Warmoth, you should consider offering...

[cromulent]

Pre-drilled guide holes for tuning machines.

 

[NedRyerson]

You should consider....posting this in the Suggestion Box

 

[Strat Avenger]

Aaron has a video explaining why they don't drill holes for certain things.

 

[Wolfie351]

I use Hipshot UMP on all my new builds and swaps. I've never had a roasted neck split by my doing, but I've repaired enough to not ever want to risk it on a customer supplied neck

 

[cromulent]

Aaron has a video explaining why they don't drill holes for certain things.

All I found was this:

It's about pilot/clearance holes, but doesn't say anything about why Warmoth doesn't offer guide holes for tuners. I can't figure a reason why they shouldn't be able to do this so am really curious about the explanation.

 

[Hendrix]

Ultimately, it is a business analysis of the Risk vs Benefit business opportunity cost decision.

Risk : being Not matched / Disappointed customers return the product making a loss.

Benefit: attracted more lower experienced customers.

As their product has threshold requirements for experience skills, Pre-drilled guide holes will not lower the overall threshold requirements.
So the Benefit does not cover Risk here.

 

[cromulent]

The benefit is that it’s a feature customers may want (though maybe I’m in the minority?), and something they could upcharge for. I’d pay $15 or whatever to not have to take the time to drill these holes myself less accurately than a CNC machine would do.

Either way though, you really don’t think they have the ability to drill guide holes accurately enough? Is it particularly challenging?

 

[bruzanhd]

The reason they don’t offer it is that like every single tuner on the market has a slightly different hole location.

 

[cromulent]

The reason they don’t offer it is that like every single tuner on the market has a slightly different hole location.

Yeah this seems reasonable. They could still offer a few options though.

 

[stratamania]

Link to same topic

Offer pre-drilled guide holes for tuning machines on necks

ssia

unofficialwarmoth.com

 

[electric__steve]

Yeah this seems reasonable. They could still offer a few options though.

In fact, they could just offer it for the tuners they sell, and do it as a combo package. Neck + tuners with tuners installed, charge an extra $10 or whatever makes sense.

 

[Rick]

Plus one on the hipshot ump. Once I started using them, I didn't look back. Seriously. Never have to worry about hole placement.

 

[PFDarkside]

I was trying to find the video too, I think it’s the one “complete guitars vs parts manufacturer” or something like that.

Aaron explained that they had offered “Schaller” routs for years (the stepped ones, remember those?) and Schaller unexpectedly changed the collar to extend the full length of the hole. Warmoth now sold a rout and a part that didn’t match. Think about someone that bought a neck last year with a Schaller rout/prep but got their tuners this year.

On something like the Schaller there are three different tab directions (90, 135, 180) and if you got the wrong one drilled you’d be pretty upset.

In the end you’ll need to drill strap button, output jack, string tree or truss cover and potentially pickguard and/or pickup ring holes anyway, so it’s not like they can eliminate drilling all together. May as well just do the best practices and build!

 

[PFDarkside]

[video]

I don’t think this is the one, in one of them he describes what happened.

 

[Rick]

though ... speaking as someone who has drilled such holes ... it’s not that hard

 

[Strat Avenger]

It you can't take measurements and drill holes, you should probably just buy a kit guitar that has everything done for you.

 

[cromulent]

It you can't take measurements and drill holes, you should probably just buy a kit guitar that has everything done for you.

Kind of a non-sequitur. I suppose Warmoth shouldn't drill holes at all based on that logic.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Kind of a non-sequitur. I suppose Warmoth shouldn't drill holes at all based on that logic.

Warmoth already drills plenty of holes for our convenience. There's no reason for them to open a potential can of worms by drilling more.

 

[bruzanhd]

Kind of a non-sequitur. I suppose Warmoth shouldn't drill holes at all based on that logic.

Warmoth really only drills the holes that are universal. And even those aren’t totally universal. Stuff like jack routes, neck and neck pocket holes, tuner bushing holes. Those aren’t even universal, but they do drill those things. The only way I see them drilling tuner holes is if they themself install the tuners.

 

[cromulent]

Seems like a lot of tuners are made to fit Fender's standard 2-pin layout. Doesn't seem like it would open a big can of worms for Warmoth to offer that. Maybe there are a couple other garden-variety layouts that would also make sense to offer - I don't really know.

But considering the majority of Warmoth's offerings are 'caster parts, made to Fender specs, it's unclear to me why another set of Fender-spec holes would be any different. It's something a CNC machine can do better and faster than we can.

I'd like to order a Warmoth neck please...
Pre-drilled Fender-spec mounting holes? "Yes I want that"
Pre-drilled tuner holes to Fender (or various other) specs? "Of course"
Choice of factory-installed pre-slotted nut? "Awesome"
Pre-drilled Fender spec tuning machine guide holes? "Blasphemy!"

Didn't expect this to be such a controversial topic!