Please help a Warmoth "newbie" out - Should I build???

[record83]

Hey everyone. I'll try to make this short: I am a 24 year old college student. I'm broke, in debt, blah blah blah....and incidentally own a dream list of guitars. I've been buying and selling guitars since I was a teen and have a pretty cool collection of hand picked axes, like 15 or so. I have come to realize that I am crazy and I am a Guitar-a-holic and need to stop purchasing them. I have been wanting to build a Warmoth for a few years now and have been thinking about it all the time for like the last month. I visit the site like 3 times a day.

So, from you experienced builders: Can I let go of my precious babies (ie: the Strats, LPs, Ricky's, Tele's, PRS's, etc...) and build myself one, MAYBE two very nice Warmoths and be satisfied and even willing to let go of the name brand stuff? I am afraid that wanting to build a Warmoth is just another acute case of my guitaraholism, but maybe it will get me to stop buying manufactured ones.

Please help!!! Either talk me out of it or justify that I should go ahead and order my parts
Thanks,
~Nick

PS: My "plan": Hollow strat, mahogany/quilt maple top, brown dye w/ f hole. FAT maple neck with rosewood fretboard and binding. Angled strat headstock, w/matching brown dye.

 

[Bill in SC]

I say ABSOLUTELY go for it. Building your own guitar gives you so many options to create the "just right" instrument for yourself. There is so much gratification playing your own compilation of parts. Warmoth quality is unsurpassed, and you will be thrilled with their bodies an necks. The only drawback is that you will like them so well, you won't want to stop with one or two builds.. At least if you have 15 or so guitars, you do have some equity to sell off to finance your project.
Bill in SC

 

[neilium]

You'll never know until you try. PRS's will always be there. Right now, you're young and broke. One day, hopefully, that will all change. If you regret selling the PRS, rest assured that one day you'll be able to buy another.

My experience has been that young and broke people are awesome at building things. All that youthful energy and enthusiasm. Sigh, were we ever so young?

 

[llama]

I say go for it. I have built four guitars now. The quality of Warmoth products is great. Living in the UK I find the Warmoth stuff expensive because of shipping and customs tax but nobody over here can make necks and bodies as good as Warmoth. My latest Warmoth tele is as good as my US Fender for half the cost.

 

[guitlouie]

Wow, asking the people here if you should build a Warmoth is like asking a guy on fire if he would like a glass of water.  I think almost everyone here is going to say YES, unless they are just being contrary.  I don't think you would regret it.  I know that I am not going to buy an off the shelf guitar again, at least not until I build a few dozen more Warmoths!

 

[m4rk0]

I think that is a really bad idea..
I would recommend for you to go to your favorite Guitar Center and buy a couple of Korea or China made guitars off the rack..

 

[willyk]

OMG!  Marko that's naughty :evil4:

Record; you've been thinking about it for years, you visit the site three times a day, you've even got your wood and finishes picked out and now you've joined the board?
C'mon man you're hooked! Just jump in, the water's fine :hello2: :hello2: :hello2:

 

[tfarny]

Do it, man. You can sell a USA strat or tele on craig's list and totally fund a lower-end warmoth. Two of em and you've got your absolute dream guitar. On the other hand, it's not like the people here have exactly cured their GAS with W parts!!!
The  flexibility to make stuff that's just what you wanted may make you less inclined to own 15 guitars. I'm building a walnut-body thinline telecaster with an all-rosewood neck with block inlays, a p90 neck pickup, and a piezo saddle system for just about $1000. This would be, what, $6000 from Fender custom shop?

 

[Alfang]

HEY, I agree, build away, and dont worry about your guitar addiction, it will only get worse the older you get, so embrace and enjoy your sickness.

You may never buy off the shelf again, so be forewarned, don't sell your fine collection to finance a Warmoth build. Even though you can build a fine warmoth axe, the guitars you have now will or may be collectors someday

 

[stubhead]

One gremlin in the dream machine - if you've been telling yourself that you're not a seriously great guitarist, yet, because you just haven't got the perfect guitar for you, yet, then you build the perfect guitar for you - you may find out that you're not a seriously great guitarist, for other reasons entirely.  :icon_tongue:  Practice, talent, all that cheesy crap....

 

[Kostas]

You should definitely build a Warmoth guitar. But don't sell valuable guitars, guitars you like. You can't make a ricky from parts, not a set neck from parts. Decide what sounds you need and find guitars to cover these sounds. Search the warmoth site very good and decide what you need, especially when it comes to neck specifications. If you make a custom guitar make it sound, feel and play great.

 

[tfarny]

Oh btw your 'plan' sounds really cool. Please post pics when you're done (cause you know you're gonna do it). I haven't seen any strats with f holes, and nobody gets binding or angled headstocks, so props for originality.

 

[Stuck in the Sixties]

DO NOT SELL YOUR COLLECTION  REPEAT  DO NO SELL YOUR COLLECTION.  I'll be 58 in a few days and believe me I've had more women that guitars but I do regret not keeping all of the guitars and basses that I owned over the years. Someone so young with so many toys can find a way to put together a Warmoth or 20. I'll say it since no one else has you can never own enough guitars or basses and you will never ever be able to get all of the sounds you want out of 1 geetar it takes many. So good luck on your decision.  :rock-on:

 

[Shmoopie]

kinda reminds me of that saying, "It takes a village to raise an idiot"  :laughing7:

don't sell, unless you utterly despise it.

 

[rahimiiii]

I am young and broke too and I build Warmoth guitars cause even the "best" off the shelf guitar can't satisfy me (being an American Deluxe Strat). The only perk you get with pre made guitar is accessories but they aren't all that expensive. I might go with a hollow tele or les paul next year, depending on my finances...