What is the action like on Warmoth basses?

[aussietc]

I'm a huge fan of low frets and low action! How low can the action on a Warmoth bass go?

 

[Jusatele]

as low as your guitar tech can get it
Warmoth makes quality parts, what you do with that is up to you.
you can not make chicken soup out of chicken shit, but you are not buying chicken shit from Warmoth
PS, if you want it that low, go fretless and develop your ear

 

[tfarny]

They go down all the way till it's unplayable, just like every electric bass with an adjustable bridge in the last 50 years.

 

[aussietc]

OK, how low can the action go without buzzing? Some Roscoes and Sadowskys I've played had crazy low action and required only the slightest touch to fret a note - very easy to play. Some Fenders I've played couldn't get the action lower than 1 cm at the 24th fret without a terrible buzz occuring. I've found its not so much about the adjustable bridge (although it certainly helps) but more about the construction quality of the neck and body.
So how do the Warmoths compare to say a low actioned Sadowsky or Roscoe or Lakland?

 

[JaySwear]

in my mind warmoth's true talent is in their necks. their guitar bodies are all great (and the ones i've received have been flawless) but their necks are amazing. if whoever sets up the instrument is good then your bass' action will be as low or lower than what you've played before from fender-style basses (laklands and sadowskys and so on)

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Warmoth has supplied Sadowsky with parts.  Don't know how many, how long, and to what extent, but comparing Sadowsky to Warmoth is as close to an Apples to Apples comparison as one can get.

I have 2 Warmoth J-Bass necks, and properly setup, their action is lower than anything Fender has hanging on a wall at Guitar Center.  On both occasions I had Warmoth install Corian nuts.  The nuts come a little high, but this is intentional so they can be lowered to preference.  Low action potential is a combination of truss rod adjustment, your chosen gauge of strings, nut height, saddle height, and fretboard radius.  There's no reason a Warmoth neck can't be as low or lower than any bass with all of those comparable things.

 

[mullyman]

It's all in the setup, man. That Fender you played could go lower if it was setup right.
MULLY

 

[line6man]

Some Fenders I've played couldn't get the action lower than 1 cm at the 24th fret without a terrible buzz occuring.

What Fenders are you playing with 24 frets?

Doesn't Fender only offer 2 or 3 basses with more than 20?

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

What Fenders are you playing with 24 frets?

Doesn't Fender only offer 2 or 3 basses with more than 20?

While not the norm, they do exist.

What's bothersome to me is not the 24 fret Fender bass reference, but my perceived tone that the OP already has his mind made up.  There is no convincing of W's with low action otherwise.  My Troll radar went off slightly.  If wrong, it's been happening with greater frequency lately, I apologize in adavance.

 

[-CB-]

Want low frets?  Go fretless. 

Low action... er... "string elevation".... in addition to all the items rightly mentioned by my esteemed fellow forum members, a lot has to do with how hard you tickle the strings with yer fingers.

 

[aussietc]

What's bothersome to me is not the 24 fret Fender bass reference, but my perceived tone that the OP already has his mind made up.  There is no convincing of W's with low action otherwise.  My Troll radar went off slightly.  If wrong, it's been happening with greater frequency lately, I apologize in adavance.

?? Now there's an assumption and a half! Apology accepted.

Thanks guys for the info. I've been playing bass for years but I'm new to the whole setup side of things. Too scared to touch a truss rod myself, not being mechanically minded. I've got lots of spare bass parts at the moment and doing a bit of research on Warmoth bodies and necks. From what I've heard and seen online only, they appear to be the goods. I'm planning on putting together a shortie and a fiver.

Tried fretless and not my sound ... and I don't play fretless well either!
The small vinatge style frets are great and a main contributing factor to ordering a Warmoth neck, that and the choice of woods they offer too.

 

[Jusatele]

It's all in the setup, man. That Fender you played could go lower if it was setup right.
MULLY

times 2
I think you need a better neck tech

 

[Jusatele]

What's bothersome to me is not the 24 fret Fender bass reference, but my perceived tone that the OP already has his mind made up.  There is no convincing of W's with low action otherwise.  My Troll radar went off slightly.  If wrong, it's been happening with greater frequency lately, I apologize in adavance.

Tried fretless and not my sound ... and I don't play fretless well either!

I said that once. but once I tried it for a while I found out I really had developed my ear real good and it was simple
I would give it another chance, I found it took a while because you had to work harder for a few months, suddenly it was natural, real natural.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

?? Now there's an assumption and a half! Apology accepted.

Sorry for the premature assumption.  It just seemed like a loaded question intent on baiting.

Anywho now that that's over, welcome to the board.  I'm not the usual welcome ambassador.  Do you have a fret size in mind?  I've got 6130s and 6150s on my 2 Warmoth bass necks.  It could be because the string gauge is so big compared to a guitar, but the differences in feel are non-existent on a bass, atleast in my hands.

 

[AutoBat]

I'd like to take this opportunity to say this: stainless steel frets!

 

[line6man]

Want low frets?  Go fretless. 

That's not necessarily true, if you want low action.

The lower the frets, the lower the strings have to go to keep the action the same, and Warmoth does not make their bodies any differently to accommodate fretless necks.
Right now I have my saddles bottom and my action is still very high, because I don't want to shim the pocket.

 

[jackthehack]

I've done a couple of Jbass'es for other people; using 6105 frets and the standard Gotoh 201 bridge from Warmoth I can get them set up lower than most people have ever felt on a bass using DR light strings. No buzzing or fret problems, but you may need to tweak the neck once or twice a year; example:

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=3511.0

 

[aussietc]

Do you have a fret size in mind?  I've got 6130s and 6150s on my 2 Warmoth bass necks.  It could be because the string gauge is so big compared to a guitar, but the differences in feel are non-existent on a bass, atleast in my hands.

I will be going for the SS frets in 6230 - similar to the Lakland sized frets.

I was thinking along the lines of this Callowhill neck. It's birdseye maple on wenge.

But ... the only way to make it stable is to finish the whole neck. I can't have just a finish on the fretboard only. I like the striking contrast of the woods but was hoping to have a raw finish. Either I keep the combo and finish the whole neck of try another wood combo. The woods of the neck will determine the body colour and finish.

 

[Jusatele]

Want low frets?  Go fretless. 

That's not necessarily true, if you want low action.

The lower the frets, the lower the strings have to go to keep the action the same, and Warmoth does not make their bodies any differently to accommodate fretless necks.
Right now I have my saddles bottom and my action is still very high, because I don't want to shim the pocket.

did not know you routed a neck pocket different for a fretless, thanks for the correction and the knowledge

 

[aussietc]

The lower the frets, the lower the strings have to go to keep the action the same, and Warmoth does not make their bodies any differently to accommodate fretless necks.
Right now I have my saddles bottom and my action is still very high, because I don't want to shim the pocket.

Is a shim a thin veneer inside the neck pocket? How would the shim affect the bass?
I wonder if the bridge can be recessed into the body?