I Wish...

[Strat Avenger]

...that Warmoth would make Strat and Tele bodies with the same type of contoured heel that Fender currently offers on their American Deluxe models. Since Warmoth is licensed by Fender, I don't see why it would be a difficult or expensive thing to do.

I am currently trying to find a used Fender American Deluxe Strat body (with the contoured heel) so I can put a Warmoth neck on it and re-paint it the color I want. It'd be nice if I could just get everything from Warmoth.

I know Warmoth offers a "contoured heel", but I don't really care for it. It's thinner on one side than a standard heel, but the shape is the same...square.
Why in the 21st century is any guitar made with a square heel with the corner right where the palm of your had goes when playing on the uppermost frets??!

I hope someone from Warmoth reads this.

 

[line6man]

Fender's neckplates are hideous, I definitely would not want a Warmoth with a weird shape like that.

If you don't like square plates though, why not just do recessed ferrules?

Personally, I've never found the size/shape of a heel to be a problem, only the fret access. My thumb goes up against the heel of the body, where the heel meets the neck, and the rest of my hand floats around.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Fender's neckplates are hideous, I definitely would not want a Warmoth with a weird shape like that.

If you don't like square plates though, why not just do recessed ferrules?

Personally, I've never found the size/shape of a heel to be a problem, only the fret access. My thumb goes up against the heel of the body, where the heel meets the neck, and the rest of my hand floats around.

I see nothing "hideous" about them. It is quite an intelligent design, with one corner rounded off, and one screw hole moved further back. Besides; it's not a part of the guitar that is seen very much.

 

[line6man]

Fender's neckplates are hideous, I definitely would not want a Warmoth with a weird shape like that.

If you don't like square plates though, why not just do recessed ferrules?

Personally, I've never found the size/shape of a heel to be a problem, only the fret access. My thumb goes up against the heel of the body, where the heel meets the neck, and the rest of my hand floats around.

I see nothing "hideous" about them. It is quite an intelligent design, with one corner rounded off, and one screw hole moved further back. Besides; it's not a part of the guitar that is seen very much.

It looks odd to have three sharp corners, and then one totally rounded off. Especially, considering that the screws are not aligned right. The rounded corner's screw is moved downward. The bodies look odd, as well, like some sort of belt sander accident had occurred.

It's a part of the guitar that is seen quite often. I see it every time I play my guitars.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Fender's neckplates are hideous, I definitely would not want a Warmoth with a weird shape like that.

If you don't like square plates though, why not just do recessed ferrules?

Personally, I've never found the size/shape of a heel to be a problem, only the fret access. My thumb goes up against the heel of the body, where the heel meets the neck, and the rest of my hand floats around.

I see nothing "hideous" about them. It is quite an intelligent design, with one corner rounded off, and one screw hole moved further back. Besides; it's not a part of the guitar that is seen very much.

It looks odd to have three sharp corners, and then one totally rounded off. Especially, considering that the screws are not aligned right. The rounded corner's screw is moved downward. The bodies look odd, as well, like some sort of belt sander accident had occurred.

It's a part of the guitar that is seen quite often. I see it every time I play my guitars.

"Three corners"? There are only two, and with one rounded off and shaved down, that leaves just one corner. It seems ridiculous that one would be more concerned with  how the back of their guitar "looks" over how it feels and ergonomically performs. I could understand if it were the front of the guitar, but we are talking about a part that rests against the player's body. You think a corner "looks" better back there, and are therefore willing to sacrifice ergonomics.

Well, to each his own, but I hope that Warmoth joins the 21st century and makes it an option.

 

[line6man]

Fender's neckplates are hideous, I definitely would not want a Warmoth with a weird shape like that.

If you don't like square plates though, why not just do recessed ferrules?

Personally, I've never found the size/shape of a heel to be a problem, only the fret access. My thumb goes up against the heel of the body, where the heel meets the neck, and the rest of my hand floats around.

I see nothing "hideous" about them. It is quite an intelligent design, with one corner rounded off, and one screw hole moved further back. Besides; it's not a part of the guitar that is seen very much.

It looks odd to have three sharp corners, and then one totally rounded off. Especially, considering that the screws are not aligned right. The rounded corner's screw is moved downward. The bodies look odd, as well, like some sort of belt sander accident had occurred.

It's a part of the guitar that is seen quite often. I see it every time I play my guitars.

"Three corners"? There are only two, and with one rounded off and shaved down, that leaves just one corner. It seems ridiculous that one would be more concerned with  how the back of their guitar "looks" over how it feels and ergonomically performs. I could understand if it were the front of the guitar, but we are talking about a part that rests against the player's body. You think a corner "looks" better back there, and are therefore willing to sacrifice ergonomics.

Well, to each his own, but I hope that Warmoth joins the 21st century and makes it an option.

Did you not read the third paragraph of my first post? Playability should always come before aesthetics, but the shape and size of a standard neck heel has never been an issue to me in terms of ease of playability, because my palm never touches that area, so it makes no difference.

You are looking at it as if there are only two options, when there are others that satisfy both ergonomics and aesthetics. Those are the types of neck heels Warmoth should look into, but that is only my opinion, and everyone is entitled to their own opinions of how a neck heel should be done.

There are indeed three 90 degree(-ish?) corners and one rounded off corner, unless you are referring to some other plate I am not aware of?

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Yeah, I don't care for the contoured heels, either of the styles mentioned.  However, I'd really be happy if the option for having recessed ferrules was made available.  Those appeal to me for some reason.  As far as the rounded off heel, it doesn't look right to me to have a body that is like that, but based on a historical shape.  To each their own, I guess I am old enough that the square heel is what I think is correct.  Never made much of a difference what style it was for me as far as playing...
Patrick

 

[Tipperman]

Once again, I feel I'm the only one here like this, but I feel a square heel is more comfortable to me than a rounder/contoured/Ibanez style heel. I must be crazy.

 

[Jusatele]

tipperman, no you are not alone
I have no problem with the square heel
I use it as a reference mark to know where I am at the neck
I really do not watch what I am doing much, i like to interact with the band and the fans, so I like to slide my hands up and feel something so I can slide down a certain amount and be where I want to be
that fender square heel is very important to me, and I have played around it for close to 40 years, why change now
I am saying that while practicing on my PRS custom 22, and will tell you I am more at home and know where I am more on a square heeled Tele

 

[rapfohl09]

tipperman, no you are not alone
I have no problem with the square heel
I use it as a reference mark to know where I am at the neck
I really do not watch what I am doing much, i like to interact with the band and the fans, so I like to slide my hands up and feel something so I can slide down a certain amount and be where I want to be
that fender square heel is very important to me, and I have played around it for close to 40 years, why change now
I am saying that while practicing on my PRS custom 22, and will tell you I am more at home and know where I am more on a square heeled Tele

I'm with you guys...well sort of. I guess my hands are just huge or something, because I don't ever even notice the heel. Like ever, on any guitar I have ever played  :laughing7: Maybe I just haven't ever played up at the top enough, but as long as the heel isn't 2 inches thick, I don't even touch it. I think my hand just naturally misses it.

 

[Tipperman]

I never notice the square heel, and I play with my thumb behind my middle finger at pretty much all times, except for certain songs. Megahuge hands.

 

[llmtelecaster]

A strat with a non-square heel just wouldn't be a strat. I totally get what the OP is saying, but for myself and probably many others, the square Fender heel is fine and just shouldn't be messed with.

 

[AutoBat]

I wish they had the license to do Ibanez bodies & necks, but alas that's a lot of coin.

 

[hannaugh]

For some reason, I really, truly thought when I saw the title of this thread that it was going to end with "...I was an Oscar Meyer weiner."  :doh:  I should probably get some rest. 

 

[Wyliee]

"Three corners"? There are only two, and with one rounded off and shaved down, that leaves just one corner. It seems ridiculous that one would be more concerned with  how the back of their guitar "looks" over how it feels and ergonomically performs. I could understand if it were the front of the guitar, but we are talking about a part that rests against the player's body. You think a corner "looks" better back there, and are therefore willing to sacrifice ergonomics.

Well, to each his own, but I hope that Warmoth joins the 21st century and makes it an option.

Would that also apply to virtually all other Strat styled builders in the world?  The contoured heel and bolt pattern is incompatible with most of the Fender style instruments on the market and is only available on a handful of models.  I hate to say it, but if it was such an incredible improvement, shouldn't we expect to see more manufacturers following suit and a much greater demand?  That's the simple economics of it...

 

[DangerousR6]

"Three corners"? There are only two, and with one rounded off and shaved down, that leaves just one corner. It seems ridiculous that one would be more concerned with  how the back of their guitar "looks" over how it feels and ergonomically performs. I could understand if it were the front of the guitar, but we are talking about a part that rests against the player's body. You think a corner "looks" better back there, and are therefore willing to sacrifice ergonomics.

Well, to each his own, but I hope that Warmoth joins the 21st century and makes it an option.

Would that also apply to virtually all other Strat styled builders in the world?  The contoured heel and bolt pattern is incompatible with most of the Fender style instruments on the market and is only available on a handful of models.  I hate to say it, but if it was such an incredible improvement, shouldn't we expect to see more manufacturers following suit and a much greater demand?  That's the simple economics of it...

excellent point, knocking off one little bit of a corner isn't really worth the effort when considering set up for manufacturing costs..

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I don't like any of the contoured heels.  Warmoth's or Fender's.  Paul Gilbert on his own sig Ibanez uses the older Ibanez heel which is closer to the Fender, though thinner, like Warmoth's contoured heel.  His reasoning being that thickness of neckjoint is directly proportional to tone.  Why do some of the best shredders around make do with the Fender neckjoint, i.e. Malsteem, Johnson, Gilbert?  It's more rhetorical, but they can play anything they want to, right?

Another thing, most insist that the Warmoth Pro neck is vastly superior to other neck constructions, cork sniffing tone preferences withstanding.  It isn't compatible with the Deluxe neckplate.  Why mount an inferior neck construction to a "superior" heel?  If they offered it, can you imagine the flood of Warmoth's inbox, "why did you sell me a neck that won't work with by body"?  The 720 mod already generates enough confusion.

 

[DangerousR6]

I don't like any of the contoured heels.  Warmoth's or Fender's.  Paul Gilbert on his own sig Ibanez uses the older Ibanez heel which is closer to the Fender, though thinner, like Warmoth's contoured heel.  His reasoning being that thickness of neckjoint is directly proportional to tone.  Why do some of the best shredders around make do with the Fender neckjoint, i.e. Malsteem, Johnson, Gilbert?  It's more rhetorical, but they can play anything they want to, right?

Another thing, most insist that the Warmoth Pro neck is vastly superior to other neck constructions, cork sniffing tone preferences withstanding.  It isn't compatible with the Deluxe neckplate.  Why mount an inferior neck construction to a "superior" heel?  If they offered it, can you imagine the flood of Warmoth's inbox, "why did you sell me a neck that won't work with by body"?  The 720 mod already generates enough confusion.

I tell you what, it's not compatible with a DangerousR6 superturbodeluxcustomfloyd neck plate either... :icon_biggrin:

 

[Cagey]

I think what he's saying is that if it was that great of an idea, it would see wider application. Plus, you have a massive installed base to comply with. Legacy issues are the bane of many manufacturers. Good ideas get trashed just because "that's not the way it has always been done".

Of course, these days when the USPTO will issue patents for damn near anything, Fender probably has 37 of them on the design and implementation so nobody else can do anything even remotely similar unless they want to risk getting sued into insolvency.

 

[line6man]

As far as the rounded off heel, it doesn't look right to me to have a body that is like that, but based on a historical shape.  To each their own, I guess I am old enough that the square heel is what I think is correct. 

That's sort of where I'm at.

I really, really hate to become a "If it isn't the way Leo did it, it's wrong!" guy, but I'm just so used to the traditional rectangular plates. The same plate is used on all Fender-ish guitars and basses, and many non-Fender designs. It's the way neck heels are done. Anything different, even on other bodies like Soloists or VIPs,  somehow doesn't seem right.