Has anyone tried the Warmoth's Contoured Hill option?

[kimwr11]

Hello,
I’m someone who is very interested in ordering a body from Warmoth and have been doing a lot of research.

I have a question regarding the contoured heel option at the neck joint and would really appreciate your thoughts on it.

I currently own a Fender Ultra Stratocaster, and it is my favorite guitar as well as the one I play the most.
One of the aspects I’m particularly satisfied with is the contoured heel at the neck joint, as it makes playing in the higher fret area extremely comfortable.





However, the shape of Warmoth’s contoured heel option appears to be quite different from Fender’s Ultra design.



I’m curious whether, despite the difference in shape, users find Warmoth’s contoured heel to be comfortable and satisfactory in actual use.


If there are many opinions suggesting it is not satisfactory, I am considering skipping that option and instead consulting a professional guitar workshop to replicate a heel contour similar to the Ultra Strat.

 

[WrongPickguard]

Not as comfortable as an ultra strat, but I still love it. It also works with basically any fender replacement neck's mounting holes.

Keep in mind that the ultra strat neck plate probably wouldn't work with a modern warmoth neck, since you'd probably screw right into the truss rod's side adjust. It all depends on what neck you're going to use.

 

[kimwr11]

Not as comfortable as an ultra strat, but I still love it. It also works with basically any fender replacement neck's mounting holes.

Keep in mind that the ultra strat neck plate probably wouldn't work with a modern warmoth neck, since you'd probably screw right into the truss rod's side adjust. It all depends on what neck you're going to use.

I feel a bit sorry toward Warmoth, but I would like to use a neck from another partscaster company.
I’m particularly interested in having a 1970s-style bullet truss rod tip, but I understand that Warmoth does not currently offer this option.

 

[stratamania]

The Warmoth contoured heel is mainly designed as it is for wider compatibility including with their Modern construction necks with the side adjust.
But as you are not constrained by that the only thing to be kept in mind if you are going to have a body modded similar to the ultra is that when ordering the neck to get it without the neck pre drilled for the neck screws or at least the fourth one where the curve is.

The Warmoth contoured heel is a comfortable solution, compared to a standard vintage type Fender heel. However it is not the same as the Ultra or an Ibanez AANJ for example. If the Ultra is what you are used to something like that is maybe the way to go. You could start with the Warmoth contoured heel on a body and replicate the curve for the neck end fairly easily.

 

[Strat Avenger]

It is a definite improvement over the traditional heel.
I do my own contoured heels in the style of Fender. As long as you aren't using the "Modern" Warmoth neck option. It's not a problem.

 

[rauchman]

It is a definite improvement over the traditional heel.
I do my own contoured heels in the style of Fender. As long as you aren't using the "Modern" Warmoth neck option. It's not a problem.

Yup.....this.

OP...I'm right there with ya. Fender's Elite/Ultra heel is just about perfect.

Straightback Moderns won't work for this, but Vintage, Modern/Vintage and Modern Tiltbacks will, as they don't have the side access truss rod.

I make my own Fender Elite/Ultra heels by using W's contoured heel and hacking off/rounding the offending corner of the heel