question about the compound neck

[Skyforger]

So I am ordering my first warmoth neck and I have no idea what a compound radius would even feel like.
Just curious if anyone else has just jumped right into a compound radius and found any issues.
Also the neck I am ordering will be scalloped so any insight into that would be great

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I honestly didn't it notice that much.  I went from a 12 inch and a 9.5 inch straight radius to the compound.  I am not much of a high fret lead guy, so that may explain it.  What I did notice a whole bunch is that stainless frets don't wear nearly like the nickle brass ones.  I also tend to strangle the neck, so the playing on ice things doesn't apply much to me with the stainless, but they do not wear very fast at all.  You'll have to ask some others about the scalloping, it doesn't suit my grip it like yer hangin on for dear life style of playing, so I never really bothered looking into the scalloping.
Patrick

 

[Cagey]

The advantage of a compound radius neck is that it eliminates issues without creating any. You can maintain a more even overall string height, which can also be lower, and you'll be able to bend notes and apply vibrato without deadening or fretting out. It'll feel very natural to you, which is probably why Patrick didn't notice a great deal of difference.

Stainless frets are a must, although the gold ones feel and wear as well if that'll complement your hardware. Also, Warmoth will only put 6100-sized frets on a scalloped neck, and if you haven't played on frets that large before, you might want to consider passing on the scalloping. They're huge. All you feel is string when you're playing, and you've got tons of control.

 

[DavyDave53]

I after about 15 minutes of playing neck felt really nice.  Before the compound I had been playing a straight 12 radius neck.  Make sure that you set the radius of the bridge between 18 and 19 inches.

As for the frets, there was tiny tone difference and I mean tiny.  So tiny that I thought I could be imagining it.  The biggest difference was how smooth and easy the strings bent.

 

[Skyforger]

I am already playing on 6100 frets so i shouldnt hav any issues in terms of fret size
thanks for all the advice guys.  I feel a bit better knowing more about the compound setup

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I definitely feel wood under my fingers when I play on 6100s, and I have a light touch.

You likely won't notice the compound radius, except when you do experiments to try to. For instance quickly switching from the second to the 18th fret and back again and trying hard to feel it.

16 is a little flat for me, I'm looking at trying a 9.5"-14" compound radius some time soon.

 

[DustyCat]

Not everything is worth a shot, but who else offers compound radius?
Dont like it? send it back.

 

[Cagey]

Not everything is worth a shot, but who else offers compound radius?

A lot of people do these days. Not sure how many actually make them. StewMac and LMII sell them, for instance, but I suspect they're Mighty Mite necks or something like that. USACG makes/sells them. But, nobody makes them in the variety Warmoth does, or with the range of woods or other options.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

If you (the OP) have been playing a larger, flatter radius, I doubt you will even notice.  If you are used to playing a smaller, rounder radius (9.5), it will be a night and day difference.  From a strictly fretwork aspect, a straight radius can be serviced with a radiused block, but the conical compound, not as easy.  With my relatively small sample size of 6 Warmoth necks, 1/2 eventually needed some sort of fret level.  Why not make easier to work on when any playability advantage is oh so slight?

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Not everything is worth a shot, but who else offers compound radius?

A lot of people do these days. Not sure how many actually make them. StewMac and LMII sell them, for instance, but I suspect they're Mighty Mite necks or something like that. USACG makes/sells them. But, nobody makes them in the variety Warmoth does, or with the range of woods or other options.

Variety? They do 10-16, or you can pay more for straight. No option for any other compound radius, whereas with USACG you can just give them two numbers and they'll do it. Warmoth are also almost unique in that they won't do rolled fingerboard edges (most places do light and heavy) or varying levels of vintage tint in the finish. The one big thing W have over everywhere else is the number of woods. The other places only have 4 or 5 woods.

 

[Cagey]

By variety, I was speaking more of styles. There are a number of different headstocks they offer that others don't.

I'm not sure why they don't offer other compound radius options. Could be there just isn't enough call for it to formalize it. Be worth a call to find out if they'll do others, to satisfy the 4 people a year who might want some unusual progression. There are things they do that aren't listed as options in the builder(s). Had it happen the other day where I needed an unfretted neck but didn't want to do the finish myself. The builder tilts on that, but if you call they'll do it.

I also don't know why they don't do edge rolling. I suspect it's the same as above - not much call for it. It may also fit into their philosophy of not doing the final setup as it's too personal. The risk of customer rejection over something subjective goes way up.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Wyliee addressed the edge rolling a few years ago.  Mainly it was a preference and a slippery slope of too much, not enough, and so on.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

That'd be fine if it wasn't for the fact that other places do it. And it's stock on USA Fenders..

In the end I guess it does come down to volume though. Warmoth these days isn't really a true "custom" shop - they offer a configurable standard product, much like when you order a brand new car you might want a sunroof and you might not. What they do, though, they are incredible at. I reckon that of all the bodies they produce every day there are probably at least 10 that I'd give my right arm for. Every single day. Their finishing and wood selection is crazy awesome.

I just feel like for necks, which are so personal, they're not so hot on customisation. 10-16 isn't really any more "usual" than 7.25-12, or 9.5-14, or whatever. It's just the one they've got their CNC defaulted to. I mean, it's crazy that it costs extra for a straight 12, but I suppose it shows that they're churning out hundreds of necks at 10-16, and so they charge you for going in there and altering it. A lower-volume place is probably setting everything up for every neck, which is why all radii cost the same unless you go for a custom compound. I love being able to decide what I want the radius at the 3rd fret to be, what I want it at 15, do the math, and then order that exact compound radius.

 

[DavyDave53]

I'd like know what percentage of Warmoth's sales are custom as opposed to the non-custom off-the-shelf items.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I definitely notice the difference. I have no problem with it, but after playing a 12" straight radius for years and being used to it, I plan my next build to be one of those. It's the flatness of the 16" radius that I notice when playing past the 12th fret, and I don't see any real advantage to it other than radical string bends which I never do. I've never had a problem with notes fretting out on  straight 12" radius. It seems ridiculous to me that Warmoth charges more for a straight radius.

This is of course just a matter of preference, and it's a "feel" thing. Players who like the flat 17" radius that the Ibanez JEM necks have, would probably love the compound radius. I just like a little curvature, but the classic Fender 7.25" is much too round for me. I'd like to try a 10"-12" compound radius.

 

[Stratmatt777]

Not everything is worth a shot, but who else offers compound radius?
Dont like it? send it back.

USA Custom Guitars does. I've got a 9 1/2 to 12" compound radius.
It is one of their standard compound radiuses that they don't do the non-standard compound radius upcharge for (It would have been $35 extra for a custom 9 1/2" to 14" compound radius). So I tried the 9 1/2 to 12 and am really happy I don't have a flatter radius up on the high frets because it feel weird to me (especially playing a bar chord up high).

I'm not posting to say that USACG is better or worse. I'm just answering your question. I just registered here because I'm going to buy a soloist body.

 

[Stratmatt777]

I definitely notice the difference. I have no problem with it, but after playing a 12" straight radius for years and being used to it, I plan my next build to be one of those. It's the flatness of the 16" radius that I notice when playing past the 12th fret, and I don't see any real advantage to it other than radical string bends which I never do. I've never had a problem with notes fretting out on  straight 12" radius. It seems ridiculous to me that Warmoth charges more for a straight radius.

This is of course just a matter of preference, and it's a "feel" thing. Players who like the flat 17" radius that the Ibanez JEM necks have, would probably love the compound radius. I just like a little curvature, but the classic Fender 7.25" is much too round for me. I'd like to try a 10"-12" compound radius.

I agree. I've got a USA Custom Guitars neck with a 9.5 to 12" compound radius and I really like it.
USACG does not charge extra for straight radii, but their necks have normal Fender-style truss rods.

I just registered here after a google search led me to a post of yours from 3 years ago where you said you wished you had gotten a strat body instead of the soloist body. Why do you regret the soloist?  I was thinking of buying one for better upper fret access....

Thanks!

 

[Strat Avenger]

I don't "regret" the Soloist at all. It's a great-looking body shape. I've just been in a more traditional style mood lately, and the Strat is what started it all for me when I was a kid.

 

[Steve_Karl]

You can maintain a more even overall string height, which can also be lower, and you'll be able to bend notes and apply vibrato without deadening or fretting out. It'll feel very natural to you

I disagree with all of the above but only based on my "personal and subjective" needs.

Although the 12-16 compound is ok ... tolerable ... to me ... ( I have 2 of them )
I'll not ever be getting an other.
My last purchased Warmoth neck is a straight 10" and is much more consistent across the whole range of the neck.
No bending on the straight 10" ... it's strung with nylon ... but it's the most consistent feeling and playing Warmoth neck I own out of the 3 ... the other 2 are compound 12/16, and all have the same fret size.

I've had many Les Pauls in the past and still have 1 G&L with straight radius that have a more consistent string height and feel across the whole range of the neck than my two 12/16s.
The compound radius makes consistent string height impossible and a consistent feel across the full range of the neck also impossible in my opinion.

I've never had an issue with noting out with straight 12" radius necks and that includes bending notes up to a major 3rd or even a 4th at some times.

BUT ...
I don't like extremely low action and always set up my guitars for a somewhat high action.
For me higher action always translates into more sound ... more string excursion ... more dynamic range ... and above all ... much easier to play and faster playing.
When my action is too low it always slows me down and make for more physical effort.

I'm not saying anyone else is wrong in liking the compound 12/16 or in liking a low action.
I've just found that I have different preferences.

 

[Cagey]

I don't care for extremely low action, either. You lose sustain, clarity and tone. It is as you say - there has to be room for the strings to vibrate through their whole excursion without touching anything. I've played and set up guitars set up for "thrashing", and they sound awful unless you're feeding through 3 distortion boxes and a compressor into a monster stack with everything set on 11. It still sounds awful, but at least it's with malice aforethought. You could get endless sustain out of a broomstick with that setup. But, not everybody plays for Dethklok.

I've found that if you can get the neck very consistent, you can have all the Good Stuff with lower action, and that translates into greater ease of playing and more consistent intonation. You still need some air between the strings and the frets, and I almost never set up necks to play as close as I set the necks up to be capable of, but there's no reason to work any harder than you have to when playing. The more you have to lift your fingers to change notes, the harder you have to work. And I use the word "harder" without regard to units of measurement. I simply mean that your fingers have to go through more range of motion to move from note to note, which translates into extended time to execution and greater opportunity for misfires.