Warmoth 22 fret or 24 fret Body Compatibility?

[WchoyCustomGuitars]

Hey Everyone,

I have a GREAT feeling Ibanez 24 fret neck and am interested in buying a Warmoth body to mount the Ibanez neck onto. It came off and early RG, and the Wizard neck profile on the back feels great. I know Warmoth Strat bodies are meant for 25.5 Fender scale *but* I know they offer a 24 fret neck option. Since I've never really seen a Warmoth 24 fretter up close, is it just the fretboard hanging over the body with the neck pickup routing shifted back towards the bridge? Is it a longer neck pocket routing to accommodate the additional length of a 24 fret neck? Is the Warmoth neck pocket routing the same for 22 and 24 fret necks? Will a 24 fret Ibanez RG neck fit onto a standard Warmoth body with no further modifications needed (like either routing out the neck pocket on the body or shaving off the end of the neck)? Thanks in advance - I'm having a massive head scratching session on this one.

 

[Scab Pickens]

Since I've never really seen a Warmoth 24 fretter up close, is it just the fretboard hanging over the body with the neck pickup routing shifted back towards the bridge?

I'm pretty sure it's as simple as that. You should be able to find some 24 fret necks in the showcase that demonstrate this feature.

Will it fit my Guitar Body?

warmoth.com

"Known Incompatibilities" :

• Ibanez, Jackson, or any other guitar brand that uses a native 24 fret neck.

 

[stratamania]

An Ibanez 24 fret neck will not fit. They are incompatible.

Warmoth neck pockets fit a 21 fret Fender vintage spec in terms of dimensions. 25.5" scale 22 fret and 24 fret necks use an overhang.

 

[supertruper1988]

An Ibanez 24 fret neck will not fit. They are incompatible.

Warmoth neck pockets fit a 21 fret Fender vintage spec in terms of dimensions. 25.5" scale 22 fret and 24 fret necks use an overhang.

This is not entireley true. Early pre-aanj ibanez necks have a similar overhang like Warmoth offers. I have seen pictures of such a guitar and seen where someone went the other way putting a Warmoth neck on an old RG body.

This is a pic of a 1990 ibanez rg 550 neck to demonstrate my point.

https://imgur.com/UHsAEeA

So if the OP has one of the necks of this style, can confirm that the heel is about 468mm from the nut then it will likely work on a Warmoth body with the 24 fret neck pickup reposition option.

 

[stratamania]

This is not entireley true. Early pre-aanj ibanez necks have a similar overhang like Warmoth offers. I have seen pictures of such a guitar and seen where someone went the other way putting a Warmoth neck on an old RG body.

This is a pic of a 1990 ibanez rg 550 neck to demonstrate my point.

https://imgur.com/UHsAEeA

So if the OP has one of the necks of this style, can confirm that the heel is about 468mm from the nut then it will likely work on a Warmoth body with the 24 fret neck pickup reposition option.

From what I can see of the pic of the RG550 neck you posted it seems to have a squared off neck heel that terminates at near the line of the 22nd fret, so might not fit without some modification as well.

Of course, it would help if @WchoyCustomGuitars provided pictures of the neck he has and dimensions.

 

[WchoyCustomGuitars]

Lots of good info - the Ibanez neck I have doesn't have a crazy long overhang. I looks more similar to what you'd expect a Fender strat neck to have just past the 24th fret. I'm pretty sure the intonation would not work using a standard 25.5 inch scale Warmoth body. Knowing that the Warmoth 24 fret necks are just a longer fretboard extension that hangs over the body at the neck pocket brings up another issue - besides E.T., who has fingers long enough to stretch over a strat body block heel and lower horn to hit that 24th fret?

 

[J-Bones]

I successfully used one of our 24-fret Warhead necks on--what I believe--was a late '80s RG560 body. Its original neck had the long fretboard overhang, but the neck pocket seemed to be 2-1/4" wide, so there was a tiny gap on either side of the neck. Despite that, it worked perfectly fine, was plenty stable, and sounded good. Disclaimer: I can make no guarantees about any other possible Ibanez/Warmoth combination; maybe I just got lucky. If only there was a very, very stupid music video where such a thing could be seen in action.

 

[WchoyCustomGuitars]

I successfully used one of our 24-fret Warhead necks on--what I believe--was a late '80s RG560 body. Its original neck had the long fretboard overhang, but the neck pocket seemed to be 2-1/4", so there was a tiny gap on either side of the neck. Despite that, it worked perfectly fine, was plenty stable, and sounded good. Disclaimer: I can make no guarantees about any other possible Ibanez/Warmoth combination; maybe I just got lucky. If only there was a very, very stupid music video where such a thing could be seen in action.

Good to know that a Warmoth neck works on an Ibanez body - but I'm wary that the reverse situation would work without massive intonation issues. The more I look into it, the more I discover that it wouldn't work. Oh well - I guess I'll keep looking for a solution to be able to use that great feeling Wizard neck. Maybe just buy a junk $75 Gio on craigslist just for the 24 fret body?

 

[WchoyCustomGuitars]

After finding a detailed photo of a 24 fret Warmoth neck online... Yeah - it's not gonna work. Holy Moley.

 

[stratamania]

After finding a detailed photo of a 24 fret Warmoth neck online... Yeah - it's not gonna work. Holy Moley.

Agreed, it won't work.

 

[supertruper1988]

From what I can see of the pic of the RG550 neck you posted it seems to have a squared off neck heel that terminates at near the line of the 22nd fret, so might not fit without some modification as well.

Of course, it would help if @WchoyCustomGuitars provided pictures of the neck he has and dimensions.

[MOD EDIT]

I am merely making a point that OLD RG necks (and bodies) are compatible with Warmoth necks (and bodies) to some extent. Old meaning pre AANJ as I stated. I then go on to say the the picture demonstrates what I am talking about. It seems that the OP doesnt have that style of neck but your extrapolation of it being "not the same" is off base. I literally state that it does work and I have seen it with my own eyes but ONLY for that style of neck.

 

[J-Bones]

To clarify further: the RG560 body I used had a neck pocket area pretty much identical to the one in the picture I've attached. You can see the extra space between the neck pocket and the neck pickup, which is very similar to what you get when you select the 24-fret Reposition option on a Warmoth body (except we don't recess that area slightly like the Ibanez). This is why I figured my 24-fret Warhead would work. My other Ibanez guitars are made different in the neck joint area and do not have any of those features (despite still being 24-fret), so, I could not swap, for example, my 2019 RG470 neck or body for any Warmoth parts nor for the old RG560.

 

[aarontunes]

https://imgur.com/UHsAEeA

That 24 Fret extension certainly is unusually similar to what Warmoth offers, but with one subtle but important difference: the overhang also includes a portion of the neck shaft wood. Warmoth's overhang is the fretboard only.

Which explains the recessed area between the heel and neck pickup in @J-Bones's post:

I think this is why @J-Bones was able to successfully make a Warmoth neck work on the Ibby body, but the reverse is probably not as easy. If you tried it the other way around you might be in for disappointment when you tightened those neck bolts down.

 

[aarontunes]

Good to know that a Warmoth neck works on an Ibanez body.....

I know you know this. I know everybody taking part in this discussion knows this. I just want to make it super clear for any visitors who might be led here by Google search results at some later time: Warmoth necks DO NOT work on Ibanez bodies. Warmoth bodies DO NOT work with Ibanez necks.

Can they be made to? Yes, if you're an experienced luthier with the knowledge and tools to do such a thing. Might you get lucky with certain arcane models.? Yes.

But in 99% of cases, for 99% of people, Ibanez and Warmoth parts are not interchangeable. And yes, I know that 74% of all stats are just made up on the spot. I stand by my numbers.

 

[J-Bones]

I think this is why @J-Bones was able to successfully make a Warmoth neck work on the Ibby body, but the reverse is probably not as easy. If you tried it the other way around you might be in for disappointment when you tightened those neck bolts down.

The amount a space under the 24-fret extension of the Warhead neck was hilarious. The internet would have you believe that guitar had zero tone.

 

[Spud]

I know you know this. I know everybody taking part in this discussion knows this. I just want to make it super clear for any visitors who might be led here by Google search results at some later time: Warmoth necks DO NOT work on Ibanez bodies. Warmoth bodies DO NOT work with Ibanez necks.

Can they be made to? Yes, if you're an experienced luthier with the knowledge and tools to do such a thing. Might you get lucky with certain arcane models.? Yes.

But in 99% of cases, for 99% of people, Ibanez and Warmoth parts are not interchangeable. And yes, I know that 74% of all stats are just made up on the spot. I stand by my numbers.

You tell em AA!

 

[aarontunes]

The amount a space under the 24-fret extension of the Warhead neck was hilarious. The internet would have you believe that guitar had zero tone.

If those horrendous gaps on either side of the neck pocket weren't enough to make the internet clutch its pearls, then this certainly was. LOL.

 

[aarontunes]

You tell em AA!

 

[Hodgo]

The amount a space under the 24-fret extension of the Warhead neck was hilarious. The internet would have you believe that guitar had zero tone.

Hahaha, true! I’ve spent so much time on internet guitar forums that the word “tone” has become meaningless. I remember chasing it at some point in my life, but now I can’t even define it.