need your help for a possible build

[SamaraHill78]

Hey guys im new... very new. I came across warmoth in this months guitar world magazine. Now Ive thought for years the neck thru guitars were the king. But then I came across this and thought this was cool to have a complete custom guitar without near the price. But Im pretty scetchy bout the bolt on neck deal. So I have a few questions. One question being how fast are the necks? I play some black and death metal. I love to solo... fast. So how fast are the necks? Can I pull off some behemoth on them? and metallicas "one" solo?
My next question is can they custom build a guitar body? See I would love to have a 7 string v. like the esp ltd HEX-7. But I want a floyd rose. Can they do this for me? Same deal with the neck. The neck I want is the traditional gibson v neck (only 7 string) can they do this for me?
And finally how good is the quality? Would you proudly hand your guitar to kirk hammett or EVH and let them use it on stage with no worries?
So as you can tell the guitar I want to build is a 24 fret, 7 string v but not the traditional v style, more like the king v, but with the traditional gibson v neck, floyd rose bridge and emg pickups. No inlays as well. whatcha think?
thank you for reading my noob-y-ness post

 

[Cagey]

Hmm... how fast are Warmoth necks? Well, mine are so fast, it looks like they're standing still. But, when I play them, my fingers and hand move so fast that they actually get younger. Has something to do with Einstein's fear of relatives. I think my left hand is only about 15 now, compared to the 51 the rest of my body is. It can be embarassing, because my left hand is constantly fussing around my pants at inopportune moments, trying to get busy. You know how them teenagers are! Horny little buggers! <grin>

Seriously, they can make you a neck like you've never played before.

Bodies, they can do custom, for a price. I think you have to sign some sort of release of liability, though.

Finishes, they're second to none. Superior stuff, always.

You might want to play around in the "Builder" areas of the Warmoth site. Any time you see a "more info" link, follow it. They add in a lot of details that aren't right on the front page. Then, in the "Showcase" areas, you can see what's in stock for purchase RFN, usually with a few details left to be taken care of. But, it's a good way to see a lot of finish varieties and wood types. Pay particular attention to the Strat section, as it's huge. I know you don't want a Strat, but most things that you'll see there can be done to anything.

Would I hand my guitars to Kirk Hammet or EVH for evaluation? I don't know if I'd trust those guys. They're not used to guitars this nice. They mostly play beaters that all the kids then try and emulate in the futile hope that it'll make them play/sound like their heros. But, yeah. No shame. Warmoth quality is second to none.

 

[Mor Paul]

Warmoth necks are not finished, ready for instruments. For the best playing, they may need some work.

 

[swarfrat]

A) I never really bought into the neck through thing, and
B) I thought the neck through's I've played (a whopping sample of 2 or 3) were kinda harsh. Not that that sample is big enough to attribute to construction type.

There's absolutely nothing second rate about bolt on necks. Having said that, if you're absolutely dead set on a neck through, Carvin sells neck through blanks. But you're pretty much stuck with maple necks and rosewood/maple boards. But stick around, you might get hooked, and IMHO you'll have a better guitar for it. You'll certainly have enough options that you can spend the next few months hemming and hawing and wandering around between opinions.

 

[rockskate4x]

By fast do you mean...
-how smooth the back of the neck is?
-how thin the neck is?
-how easy it is to bend the strings?
-how easy it is to reach high frets?
-anything else?

Warmoth necks can be very very fast because in many cases you have the option of a smooth satin finish, or even no finish at all, depending on the wood that is used, super thin neck profiles (Warmoth's wizard profile), big stainless steel frets, scalloped boards, or super flat fretboard radius (up to 16 inch).

Unfortunately normal Warmoth necks are not super awesome on the highest frets because of the fender compatible bolt on design. The seven string design, however, deviates away from the traditional fender specs and gives you better reach up there. Unfortunately, there are less options with the seven stringers than if you ordered a normal six string neck. Look at the seven string neck builders on the website and see if you like the options that are there. If there is something else that you want that isn't listed in the builder, feel free to call Warmoth up and ask them because they don't list EVERYTHING that they can do. One thing I know to call em about is if they can do the v shapes in seven string format. I'm pretty sure they can do a seven string KK body but not sure bout the seven string gibby V neck.

 

[Jusatele]

Hey guys im new... very new. I came across warmoth in this months guitar world magazine. Now Ive thought for years the neck thru guitars were the king. But then I came across this and thought this was cool to have a complete custom guitar without near the price. But Im pretty scetchy bout the bolt on neck deal. So I have a few questions. One question being how fast are the necks? I play some black and death metal. I love to solo... fast. So how fast are the necks? Can I pull off some behemoth on them? and metallicas "one" solo?
My next question is can they custom build a guitar body? See I would love to have a 7 string v. like the esp ltd HEX-7. But I want a floyd rose. Can they do this for me? Same deal with the neck. The neck I want is the traditional gibson v neck (only 7 string) can they do this for me?
And finally how good is the quality? Would you proudly hand your guitar to kirk hammett or EVH and let them use it on stage with no worries?
So as you can tell the guitar I want to build is a 24 fret, 7 string v but not the traditional v style, more like the king v, but with the traditional gibson v neck, floyd rose bridge and emg pickups. No inlays as well. whatcha think?
thank you for reading my noob-y-ness post

ok, what makes a neck fast to you? have Warmoth make the neck like that for you, they will. You can get the wood, neck profile, fingerboard wood, want scallops, guess what, they do that, what size frets you want? Do you know what you have?,
Floyds, get real, they hve been doing floyds since you were a glimmer in your fathers eye, as far as professionals wanting to play, check out their Artist section, yes some big names use Warmoth products, more all the time., No inlays? yep they do that, only inlays on the 12th fret, hey, they will do what you want.
as far as neck thrus, set necks or bolts, I have A PRS custom 22, I love it, I have owned Carvins, love them, I own a AMStd Strat love it, Neck joints are an over discussed subject, After all the years of playing I have done, I play them all now and do not even think about it,
want a custom heel, just ask, you can get whatever you want, the assembly and the set up of the instrument is what will make or break it. Want to hand it to Kirk when You are finished, then put into it what you want out, if you assemble it like a truck and tune it like a truck, then you get a truck
if you assemble it like a lutier would, and set it up, and tune it in like one, guess what you have a custom guitar you made yourself.

A tone of advice here, sit back and read, soon you will pull the trigger and have that axe you always wanted. how it turns out is up to you, the necks and bodies you will get here are top of the line. you can get them for a lot cheaper elsewhere, and it will show in the end product.

 

[AGWAN]

I can state that, the guitar I wanted when I joined this board, and the guitar I want now... have changed greatly as I've learned about guitar/ guitar construction.

learning tends to do that.

 

[Jack Michaelson]

About the Carvin neck-thru blanks...
You can get any of their normal wood combos (maple, mahogany, koa, walnut, and 5 piece necks with with ebony, rosewood, maple, birdseye maple, and flame maple fingerboards)
There are also some Mother of Pearl and Abalone inlay options

You would be stuck with their neck shape though...

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

I can state that, the guitar I wanted when I joined this board, and the guitar I want now... have changed greatly as I've learned about guitar/ guitar construction.

x10 for me.

I'm a longtime bass player, and have read extensively on the bolt on vs neck-through thing.  I'll say this: I've played A LOT of basses, owned about a dozen, and I've hung onto and consistently played ONE: my (bolt on) Carvin BK4 (built from a kit about 9 years ago).  Partly because I've ALWAYS been satisfied with the tones & playability, and partly because having built it (and subsequently made several mods & tweaks) myself, it's quite special to me.  Building your own guitar will endow you with a knowledge & confidence you never had before.  And super powers! Like being able to fly! I've learned a LOT since I first clicked the link to here in Spike's signature in the email confirmation for my fretless baritone neck back in January. 

The neck-through vs bolt on debate is couched in all sorts of science & facts, but they're secondary to what YOU want as a player.  If you LIKE the sound & feel of a bolt on better, that's what matters.  Or if all your favorite guitars have always been neck through, that's a solid clue there. If your band tells you that your Strat sounds way better than your neck through-Schechter, that's useful info. There's some question as to which sustains more, but sustain (IMH-and-now-"new & improved"-somewhat-educated-O) has more to do with the amount of mass, rather than the arrangement of that mass in bolt on vs. neck through.  It's one factor out of several dozen that will affect your tone.

To more directly answer your question: the speed of a neck depends on your hands more than anything else.  Lots of folks swear by the thinner, flatter necks, claiming (not untruthfully) that they have an easier time positioning their hands & changing positions faster.  Conversely, I've discovered I like (and play more comfortably/better/etc.) large, fat necks - the '59 roundback profile was a nice change from the thinner guitar necks I've always played, and now I won't buy anything that's not a Fatback or a Boatneck for a guitar again.  But I'm 6'1", with big hands & long skinny fingers.  You'll probably fall somewhere between the extremes.  Or far beyond one of them.  :icon_tongue: :toothy12:

I'd say study up on neck profiles: look at the different options, play a bunch of guitars from different brands & find out what feels best, then go from there.