AlMix1952 said:
Can I just bolt on the neck and have it be perfect? Or do I indeed need to learn more about how necks work? Do I need to level frets? Are my string slots cut deep enough on my nut? Do I need nut files? The papers with the body told me not to get it wet, should I stay away from water based dyes and stains? Are oils OK? Sorry if I sound panicked but I really want this to be perfect .
A lotta folks will just bolt the neck on as delivered and play it with little or no adjustment/setup. It's a new neck, so it's gonna be awfully close. But, there are some things Warmoth doesn't do because they can't know ahead of time what would be appropriate.
For instance, they don't know what strings you're going to use, so the nut slots are cut a bit shallow. That leaves you room to adjust for your preferred gauge set and playing height. They don't know how you want the fret ends dressed, so they're just left beveled. The fretboard is freshly milled, so the frets as installed are level, but usually inside the first week some of them will move just a bit, so some leveling might be in order. Leveling and dressing usually means a bit of crowning and polishing is in order as well. Different gauge sets of strings and your own playing style will dictate different needs for relief, so some truss rod adjustment may be needed.
This is all typical for any new guitar, and oddly enough, isn't done nearly as often as you might imagine. The dealer you buy your guitar from is supposed to do it, but unless you press them most will keep their mouths shut about doing any work if they don't have to. Time is money, after all. Of course, for something you put together yourself, there is no dealer to lean on so you either need the tools/skills to do it yourself or have access to someone who does. The adjustments needed are tiny, but the results are dramatic, so it's definitely worth doing.
As for getting things wet, that's just any wood. It'll raise the grain. Not the end of the world, but you'll probably want to sand it back. Alternatively, you can use solvent-based dyes/pigments/finishes, which is traditionally how it's been done, but there are those who have concerns about solvents so there are water-based products you can fight with and be disappointed in while you do your virtue-signaling :laughing7:
