First Warmoth... Gecko medium 5

[rockandroller]

Well, first completed Warmoth (hopefully!) ... I had bought an AWESOME quilt maple strat neck from the showcase circa 1999 - finish like glass! Unfortunately, before I could get it onto a guitar, I ended up going to Europe for a dozen years (and left the neck behind)

So, maybe 2nd time lucky?

This is a couple of showcase items that will come together soon. Just ordered the black limba body... already have the rosewood neck (w/pau ferro fretboard). I had it done up with the skinny SS fretwire.

 

[tfcreative]

I just put a rosewood neck on my Jazzmaster and it's awesome. No finish, just burnished real smooth.

What's your plan for electronics in this one?

 

[rockandroller]

Same as always... EMGs. This instrument will be dead simple... just a single pickup ( this one )

I'm gonna wait to see how it sounds 'plain' before I decide on tone controls

 

[tfcreative]

I remember playing a Spector with a pair of those - good sounding pickup.

 

[rockandroller]

The "separated at birth" pics... together again!

Pondering if I want to stain the body "quite a bit darker", maybe even a hand-rubbed dark burst of some kind.

Gonna be quite some time before my budget allows me to buy strings ( let alone machine heads, pickup, strap buttons, knobs, etc)

 

[tubby.twins]

Excellent choice of woods!

Hey, that's the EMG MM5TW pickup that you've chosen, correct?  I have one that I'm not using any more.  PM me your shipping address, and I'll send it to you. 

 

[rockandroller]

Yes, it HAS been six months!!!

Well, I nearly have all the bits together now, thanks to my good friends at ALLPARTS down in sunny Houston.  :icon_thumright:
I decided on a little different bridge (still Gotoh) and got matching Gotoh "Res-O-Lite" machine heads.
Black barrel jack and black Schaller strap locks to round it out, and I've now got a set of GHS "Contact Core" steels waiting to go on it...

 

[Luthier Vandross]

Warmoth: offer us a 6 string guitar version of this ASAP.

 

[Nando Vallart]

Looks really sweet!
But I'm for leaving it as is...

 

[rockandroller]

wow... coming up on TWO YEARS - finally putting this together (have a gig on July 1st, need 5-string).
Actually I need to get this working by the weekend ( first rehearsal...)

Made a batch of oil/wax finish for the body ($2 worth of local beeswax dissolved in $2 worth of mineral oil, in a double boiler). The limba slurped it up REAL GOOD (feels nice)

 

[Axkoa]

That looks pretty awesome. I've always loved the look of natural Gecko's.

 

[ragamuffin]

Warmoth: offer us a 6 string guitar version of this ASAP.

I've wanted that for a while too! The VIP and Soloist are somewhat similar, but it's definitely not the same thing.

 

[rockandroller]

Warmoth: offer us a 6 string guitar version of this ASAP.

I've wanted that for a while too! The VIP and Soloist are somewhat similar, but it's definitely not the same thing.

something like this?

http://www.alembic.com/prod/oriong.html

(I am more partial to their "Spectrum", myself  - they actually look better in person, than in the pics)

 

[rockandroller]

So....

I got this puppy done now... bridge installed, pickup in and wired, straplocks on, and strung up with heavy gauge Rotosound pressure-wound.

Problem is, I need more neck relief! As the neck came out of the box, the truss rod nut was completely loosened.

But there is not much neck relief, and it rattles pretty bad even with moderately high action ( much higher than I am used to).

Tightening the nut obviously takes out even MORE relief, so I have it loosened off fully . But it sure needs a lot more... I guess these necks have steel stiffening rods in them? Really NOT NEEDED, in this case. I guess I'm going to try cranking it up to extremely high tension, and let it sit for a while to see if I can introduce a little more bow. Unfortunately I have a GIG coming up real soon...

 

[rockandroller]

Wow - it's been TEN YEARS... really? Seems like just yesterday!

Stumbled onto a couple pics of this bass's "one day in the sun" (it was used for three songs at this benefit show, and then I sold the bass the following week - as I discovered that fivers do not agree with me...)

 

[rockandroller]

Whoops! I found the "for sale pics" of this ancient bass.
It actually sounded really solid and clear, I definitely can recommend the rosewood neck on limba combination...

 

[bagman67]

So sexy. Everything but the purple knob, which should, obviously, be turquoise, to match the string silk wraps.

 

[rockandroller]

Purple knob was "the only spare knob in the house!!" (I usually have several laying around, but not that week...)

I think it was a leftover from this 12-string-strat project ( which used a VERY NICE purpleheart Warmoth neck with awesome ziricote fretboard )