Online Custom Build

[PackerBhoy]

Also, you'll specify what kind of pickups you intend to use, since the routing changes for those as well.

That is another good piece of advice.

Living in Britain, we'll probably go with Bare Knuckle pickups--  but these aren't listed as choices (they only have things like Tele, Strat, Mini-Humbucker, P-90, Humbucker).  Are these choices just generic?

alex

 

[PackerBhoy]

Some other questions come to mind when doing a mock order:



For the input jack choice, they list 7/8" , 3/4" , or 1/2" .  But aren't these jacks 1/4" ?

What is "Stud Install" ?


alex

 

[Danuda]

The input jack choice is for the size of the jack unit itself.  The input on the jacks are 1/4" but the jacks themselves take up more room.  Studd install is for certain bridges that screw into pre-mounted studs like TOM bridges.  You can install the studs yourself or have Warmoth do it.  If you look at the different bridge designs you can see if they need studs or not.

 

[AutoBat]

Regarding the Jacks: The sleeve itself is the same size, but the aesthetic of the surround is really the question.
More information can be found at: http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/Options/SidejackOptions.aspx

Stud install refers to certain bridges like the Tune-o-Matic (TOM) and Stop Tail Piece (STP) bridges as well as 2 point trems like Wilkenson and Floyd Rose.
The posts on those guitars is a very snug fit and the proper installation is paramount to proper usage.  This can be difficult but is far from impossible from the average user, so the $10 charge for them to install them for you is a nice way to go.

"What type of pickups" is really asking about Humbucking, Singlecoil, P90, and the other lesser used types.
More information can be found at http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/Options/PickupRoutingOptionsPop.aspx

 

[OzziePete]

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

Most of the answers have already been provided except for one...

Are you sure that your son wants a Warmoth guitar?

Often at that age ( I was a 16 year old guitar player once too!) there's a fair amount of, what we call here, "brand snobbery" involved. If it ain't one of the marque brands  - they don't want it, no matter how good the componentry may be or how well assembled it may be....Not all kids are like that (hello Max and Conor   :icon_thumright: - who got onto this forum at age 16 or so and have built their own Warmoths), but a number of them are - I know I was!  If your son WANTS a Fender Stratocaster or a Gibson Les Paul then getting a Warmoth may be a let down.... A suggestion might be to broach the subject with him and see if he wants to work with you in designing his guitar. You could both work on the project - he can add some personal touches - and in the end give him a custom made family gift that would be quite special.

 

[PackerBhoy]

Most of the answers have already been provided except for one...

Are you sure that your son wants a Warmoth guitar?

Often at that age ( I was a 16 year old guitar player once too!) there's a fair amount of, what we call here, "brand snobbery" involved. If it ain't one of the marque brands  - they don't want it, no matter how good the componentry may be or how well assembled it may be....Not all kids are like that (hello Max and Conor   :icon_thumright: - who got onto this forum at age 16 or so and have built their own Warmoths), but a number of them are - I know I was!  If your son WANTS a Fender Stratocaster or a Gibson Les Paul then getting a Warmoth may be a let down.... A suggestion might be to broach the subject with him and see if he wants to work with you in designing his guitar. You could both work on the project - he can add some personal touches - and in the end give him a custom made family gift that would be quite special.

Hi.

Thanks for your concern.  And broaching the subject with him is something I will do before purchasing anything.  But I thought I'd do some research first, to see if this is a viable road to take--  and it is, even if my son doesn't want to go down this road (as I think I will at some point).

Researching this project is something I have to know everything about before we venture on this.  And I am grateful to this forum for people to be patient with me and thorough with their responses.  With people this passionate, it's a good sign to me about going the Warmoth road, either with my son or for myself one day.

I have a Fender Strat and a Les Paul Gibson, and he's not enamored by them as I was (there are just so many choices now; my son is partial to Schecter at the moment, and the Ibanez EGEN8).  Now, my favorite guitar is a Reverend Rocco.

All the best,

alex

 

[DangerousR6]

If you build a Warmoth, and build it right, you won't want to touch your other guitars. Except maybe to move them out of the way.... :laughing7:

 

[B3Guy]

another thing to consider is the in stock bodies and necks. they are actual individual bodies that are already made up, ready to be bought and shipped to you right away, wheras a custom order must be built from scratch, will take time, and you will not know exactly what it will look lie (although W is very famous for always having stunning finishes). Just something to consider from a time standpoint. That way your son can look at actual pictures and pick something out.

 

[PackerBhoy]

another thing to consider is the in stock bodies and necks. they are actual individual bodies that are already made up, ready to be bought and shipped to you right away, wheras a custom order must be built from scratch, will take time, and you will not know exactly what it will look lie (although W is very famous for always having stunning finishes). Just something to consider from a time standpoint. That way your son can look at actual pictures and pick something out.

Hi.

I didn't realize that, and that is something to consider, thanks for pointing that out.

My son is 16 now, and we're looking at his 18th birthday next year for him to get the guitar of his choice, so if it is to be a custom build, we have time.

All the best,

alex

 

[B3Guy]

always keep checking the in stock, even if you think you're going custom. they're always putting new guitars in the showcase, and you never know when what you want will pop up.

 

[DangerousR6]

Showcase---->http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicShowcase.aspx?Body=2&Spotlight=1&Path=Body

 

[PackerBhoy]

Showcase---->http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicShowcase.aspx?Body=2&Spotlight=1&Path=Body

Those are some pretty nice deals there!

Why would they list them at such a big discount?


alex

 

[DangerousR6]

Showcase---->http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicShowcase.aspx?Body=2&Spotlight=1&Path=Body

Those are some pretty nice deals there!

Why would they list them at such a big discount?


alex

:dontknow:, years ago it used to be called the "Thrift Shop". And I think there were a lot of factory 2nd's listed, hence the name thrift shop. But from what I've seen in the showcase, they are all top notch... :icon_thumright:

 

[nexrex]

Warmoths build quality in my opinion far exceeds that of both Fender and Gibson right now.

Not sure who told you that they have poor customer service. i come from the services industry, and they have some of the best customer support I have ever encountered. I have now built 5 warmoths, and on all occasions their reps have confirmed and double checked every detail for me. They are really just exceptional to deal with.

 

[nexrex]

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

I would suggest that you buy the bridge from them, and have them install any needed studs or inserts. This can be a very tricky job, and if you don't have press, taping them in by hand can be scary.

 

[Cagey]

Showcase---->http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicShowcase.aspx?Body=2&Spotlight=1&Path=Body

Those are some pretty nice deals there!
Why would they list them at such a big discount?
alex

I don't know this to be fact as far as Warmoth's behavior is concerned, but I know in general that when you're building something custom, it often only costs a little more to build mutiples of the same thing. With woodworking and finishing, a great deal of the work is in setup. Once you're set up to make a cut, route a cavity, drill a hole, etc. you don't have to do that work again unless you change the set up to do something else. So, make one cut or make 10 cuts, it hardly matters.

Because of that, they can build some things in batches and save a lot of setup time, then sell the uncommitted parts at a discount.

 

[PackerBhoy]

I would suggest that you buy the bridge from them, and have them install any needed studs or inserts. This can be a very tricky job, and if you don't have press, taping them in by hand can be scary.

Having them install any needed studs or inserts wouldn't be a problem to request that?

alex

 

[nexrex]

I would suggest that you buy the bridge from them, and have them install any needed studs or inserts. This can be a very tricky job, and if you don't have press, taping them in by hand can be scary.

Having them install any needed studs or inserts wouldn't be a problem to request that?

alex

$10 upcharge to installs the studs and ground wire  for tune-o-matic bridge. This is one of the only install jobs warmoth will do.

 

[richship]

Those are some pretty nice deals there!

Why would they list them at such a big discount?

The cheapest ones listed there are Poplar (not the prettiest wood, but fine for a solid color), and unfinished.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

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.

There are many unflattering things about Warmoth on the interwebs.  Some are 1st hand experience, and some ignorant, no experience, just flat out wrong responses.  Remember, there is no truth detector on the internet and on this forum it's safe to say we are Pro-Warmoth.  We may not be the most unbiased people to ask.  However, many of us are repeat customers.  Some of us also will not buy a guitar off the shelf from a retailer anymore.  That should say something right there.

What I would caution you on is to do your homework thoroughly.  Warmoth will sell you exactly what you order, and sometimes your choices may not be compatible.  Not their fault, and can explain some of the unhappiness on the web.  Warmoth parts are not kits.  Even a fully assembled instrument from Warmoth parts that makes a sound in an amplifier is not a finished instrument.  Every Warmoth neck I've ordered has had the nut a little high.  This is by intention as they do not have anyway of knowing what string gauge or action you prefer, so this can be setup to owner's choice.  Also, the fretwork, while good enough to most, may need a proper setup by a professional.

If looking to build a fnished guitar from Warmoth parts to save a few bucks, Warmoth may or may not be for you.  Their choices can go from very frugal and plain to quite extravagant.  The reason should be that you choose Warmoth to get exactly what you want and couldn't find elsewhere.  Sometimes it's less than the factory made equivalent, sometimes it's more.