Playability

[RamMac]

I would like to hear any comparisions or general opinions as to the playability of the Warmoth guitars.  I am really thinking of building one, but if I am going to shell out a lot of cash, I don't want to end up with a sweet looking guitar that plays like garbage.  I know there are a lot of factors that contribute to the feel of a guitar, but I am just nervous.  I have some good ideas in mind, and am excited about trying one.

Thanks

 

[willyk]

Welcome to the board.. :hello2:

You've got nothing to worry about.  Just read a few posts. If it plays like garbage it won't be Warmoths fault. :laughing8:

 

[Mor Paul]

Make sure you like the neck contour and body shape, and it should be great!

 

[MicahC]

As long as you get the neck contour right and have the right(right=iceman :icon_thumright body, then you can do no wrong. But, this is the Warmoth forum. You'd be better off looking at other guitar forums for opinions. They won't be any different though  :laughing7:

 

[line6man]

the playability of a guitar has alot to do with your personal preferences.
do you like thin necks or thick ones. do you like short fretwire or tall fretwire,  etc..

as long as you get your specs right, you shouldnt have any issues with the playability.
warmoth is top notch stuff in every aspect.

 

[tfarny]

If this were a forum for dogs to talk about different bones and how good they are, your question would be like "hey, are bones actually all that good?"  :icon_jokercolor:

Overall W stuff is extremely high quality. BUT don't expect that it will play great right after bolting on the neck. It takes some care and time to set up any guitar, which is one big reason that W guitars are cheaper than Custom Shop Fenders (they are of comparable quality, it seems to me). Playability comes from taking quality parts and doing the little things to make them play just right.

I recently bought a used Warmoth LP from somebody, very cheap - it was a beautiful body, great parts, but the guy had clearly never really set it up at all, and so he never played it - the frets were brand new (no wear) but tarnished when I bought it. Neck had too much relief, TOM was too low, nut was too high, etc. He must have thought "warmoths are crap, and I spent all this money."

 

[stratplayer1]

This is my new toy, just recently got it.

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=4461.0

looks amazing, warmoth has very high quality stuff, and they play fabulously right out of the box with amateur set up.
total cost was about 1100 and it is definitely plays better than 1400 dollar sgs, and strats, if I had to price this guitar for sale in a store id say itd cost me.. 1700-1800
I'm a new and huge fan of warmoth now.

 

[jmohil]

Warmoth parts are great, and I'm a huge fan of their stuff.  After completing my 1st Warmoth build, I'm onto my second and expect that any electrics that I add to the collection in the foreseeable future will be assembled from Warmoth parts vs. buying a completed guitar off the shelf or from a custom shop.

However, as others have alluded to...simply bolting the parts together is probably NOT going to give you great playing guitar.  You may end up with a great feeling neck, etc., but to get a guitar that really plays like butta, you'll need to either to a high-quality set-up of the action & intonation yourself or have an experienced tech do it.  From there, as long as you've planned your build and components intelligently, you should end up with a guitar that you are absolutely thrilled with.

 

[jmasin]

I agree with the others, no worries.  But this seems a strange question to me.

I see playability as the function of setup, assuming there is nothing majorly wrong with any of the components, which in the case of Warmoth I do not believe you have anything to worry about.  Quality components, your mileage depends on the setup.

Cheers.

 

[thumb55]

I started out thinking of things on different guitars I either owned or had owned that I liked or disliked and made my choices from there. (i.e. neck shape, scale, fret size,nut size, wood choices)  The playability issue was never really and issue, it  just sorta fell into place.

 

[kreig]

i own 3 warmoth's. you can always adjust the action to your preference.high medium,low.have a tech work on it.be sure to worry about the balance of the guitar,i.e.headstock heavy,(you can counter that with ordering a heavier body).request  a body for "tone"-you can do that. also, a light weight guitar is ideal. warmoth is as good as it gets so it's not a concern,they're licenced by fender! that should speak volumes. arty07:

 

[JamesL]

I think another big factor is your nut width...
I made the mistake of getting an 11/16, I hate it. But everything else about the neck I love.

 

[mayfly]

I've owned and played all kinds of guitars from 50's gibsons to late 90's rickenbackers.  My two warmoth telecasters are among the best of these in all aspects, including playability. They are now my main giging guitars.

HOWEVER! - I spent a bit of time and money setting them up, including a nice set of nut files, a neck relief gauge, an action gauge, a machinist's square and a good set of feeler gauges.  I had to re-cut the nut slots, adjust the neck relief, adjust the action, and the intonation.  In other words, I did a basic setup with pro tools.

If you don't do this with your new guitar, it won't play well, no matter who made it.

 

[DocNrock]

I've owned and played all kinds of guitars from 50's gibsons to late 90's rickenbackers.  My two warmoth telecasters are among the best of these in all aspects, including playability. They are now my main giging guitars.

HOWEVER! - I spent a bit of time and money setting them up, including a nice set of nut files, a neck relief gauge, an action gauge, a machinist's square and a good set of feeler gauges.  I had to re-cut the nut slots, adjust the neck relief, adjust the action, and the intonation.  In other words, I did a basic setup with pro tools.

If you don't do this with your new guitar, it won't play well, no matter who made it.

Word.

I don't do my own setups.  I take them to a reputable shop in town and have been very pleased with the results.  My Warmoths, now 4 complete, play exceptionally well.  For comparison, I also have a Jackson USA SL2H and an Ibanez JS1000.  My Warmoths are definitely on par with those two guitars.

 

[jmasin]

I've owned and played all kinds of guitars from 50's gibsons to late 90's rickenbackers.  My two warmoth telecasters are among the best of these in all aspects, including playability. They are now my main giging guitars.

HOWEVER! - I spent a bit of time and money setting them up, including a nice set of nut files, a neck relief gauge, an action gauge, a machinist's square and a good set of feeler gauges.  I had to re-cut the nut slots, adjust the neck relief, adjust the action, and the intonation.  In other words, I did a basic setup with pro tools.

If you don't do this with your new guitar, it won't play well, no matter who made it.

Good job man!  I love doing my own setups.  Nothing like knowing it well and being able to tweak when you feel you want a different feel.

 

[stubhead]

I had to re-cut the nut slots, adjust the neck relief, adjust the action, and the intonation.  In other words, I did a basic setup with pro tools.

If you don't do this with your new guitar, it won't play well, no matter who made it. :hello2:

I've had to round the fret ends on every Warmoth guitar neck I've bought - I don't consider it a finished setup until the frets are right. They're level enough, but the ends are too sharp to play on seriously, if you're sweating on a gig for hours you'll get cut... Without fret-working experience, you'll have to take it to somebody and pay $60 - $100 to get it really finished. Pre-cut nuts are never finished either, it's as easy to make one from a blank as fix a "finished" one. Again, you need the tools - put it in your budget to pay someone, or buy the tools and learn. I think some guitar companies, Musician's Friend etc. do people a sneaky, despicable* disservice by not telling them which guitars need some serious attention - the signature Fenders like the Malmsteen and Beck come from the factory with totally unfinished frets, and people blame Fender... :icon_scratch: It's part of your job, I figure - Warmoth states this clearly.

Dan Erlewine had a book called "The Guitar Player Repair Guide" that should be the first thing you buy, not the last - it'll save you thousands of dollars over the years. And playing an unfinished guitar is uncomfortable, you'll play less and dislike it more.

*(love that word...)