Who buys Showcase Vs. Custom necks and why?

[Rick]

Also I noticed, at least with one of my custom purchases, I saw one in the showcase that was really close, so I'm guessing if you order something interesting, they might make two. I know that potters and glass blowers sometimes make two things if you place custom order, either because it's interesting to make, or in case, the first one is a failure. I'm guessing it's the former, as I've never got a clunker from Warmoth. Or it could be just random.

 

[PFDarkside]

I buy both; time is definitely never a deciding factor.

The specs I want are pretty common:

• Standard thin
• 22 frets
• 10-16 compound radius
• Modern medium nut width
• Schaller holes

It's not hard to find necks in the showcase that match those.

Sometimes something really cool pops up in the showcase or something that will match well with the body that I plan to use and I'll buy it. Also the element of WYSIWYG that is hard to be discounted when it comes to this kind of thing. You're buying a custom one on faith that it will look good... even if you pick a UC board, you have no idea what the shaft wood will look like.

Reasons I've bought custom have been:

• A really cool UC fretboard is available and will be perfect
• There aren't any/many showcase necks with a specific wood I have in mind
• I want a less common inlay material
• I want an off-menu option for something

If you buy standard specs, these options are bread and butter, two week lead time.



For me it’s either a special run (got an abalone shark fin neck) or a discount, why not get a Wenge neck for $200 off?

 

[TBurst Std]

Quite can’t comprehend this thread. If you know what you want and you haven’t seen it in the Showcase over a period of time, just custom order it.

What’s in the showcase is in the showcase. No need to brow beat the W about what’s never there. AA has already given some of the reasons why odd things show up at time. Im certain they got some FP&A dude behind the scene and science to maximize profitability and customer satisfaction.

 

[PFDarkside]

Also I noticed, at least with one of my custom purchases, I saw one in the showcase that was really close, so I'm guessing if you order something interesting, they might make two. I know that potters and glass blowers sometimes make two things if you place custom order, either because it's interesting to make, or in case, the first one is a failure. I'm guessing it's the former, as I've never got a clunker from Warmoth. Or it could be just random.

That’s true! I’ve seen a few batches of things with slightly different neck back specs, like they had some awesomely flamed CBS necks in Fatback and Standard Thin lately.

 

[supertruper1988]

About 10 years ago I noticed that all of the showcase Soloist bodies had the contoured heel but it was an upcharge in the builder and the fact I could see the weight before I bought it meant that I ordered half a dozen or so bodies. I like Charvel Necks too much so I buy my necks on stratosphere but I have bought a couple of bass necks from the showcase. Mostly because the spec on bass necks are pretty standard and I am not as picky about bass as I am on guitar.

 

[MoreSpaceEcho]

Quite can’t comprehend this thread

Me either. I've bought all but one of my necks from the showcase. Standard thin/10-16/modern medium is a perfect neck for me. I don't really care about fancy inlays. Why would I custom order when what I want is sitting right there?

 

[TBurst Std]

I have slimmer pickings from the showcase as I use 59s or boat necks

 

[rockandroller]

I'm in the "both" crowd, sometimes a showcase piece just screams :BUY ME:
I do know exactly what i prefer (custom order!!) but I can be open-minded a bit too.
I would have bought TWO of the last big sale but the "no shellfish to Canada" rule kiboshed the deal

 

[Max Headroom]

I'm in the "both" crowd, sometimes a showcase piece just screams :BUY ME:
I do know exactly what i prefer (custom order!!) but I can be open-minded a bit too.
I would have bought TWO of the last big sale but the "no shellfish to Canada" rule kiboshed the deal

I'm in Canada too. I get around that rule by using Cross Border Pickups so that I have a New York address to send to.

 

[rockandroller]

I'm in Canada too. I get around that rule by using Cross Border Pickups so that I have a New York address to send to.

Yep, I strongly pondered sending it to BorderBoxes in Minnesota, which is about a five minute drive from my house. (I live just a few feet from the USA border crossing!). But my day job is in law enforcement so the prospect of smuggling in a "contraband" guitar neck just doesn't sit right with me...

 

[Ernst Johann]

Until now i bought only within europe. But now i couldnt resist and ordered 3 cutom necks and 1 custom body.

On topic: The only reason for me to buy showcase bodies is you see the WEIGHT. So, i definitely will buy a showcase body in the future (the lightest one)...

Wonder how often new bodies are added, havent figured out a pattern yet...

Greetings from europe and sorry for possible spelling errors.

 

[Wolff05]

Also I noticed, at least with one of my custom purchases, I saw one in the showcase that was really close, so I'm guessing if you order something interesting, they might make two. I know that potters and glass blowers sometimes make two things if you place custom order, either because it's interesting to make, or in case, the first one is a failure. I'm guessing it's the former, as I've never got a clunker from Warmoth. Or it could be just random.

Duplicates aren't intentionally made, but if the first one isn't made quite right (large mineral streak in the wood, wrong side inlay or back contour or radius etc), that one goes up on the Showcase and the custom order is remade.

 

[Wolff05]

Until now i bought only within europe. But now i couldnt resist and ordered 3 cutom necks and 1 custom body.

On topic: The only reason for me to buy showcase bodies is you see the WEIGHT. So, i definitely will buy a showcase body in the future (the lightest one)...

Wonder how often new bodies are added, havent figured out a pattern yet...

Greetings from europe and sorry for possible spelling errors.

Ideally items are added every day, but it depends on the shop output (labor available + custom orders v in stock production), and also if I have time

 

[mrpinter]

When I was commissioning guitars from Warmoth parts I almost always bought from the Showcase. My taste is very eclectic and I usually didn't have any specific needs or wants, so I would let cool pieces I found decide for me what to build. I never would have ordered a pointy Arcade neck painted all black with pearloid sharkfins in a million years, but it caught my eye and I thought what the heck. So I just looked for a fairly common Soloist black body, and that guitar turned out to be one of my favorites (once I equipped it with Righteous Sound 1018 high output pickups). In fact other guitars I had made had similar provenance. The exceptions were a couple of guitars with Goncalo Alves necks (one with a GA fretboard) that would probably never come up in the Showcase.

 

[rockandroller]

Well - another Showcase full build is on the books for me.
That makes it 4 out of the last six WM orders that have gone "showcase".

recap:
1- late 90s: CBS strat neck gloss finish QUILT MAPLE , just the most beautiful neck ever made (was even better in person!) showcase
2- 2015-ish: I needed a five-string bass for a oneoff downtuned gig, happened to be an awesome Gecko neck&body available showcase
3- 2018-ish: I wanted a 12-string for the studio, I had everything but the neck laying around, so it was off to Warmoth for this (Custom)
4- 2020-ish: I needed a simple shortscale bass for "tapewounds", SS Z-body and roasted maple neck was right there... showcase
5- 2024: my fave luthier in Prague had some health issues, so I decided to build another Warmoth instead (Custom)
6- 2025: hard to resist a BARGAIN... very very nice 7/8th alder tele with flame maple 7/8 warhead neck ON THE WAY soon... showcase

Lately I have been pining for an Esquire, was leaning towards a Hybrid Strat with all the body carves, topped with a 24-fret Arcade neck (vintage-modern)... chambered roasted alder, had a fancy top picked out... was pondering that for a while when all this trade wars stuff broke out. Wondering what I might be able to get over here 'before the madness', had a peek in Showcase, and well, one thing led to another...
Body, neck, metallic neck logo, and the special 7/8th tele pickguard (for Esquire, no pup routing!) will hopefully be shipping any day now, before the next round of Canadian Import Tarriffs kick in (currently it's still duty free but guitar parts are on the list for next wave of tarriffs)

 

[db82]

I watched the showcase for a while and saw a fair amount of roll-over but no real pattern to what lasts and what doesn't. I finally saw a neck with the specs I wanted - wizard, straight 16" - and it was a screamin deal, so I immediately put it in my cart along with the body I had been eye-balling. Got to checkout about three minutes later and the neck was gone. Decided I would just spec a custom neck, eat lunch, come back and spec the neck, go to checkout and the body was gone...haha.

In the end I bought two other showcase bodies, one showcase neck that was a perfect fit for instrument one, and had a custom neck done for instrument two.

 

[Hodgo]

I’ve bought showcase bodies because they’re exceptionally light and or have beautiful grain.

Necks, not yet, but the screaming deals have tempted me!