[flyingheelhook]

So I am thinking about planning out and executing Warmouth build project for sometime over the next year. Still toying with ideas of shapes, woods, necks, electronics, etc.

Those of you in the know, since I am not a luthier by any means, are there any major hurdles, risks, challenges I need to know? Oddly enough, I am more intimidated by the guitar construction than the electronics (even though I am not an electrician or guitar tech by any stretch). It SOUNDS simple in terms of pick a body, pick a neck and just put them together. Is that the case? I have pretty good guitar tech in the area I could take it to for setting up my action, neck etc. How much would I need to rely on him?

Thoughts? Any insight, experience, especially lessons learned would be appreciated.

[FrettyBoy]

I've built two guitars using Warmoth parts, a Telecaster Thinline and a Les Paul double cut. Both were done using unfinished bodies and necks. On the Tele I used Wipe-On poly-u and the LP I had a buddy shoot with nitro. I found the Warmoth items to be of excellent quality and bolt together beautifully with no problems at all. All tuners, hardware, pickups, etc I used were all top notch as well, so the guitars came out quite nicely if I do say so myself. I cut the nuts on these myself using bone blanks. I also did all the setup work.

I recently bought a fully finished Warmoth Total Vintage Boat Neck for my Alligator homage and I had them install the nut on that one. Again they did a great job and the neck went on with no need for fret leveling or nut tweaks. In fact the neck is SPECTACULAR! Again, I did all the installation and setup work myself.

Go for it! Take your time and I think you'll enjoy the results. You can always have a luthier fine tune it for you if you are not 100% satisfied with your result.

[flyingheelhook]

Sweet!!!

[TI4-1009]

A Warmoth WGD was how I was going to start my Jerry guitar quest. I had talked with them about cocobolo and doing laminations, etc. and was getting ready to pull the trigger. But after I added up everything I would need/want to really be happy with it, the scaled down Phiga Tiger that I went with was just about the same price and a lot closer to what I really wanted. Three years down the road I have zero regrets with that decision. And for a Tiger-style guitar, I don't think Warmoth deals in cocobolo any more?

I like Warmoth- I have a Warmoth tele body that I'm very happy with and I'd use them for other projects- just not a Jerry-type guitar.

My last two builds were using Precision Guitar Kits kits. Kinda constrained by styles there, but other than that they have a lot of flexibility in customizing a project (see my SG/Wolf thread).

[flyingheelhook]

Good stuff! I'll be honest that its not necessarily a pure Garcia build I am going for. On the other hand, you can rest assured that there will be a lot of Garcia influence that goes into it... I have a lot of research to do but for now it sounds like barring financial and time constraints, it should be something I can reasonably accomplish on my own, albeit with consultation where appropriate. That's my main concern.

[drewfx]

The best place for all information Warmoth from those of us who build them is here:

http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php

There are lots of existing threads there with advice for first time builders and what to look out for.

I like to say that if you can operate a drill and a screwdriver and a soldering iron and can drill things without ending up with extra holes in yourself or the table underneath you should be OK, but you have to know your limits and you can always practice things on scrap wood first.

The single biggest problem with my first build is that it turned out too good. This has led to an unintended expensive hobby...

[mkaufman]

I can attest that Mik's Warmoth Tiger build sounds great. Maybe he can provide input?

btw - please fix the spelling of "Warmoth" so we can search for this topic.

mk

[Diggey]

Hey frettyboy, would you mind talking more about your Alligator build? This is also a project on my list of to dos for 2015. Where did you get the body and brass? Thanks in advance, it looks great.

[FrettyBoy]

Hey frettyboy, would you mind talking more about your Alligator build? This is also a project on my list of to dos for 2015. Where did you get the body and brass? Thanks in advance, it looks great.

Thanks very much Diggey. Well, I always say this is an Alligator "homage" and not an exact replica. So, the body was a 2006 MIM Fender FSR Natural that I got as a complete guitar. It had a rosewood board, Tex Mex pickups in a tortoiseshell guard. I tried to like it for a few years, but the frets and neck profile was just not me. I learned many years ago on the skinny Fender frets and that's what works best for me. The frets on the Fender neck were just too tall for me and the profile was too thin.

I then got the idea to buy the Warmoth Total Vintage Boat Neck in maple - 1IN at the nut, 7.25 radius, 21 6230 Frets (small). As soon as I mounted it it just transformed the guitar into a WINNER. In fact, it's my number one right now! I added the Fender decal because I LOVE all things Fender, and the Warmoth is Fender licensed. I have shirts, pint glasses, lunch boxes, coats, etc., so my Stratocaster which was largely Fender had to have the logo too. Then, once I saw the guitar with the maple neck and the natural body I thought; "Hey wait a minute....ALLIGATOR!"

I created the pick guard using 2 Fender pick guards: 1 3ply white and 1 Gold Anodized cut at the appropriate place. I saw that approach somewhere a few years ago and thought it was a cool take...maybe here? It works, and looks great. The stickers were obtained from Ebay. I got the knobs from Newark Electronics. If you need the Part Number let me know and I'll dig it up.

I loaded 2 DiMarzio FS-1 in Neck and Middle, with an SDS-1 in the Bridge. It still sounds like a Strat just a bit BIGGER. The SDS-1 gets me into Tele-land too, so that was a win.

That's about it Diggey, no Blaster (yet! lol), standard Fender trem, blocked. I just love the damn thing!

Thanks so much for asking,
Fred

[strumminsix]

Did a few different builds and swapped parts. I find Warmoth to be of good quality. It's mostly easy to get it all together.

BUT the fine tuning and finishing touches I had to take to a good tech to finish the job. Did my best but couldn't get that last 5%.

[TI4-1009]

Hey frettyboy, would you mind talking more about your Alligator build? This is also a project on my list of to dos for 2015. Where did you get the body and brass? Thanks in advance, it looks great.

Check this out too:

http://www.darkstarpalace.com/2010/11/j ... l-yer.html

and if you search way back in the rukind archives there's a lot if interesting Alligator stuff.

[Diggey]

Cool everybody, and thanks for the info and link. I will dive in. I am like you and want an almost Alligator. Not a replica totally so I dig what you did. Thanks again and I'll keep you posted as I build mine.

[James-T]

They make great bodies. I'm too cheap to buy from them, but found a chambered Warmouth alder body locally on CL with a black nitro finsih (done locally - not by Warmouth). Paired it up with an 83 MIJ Squire E series neck I bought on impulse because it was only $125 (and also my favourite stratocaster neck profile - I used to have an 83 two knob Dan Smith stratocaster with a similar neck). I've been collecting SDS-1's for cheap, and scored 2 from a forum member.

I had a tech assemble it, stop the tremolo and it's my favourite stratocaster out of the three I own. Very light, bright and well suited for the darker SDS-1's.

Used it for the Kingsley Page demo I posted last week.

Sounds Jerry enough to me. But if I could play like Clapton - I'd be in that territory too.

http://youtu.be/cUHXec3vNF0

I researched their necks. Most guys go with a Fender neck. Warmouth seem to have a better online reputation for bodies rather than their necks. There are some great deals on used (and sometimes near vintage) fender necks on eBay, I'd go that route if I was building a custom partscaster. In a perfect world my neck project will be a Warmouth body with 3 Lollar P90's. I like how they can do custom routes for that type of thing.

But you will never get your investment back on a Warmouth build if you need to sell in a pinch. The guy I got the body from had to part his out and still took a big loss.

Peace,

James

[FrettyBoy]

I researched their necks. Most guys go with a Fender neck. Warmouth seem to have a better online reputation for bodies rather than their necks. There are some great deals on used (and sometimes near vintage) fender necks on eBay, I'd go that route if I was building a custom partscaster.

Hi James,

I've just got to reiterate, I've had nothing but Fender guitars all my life and the Warmoth Total Vintage Boat Neck in maple with the Fender fret wire (6230) is an exceptional neck. Prior to this, the neck on my 2000 Fender 52RI Tele was the best neck I'd ever had. I've got to say that this Warmoth is every bit as good, if not better. As a life long Fender lover, I'm sold on the Warmoth neck!

All the best,
Fred

[tcsned]

I've done two Warmoth-ish builds. My first was a carved to cocobolo/quilted maple tele (the body was not Warmoth but the neck was an all rosewood Warmoth neck). They now do carved-top Teles so this is a possibility. It was the first time I had done any of kind of guitar assembly project. It turned out pretty darn well. I gigged with it for several years then when I did my second one the woman who plays rhythm in my band used it for a few years. It had Gibson P94 pickups and was a real screamer, not very Jerry but it got a great P-90 era Jerry tone. I cycled through a few guitars and a couple of years ago decided to get it a little more Jerry-fied. I sent it to Brian White and he did some awesome mods - refinish, brass hardware, OBEL/buffer/blaster, a new neck (maple/ebony). It turned out incredibly. Brian (milobender) does amazing work.

Here's the original build I did:

Here is Brian's work:


My second one is a Warmoth WGD with a Warmoth all rosewood neck. Still not all that Jerry other than the shape. It's quilted maple top and back with a mahogany core. It's got 3 Joe Barden humbuckers which I looooove! This was my gigging guitar for a bunch of years. I love this guitar - look, feel, tone, electronics, everything. My only issue on the WGD is the high frets are a little hard to reach the way the body is cut but not once you get used to it things are pretty reachable.



I played Mik's Warmoth Tiger and it is really sweet too. I'm pretty picky about my guitars but I'd recommend their stuff. Easily in the quality range of my Les Paul, Strat, and PRS. My Scarlet Fire Wolf and the work the Brian did on my Tele came out better than my attempts at Warmoth assembly but still professional quality and good enough to gig with.