My First Warmoth Build (Jazzcaster)

[Delilah]

Hello, everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster

This is my second guitar build and my first Warmoth build. (I've done many modifications and built many many pedals and several amplifiers as well  )

This is pretty-much my dream guitar I wanted more Jazz than Caster, hence the neck, neck p'up, bridge and trem.

I know the strat-style output jack isn't very popular, but I can't stand reaching way down under to plug in. Lots of other little things that I got to do just my way

I wasn't sure how the JM-style bridge would match up with the tele-style tone-ring, but I am super happy with how it came out

Specs:

• Warmoth Jazzmaster neck (Ebony on Quartersawn Maple), SRV profile, MoP dots, TUSQ-XL nut, unfinished because that's how I like it.
• Warmoth Jazzcaster body in Antique White, routed for Tele Bridge and P90 neck, and contoured heel. I drilled it for a JM Bridge because it wasn't an option on the site.
• Warmoth Pickguard
• Bare Knuckle Flat 50 Bridge Pickup
• Bare Knuckle Supermassive P90 Neck Pickup
• Duesenberg Diamond Tremolo
• Mastery Bridge
• Glendale Guitars Cold Rolled Steel Tone Ring
• Emerson Custom Shop Pro pots (500k)
• Emerson Custom Shop .033uf PIO cap
• Fender Custom Shop 4-way switch
• Ernie Ball black Tele knobs
• Fender Locking Tuners
• TUSQ-XL String Trees
• Warmoth hardware (output, neck, and control plates)
• Fully shielded cavities and wiring

I had a few small issues with the build (that I was able to easily overcome with some elbow grease.) First off, the control route needed to be about 1/8" longer on the tone-knob side for the pots to fit and for the control plate to fit into the pickguard even though the pickguard was flush against the bottom of the neck. So I routed out about another 1/8" to make that work. Also the neck-angle was way too flat, so I sanded down the heel diagonally (about .040" on the headstock side) to put a nice angle in it.

I just need to do a fret-level now, but even without that, she plays, looks and sounds fantastic. Bright and punchy.

I'm totally jonesing to build another now

Thanks for reading and looking!

.o0O~Delilah~O0o.

 

[Cagey]

Very nice job!

What is it about offset waist Fenders that make nothing fit? I've built a few of them, and they're always a pain in the shorts, needing additional routing and careful attention to cover placement.

I see you used a Mastery bridge - good choice, albeit a bit pricey. Also, the wang bar choice is good as opposed to the nightmare that is the typical Fender offering for that model.

I'm sure you're very pleased. That's gotta be a fun fiddle.

 

[bagman67]

Welcome to the land of the de-lurked.  We're glad to have you on board.


That's a handsome fiddle you've assembled there.  That Deusenberg Bigsby-oid vibrato bar musta been a pretty penny.  Good choices all around. I love a Tele with a P90 in the neck, never having been happy with the standard offering.  If'n I were you, I'd gloat about having that axe.  Well done.


peace


Bagman

 

[Rick]

Looks nice.  What kind of music will you play?  I've got an idea, but that doll with the broken nos makes me think yeah yeah yeahs, Brooklyn circa 2001

 

[Great Ape]

That's really cool--totally unique, but not 'off-the-wall'...great work!

 

[Delilah]

Thanks, everyone

I really appreciate the feedback

@Cagey, I did spend a good bit on the Mastery Bridge, and whole build really- this was a "spare no expense" sort of project to build my dream axe. I think the parts all-together totaled up to $1200. So for the price of an American Standard I got Custom Shop quality But I did save some money importing the pickups and trem myself.

@Bagman, I imported the doosey right from Rockinger in Germany. It was actually quite reasonable and comparable to a Bigsby. They've (they being the EU) stopped charging VAT to the US for online purchases so I think after the exchange rate and shipping I paid only $140. They shipped it FedEx and I had it in 3 days

@Rick, I/we play hard-edged Indy Rock, some occasional heavy blues and throw in a weird cover every now and then

@Great Ape, Thanks! That's *exactly* what I was going for!

.o0O~Delilah~O0o.

 

[DocNrock]

Very cool and unique build.  Congrats!  But watch out, building Warmoths can easily become an addiction! 

:kewlpics:

:rock-on:

:glasses9:

 

[Rick]

D
I knew it was Indy, if it were me I'd be taking it on trip to visit rev Horton heat.  You've given me some ideas for my next git, thanks and enjoy.

Q is that a strat neck mating a tele neck body rout? Is the pick guard covering the gap?

 

[Delilah]

@Rick, nah, it's a strat pocket.  Like I said, I wanted more Jazz than Caster

I'm not a big fan of tele headstocks, TBH, and I figured this would give me more flexibility down the line- as I like my necks unfinished, it may warp on me (although the ebony fretboard and the thick SRV profile quarter sawn maple will probably go a long way towards preventing that.)

So glad to have inspired some ideas! Thanks again!

 

[DangerousR6]

very cool.... :icon_thumright:

 

[Kostas]

Hi and welcome to the site.

I noticed the pickups in your SG, are these Z90's? I have been thinking about them for my SG, I'm curious how they sound in yours.

 

[Delilah]

Hey, @Kostas;

They're Bare Knuckle Mississippi Queen hbucker sized P90s.

They sound off the wall AMAZING in that axe.

The burstbuckers were way way too dark in that very very warm piece of mahogany, but these bring it to an epic level of awesome. She can now do everything from jazzy through classic metal with non of the flabby muddy farty mess that she put out on the A and E strings from the factory. They really bring the guitar to life. I can't recommend it enough.

(I also put the Bigsby in as far back as I could to get around a 13-degree break over angle on the SteeMac Nashville roller bridge to get some of those sympathetic harmonics. That brightened her up a bit too.)

 

[DangerousR6]

I like the fact you went with the "Duesenberg" trem instead of Bigsby... :headbang: