is already a tough sell - making a bolt-on version of the set necked Real McCoy.  Also, a fancy topped, finished LP body in the showcase is hovering around a grand, sure the contoured heel is free on those.  Right?

I do not know what to say, for me (and now I will draw the rage of the whole warmoth comunity) such body should not even be called LP ...

 

[Corey P.]

LP rolls off of the tongue a lot more easily than "popular single cutaway shape," plus it'd be silly not to acknowledge the obvious in terms of what it's copied from/represents.  Sure it's not a Gibson Les Paul, but they can still be great Les Paul-shaped bolt-on guitars.  It's a different flavor, is all.

 

[erogenousjones17]

What he said. Plus, it's an "LP," not a "Les Paul."

 

[line6man]

Just a guess, but because they're selling them to Strat people.  They'd probably get just as many or more requests to leave it alone.  That and making it free would make the cost of Strat bodies go up.  The Strat body and necks are probably Warmoth's bread and butter.  Why give away free what you can sell a higher price.  With the LP, it's probably an easier sell to offer the contoured heel as a free upgrade for a few reasons.  The standard, uncontoured neck joint on what is generally accepted as the best set neck guitar ever made is already a tough sell - making a bolt-on version of the set necked Real McCoy.  Also, a fancy topped, finished LP body in the showcase is hovering around a grand, sure the contoured heel is free on those.  Right?

This.

Most people don't want contoured heels. Either for vintage-correct reasons, or a dislike of the concept for various reasons. I would imagine that only a handful of Strat body orders include contoured heels.
And it's obviously a very bad idea for Warmoth to offer features that people gladly pay for, for free. They lose money for absolutely no reason.

 

[Bruno]

Most people don't want contoured heels.

What's your source? Warmoth?

 

[line6man]

Most people don't want contoured heels.

What's your source? Warmoth?

Well, I'm judging by the small sample of people on this board and TalkBass, so it's not a proper statistical analysis. :blob7:
Look at all of the guitars on this board and count how many people who have opted for the contoured heel versus how many have not. (Though a lot of bodies around here are from the showcase.)

Also, I would be willing to bet that the better portion of Warmoth's sales go to more traditional or vintage-correct stuff. Clearly Warmoth is not going to offer such a non-standard feature on a traditional body. All the traditionalists would flip out.

 

[Bruno]

Without statistical certain data, we can say everything and not  ccasion14:

 

[Jusatele]

Normal heel does not bother me, I will not pay extra for it

 

[pabloman]

I would like a Les Paul shaped guitar but on mine I'd probably have his ears shaved off a little bit for comfort. However I am ok with his nose. :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Bruno]

Normal heel does not bother me, I will not pay extra for it

W honesty  :icon_thumright:
In effect I think it's a quirks (nothing absolutely necessary)...

 

[tfarny]

Contoured heel makes a very tiny overall difference in upper fret playability. Compare that with the number of people who want an absolute vintage correct guitar and of course they don't offer it standard. A lot of people would be pissed off to have to pay extra for a non-contoured heel, believe me.

 

[Bruno]

Probably...  as I think many others would be happy to no pay extra for contoured heel  ccasion14:

 

[AprioriMark]

This should be a standard option... it's a popular one, but a bit of a silly upcharge.

-Mark

 

[dNA]

I do agree that it seems odd to pay a significant upcharge, but who knows - maybe it really does cost them a bit extra to do it? who knows.

all i know is that i got a showcase body and had them add the contoured heel. When I got the guitar, I didn't think the contoured heel did ANYTHING for upper fret access at all. My neck still abruptly met with the body at a giant block of wood that my hand was not about to work around. But that didn't really bother me much either. i just didn't think the contoured heel was worth paying any money for

 

[Corey P.]

I'd definitely appreciate not having to pay extra, but I guess I don't expect it on less expensive bodies since it does involve some extra routing/CNC mileage, albeit a nominal amount and the charge is therefore fairly small, too.  I haven't actually played one to experience the benefits (or lack thereof), but would lean towards getting it on a future build; if nothing else I think the shaping looks great cosmetically, especially on back of the lower horn.