How long did it take you to “get warm” with your new Warmoth?

[Cagey]

I can't stand anything less than 6100s these days, either. And they have to be stainless or gold. But, they're so huge I can't imagine needing the neck scalloped as well.

I've been contemplating getting a scalloped neck, but I'd put tiny frets on it. If they're stainless, I won't have to worry about wear. I'll just have very hard peaks while still having deep valleys so I'll have good control over the strings while exposing some interesting and excellent wood grain.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I have noticed that with certain necks, it takes a set or two of strings to settle in.  My last build was this way.  It was very bright to begin with, I sort of expected this for other reasons, but it was brighter than what I though was normal.  After running through a couple of sets of strings, it sounded more like what I thought most of the builds I make sound like.  The pickups add a lot to the character through the amp, but it doesn't do what it did at the start.  I think it just got comfortable in its own skin.

Beyond that, the things played really nicely out of the box, and with some set up played like pros.
Patrick

Same here! The first set of strings seemed too bright.  Now it sounds warmer and "woody".

 

[AprioriMark]

I've taken to telling people that I need two weeks to set up a new guitar after it's assembled, and I won't do fretwork on a new build (unless it's unplayable) until the guitar's been played by them for the life of a set of strings.  There's an undefinable amount of "breaking in" that seems to happen sometimes, and I like getting it right the first time.  Never had any complaints, and I always hear how "it's the best thing I've ever played" when I'm done.  Granted, I've only been doing assemblies/setups seriously for a few months (after having done it casually for years), but I've done probably 50 fret jobs recently.  I've also gone back and offered to "polish" exotic wood necks for people I've assembled guitars for with exotic necks (thanks, Cagey!).  I've also done a few necks for people lately that are very minimal finishes on maple and surely won't satisfy Warmoth's warranty.  I think that they'll hold up well if cared for, as I have a bass neck that was done in a similar manner 14 years ago and it's a favorite.

Anyway, on topic, I think that any major changes to your instrument will take time to adjust to, and will test your limits as well as your understanding of what you like and need.  Call it a learning experience.  Personally, I've learned that I hate "blade" style pickups.  My first instinct would be to get some other type of GFS.

-Mark

 

[SalsaNChips]

I ordered replacement allen screws for the saddles (thanks for the link Cagey) and then a day later, ordered the Graph Tech String Saver saddles just cause I couldn't stand knowing they were out there and only $40.00. Oh well, I'll have some extra saddle screws of various heights that may come in handy. May be able to use them on the Graph Tech saddles in some way.

On the GFS pickups, not faulting them in any way -- awesome pickups for the money. They are very high output pickups. I tried lowering them and the tone became muddy and spongy. Up high, they are crisp and clear, great definition but do not do well on clean tones unless I back the volume way off. Then they lose the definition. That said, this afternoon I tried angling them to bring them closer at the high strings, further away on the low strings and that made it a lot better. It seems when you back them down in a linear manner, the high frequencies attenuate before the low frequencies thus the perceived "muddiness". So raise them up more on the high side to compensate. Pretty basic logic but I'd never had to do that before and it was a new thing for me. I'm not interested in replacing them just yet, I think there is a lot of tweaking and adjusting yet to do and that is part of the goodness of this whole build project. They do sound pretty good the way I have them adjusted right now, better than I expected for the money, definitely.

This afternoon I took the Tele to church for the weekly service rehearsal. I play drums and spent most of the rehearsal on a Yamaha electronic set but did get the Tele out on one song ("More Precious than Silver"). The sound of that guitar, solo in a large sanctuary was -- inspirational

 

[Cagey]

To regain definition at lower volume settings, install a .001μf capacitor from the hot side to the wiper on your volume pot. Take you 10 minutes and cost you $.50 cents. They call it a "treble bleed", but it's more accurately described as magic.

 

[AutoBat]

...I won't do fretwork on a new build (unless it's unplayable) until the guitar's been played by them for the life of a set of strings.

That's usually over a year for me :headbang:

 

[Cagey]

I've heard that before, but I've never had any problems surface from setting up a new neck immediately. Better to start from a good point than suffer a bad setup betting it'll get worse before you fix it. I mean, does that make sense?

The only later problem I've had was with fret sprout from a guitar that lived in an old house without a humidifier on the furnace and aggressive A/C use during the summer. Even then, it took a year for the problem to show up, and it had nothing to do with initial setup. The wood just shrunk. It happens. Hell, I'm surprised the guy's eyes hadn't turned into raisins.

 

[KaiserSoze]

My latest was about six months.  For some reason my neck wouldn't settle down, but I tried to be patient and get things right.  I did recently take it to a pro for a setup and he tweaked the nut (amazing how much difference those little critters make), and set the relief correctly.  Much better sounding and stable, although I had to get used to a bit higher action.  I'm a bit ham-handed in my playing so the higher action is better for me anyway.  And when I say higher, its 1mm at the 12th fret.  In terms of quality and fit, the Warmoth stuff is great. 

It just took me some time to get my setup right.  I agree with a previous post in that my next builds will be hardtails.  This showcase body was routed for a Wilkinson, which is a great trem, but I never use it. Each build seems to get me closer to the "perfect" specs for me...short scale neck, standard thin, 6130 frets, etc.  Its all just info what what to do for the next one...and the fun is always the "next one"

 

[stubhead]

    ...I won't do fretwork on a new build (unless it's unplayable) until the guitar's been played by them for the life of a set of strings.

That's usually over a year for me

I've heard that before, but I've never had any problems surface from setting up a new neck immediately. Better to start from a good point than suffer a bad setup betting it'll get worse before you fix it. I mean, does that make sense?

I was largely referring to the $300 (+ !!! ) guys doing the primo .00025" Plek jobs on brand new Indonesian mahogany* necks with a possibility of 90 days in a kiln, not the guys who'll work for a cassette possibly containing a rare '92 Jerry Garcia outtake solo and 4 warm Schlitz malts. As long as they're 16oz....

*(Yah! Yah! Eees Aww Mahogenry!)

 

[AprioriMark]

I've heard that before, but I've never had any problems surface from setting up a new neck immediately. Better to start from a good point than suffer a bad setup betting it'll get worse before you fix it. I mean, does that make sense?

The only later problem I've had was with fret sprout from a guitar that lived in an old house without a humidifier on the furnace and aggressive A/C use during the summer. Even then, it took a year for the problem to show up, and it had nothing to do with initial setup. The wood just shrunk. It happens. Hell, I'm surprised the guy's eyes hadn't turned into raisins.

I've had this issue with a few Warmoth necks, almost all of them exotics.  For instance, two Pau Ferro necks took a long time to move in relation to the string pull and truss rod.  One neck, I put 12's one it and tuned it to F# for a few days.  Something finally gave, and the neck seems to allow for pull/relief now with 10's.  I'm not sure it it's a truss rod channel/glue issue or the strength of the wood, but I've experienced this wood-break-in enough times to just come back to the guitar a few times in the couple weeks after assembly and initial setup.  I'll de-string it and do any fretwork that's needed as well as shape/polish.  At that point, I'm willing to call it something I want my name associated with.

-Mark

 

[reluctant-builder]

Hell, I'm surprised the guy's eyes hadn't turned into raisins.

:laughing11:

 

[Corey P.]

I have a half-'moth Jazz Bass and the Jaguar 5-string, and they each unseated the same Music Man Stingray 5 - the first time I was in a band I didn't really need the lower notes and the latter I needed them again, but just found myself not loving the MM - it was a great bass both in playability and cosmetics, but I always found myself less than compelled to play it.

The Warmoth side of the Jazz was the body, and the neck came from a friend's Geddy Lee Jazz, so it was already somewhat broken in when i got it, and it just gave me a growl and resonance that I loved right away.

The Jaguar was the product of a just wanting that model bass for a long time, e-mailing W to see if they offered that body style, being told they didn't, then googling "warmoth jaguar bass" on a whim a year or two later and finding Hachii Kid's build, and connecting with Eric W. from there.  That bass had the piano-like tone from the start, but it did need some fret levelling and other tweaking.  I trust myself to do initial assembly and get a bass or a guitar to a certain point of "better than it was," but have a luthier friend I trust implicitly who gets everything I've taken to him to play its best.  It's humbling when you think you've nailed a basic home setup and you get your instrument back and it's on another plane of playability.  It's also awesome to have guitars & basses that play that well.  ccasion14:

 

[DustyCat]

I can't stand anything less than 6100s these days, either.

6100's are just the beginning of all that can be right in the world. But from my run of 2 instruments (Strat and VIP) with Warmoth custom shop, I can't help but think of the possibilities of "Finger sized" frets....with full scallop!  :icon_biggrin:

Seriously though, I find myself attributing the increase of sustain, clarity, (and now a new term is coming to mind "note power,") to these 6100's.  :icon_thumright:
My reasoning being the increase in mass of the frets and maybe an increase in the efficiency of the transfer of energy from the string to the fret and vice versa. And my hands are loving them! We will see if they are sore tomorrow 'cause I played my ass of today!

"Finger Sized" frets baby. And lobster with those scallops!  ccasion14:

 

[stubhead]

I'm pretty sure that'd make your ass sore tommorow.

 

[DustyCat]

LMAO!

My new guitar makes me so happy. :guitaristgif:

 

[Cagey]

The Warmoth side of the Jazz was the body, and the neck came from a friend's Geddy Lee Jazz, so it was already somewhat broken in when i got it, and it just gave me a growl and resonance that I loved right away.

I didn't think Geddy ever played anything but Rickenbackers.

 

[DangerousR6]

The Warmoth side of the Jazz was the body, and the neck came from a friend's Geddy Lee Jazz, so it was already somewhat broken in when i got it, and it just gave me a growl and resonance that I loved right away.

I didn't think Geddy ever played anything but Rickenbackers.

 

[Corey P.]

The Warmoth side of the Jazz was the body, and the neck came from a friend's Geddy Lee Jazz, so it was already somewhat broken in when i got it, and it just gave me a growl and resonance that I loved right away.

I didn't think Geddy ever played anything but Rickenbackers.

That was definitely an iconic bass for him for a long time, and then he started favoring Wal basses for a while.  I think he got back into primarily using Jazz basses around 1990ish...

 

[Cagey]

I'm probably just thinking of the early days when Rush was The Only Band On Earth. I'm talking about the first 2 or 3 albums, before they got so progressive. As they moved on and got more complex, I didn't pay quite as much attention. Not that they weren't doing good things, but the bloom was off the rose, kinda like follow-on from the first few Van Halen albums.

 

[AutoBat]

It doesn't surprise me that the worst voice in music would play the ugliest instrument possible.