Making it Work
- Thread starter Trix
- Start date
TroubledTreble
Hero Member
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- 830
Welcome to the board Trix.
I think the majority of us have found that after a simple set up, i.e. intonation, string height.. that it is pretty much start jammin'.
After a while check the neck make a very small adjustment if needed then wait, check again, make a very small adjustment if needed and so on. I believe that most of us have made about a quarter turn on the rod if any. It pays to only make small adjustments and see where it goes.
The Warmoth parts are made well and precisely so there is very little need to do any adjustments.
Good Luck and happy strumin!
-TT-
I think the majority of us have found that after a simple set up, i.e. intonation, string height.. that it is pretty much start jammin'.
After a while check the neck make a very small adjustment if needed then wait, check again, make a very small adjustment if needed and so on. I believe that most of us have made about a quarter turn on the rod if any. It pays to only make small adjustments and see where it goes.
The Warmoth parts are made well and precisely so there is very little need to do any adjustments.
Good Luck and happy strumin!
-TT-
Another apology here - this time for the lack of clarity. If I order and assemble a prefinished Warmoth body and neck, install all the hardware and electronics, will I possibly encounter more work than giving the instrument a good competent setup? Thanks for your patience and welcome.
TroubledTreble
Hero Member
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Nope! :icon_biggrin:
-TT-
bpmorton777
Hero Member
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from posts ive read here, the Warmoth stuff is top notch and wont need fancy shimming or noodling around to get it to work properly. If you mix and match with something from another source like Mighty Might, you can have problems.
Brian
Brian
DiMitriR33
Hero Member
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i got a warmoth neck. birdseye/birdseye. to make sure i put it against a granite surface plate and checked how level it was. there was zero need for any leveling and fret dressing. it was really top notch. i put it on a fender body and the fit at the neck joint was better than the stock neck.
the nut was slightly high though. i guess they need to compomise as it is cnc cut and it would be un reasonable to adjust the parameters for each costomer.
the parts really are a direct bolt on. no modification needed. :icon_thumright:
the nut was slightly high though. i guess they need to compomise as it is cnc cut and it would be un reasonable to adjust the parameters for each costomer.
the parts really are a direct bolt on. no modification needed. :icon_thumright:
I love Warmoth & I keep buying them and making them, but I will echo the official site - they don't do a final leveling & crowning of the frets, and they do recommend this if you want really low, shreddy action. I can get by with playing Warmoths with the frets fresh off the boat, but it always feels much better after I do the first level, crown & polish. The issue is more noticeable the larger the fret size. After I had assembled my last guitar with extra-large 6100's and tried to play it for a few back-to-back 5-hour-a-night bar band gigs, I had to take a few hours and round off the fret ends cause they were eating up my fingers. It's a sweaty gig with lots of 70's barre chords, far more treacherous than my living room.... 
I have seen $200 Ibanezes (Ibenai?) with better fret finishing than Warmoth, and I have seen $1500 Gibsons with far worse. I'm not planning on initially fussing with the ends on my upcoming seven-string, but I'm mentally prepared for it if needed - they're stainless 6105's and they look pretty good. If you do have to do it, often just taking the very tiniest wire-edge off the frets is sufficient, 400->1500 gray wet/dry sandpaper & finish with 0000 steel wool will do the trick. I don't personally play many chords with my thumb over the top, so I really only concentrate on the treble side ends. These things are really handy:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Polishing_and_abrasives/Fingerboard_Guards.html The little slot is too narrow for many frets, but you still can hold them up against the side of the fret.
I'm not trying to scare you off, just be aware that sometimes, some people who play a lot need to do more fret finishing than others. I would highly, highly recommend you buy Dan Erlewine's book, "Guitar Player Repair Guide", before or concurrent with lighting into your project. It will tell you almost everything about almost everything and save you literally thousands of dollars over a lifetime - you just don't have to pay somebody else to keep up your gear.
I consider the possible need for fret crowning & finishing to be a regular part of setting up any guitar, and it's a pretty low initial expense (though over the years I do seem to have accumulated quite a few files, hmmm). The biggest difference between a $400 Guitar Center Fender and a $2000 Tom Anderson is a 3-hour fret crown 'n' polish and a decent setup... <-INFIDEL!!! PARTYPOOPER!!!
In the long run if you're scared of fret finishing, you'd better get used to playing with teethy frets.... :laughing8:
I have seen $200 Ibanezes (Ibenai?) with better fret finishing than Warmoth, and I have seen $1500 Gibsons with far worse. I'm not planning on initially fussing with the ends on my upcoming seven-string, but I'm mentally prepared for it if needed - they're stainless 6105's and they look pretty good. If you do have to do it, often just taking the very tiniest wire-edge off the frets is sufficient, 400->1500 gray wet/dry sandpaper & finish with 0000 steel wool will do the trick. I don't personally play many chords with my thumb over the top, so I really only concentrate on the treble side ends. These things are really handy:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Polishing_and_abrasives/Fingerboard_Guards.html The little slot is too narrow for many frets, but you still can hold them up against the side of the fret.
I'm not trying to scare you off, just be aware that sometimes, some people who play a lot need to do more fret finishing than others. I would highly, highly recommend you buy Dan Erlewine's book, "Guitar Player Repair Guide", before or concurrent with lighting into your project. It will tell you almost everything about almost everything and save you literally thousands of dollars over a lifetime - you just don't have to pay somebody else to keep up your gear.
I consider the possible need for fret crowning & finishing to be a regular part of setting up any guitar, and it's a pretty low initial expense (though over the years I do seem to have accumulated quite a few files, hmmm). The biggest difference between a $400 Guitar Center Fender and a $2000 Tom Anderson is a 3-hour fret crown 'n' polish and a decent setup... <-INFIDEL!!! PARTYPOOPER!!!
In the long run if you're scared of fret finishing, you'd better get used to playing with teethy frets.... :laughing8:
jackthehack
Epic Member
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- 5,630
Actually, the Tom Anderson's have better pickups and goofier looking pegheads. You can build 3-4 better Warmoths for what one costs.... Have a local major dealer and have played several, was completely underwhelmed @ that pricing.
