New headstock styles

[anothermetalhed]

I hope I'm not alone in desiring more 7 string options both in terms of headstocks and body styles and maybe even 8 strings down the road.  And possibly ordering paint from Warmoth instead of having them come painted?

 

[nathan a]

The paint thing came up a while back, I believe. The basic answer was just that warmoth is in the parts business. They supply us with awesome fine woodworking pieces, and any hardware we need. They're not a luthiery supply business, or a DIY refinishing business. I'm butchering the response, but it's something like that. That's not a niche the warmoth company is trying to fill.

 

[Shmoopie]

there are laws and permits for shipping chemicals, including paint and things of that nature. Even if they could ship it domestically, they would have even more laws and permits to ship internationally, not to mention they would be competing with other companies that already have all the ins. 

 

[stubhead]

The paddleheads make any straight seven headstock possible, except a banana or a reverse. I know that Gregg has said here that the sevens are consistently Warmoth's lowest sellers, they won't discontinue them (because they're already programmed) but they're not going to go wacky trying to score more business either. The serial number on the flat 7 body I just bought was "14".

There's a number of builders/tweakers on the seven string forum who would probably buy a Warmoth if they made a neck length longer than 25" but shorter than their baritone 28.625", but I don't think Warmoth has a full-time designer/CNC programmer just to cater to requests. Maybe if the public clamors more, louder, harder.... :guitaristgif:

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/

 

[jackthehack]

Per the website, if you supply the full size drawing, Warmoth will do a custom peghead for a $45 "and up" upcharge based on design complexity. As long as your design would fit within a normal blank paddlehead neck blank you could get them to do one for you custom.

Don't think 7-string volume is ever going to be high enough to get any more stock options that what you see today...

 

[jhale667]

Per the website, if you supply the full size drawing, Warmoth will do a custom peghead for a $45 "and up" upcharge based on design complexity. As long as your design would fit within a normal blank paddlehead neck blank you could get them to do one for you custom.

Don't think 7-string volume is ever going to be high enough to get any more stock options that what you see today...

Hello all, longtime Warmoth user/newbie poster arty07:...
That's exactly what I was looking for, coincidentally...I wanted to make sure they still offered custom headstocks as an option (though not for a 7 string). Last time I ordered a Strat neck I paid a $15 upcharge to have them to leave the top of the fretboard square at the 22nd fret (ala Charvel and older Warmoth necks) instead of doing the Fender-esque rounding they started doing when "Warnoth Standard Construction" went to the "Pro" specs...I'm like "Uh, could you guys make me one like you used to? Please?" And thankfully they will and did. The round thing just bugs me, always has...I realize it makes it harder to get a pickguard off or access the truss rod, but I'll take the extra couple of minutes for it to look more visually pleasing to me... :toothy12:
In lieu of a full-size "drawing", I wonder if an actual photo  .jpg file (I imagine one could determine correct sizing by enlarging the nut-slot to the desired width - in this case 1 3/4"? Anyone?) would also work? :icon_scratch: I have tons of closeup photos of the exact headstock I want before and after the tuner holes were drilled, but I don't actually have access to a real one to do an accurate tracing...seems like exactly scaled photos would work better anyway....(?)

 

[Wyliee]

It really needs to be a full sized line drawing.  Photos can be rescaled depending on your specific printer and software, which can lead to mismatches in size.  A full size drawing can be used for the actual template.  Photos don't work quite as well for a physical template. 

If you're adamant on using photos, you'll need to accept the possibility of some variation on the final headstock and it would be non-returnable except for warranty issues.  Neck shop staff will need flexibility on any custom headstock to make sure it fits the nut width and tuner reams.

 

[jhale667]

It really needs to be a full sized line drawing.  Photos can be rescaled depending on your specific printer and software, which can lead to mismatches in size.  A full size drawing can be used for the actual template.  Photos don't work quite as well for a physical template. 

If you're adamant on using photos, you'll need to accept the possibility of some variation on the final headstock and it would be non-returnable except for warranty issues.  Neck shop staff will need flexibility on any custom headstock to make sure it fits the nut width and tuner reams.

It's not a matter of me being "adamant", I'm just not sure where to get an authentic headstock to do a tracing with...I just want an Explorer/Ibanez Destroyer headstock that's more accurate in shape than the current catalog offering...Someone at Warmoth once (when I called asking why their Jackson headstocks were slightly "off" looking) explained to me that they have to make subtle changes to non-licensed designs to avoid trademark issues...When I mentioned "Gee, you guys are Fender-licensed and Fender now owns Charvel...technically aren't you able to do it exact now? The person (and I wish I remember his name) said "Yeah, I guess technically we could now, but it's not currently in the plans to update the design". Not sure what their licensing arrangement is with Gibson...but the guy DID say they'll do one-offs all day long with an accurate tracing. Not like I'd even worry about having to return it for structural defects, I have 3 Warmoth (Strat) necks and Loooooooove them...
I was messing around with the photos I have last night, and while I can blow them up to where the nut is the desired width, I can see what you're saying about the variations...I even went so far as to hold a neck and the body up to my screen to see if the headstock size looked correct, and it did....guess I should measure a tuner-hole and see if it is also size-accurate when the nut slot is blown up to the correct size...I could deal with slight variations, as long as it looks closer to the original than the standard offering.

I don't have photoshop on this computer, so I was using Microsoft Photo Editor (which won't let me save the resized versions) and Irfanview (which will, but it is a pain in the *** to resize..it wants you to do it by frame size, not percentage...) and it's not exactly easy...but then there's having to go into a retailer (assuming I can even find one carrying an Explorer) and ask "I don't really want to buy this guitar, but can I borrow it and your counter-top to make a tracing?" Seems like it'd be quite difficult to even trace (especially an angled) headstocks correctly without removing the tuners...not like my local Guitar Center is going to let me do that even on a good day...I used to be a manager there, so I can pretty much state with near-certainty  the answer would be "NO"... :sad:

I'm about to the point where I'm gonna blow it up to the correct size and make a tracing off my computer monitor...lol  :icon_biggrin:

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

The paddleheads make any straight seven headstock possible, except a banana or a reverse. I know that Gregg has said here that the sevens are consistently Warmoth's lowest sellers, they won't discontinue them (because they're already programmed) but they're not going to go wacky trying to score more business either. The serial number on the flat 7 body I just bought was "14".

There's a number of builders/tweakers on the seven string forum who would probably buy a Warmoth if they made a neck length longer than 25" but shorter than their baritone 28.625", but I don't think Warmoth has a full-time designer/CNC programmer just to cater to requests. Maybe if the public clamors more, louder, harder.... :guitaristgif:

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/

I'm one of the few of them that still actually prefers a 7 string to remain in a standard scale of 24.75.  I can live with 25" & if I had my sixers & sevens all in the same 25" scale.  My TFS6 is a 24.75 & my Ibby 7 is a 25.5. 
I'd rather they both were the same scale, same radius, same amount of frets (24).

 

[shanejw]

I'd like to see the Jackson 3X3 headstock shape offered.

 

[chuck7]

Scale the picture to where you think it is right.  Print it.  Measure the print to make sure its still right.  Trace it onto plain paper.  Mail to Warmoth. 

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

The best bet is, start with some large graph paper that has the 1/4 inch squares.

Make a very distinctive centerline, measure to scale the length from the nut to the intonation point, pickups, etc.

After, not before, draw the perimeter of the body style that you want.  If it's an Explorer you want, then trace an explorer.  If it's another body style that is already in existence, then trace it.  If you have a body style of your own design, draw it on there taking into consideration the maximum outer dimensions of the body blanks listed on Warmoth's site.  From there, you can make known your intended location for vol, tone, p/u selector switches, etc...  Just try to keep things in a realistic perspective, taking stability issues and balance issues into consideration.

That's the best way to start out.



P.S.  Just for the record, I want a mahogony body blank/quilted maple top for a 7string  25 scale with the neck pocket, 2 hums routed out, as well as the recessed floyd cavity, & I'll cut out the body, & route for the controls. Additionally, I'd like a 7 string 25 scale padouk neck with a ziricote fingerboard with dunlop 6100 SS frets, with a wide paddle head so I can cut out my own 4x3 headstock. :headbang1: