Warmoth overestimated?

[chriswest]

Last year I received my first Warmoth guitar, a VIP body with a Warmoth Pro neck.
Just a few months later the neck is twisted. Now it's not playable. Bass strings rattle from 1st fret and up to around 7th.
And no, I did not use any varnish as finish, just a hard oil (several layers of course). But I still can't believe it got twisted like this. To me this finish should be enough, it's hard and protects the wood from moisture. Haven't got any problems  with other guitars.
What do you think I should do with the neck? Talk with Warmoth, try to fix it or just sell/throw it?

I have some other questions/complaints about Warmoth too, and I guess most of you are big fans of Warmoth so you might have good answers.
1) Why don't Warmoth hide the fret wire in the wood, so it looks like this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Frets,_guitar_neck,_C-major_chord.jpg
I think it looks cheaper when you see the fret wire from above.

2) Why is the neck shortened compared to the fretboard? The fretboard on a 22 fret-neck looks extended.

3) The control cavity is unnecessarily big in the VIP body. It gives the body more resonance, which not sounds good to me if you want a solid sound. Is it the same for other Warmoth bodies?

4) I don't like that the Warmoth Pro neck (at least the Standard thin) has a "hump" at the back of the neck between the head and 1st fret. Why not have it even and smooth like other necks? And is this something particular with the Warmoth Pro neck or do they shape them all the same there?

5) I'm thinking about buying a new Warmoth neck but then I have to buy one with a finish (as I want warranty), how is the nitro?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

wat

 

[chriswest]

wat

Sorry, my English is probably not perfect since it's not my native language. Was there something you did not understand, or were you just shocked? I can try to explain it better.

 

[JazzX]

I think that you just had a bad experience with the neck, cause I only have one neck so far, but it was top quality, and many other people have had good experiences with them too.

Ps I got a clear gloss finish which was great


And the neck is "shortened" because It needs to fit properly in the neck pocket.

 

[NQbass7]

wat

My thoughts exactly.

As far as the neck: you can try talking to Warmoth, but if you didn't meet warranty requirements I'm pretty sure they're not going to do anything.

For the rest of your questions:

1) Can't say it's ever bothered me, but you can get binding to cover it up if it does. I can't speak for why they don't on unbound necks.

2) Get a 21-fret neck. The neck is the length/size it is because it's a Fender replacement neck, so it meets those specs. They just also give you an extra fret.

3) I doubt there's that much of a difference in "resonance" from the cavity. And as a guy who likes to pack a ton of electronics into his guitars, I've run into the "too small" problem enough times that I like the size of their cavities  :dontknow:

4) I can't speak to, but I'm sure someone who knows more about scarf joints and tiltback heads might be able to.

5) Get a raw neck! Don't get a finished one. Pick a wood that doesn't require a finish, then you won't have to worry about finish problems at all.

 

[bagman67]

The reason for a hard-finish requirement is to protect the purchaser from wood's tendency to wander as you've described.  For maple,mahogany, walnut, and koa (some others, too, but I'm working from memory here) aren't sufficiently stable that Warmoth will stand behind them unless you meet them halfway by protecting them.  THat requirement is entirely reasonable and a rational response to the certainty that some necks will warp without finish.  Warmoth offers exotic hardwood necks that do not require a hard finish. I encourage you to experiment with them. 





You can get a neck with the fret ends hidden by binding if you want to drop the coin for it.  I reckon that's what's going on with the photo you posted, with wooden (as opposed to higher-contrast plastic) binding.


The neck is not shortened; the fretboard is lengthened compared to standard Fender length so that a few extra frets can be installed.


The VIP control cavity is probably the way it is because the PRS-style angled cavity is too close to the actual PRS the VIP otherwise resembles for Warmoth's lawyers.  They used to make an angled cavity and had to change.


The Fender-style necks are manufactured (unlike many actual Fender necks) to rigorously-defined and rigorously-policed specs.  The non-Fender tilt-back necks sometimes have a volute (the little protrusion of wood at the base of the headstock) to give additional strength to an otherwise inherently vulnerable part of the guitar.  Some folks think they look cool and are comfortable, too.


The hump you refer to on the Standard Thin (and no doubt other profiles as well) is due to the following:  The necks are cut from a standard-thickness blank.  To get a thinner neck, you shave more wood off the backside.  If you don't want a hump, get a thicker neck.  If the transition is not to your taste, sand it down.


Welcome aboard.  I hope your tone shifts away from plaintive as you get to know us.  Leading with complaints might get you flamed elsewhere.

 

[line6man]

Wow. Seriously!?  :dontknow:

Just a few months later the neck is twisted. Now it's not playable. And no, I did not use any varnish as finish, just a hard oil (several layers of course).

There is a reason Warmoth requires a hard finish (No oils.) for their warranty to apply. (Assuming Maple or Mahogany.) If you don't want to do the finish, you take the risk of warping. This is your problem, not Warmoth's.

2) Why is the neck shortened compared to the fretboard? The fretboard on a 22 fret-neck looks extended, the last fret is "in the air".

It isn't. Standard Fender necks have 21 frets, Warmoth offers a 22 fret extention. If you don't want the extension, you don't have to order it.

3) The space for the electronics/cables (hope you know what I mean) is unnecessarily big in the VIP body. It gives the body more resonance, which not sounds good to me if you want a solid sound. Is it the same for other Warmoth bodies?

Everyone has a different preference on wiring. Warmoth knows their designs must be accomodating. It is HIGHLY doubtful that the additional wood removed is significant to affect the resonance.

4) I don't like that the Warmoth Pro neck (at least the Standard thin) has a "hunch"/elevation at the back of the neck between the head and 1st fret. Why not have it even and smooth like other necks? And is this something particular with the Warmoth Pro neck or do they shape them all the same there?

Do a search on the purpose and popularity of neck volutes.

 

[chriswest]

Thanks for many great answers. You're fast too!

Sorry for sounding negative.

Question #1 is something I don't care about if the neck is awesome, it's just something I've always wondered because necks from other brands don't look like that. So forget that.

You gave me a good answer to #2. I still wonder though if they don't offer a (non Fender) pocket that is built for a 22 fret-neck, but I guess not. Doesn't matter so much, but it would've been nice to have more contact between neck and body if you go with a 22 or 24 fret.

Next time I buy a Warmoth body it will be without control cavity so I will make it by myself. Then I won't complain about #3, haha.

For #4 - it sounds like this hump will be less if I go with a thicker neck, which I actually will next time, so that sounds good. And yes, I can sand it down to my taste.

A raw neck in a wood that doesn't need a finish would be an alternative but now I don't want to experiment with new wood materials (because I don't know how they sound). I prefer maple for necks, that's what I'm used to.

Thanks again guys!
I'm pretty sure I will be much more positive when I get a new Warmoth guitar later this year (that I actually can play on and that are more for my taste).

 

[JazzX]

59 round back is a great neck contour.  :guitaristgif:

 

[chriswest]

59 round back is a great neck contour.  :guitaristgif:

That's the one I'm thinking about!
Is it very much like the Gibson LP 59 neck?

 

[line6man]

You gave me a good answer to #2. I still wonder though if they don't offer a (non Fender) pocket that is built for a 22 fret-neck, but I guess not. Doesn't matter so much, but it would've been nice to have more contact between neck and body if you go with a 22 or 24 fret.

Such a thing would never sell. Warmoth is successful because most of their offerings are compatible with the standard Fender pocket. Also, what reason would they have to do make such a neck design?

A raw neck in a wood that doesn't need a finish would be an alternative but now I don't want to experiment with new wood materials (because I don't know how they sound). I prefer maple for necks, that's what I'm used to.

Once you go raw, there is no going back. If you want Maple tonality, consider Canary or Padauk.

 

[Cagey]

I agree.

Afra is pretty close to Maple, too. Looks very much like Canary. So much so, you could fool just about anybody. It appears to be just a tad denser, but it's not much heavier, if at all.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

If there is a manufacturer flaw, Warmoth will take care of you.  I had an issue with what I thought was a paint defect (paint cracking) and posted my displeasure more than a few times on this site about how I felt about their paint jobs.  I guess my complaints resonated because not soon afterwards I got an Email from Rob at Warmoth asking me to contact him.

I contacted Rob and discussed my issues with him and how the situation was handled when I contacted them regarding the issue.  It was not handled well and I was NOT a happy Warmoth customer.  He apologized for the way my complaint was handled; basically I was just blown off about it and every time I tried to explain the issue, I was interrupted with, "We don't cover that."  To put it lightly, I was pissed. 

Two years of ownership had passed since I had purchased the body from Warmoth, and I wasn't shy about telling everyone about this "crappy" paint job.  Upon my conversation with Rob regarding these issues, he asked me if I minded sending the body out to him so he could inspect it.  I reluctantly agreed, as I'd paid someone a lot of money to set it up and assemble it, but I wanted the issue taken care of.

...It turned out the wood was cracked, and the paint was NOT the problem.  So, TWO YEARS LATER, Warmoth gave me a new body and even threw in a "720 mod," which I did not have prior, for free.  They also rewired the body and sent everything back to me in the new body, the way they received it with the old body.

Warmoth have made me a VERY HAPPY customer.  I wasn't looking for freebies, all I wanted was an apology for the way the situation with the paint was handled (turned out it WASN'T the paint...).  While it took a while to get the new body back, I was happy with the finished product.

Warmoth WILL stand behind their products if there's an error from the factory, but if you don't take proper care for your instrument, there's no reason why they should be held accountable for owner "mishaps."

BTW, I'm planning my next Warmoth build.  :cool01: