Online Custom Build

[PackerBhoy]

Hi Everyone,

First post here.

I have a 16 year old son who wants a really nice guitar for his 18th birthday.

I see on the Warmoth website that there are some really nice guitars that can be completed by Warmoth (Online Custom Build), and I think that is something he'd like (as it would be more professional than him building one by himself, something he's never done).  I guess the main point is that he would have a custom guitar that he has designed, with everything he wants.

Does anyone have any knowledge as to the quaility of the build Warmoth would do, including the paint job?  I've read some reviews saying that Warmoth Customer Service is pretty poor (almost non-existent), and that concerns me.

Any help or advice or insight is greatly appreciated.

All the best,

alex

 

[Mor Paul]

Warmoth Customer Service is pretty great, in my experience.
Also, Warmoth won't assemble your guitar.

 

[DangerousR6]

Hello and welcome, I think you've misunderstood. Warmoth doesn's build guitars, only necks and bodies and pickguards. You still have to put it together yourself or get someone to build it for you... :icon_thumright:

 

[AutoBat]

They do not make complete guitars
Warmoth can supply you with all the parts to finish a complete guitar, but the final assembly is up to you or a luthier.
The wood, frets, paint is the majority of the service that they offer, as it sounds to me (could be wrong) that you're thinking it's different.

I've read some reviews saying that Warmoth Customer Service is pretty poor (almost non-existent), and that concerns me.

Warmoth paint & customer service is pretty much the opposite of what you have heard (and out of curiosity, where did you hear that?!)

 

[swarfrat]

Also their reputation for customer service, and my little bit of interaction with them backs it up - is excellent. You can talk to real people who know what they're talking about, and they stand by their stuff.

 

[line6man]

As stated by others, Warmoth does not assemble guitars. It goes against their licensing agreement with Fender.
You'll have to buy all the parts and pay a local luthier to assemble them.

 

[PackerBhoy]

I posted this already, but it hasn't shown up.  If it does, my apologies for doubling up...


Thanks for all the clarification, as I had read some unflattering things about Warmoth on the web.  That's why I was glad to find this forum, so that I could get some real answers from some real people who have experience with Warmoth.  Thanks for the clarifications.

So, let me get this straight:  I would order up all the pieces on  http://www.warmoth.com  in the "Online Custom Builders" section.  Once I order everything I want (including the paint job/finish), they send it all to me (including having it painted/finished--  I don't do that part, they just don't send me paint, correct?) for me to get assembled.  That's it?

Also, do they ship to Great Britain?  That would be more convenient for us, though we do have relatives in the US (we have dual citizenship).

Thanks for the help.

alex

 

[DangerousR6]

You order the body and neck you want, choose the finishes, Warmoth does the painting on the body and the finish on the neck that you choose, then they send the parts to you. You or someone of your choice puts it all together. Yes they ship overseas... :icon_thumright:

 

[PackerBhoy]

"You order the body and neck you want, choose the finishes, Warmoth does the painting and the finish on the neck that you choose, then they send the parts to you. You or someone of your choice puts it all together. Yes they ship overseas... "



Would you recommend getting from Warmoth the other pieces for the guitar they have on their website--  things such as pickguards, fixed bridges or tremolos, tuning heads, pots, and other hardwear needed to almost complete the guitar?  I'm thinking that it would be best to do that, so that the pieces would match/fit, as they're coming from the same place.  Are these supplies of good quality too?


alex

 

[line6man]

"You order the body and neck you want, choose the finishes, Warmoth does the painting and the finish on the neck that you choose, then they send the parts to you. You or someone of your choice puts it all together. Yes they ship overseas... "



Would you recommend getting from Warmoth the other pieces for the guitar they have on their website--  things such as pickguards, fixed bridges or tremolos, tuning heads, pots, and other hardwear needed to almost complete the guitar?  I'm thinking that it would be best to do that, so that the pieces would match/fit, as they're coming from the same place.  Are these supplies of good quality too?


alex

IME, Warmoth's selection of parts is quite poor.
Warmoth makes necks, bodies and pickguards. Parts do not make up a significant portion of their sales, so their selection is rather basic.

 

[elgravos]

Yes, I definitely would as it sounds like you don't have much experience putting guitars together - unless you have specific parts you want that Warmoth doesn't carry (such as DiMarzio pickups / Sperzel tuners etc.) though overall, Warmoth can provide you with all the top shelf components needed for a full build.  I would also suggest that you call them rather than place the order on the website.  A Warmoth rep will be able to walk you through the entire process and make sure you have all the components you need to make a complete build.   Figure out what you need online but call to place the actual order. It will save you a ton of grief.

You'll then receive a "ready to assemble" guitar including all the screws and other bits and pieces needed to put the whole thing together.  I suggest you go to a local luthier to get the work done.  I've paid anywhere between $150 and $300 to get a buitar built depending on the complexity of the job (electronics / trem vs. fixed bridge / fret work).  If you don't know how to set up a guitar, you can spend $2k on parts and they will play no better than a $50 guitar you can pick up at your local toy shop.  It needs to be put together by someone who knows what they are doing.  If you follow this advice, the end product will be a top of the line guitar as good as anything coming out of high end builders such as Suhr and most certainly better than most Fender factory jobs.

Good luck.

 

[AutoBat]

I would recommend ordering a Neck, Body, Pickguard (if applicable to your body style) from Warmoth, and the other details could be picked up at a local-to-you shop

other details include but are not limited to:
tuning machines
string tree (usage is debatable)
strap buttons
pickguard/trem cover/jack screws (if applicable to your body style)
output jack
pickguard
pickups
wiring necessities (selector switch, vol/tone potentiometers, other switches depending on use) (really, there's a million ways to wire a guitar)
bridge

Needless to say, everything aforementioned is available to purchase from Warmoth, but your wants or needs may desire another outlet for those parts.

 

[PackerBhoy]

I would recommend ordering a Neck, Body, Pickguard (if applicable to your body style) from Warmoth, and the other details could be picked up at a local-to-you shop

other details include but are not limited to:
tuning machines
string tree (usage is debatable)
strap buttons
pickguard/trem cover/jack screws (if applicable to your body style)
output jack
pickguard
pickups
wiring necessities (selector switch, vol/tone potentiometers, other switches depending on use) (really, there's a million ways to wire a guitar)
bridge

Needless to say, everything aforementioned is available to purchase from Warmoth, but your wants or needs may desire another outlet for those parts.

Thanks for that--  greatly appreciate your (and everyone else here) taking the time to help us out.

One other thought...if we only buy the neck/body/pickguard, will Warmoth drill holes for the bridge?  Or will that be something the luthier does?


Thanks again.

alex

 

[JaySwear]

Yep! Warmoth will drill holes for the bridge, but not the pickguard. the body and necks will have holes to help you mount them correctly (unless you want them to omit the holes, which they can do). Also, Warmoth's customer service is pretty great. If you can get a chance you should give them a call. This could be difficult depending on where you are, but may be worth it to get all the details of your order straightened out.

I accidentally ordered too many parts on my last build, called them immediately, and I had a return number ready to go within a minute or less. Pretty awesome customer service to me. They won't take back things that a customer may have damaged themselves, but any mistakes on their part will be taken care of quickly and easily.

 

[PackerBhoy]

Yep! Warmoth will drill holes for the bridge, but not the pickguard. the body and necks will have holes to help you mount them correctly (unless you want them to omit the holes, which they can do).

Pardon my ignorance, but does that mean that all bridges will have the same measurements?

What if my son wanted a tremolo bar (whammy bar) ?  Would that make a difference?

Thanks again.

alex

 

[AutoBat]

Might I direct you to:
http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/Options/BridgeRoutingOptions.aspx

You'd get the body routed for the bridge that you want


The two major categories are Hardtail and Trem
Hardtail bridges can't be put on bodies with trem routes*
Tremelos can't be put on bodies routed for hardtails*

*additional work from a professional luthier could make this possible, but it's not cost effective

 

[PackerBhoy]

Might I direct you to:
http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/Options/BridgeRoutingOptions.aspx

You'd get the body routed for the bridge that you want

Would that mean that I should buy the bridge from Warmoth at the same time, to ensure that they are of the same dimensions?

alex

 

[line6man]

Yep! Warmoth will drill holes for the bridge, but not the pickguard. the body and necks will have holes to help you mount them correctly (unless you want them to omit the holes, which they can do).

Pardon my ignorance, but does that mean that all bridges will have the same measurements?

What if my son wanted a tremolo bar (whammy bar) ?  Would that make a difference?

Thanks again.

alex

There are many different bridges available, you have to choose a bridge route/screw pattern and then purchase a bridge that is spec'd for the route/holes that you ordered on the body.

 

[line6man]

Might I direct you to:
http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/Options/BridgeRoutingOptions.aspx

You'd get the body routed for the bridge that you want

Would that mean that I should buy the bridge from Warmoth at the same time, to ensure that they are of the same dimensions?

alex

It depends what bridge you buy.
As long as you buy the same bridge, it won't matter whether it's from Warmoth or another retailer, the product is the same.

 

[Cagey]

Yep! Warmoth will drill holes for the bridge, but not the pickguard. the body and necks will have holes to help you mount them correctly (unless you want them to omit the holes, which they can do).

Pardon my ignorance, but does that mean that all bridges will have the same measurements?

What if my son wanted a tremolo bar (whammy bar) ?  Would that make a difference?

Thanks again.

alex

No, not all bridges have the same mounting dimensions, and some require some routing, particularly the vibrato bridges. But, they ask you when you order the body to specify what type/style/brand bridge you're going to use, and they drill/route appropriately. That service is included in the price of the body. Also, you'll specify what kind of pickups you intend to use, since the routing changes for those as well.