I have been a fender player primarily, for almost 30 years. Warmoth website is worth a look. About 3 years ago, I received my Indian Rosewood quarter sawn one piece strat neck, and a chambered black korina strat body. This is the most comfortable and hands down the best guitar I have played. It is gorgeous as well. The neck was perfect. I didn't need to do anything to it.
I have two Custom Shop necks and I've bought and sold half a dozen warmoth necks... If Warmoth had a few extra features, I would've held onto them, but they're behind on the finer details with radius and thicknesses. Other than that, they're great builds and considerably cheaper than the Custom Shops I have, and best for most people.
Hey Bryant Crawford - thanks for the post I really appreciated what you have to say to that guy. I can't contact you Brian and I can't post it as is because of the language you used ;-) but don't worry too much about that episode with him... I've been around too long for it to bother me. Thanks for watching.
Built a Strat using one of their necks a couple of years back and having built guitars using "Fender Licensed" necks from other manufacturers, am totally convinced that Warmoth makes the best necks out there, hands down! Had it custom made, roasted maple, abalone dots, with a straight 12" radius and 6105 stainless frets and it only set me back $385.00 U.S. Worth every penny!
Thanks for posting about how you found Warmoth. I'm pretty much the same as you really and I also find their necks to be exceptional compared to some others I have tried. Thanks for watching.
Played aftermarket necks of all kinds...allparts, warmouth, mighty mite, you name it and I can comfortably say the best I’ve come across is usacg. They don’t finish their necks. You have to do it yourself (which I prefer anyway) but their carves are amazing (specifically their soft v shapes...good god), their stability is rock solid, they’ll fit tightly into any neck pocket, their fret and inlay work is fabulous. I finished mine in tru oil with nitrocellulose on the headstock and the thing is an absolutely second to none strat neck. Done any other way, it would’ve cost well upwards of $1000....I’m sure of it.
I did not know that brand (ha with me coming from the backwater of the UK :) But thanks for posting this comment. There are some very good makers out there and clearly I have not tried every last neck! Of the necks I have tried though these days Warmoth tops them... even Fender in some ways although the Jeff Beck necks take some beating.... pity those are not figured as this one is. Thanks for watching.
You should give them a shot on one of your builds, Tony. There are other guys who’ll back me up on this. USACG is pretty well known among strat dorks in the states and have a reputation for being about as good as it gets for custom strat necks.
Warmoth necks are absolutely incredible. I rebuilt a Squire Strat with mine and it’s been my number 1 guitar for over ten years now. I also have friends that put Warmoth necks on their Basses. It’s like you are getting a several thousand dollar instrument for maybe $400 more than a regular model.
@@joeking433Chinese don’t take the time to dry the wood properly , not everybody wants torrified maple , I have warmoth necks from the 90’s that are still stable and play great . There price will go up if they pay 150,000 dollars for a plek machine .
Great review of the neck. One suggestion that I might recommend is to adjust your white balance in you video as everything looks orange/yellow from the lights used. This would help show off the details better and be more accurate to what you see in person. Keep up the great videos.
Hi Ryan, you're probably correct on that one. I have been looking at getting lighting for the videos to make them better - but my wife... Ha she would throw a wobbler with lighting over everywhere... trust me on this! I have of more recent times adjusted the white balance, but I don't always get consistent video tones - probably because the room light changes from the windows... but maybe I'll take another look. Thanks for the info and for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficial you may be able to adjust the white balance either in camera or in post production. I have no idea what camera or post production software you use but most have the capability. I know how the wife can be, she hasn't found out about my new tele yet....😟
@@Ryan.Chapman Yes I can do that in post or the camera, but usually post. Trouble is it is still variable. Latest videos I did it in post... but I still need the lamps I think. In any case thanks for the info... and watch that wife...
I have 3 Warmoth necks and they are decent. I purchased a Musikraft neck recently though and it blew me away. not sure if you can get their stuff across the pond but if you can, you should give it a try. they seem to have a lot more customizations available and they offer graphite reinforcement rods, and the quality is phenomenal. they can get significantly more expensive, depending on the options you choose, but the quality reflects the price in my opinion. I had them build me a neck that was completely custom profile and all and it was $750. it’s quartersawn maple, Ebony, fingerboard, skunk stripe and plug, stainless frets, brass side dots, brass nut and oil finish. I think, even though these might not be your preferred specifications, you would agree they are all premium upgrades and for that price I feel like this neck is amazing. I have attempted to have other manufacturers make me a thin Ibanez type of neck and it never turns out well. These guys nailed it, and the neck feels super solid, almost as if it were a original Ibanez wizard neck, which is a super solid neck itself. definitely the place you want to go if you want full out custom at a reasonable price.
I have not tried a Musikraft neck myself, but I believe you :) and posting your experience is something I always like to see from viewers because it helps many. All sounds interesting and you should post a link to their site... and thanks for watching.
Tony I must say my go to neck for years has been Warmoth, but recently for Strat style Necks, Locke Custom Guitars has Won me over. Known for his Near Perfect Van Halen Bodies and Neck reproductions, I ordered his 78 Neck and have never seen fretwork this good ever, and the work was so good, instead of using neck for a Build I had scheduled, decided I am ordering one of his GMore Bodies to partner to it. since I know you also value Craftsmanship and Quality, you need to check out how Amazing this Small American Company is.
Thanks for this info. I am ALWAYS looking for great suppliers when it comes down to parts and sadly there are not that many IMO. Warmoth was one and may still be, but I think the ravages of the pandemic have hit them from what I see of the website these days. Come back and post a link if you can... and that way its beneficial to everyone including the company. Thanks for watching too...
I was thinking about you and there you are! Look great my friend and those necks are everything you say and more. I have a close copy of a David Gilmore Black Strat. It was the same until I put one of those neck on. I like it better and plays much better. I have been off for a time cause I have a bit of cancer. I worked with nasty chemicals and came and found. Take care and I love your videos.
Hey Kevin.... I sincerely trust you are on the right side of those health problems. I have been there myself and it's all really hard to deal with I think. Do let me know how you go on with that Kevin.... and I really wish you well. The necks are great these days for sure... I appreciate your viewing the video... and the best to you.
I have 5 strat necks from unfortunately defunct USACG. They had fantastic direct customer service, and impeccable attention to detail. They were bought out, the site is still up, but i believe they no longer produce anything
Sounds bad... and it is. Problem is, I guess, that the market is that competitive it could be hard to make it pay... Thanks for the post and for watching too.
Tony, I picked up a mint used warmoth strat at gc with the compound radius maple/rosewood neck, Schaller locking tuners, mohogany chambered body, flamed maple top, American fender bridge, three bill lawrence rails pups and a highend hardcase for a ridiculous price of $200 usd. You can't build a decent guitar for that money and it plays/sounds fantastic! Definitely a keeper. Love your humor, keep the vids coming. Greetings from Florida.
See, some people don't see the value in Warmoth. Those pickups alone would cost more than that, let alone the case. I have said to others on here that over the years I sold only two of my Warmoth guitars but I never lost money like that - I did not make money, but that was never the idea when I made them. I guess maybe the USA has different values for Warmoth. Even getting the parts to the UK costs a fortune and then there's 20% (yes 20) tax on the top which is really painful. But There is no doubt that guys like GC see no value in them... maybe it's because they don't sell the parts or finished guitars from new. I could guess that they would have a different view then. Yes like you, I really like the Warmoth stuff and I'm pretty sure I'll keep mine. I was asked at one time to build a guitar for a really famous band (I won't name them as it was a confidential discussion) but I opted against doing that because I don't build them commercially but just for myself really. In any case I know they would likely have paid good money if that had been my reason for building guitars. I don't need the money really. So I never did do it. But I did sell one to Glenn Proudfoot and he could really make that guitar play... an incredible player and it shows just how good a Warmoth guitar can sound in the hands of a really brilliant player like he is. Link is here: ua-cam.com/video/FogNP5nQvc4/v-deo.html and I guess that's the best its ever been played :) Florida is a great place to be and I go there probably once a year but sometimes other USA places depending on work... enjoy... trust me, its better than here... although the police can be quick to pull you over :) they got me a couple of years ago... Thanks for watching and those kind words.
@@tonymckenzieofficial to be honest the gc clerk said that since it didn't have a logo on the headstock they couldn't price it according to the parts used to build. I guess I lucked out! Anyway takecare my friend.
I also thnk it depends on the exact build of the Warmoth guitar. I could guess that some of mine in the UK would fetch more than the USA market. I only sold one to date and that was to a brilliant artist guitarist - and he had no issues in paying a good but fair price for the guitar. But I get this comment and its a pity because often the Warmoth stuff can be better than the 'original'. Thanks.
I was looking at guitar parts, thinking about a future build. I saw these roasted flame maple necks by Warmoth and they were the most gorgeous pieces of maple in a neck that I've ever seen! I would love to be able to afford one some day. I know they're expensive, but you get what you pay for! I'm sure these are worth every penny! 👍😎🎸🎶
The trick is, to keep going back and looking because sometimes there are some really nice necks for much lower price... I have bought some myself... but you have to keep looking. The roasted maple figuring is drastically enhanced with the 'roasting' IMO. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for posting your experiences with them... it's great to tell others what it was like when you bought them. I believe in the same thing so made the video. Thanks for watching.
I have never been disappointed with Warmoth necks or bodies. I have used five necks, and two bodies. Built five different guitars. They have all been amazing. The fret jobs have been almost perfect. I’ve haven’t needed to dress to achieve a great setup. You can get almost any configuration of nut widths, back profile and fret size. This really allows you to get the perfect neck for YOU. Not to mention a stunning array of wood choices and finishes...God, I’m sounding like an ad 🙄 I think they are a no compromise choice. They are not the cheapest, but I think they are the best.
Thanks for telling your opinion about Warmoth as you found them. Ha it's easy to sound like an ad... the thing is, that it IS hard to criticise Warmoth - I think with the exception of price (from here in the UK of course) they are hard to better. My number one choice too. Thanks.
I recently got a Warmouth strat neck and it is SO worth the $$. I have purchased "other" necks for far less on Ebay and Amazon, etc., and the work I had to out into them turned them into 500.00 necks when all said and done. The Warmouth was nearly 100%. I only had to slightly level 4 frets which was fast because I have all the special tools. And I rounded off the fret ends and fretboard because I'm nuts about that played in feel. AND AMAZINGLY! Their pre-drilled holes matched the holes in my 70 strat body, perfectly! I will never buy a neck from anyone else.
A number of years ago they had not good fret ends and they don't fix that before shipping. But from what I've seen over the last five or six years they have it generally solved and the necks I too have bought have all been exceptional. Those fret ends can take time to make better but that is worth the effort although I'm sure some guys don't even do that. Your experiences are very similar to mine and I look at other necks... but buy Warmoth or sometimes a Fender Jeff Beck neck - which are made exceedingly well. Thanks Rick for your experiences...
@@tonymckenzieofficial Sure, no prob! And that's why yrs ago I started giving too much $$ to Stewmac for nice tools...lol But now you can get some decent tools on Amazon as well. In the end, the lesson is - Pay me now or pay me later in time spent hovering over someone else's shite fret work...lol Last no-name neck someone handed me had frets 45 to 70 thousandths lower than the majority which were already all over the place. China no doubt. And I also think there is something to be said about how intimately you get to know your gtr when you do all the work yourself. I know....Whoo-whoo......lol
@@tonymckenzieofficial Absolutely, I found a great, small cordless one on Amazon that just fits the bill for polishing frets. Although for really popping fret ends I use the angle-file block, then the fret end file and then just one of those foam -core sanding blocks at the right angle pretty much get 90% of the rest and rounds the edge of the fingerboard slightly. Then I follow that up with very fine sandpaper. All before polishing of course. It goes fast.
@@rickraney3939 I have used a number of different 'Dremel' tools and always found them useful. I even have a 'Dremel' router :) not that expensive and they can be useful with guitar builds :). Thanks.
thanks for this , if your build goes well and you like it , i'll consider it myself , i called warmoth and asked if they did neck inserts , they said no, i asked the guys at kiesel if they would add neck inserts , they also said no, my luthier uses neck inserts , he is a huge proponent of the inserts , he says the inserts allow neck screw torque specifications to go from 7 plus foot pounds to something like 13 foot pounds , i guess it's just a cost thing for everybody , if it works why change it , getting the neck inserts in square and true is probably pretty exacting work , oh k, thanks
Thanks Mark for the info... I certainly was not aware of that and I'm sure others were not too. And thanks for watching... the build is waiting for the body, so when you see the body review then the build will be around the corner :)
The nut design is ingenious! Helps to get rid of first couple of frets (especially G-string) tempering. Why didn't I think of that long ago? Subscribed :)
I think others have done it and maybe even 'microfrets' which were guitars used by Grand Funk Railroad back in the 70's... listen to that live album. pretty awesome and representative of the time. First time I have used this nut so should be interesting. I'll be covering it all in the guitar build. Thanks for watching.
I have 7 warmoth necks... all but 1 needed frets leveled. 2 needed a complete level re-crown. Lets not even talk about fret sprout. To be fair they are pretty clear about their necks not being leveled. My only gripe I guess is they are way to expensive to need any work at all. The only reason I keep using them is I can do the work myself, and Carvin/ Keisel don't do custom necks any more. I absolutely love the Carvin Keisel necks...sad they moved away from this.
Thanks for your experience with the Warmoth necks... they are expensive I agree, but I tend to know what I'm getting so for me worth it. I never had the Carvin/Kiesel stuff but again useful info... and thanks for posting it. Stay safe.
I've been buying Warmoth parts since about 1984. In fact, my most favorite guitar I've owned was put together with Warmoth parts. They had a deal at the time that if you bought a body you could get a neck at half price. The body was alder with a beautiful book matched flame maple top & a birds eye maple neck with jet black ebony board. Sadly it was stolen. Damn I miss that guitar. I also have a nice Warmoth neck that I bought in 1990 for $100 because it had a so called blem. Nothing more than a half inch long mineral streak in the side of the headstock. I doubt they'd call that a flaw these days.
Thanks Bruce for your input about how you found Warmoth for parts... I'm pretty similar really and have no complaints at all. Thanks for watching too...
I have a similar neck, except i didn’t want flamed maple, and got the black mother of pearl and a regular nut. The roasted maple without a finish feels amazing, especially during the warmer and more humid months when nitrocellulose finishes start to feel sticky. (It also smells really good.) The compound radius and thin profile are fast playing and very comfortable. The side-mounted truss rod adjustment is for fine tuning the action. The end adjustment is a regular adjustment used to get it into the ballpark and then the side adjustment gets it perfect. It’s different, but I think it’s useful. My tech doesn’t like Warmoth because they pissed him off with bad service in the past, but I’d buy another, and based on working through with one of their customer service guys, who was outstanding, I’d recommend them to my friends and would buy from them again. I’d look into their bodies too based on the neck quality.
Yes the roasted maple needs no finish and as you say are literally like silk slipping through your hands. A wonderful players neck for sure. Correct on the side adjuster also I do not say that in the video... saving it up for the build :) and I think its pretty cool too. You have to slacken the strings when adjusting that side tensioner though or you can strain it and zap the threads. Historically about 6 or 7 years ago I ordered a body, they said they could customise my requirements, but then the body turned up not modified - even though I sent images and had it agreed before it was made... so I 'get' your tech's point of view. But of recent times (last two or three years they have improved no end to being really good and they listen to the customer which is a nice change. Yes me too.. indeed I made the video to show guys what it is possible to buy from them, although they also make low cost necks too and none of those are shabby. Thanks for the insight of your experiences and thanks for watching.
I'm about to take all of the bits of my Part-o-caster to the guitar doctor for reanimation. California Strat body with a Warmoth neck that has a Musicman profile in the back. I just need to take a little paint out of the pickup cavities. The neck is a player for sure.
USACG necks I have found to be the best aftermarket necks around. They are in Washington State as well. I have several and they have been perfect right out of the box and years later are still perfect.
richard Turk I was considering USACG a while back but went with MusiKraft since USACG didn't offer 24 frets as an option. (I don't know if they do now)
I ordered a roasted maple/pao ferro neck/fretboard from warmoth about 8 months ago, it’s gorgeous. Needed a little fret dressing but would have worked fine straight out of the box
Yes the fret ends etc. are usually need a little bit of work but pretty minor and as you say they are OK without that extra work. But I usually do tidy the fret ends and check the level etc. Thanks for posting your experience too. The roasted maple is really cool.
So dont ask for a fitted bone nut ! I bought a second hand Warmoth flamed maple neck with a lovely piece of rosewood for he board. It was compund radius 10 to 16 something like that. It was also the fat neck. In the end i sold it as I hated the flat radius and the neck was just too fat. I sold it and bought an Allparts neck for a lot cheaper and I love this neck !
Thanks for the info and posting your experience with Warmoth... good to know because some of this is subjective and different guys like different things. How were the fret ends? I have used Allparts stuff also but prefer the Warmoth stuff for the figuring aspect and these days I like that quality. But I'm sure that every last thing Warmoth sells is not always perfect... Thanks for this post as I said and thanks for watching.
Even the Blues Saraceno Samick TV series necks were girthy,,but they just had a great feel...the ones I have just are the regular slim neck profile but I just love them.
I think a neck has lots of specifics for players and we all have our own 'special' size, layout and aesthetics not to mention the finishes on them. It's always hard to chose 'the right one' and in this case it was no exception. But great necks in their own right... now all I need to do is to learn how to be a Hendrix :) Ha it will never happen.
I bought a flame roasted maple neck once....but not from warmouth......it looked beautiful and very light as well of course. Never again though. I tried to get the tuner bushings back out of it as I bought some better tuners and a huge chunk of wood came off of the headstock due to it being so brittle. I recently bought a neck from Northwest guitars......an Eric Clapton style one piece quarter sawn hard Maple with a medium V profile that feels brilliant....22 frets {that are levelled and dressed} and satin finish £109. Without a word of a lie its the best neck I have ever touched. They are all handmade and cant be beaten for quality. They blow real Fender necks out of the water for a fraction of the price.
Ouch! Well I too know that you have to be careful with the hole sizes in particular for ALL holes including the bolts for holding on the neck. If you use regular sizes it can be a problem. Seems like yours might have been tight a little. Thanks for highlighting that aspect of roasted maple... it applies to all of the roasted woods though... Your neck is a good price for sure. I have used a number of brands (an non brands) of necks - not Northwest guitars (but I'll take a look). I generally when building a guitar to the highest level need a great neck but also great aesthetics because when the guitar is finally completed it all needs to be 'what I see in my minds eye' if you will. I can't buy a neck like this from anywhere that is a hundred pounds or so, if I could I would. But over many years I have never found a 'cheap' neck that fits my needs. When I have looked at necks other than for aesthetics actually one of my favourite necks is a Fender Jeff Beck neck... agreed not a cheap neck, but just about perfect for what I want from one. Thanks for posting your options with necks and how you found them. Warmoth are not the only guys out there for sure and they could be the expensive option especially if you live in the UK. Thanks for watching.
I think you made the best choice going with Warmoth, over the factory Fender neck. The lighting in your video doesn't do the neck justice. You should take it outside on a sunny day, so we can really see the beauty in it! Nice!
Well there's limited lighting at home, but I'm working to improve that currently... the neck is probably the best one I have ever seen and I have bought a few historically, but this one beats them all. Check the body I used too.
This neck was later used on a guitar I called 'Golden Brown' and you can watch it here being made: ua-cam.com/video/KguqdJ4rvdM/v-deo.html and here being completed then being played: ua-cam.com/video/x7q4YlqWeco/v-deo.html It's a really great neck, and when I completed the guitar it remains one of the most resonant guitars I have ever owned. Good point on the soap too! Thanks for watching and stay safe.
I've got necks from Warmoth, Mighty Mite, All Parts, B Hefner , USACG. The best Fender licensed necks are Musikraft. They will give you ANYTHING you want. (for a price). Black Guard parts copied from actual Black Guard guitars . "Franky" replica parts. Now they just started making replacement necks for G&L guitars.
Ha great name :) Well I have tried some of those necks but not all of them. Actually I like to grab also Fender necks from the Jeff Beck models.. those are really good necks and need absolutely no work. All of the others including this one there is work to do. Thanks for the info about those other makers though and I'm sure some will find that useful. Oh and thanks for watching.
Yes that looks like a quality piece . I never bought necks from Warmoth but I have bought a 2 piece mahogany strat & a 1 piece swamp ash tele body in the last three years. Both the workmanship and the wood were superb! I usually buy my necks of a site called The Stratosphere Guitar based out of Vermont in the U.S.. They take apart brand new guitars and sell the parts piecemeal. Looking forward to your next video , you put out great stuff! Cheers
Aha... me too :) I have bought Fender Jeff Beck necks from them and they are great - now called stratosphereparts.com if I remember correctly. They do also sell dismantled second user parts, so if you go on there read the text as it always says so if they are... thanks for posting that. Thanks for watching and it won't be too long (I hope) before the next part arrives - probably weeks though as they are making it.
I never understood the reasoning in what they do. I went to a guitar trade show years ago and saw lots of vintage Fenders in the same state. Parts and more parts. they were selling neck plates with old serial numbers. I scratched my head.
They certainly can be expensive I agree. but to be honest, if you take a look at a neck unfinished... it saves a fortune. And I have used simple spray cans for the finishing - it works great. Thanks. and stay safe.
As always, I enjoy watching your videos. I have 4 different Warmoth necks, love all of them, especially the 59 roundback profile. I have 3 vintage/moderns and 1 vintage neck. What do you think of the tone on the Modern construction neck? Also, because of your video, I ordered some Klein 1963 strat pickups which are awesome. Are you liking your Klein 69's?
Indeed, I have a 59 Round back neck too - its not as 'boatneck' as some might think. Typically I stuck my 'neck' out (is that the right word) and bought one and when I got it I liked it!... nice profile. I like the modern Warmoth necks and don't really notice any real tonality differences (other than rosewood or maple of course) with them. I like the Warmoth taper too. The Klein pickups are very good and well made. Slightly different tone to the Fender CS 69's which are also incredible pickups. I bought the Klein for that original 69 tone and they do the job pretty well. Thanks for watching Steve.
I like the Jeff Beck Fender necks... really good, but they cost also an arm and a leg. I have used two or three of those and they are always of the highest quality. Once you find a neck that is great and you can buy others the same somehow I also get attracted to those particular necks too. But this build is all about quality, feel, tones (they come later) and the aesthetics of the neck... hence I went for the Warmoth neck and not the Jeff Beck neck. Thanks for the tip... always useful...
Although I was hoping to learn a new place from you here, you are spot on that Warmoth necks are excellent. Their bodies are as well. I live in Washington State and have to pay the sales tax, but it's more than worth it nonetheless. I'm sure you pay more with shipping and VAT being abroad. There are a few other good places in the States like USACG and Musikraft, but I pretty much stick to Warmoth when ordering new necks.
You are the second guy to mention USACG so anyone reading the posts will learn about that company - indeed, me too! Thanks for the low down on Musikraft too.. again I have not used those guys. And thanks for telling your views about Warmoth. I am just a user of the Warmoth stuff and pay the same as everyone else from them, but the necks certainly have improved over the last few years. They are not really cheaper than Fender in some ways, but the figured stuff I tend not to be able to find anywhere else... but I will check those other companies. Thanks for watching and you're right re the tax etc. to here.
I'm gonna have to go ahead and defend Warmoth here as I've enjoyed 3 different necks & 1 body from their "Showcase" The price is always better from the Showcase than a custom spec build$$$. The quality, fret work, and finish is perfect. Stable as a ROCk in my experience. I sold my Fender American Tele neck to "Upgrade" to a Warmoth.........you get what you pay for.....nuff said.
Yes the 'Showcase' is a good way to buy and I have used that a couple of times... cheaper for sure when on offer. If you have a custom neck of body made for you expect a high cost... I have had a number made that way. But I will say that making a custom body leaves you with an incredible piece - especially if you opt for figured woods. And there are some options such as the .720 neck drop (in the pocket) that Warmoth will not do any other way. Cost is cost, but I believe you are right as I have similar experiences, especially over the last few years. Thanks for your input and for watching.
I have 2 Warmoth modern construction strat necks. They are great. Next, I need a Charvel neck replacement which is 2.25 inch at heel. However, Warmoth does not offer this option. I will try Musikraft.
I bought a Warmoth neck in 2016 and a Musikraft neck with very similar specs in 2017. The Musikraft is a little bit better. It was more expensive than the Warmoth but the fit and finish is absolutely ridiculously perfect.
Thanks for posting about the Musikraft necks... I have not tried them myself, but good to get comments from someone that has! I do think back in 2016 that the necks from Warmoth were not as cool as now, particularly on the finish and the fretwork, but this one was cool. Thanks again for the info and for watching.
I have a roasted maple telecaster neck from them which i absolutely love, and i have a solid rosewood jaguar neck that i also really like. I prefer my warmoth necks to actual fender american necks.
They tend to play nicely without the coatings etc. so I have opted for these over the last few necks I have bought.. nice and silky. The rosewood will be the same and I guess no finish on that...
I made two custom Warmouth guitars. One fancy Telecaster, birds eye maple neck with chambered, bound quilt maple body and gold SD mini humbuckers, the other more of a standard Telecaster with SD Tele bridge pickup and a P90 in a humbucker shell (also SD) Lovely guitars, very individual with my name on. Cost me as much as USA Fenders, but they are unique to me and I don't care about re-sale. They are both my go to guitars for home recording. My Les Paul and Strat only come out when needed. The first one can be seen in a video by Crimson guitars when it was set up professionally by Ben Crowe after I built and dyed / varnished it. they sell bodies and necks as well so it would be interesting to try one sometime. the worst thing about buying Warmoth is the extortionate import charges!
You are right about the cost and the result... I'm similar to you in that the finished guitar is always somewhere near the cost of an off the shelf Fender, but they are chalk and cheese often and 'you' are in that guitar. I'll check Crimson Guitars... I have heard of those guys before if I remember correctly. Ha the tax we have to live with... which you might know is 20% here to be 'compliant' with Europe. Maybe it will get less when we leave... or not. Thanks for watching.
Yes, there is absolutely no point in anyone going on about lost value etc. This isn't about value, it's about making something unique for yourself that you enjoy playing. People make their own coffee tables but they wouldn't get back what they spent on it if they sold it, and that's not why they make them in the first place! Why one earth anyone would think of making their own Warmoth (or similar) guitar with a view to selling it is beyond me. The only way you can make anything out of selling instruments like this is if you make them from scratch with bare wood etc. Even then the margins are extremely tight and that's if you're selling for 2 - 3 thousand pounds!
Well, I have sold over the years just two of the builds I have put together. In both occasions I did not lose money. So in the respect of 'losing money' I am not entirely agreeing that someone would... unless it was made very badly, or was just a 'run of the mill' type of guitar which was 'average'. I never really made any money from those two though. But making one is something of the reason for buying the parts. It is all so easy just to buy one off the shelf... I have bought loads probably like you. But when you build one and those parts are very carefully turned in to EXACTLY what you want to make then things are surely different and it's a primary reason I have so many. I don't intend selling them any time soon. Getting the exact parts that you want, (or even dream of in some cases) and creating the final instrument and how it turns out is generally in your own hands. It's not really rocket science, but could be hard for some guys I admit. Making the videos hopefully inspires guys to 'have a go' and I think that is important and a great reason to build the guitar also. As you say, they are 'go to' guitars because really a part of 'you' is in them, and you will remember each and every aspect of making those guitars probably forever. It's a great experience when you have finished, it plays wonderfully, and literally looks like $10,000 dollars :) So I'm with you on the reasons.
Thanks for the info Chris... there are great necks out there of course from some other makers. I use Warmoth because of what you see in the video - and absolutely not because of the price which is high. Warmoth used to be worse on necks some years ago but of recent times they have undoubtedly improved to what you see here. But good to know about the MusiKraft stuff especially from someone who has used them and recommends them... Always good to get that info posted on here... and thanks for watching.
Hi Marcus, I can't disagree with you. I have bought quite a lot of parts from them and for me they always came up with the goods. AND they are USA made :). Stay safe.
Great question. It is certainly not an Ibanez equivalent for sure. I would relate it (just a personal opinion) similar to the Fender elite neck whatever is on there. It's also not a PRS wide thin neck either - my old 91 PRS had that neck and that was no Ibanez but I would say its sort of in the same area as this neck re feel. It's hard to really equate some of those necks (by brand) profiles really - the most different is clearly the Ibanez which really IS thin. Hope it helps and stay safe.
Lovely looking neck Tony, don’t understand the dot problem as loads of PRS’s come with abalone birds. Also to adjust the TR looks like you still have pull off the neck as the side adjuster is within the 4 bolts?
Incorrect! watch here at the guitar : ua-cam.com/video/cz4pi-gGSbI/v-deo.htmlm40s and you can clearly see its adjustable. But it was a good point I was saving for later :) They stopped me buying the neck with 'mother of pearl' (description of theirs) for that reason stated. Apparently its the 'in thing' to watch for now. Maybe others will do the same? We shall see. Thanks for watching.
You know, you are right. Gold and black work well... I never considered that, although I know that they do go well as gold and black... Thanks for watching Erik
Oh yes it does. There are no corners cut on a neck like this one. I have not tried the really 'cheap' Warmoth necks but I doubt there are quality issues. I have bought from them for many years and never seen quality issues ever. Thanks for watching and stay safe.
I have also looked at Mighty Mite necks and bodies and scarily I'm in the UK too :) But I have yet to find an MM neck that comes close to the one on this video. MM are lower cost and I expect to get a lower cost neck when I buy from them. That's what I pay for! With this neck however, I bought a very high end neck and that's what I got. It's a little unfair to criticise the shipping though and as for the greedy government and their 20% VAT because we're part of Europe that's an altogether another matter. I recently found another guy in the UK www.guitarbuild.co.uk who has stock products and custom products and will make custom guitar parts if anyone needs them. I bought a walnut 62 type Stratocaster body for just £140.00 or thereabouts and its particularly good. Warmoth would have been substantially more expensive for sure so your point about lower cost parts is not lost on me either. But what I will say is that Warmoth is (and has been) the best place that I can buy highest quality authorised parts of in the world. That might change and certainly costs are not low for those parts. I have never shimmed a single Warmoth neck or body btw... Thanks.
I have many Warmoth necks and bodies. You can get done really exotic woods for a great price. I have an ebony on wenge neck on a koa strat. Ipe on Limba strat neck. Padauk tele neck. Pau ferro on Goncalo Alvez strat neck. All rosewood tele neck. Tulipwood on canary 12 string neck. Every neck is great quality and i don't care about resale as i am not going to sell any of my guitars.
Thanks for the info about your experiences Chris with Warmoth. I like them too. I have had necks (particularly over three years ago) that had issues with frets, finish etc. but these days they seem to be near enough spot on. When I fitted this neck and did all of the checks recently (coming up over the next day or so) there was no need for fret levelling of any kind... that was amasing to see and the first Warmoth neck that has been that way. I did the fret ends, quick adjustment and it flew on to the guitar. Best Warmoth neck I have ever had. Sounds like you have had some nice stuff there. I would not 'write off' the resale value either. Some guys do say second hand value is useless, but that's all down to what the guitar and specifications and indeed the playability come down to and I don't think for one second that I would lose money if I was to sell the Warmoth based guitars that I own. I won't sell them of course, but I'm more than confident that its money well spent for sure. Thanks for watching too!
Resale value is not why you build up a guitar from parts. The Warmoth bass I built tops $1K easily in parts alone. My labor? No guess but there is plenty. I just got new pups for it...$200. I could have bought a nice used Fender but wanted to do it myself. Love the action and tone.
450-550 US. can’t wait to see the finished. I almost want to go to $600 or better. You’ve put together some of top tier guitars I’ve seen from anyone sourcing their parts. ✌🏻🎸
Too low for this one. Glad you liked the videos of the guitar builds. I try really hard to show stuff in different ways with different parts and this new one when it arrives is no different in that respect. Pickups that most will never have seen let alone heard of, a body that is exceptional, but I still did include some regular Fender stuff and designs in the mix, so I end up with a Fender Strat style, but more of a bite in more ways than one. Waiting for the parts and body... and thanks for watching.
tonymckenziecom haha I hear ya loud and clear. I do not doubt for a minute I was to low. That neck is a one of a kind and yep I’m lucky someone’s willing to show (&tell) it. Much of your stuff is incredibly top tier and your right. I wouldn’t have known about much of the acquirements if you had not shared it. Very cool of ya. Thanks again Chief from Little Rock Arkansas USA.
@@tonymckenzieofficial they are uk based and seem a similar quality to warmoth. Im in the process of getting parts together for a build and was put off from ordering from across the pond in case of an issue. Plus import tax and all that. Sheltered life..yeah right! Haha
Post a link if you have one... it should be useful to lots of guys. I have also bought from guitarbuild.co.uk and while that's not really the same as Warmoth and less 'fancy' they do make an exact 62 body ;-) thanks.
Warmoth states right on their site that "all neck will requiring crowing and dressing" to play adequately. So you must be prepared to do it yourself or to spend the extra $ to get it done for you. Its not an option..its a "Must"...in order for the neck to play accurately and to accommodate your your set-up.
That's a true statement of course... they DO say that on their site. From experience I have found 'some' of their necks reasonable without all of that and some a must to do work on. They seem to have improved substantially from say five years ago though and back then there was a lot to do and now in general less to do. Good point and thanks for watching.
nice video,good infos,thanks a lot.Isnt it better if the neck is one peace of wood?Otherwise a neck with a rosewood fingerboard is traditional good as a one peace alder neck...so whats better?
I specifically bought this neck because of the roasted maple and also its figuring for a build I have in mind. I could have bought any wood made neck you are right, but this was the one for my project as I see it. Roasted maple needs no finish firstly, whereas if it was rosewood and alder it would need finishing which changes the feel of the neck when playing quite dramatically depending on which finish is applied. Of course I could have bought a one piece neck of roasted maple... but then maybe not the same figuring that this one has, and I guess that the rosewood/alder you mentioned is also a two piece so I don't see any real difference in that way, except that figuring and, the 10-16 radius, the gold frets and the secondary truss rod adjuster I liked too. It really al comes down to what the builder sees as the final instrument BEFORE it is made, because without that foresight you might well end up with a guitar with little meaning or sound. I know exactly what I want from this guitar and how it will look and sound before I screw a single part together. There is no other way IMO. You had some good points there - and you can buy a neck far cheaper than this one... but it all comes back to what the objective of the build is... and for me this was exactly the right neck. Thanks for the info and for watching.
Not sure if your statement about "mother of pearl" is correct but, Abalone is FOR SURE from a animal and the harvesting of it is kind of a big deal especially in the United States. Thanks Tony! Always enjoy your stuff.
It must be a new thing... 'Mother of Pearl' I guess is part of the shell of an animal... seems they have something going on there about it. Never had a problem before. Thanks for watching.
Thank you, ive heard earvana couple of times. How could the grain along the neck goes from side to side while the grain on the headstock goes top to bottom?
The 'grain on the headstock goes the same way as the rest of the neck. The 'Figuring' of the roasted maple goes top down... this neck I still have and its pretty cool. You should check the guitar I fitted it to here: ua-cam.com/video/x7q4YlqWeco/v-deo.html that is part two of the video but there is playing also at the end etc. A really great guitar. Hope you like it... and thanks.
hey tony i'm curious how the build is going , i recently saw a pro strat build using MJT body , US CUSTOM GUITARS neck, CALLAHAM bridge and DON MARE vintage strat pickup set , add all that up , pretty amazing guitar at very compelling price point , it just bugs me why none of the corporate builders use stainless neck inserts when the additional cost would be minimal , but neck screw torque specifications go from 7.5 to 13 plus ft pounds , significantly increasing neck strength , sustain etc
The build is waiting for the body and other parts currently. Next video will be the body. I usually try and use different things for my guitar build (and/or wiring etc.) but sometimes not. This next one does have some things I have never used before... particular wood body top and particular pickups, along with likely wiring things. I also think it does work well if you're making a guitar from parts to get the exact 'idea' correct before you buy anything... then have a shopping list - which is what I did on this next one. I have not checked on the stainless steel stuff as you described, but like you say it's probably peanuts difference in costs. That's the same for many things though that I see and sometimes I wonder why a (for example) crappy switch was fitted and the real deal would have been so much better. Good point... and thanks for watching.
Warmoth only install the frets they never dress them , the big plus is that they do this so well that often you could use it as is with no fret dress. This is a testament to how good they are . All Warmoth necks should have the frets dressed and the ends rounded by you, this is in no way any fault. Big premium these days on fancy woods so £400. I've been using them since the late 80s.
I agree that they don't do the fret dressing and never have. It used to be a pain to do them, but these days whatever has changed is much for the better. They used to be horrible a few years ago. Price is wrong :) with the dreaded shipping and everything else the price is pretty way off from there... but I don't mind this neck will be incredible for the body. Thanks for posting the info... loads will see your input and that's always a good thing. Thanks for watching too.
I really like the look of darker roasted maple necks. I think Reverend Guitars uses those entirely now? I really dislike the look of pale maple fretboard necks.
$507:00 USA 🇺🇸 or £394:00 UK 🇬🇧. According to the Warmouth web site Like you say, “you gets what you pay for”. Looking forward to watching a new build. 👍🏻
Too low on the pricing... it was an expensive neck for sure... but I do think that if you put together really great parts the sum of the parts is often more than them alone when its finished. Waiting for parts and body but wont be too long. Thanks for watching as always.
You're right!. The camera is not that easy to use actually and the gains of 4K are hardly there when I add the extensive file sizes, the awkwardness of that particular camera etc. so I might sell it and go back to Sony. Thanks for watching.
Nice neck Tony,one of the best I've seen. Also your camera has a Yellowish tint. A little to dark also.No worries I'm sure you could fix that.Great video regardless.👍🎸
Those Warmouth necks are just as much as the Fender necks. One like yours is $699USD.That's half the price of a new Performer series Strats. But if your looking for that one neck that you have to have this is the one.🎸✌
Oh I know... but they don't seem to have them like this at Fender :) But to get a 'Fender' guitar like I built with this neck it would be many thousands for sure... probably more than three of them :) Stay safe bob.
The camera did... it was when I first bought it... I got past the yellow tint mode :). Today it makes wonderful 4K videos and I might revisit this neck (but stuck on the guitar) at some stage. Thanks.
@@tonymckenzieofficial You bet, I got lucky on one Strat I bought used , a Vintage white Strat Deluxe player series,Texas specials with the 6 way tone switch and a beautiful flamed neck and flamed laminate fret board.Not a roasted neck but it looks like a Ocean wave as you move around.One of the best necks I've seen on a stock guitar.Wish I had 10 more I'd change all my necks. Good luck on your build. 👍🎸
Bob its finished here: ua-cam.com/video/x7q4YlqWeco/v-deo.html and here: ua-cam.com/video/8vQVXy1Q7TI/v-deo.html (trem) and here: ua-cam.com/video/1y4vNlrgCJc/v-deo.html (fishman pickups) hope you like it - and I made a recent video on the resonance too which was exceptional in length here: ua-cam.com/video/sBlx5L1KZgQ/v-deo.html not sure if you're getting those... but this particular guitar with this neck ended up probably one of the best I completed... and yes sounds like you struck gold there on the one you bought. Decent necks are not that common especially figured ones - there are Chinese ones but honestly from my experience really bad. Good to hear you Bob... and stay safe.
Warmoth makes good stuff. That's a nice piece of wood. Could that be in the 7ish range? I have to admit, i have no idea why you like that truss rod miasma. You have to loose off the strings, unscrew the neck screws, twist, put it back together and possibly repeat. It seems like a nightmare compared to an accessible truss rod at the nut. And with that neck being brittle as you pointed out, I'd think you want to not touch those screws as much as possible. Why do you like layout?
Indeed it was. And even higher when you add the shipping and TAX at 20%. Actually the truss rod micro adjuster is really useful. You can see here: ua-cam.com/video/cz4pi-gGSbI/v-deo.htmlm31s that in fact you do NOT have to unscrew the neck at all... you do slack the strings, but that's a million times better than having to remove a neck for the truss rod adjustment. Remember that a 62 specification neck (just as an example) has the adjuster at the body end... so while there are plenty of necks out there that do have the adjuster at the headstock, there are many that don't, including all those reissues that Fender make ad infinitum. The Gotoh micro adjuster certainly IS an innovation that actually does work and it does not impede small adjustments no matter what wood is used on the neck and the neck screws can generally stay in position unless there is a massive adjustment to make. Typically I adjust the neck once, set the micro adjuster in the middle and then final adjust when the neck is fitted and won't be removed again. These were great points, but if you have not used one they are questions that I would expect someone to ask. Hopefully this helps to answer those. Thanks for watching.
Indeed it is, but this one IS expensive. They have loads of high quality for less price though depending on the figuring you choose... and some 'specials' that are always great prices. Thanks for watching and the body will be awesome :)
Tony: Nice video. I too will be purchasing 4k cameras. (Next year). That being said, You Tube limits all video to 1080p. Secondly, NO BROWSER supports 4k. Some phones are 4k, and monitors for p.c.'s and laptops, go back and forth about pixel and refresh rates. Unless the T.V is being used for a monitor, and is over 40" diagonal class, 4k is useless. I will be using a Samsung 50" class next year, 4k. Apple phones in the U.S. are 5k, but still no browser support
Yes I understand. I saw the 1080 below. But if the video is made in 4K later I will not ever have to go back to it (at least while I'm around!) and watch poor quality video as often that IS the case in my archives. I have every single video still and the first, when I go back and look are not the quality that they should be. You raised a great point and one I rapidly are learning about 4K. It's problems are myriad... the camera is a pro camera, but using it effectively for 4K is hard. I make often long videos and this simple 20 minute video (short for me) is 2.5Gb of compiled video footage. Had it been 1920 then the size would likely have been less than 500Mb or so. Maybe UA-cam will update that maximum resolution sometime, the storage is these days so cheap. But all great points... I read your post at least four times! and for anyone with the 4k want... then you show the real state of play. Thanks for watching... and maybe I'll up the frames per second and reduce to 2048 or something....
Thank you Tony. To be clear, I love that you are shooting in 4k, and like you, I'm hoping that by doing so, someday the browsers and You Tube will upgrade, and I will already be ready. I would hate to make a music video, and then 5 years down the road, the new format requires a re-shoot.To your followers, buying a 4k on a streaming service like Amazon, is a waste of your money. Nothing on the internet streams in 4k.
If you mean Fat Boy IOW I have bought from him and he does have good stuff for sure. If not IOW Fat Boy then there's two :) (probably me and him :) Thanks for the info and for watching...
In reality, this neck was actually pre-made. The body on the other hand is custom and hence the wait. Yes, believe it or not this neck was there for anyone to buy. I tend NOT to buy custom necks from Warmoth personally because if you wait around a while you can get pre made at a lower cost than if you opted for the custom made neck. Having said that, this neck is exactly what I would have ordered spec wise and the only singular difference I would have chosen was (originally) mother of pearl inlays. But to be honest I really do like the neck with the black markers on it better since I received it. Here's the specs: Roasted Flame Maple. Roasted Flame Maple Fretboard. 1 11/16 Nut Width. Standard Thin Profile. GD6150 Gold Colour Fret Wire. Schaller 25/64 Tuner Ream. 22 Frets, Compound Radius 10 to 16. Black Face Dots. Black Side Dots. Graphtech Black TUSQ XL - Earvana Nut. No Finish. 25 1/2 Scale Length. Standard 4 Bolt Fixing. UPS Worldwide Shipping. There are necks on Warmoth all the time and sometimes if you stay watching over time you can grab a 'special' neck... but be warned, if you decide to get it 'tomorrow' often when you come back its gone! You CAN custom order the necks, but are limited (so I believe) to the type and figuring of the wood - however, unlike the custom bodies you can't choose the exact wood. As I said the body is a completely different story... so my advice is to wait until you see 'your' neck. I watched for weeks to get this one... it's sister they declined to supply because of the 'mother of pearl' inlay and that I was outside of the USA. Thanks for watching.
Beautiful necks. Quite expensive though. They are the best no doubt. My guess is $450. You're right that they cost more than many complete guitars. That's why I don't have any! Maybe someday.
For this neck you are in fact wildly out. Sorry about that :) I think it was around 700... very expensive I agree, but I could not find a nicer neck from anywhere. Thanks.
u should try out the neck from crimson guitar they started selling kit guitars made by english lutiers the neck is aorund 270 euros guessing it be around 220 pound for uk professional made with ebony fretbord maple neck and silver nickel frets
Hi Jay, Thanks for the info. Of course I have heard of Crimson and they do have some very useful stuff especially if you assemble guitars. I have not tried them for the necks or bodies but I'll bear that in mind and maybe create a guitar in some review... Thanks for the info as I did not know they were making kits - although I prefer to choose the parts personally more often than not as I did with this neck. Thanks.
@@tonymckenzieofficial yeah ofc i understand that and im happy to inform you they ahvent done it for a long time they doing it fairly recently so they went form only tele and strat to now prs ish style and single cut maybe in the future they will expand but sitll for somone maybe who wants a high quality british guitar parts for a amazing price its still fun deffenetly a upgrade from other off brand part makers and also more easy for people inside the eu that cant affort shipping and other expenses from getting parts from america wich is my problem and some other peoples warmoth sure makes insane stuff ive seen but their a company thats just build around that versitility idea kinda like carvin was untill they went to kiesel and everything got a bit more pricey anyways been watching u for years and forgot to re sub on my new youtube accound so when ic ame across this i was like oh nice now i can re sub haha have a good one mate
@@Jay-rd6fe Oh I agree... the shipping costs and the tax are horrible to the UK or Europe from the USA. Anyone that will make the Warmoth level of component here in the UK or Europe for less than the total Warmoth costs is on a winner.
I think that the neck iza $500 piece of flamed beauty! The figure is Outrageous !! And U could legit put a fender side decal on it... IF it were mine I'd ginish it with Tru oil imo.
@@tonymckenzieofficial hay. awsom neck, i can tell buy your accent your from the uk wich is grat becuse i have been saving up to get a custom CBS warmoth strat neck, but the problem is that i have no way of noing how mutch duty (customs inport tax) ill have to pay on top, it would be a god send if you could give me a ruff idea of how much it usually costs to get a neck through uk customs? thanks
Yes I'm from the UK.... but Ha don't hold it against me :) The costs on the Warmoth gear are typically 20% for VAT. Then there's the shipping (get that from Warmoth). Also there's a very sneaky charge of about £18.50 from the post office in the UK for 'clearance' fees. Those clearance fees are simply a joke... but only until you have to pay it! I did not see any import duty on the Warmoth parts so that should be it... and of course the price of whatever you buy. NOTE: They work out the VAT on the TOTAL landed price... so for example £200 for a neck, £45 for the shipping, total 245.00 x 20% equals the VAT. You pay the total!. Not cheap, but I have yet to find ANY company over in the UK that had a neck like that one. Thanks and I hope it helps.
It was very expensive and cost more... it was at their top end of choices for the woods and finish etc. that I wanted. They make cheaper ones, but I have a specific idea for the guitar re looks and so it did matter to me. It will play well I believe. Thanks for watching.
You know - I don't know why they don't use the Norwegian spruce... the scientific paper confirmed that it is the most resonant wood. Anyone that has an answer to that please post below! Stay safe.
Well there are many that can often 'talk the talk' so to speak. I always think that speaking with someone that has actually done this would be the best answer because anything else is entirely anecdotal. I'm not convinced about the absorbed by the wood itself if the wood is the most resonant? That does not add up....
I have one and it is good. But the fretboard edges are sharp (the wood is not rolled) and there is no fret work at all besides edges beveled. I'm currently looking at a Musikraft neck instead as they do it all, but they cost more.
The fret ends are not finished when they supply the necks. You should finish those (and the sharp wood sides between the frets) for the best results. I will be doing some of that when I get to the build stage in video three... just to show what I did. I'm grateful for the comment. The Warmoth ones are not cheap (for one like this neck) so if Musikraft are more expensive than this Warmoth then they really should be finished. But these should too ;-) Thanks for watching.
I saw that too... was recorded with tungsten house lights and was auto but seemed wrong... too late for this one but I'll work on that. This was the first 4k video I have made and boy those files are huge... 2.5GB for 20 minutes! Thanks for letting me know and thanks for watching.
They are made of pretty wood but they don't make a one piece neck. I will never buy another until they do as I hate glued on maple fretboards. I bought a Birdseye maple bass neck from them a few years back and paid $275 for it. I like the action but It feels funny compared to my one piece Fender. They are flawless but two pieces of maple. You can specify how much figure you want in the wood and the price goes up as you push the figuring. I got the walnut body from them as well and walnut is my favorite body for bass now. If they go one piece I may use them again. My PRS swamp ash special has a glued on maple fretboard and I am growing to dislike that. I got abalone dots on mine and they put them on wrong as you can't see them when playing; the grain on abalone is funny that way. You can see the black dots on a maple fretboard very easily compared to MOP or abalone. Rant off.
True its not a one piece. Yes they do indeed get expensive if you want one looking like this one was. Ha rant off :) I like it. Actually the two piece does not bother me but we're all different. Thanks for watching
Forget the resale value. If you buy a Warmoth neck, it's for keeps. I got 4 of them, one since 1985. Did not move a mm. Stable, great sounding, maximum playability, smooth frets that last a lifetime. I've got birdseye maple, Pau Ferro and Mahogany. The last one has been personalized in my name: needless to say I don't intend to sell it ! Best playing & sounding neck on a Tele (Thinline). Coupled with splittable Seymour Duncans SH-2, you get the whole palette of tones you will ever need.
I agree. Resale can be achieved, but if you were to make an 'average' or low cost guitar out of bottom end parts then exactly, the guitar won't achieve a favourable resale value. I have sold two ever, and for those I did get my money back. But they were high end guitar specs. Sounds like you have some great necks there... thanks for posting how you find these necks because guys that have bought and used them show how good or bad a product generally is. And thanks for watching too.
Hey I'm still alive and kicking and I just had this video pop up in My UA-cam feed. I'm in LOVE with the Roasted Maple Neck. That's actually a Roasted Flamed Maple Neck right? I LOVE those necks due to them being more stable then other woods. I also LOVE their Warmoth Warhead Guitar Headstock.
Hi Steve, good to know you're still there - with all this virus stuff around too! Be careful about that and stay safe. This is probably the best neck I have ever bought from anywhere... I used it to create a really great guitar here: ua-cam.com/video/KguqdJ4rvdM/v-deo.html it's a series about that guitar - you might have seen it - probably the best guitar I completed and I used lots of stuff that was high end and honestly really a great result. Watch it if you have time, there are two parts if I remember correctly. In any case... good to hear you :)
@@tonymckenzieofficial Tony I will definitely watch them. I meant I'm still alive and kicking because I suffer from Stage 4 Inoperable Double Lung Cancer. Yeah the Coronavirus Pandemic is crazy and I'm trying like Hell not to catch it.
My apologies - I remember I think you told me that before Steve - but I forgot about that. Well whatever, I wish you well Steve and really be careful about that darned virus. I watch the USA (not sure where you are) and other places where people are gathering and just a personal view, but that sort of gathering is sure to 'help' the virus along a little... the wrong way most likely. Let's hope they get the solution for it sooner than later... its a horrible disease. Regards...
@@tonymckenzieofficial Tony I live in West Central Illinois. It's 3 1/2 Hours Southwest of Chicago and 37-40 minutes Southwest of Springfield, Illinois.
Ah got it... I do go to the USA off and on (but not right now) but never been to Illinois - the USA is a really big place :) Nearest I got (other than Chicago) was Reynoldsburg Ohio ... not sure if its even that near but maybe sort of :). A long time ago I went there. More often LA, Dallas, Florida... that sort of thing really. In any case take care Steve.
Without the Pearl dots... $299. Delivered. By the way, is it one solid piece of Maple? Clean fit and finish! Love it! I wanna go Warmoth on an old Aria bass body
It is actually a two piece neck/fretboard. Custom made at Warmoth and I hate to say it that you might just pay the UK tax and shipping for that :) Warmoth are very good, but they are expensive for sure.
@@christianscott6891 Ha Christian... wrong! Over a year ago I bought it but I think over $600 plus ship and tax. Expensive - but actually one of the best necks I have.
Does that count? Ha... No I'm just joking around... Gecko are a pretty cool brand and made well enough from what I have seen. I'm no bass player so can't say what they are like.. but as an owner that's good feedback and thanks for the post. Thanks for watching too.
If I'm paying £500+ and then shipping to the UK plus import tax and import VAT I would like the hole where the truss rod has been installed to be clean and not look like it has some tears or dents from the factory installing it.
I had no problems whatsoever in paying that price in the UK plus the tax etc. It's simply that you can't find a neck like this in the UK for the price I paid for this neck. Am I in the least bothered about some truss rod hole? of course not. But fair enough point it could bother some people. I wonder if you saw the completed finished guitar? That might help a little, its here: ua-cam.com/video/x7q4YlqWeco/v-deo.html it's pretty unique, has features that others don't have and is the best strat style of guitar I have ever owned including the many Fender guitars I have had since about 1972. Thanks for watching Nick and stay safe.
@@tonymckenzieofficial I think the finished guitar looks amazing! I'm not having a pop at you BTW, I just think that if you pay that kind of money for a specific item that is supposed to be the best of the best, then I'd want a fit and finish to match the price tag. Yes the truss rod hole can be refinished but hey if I'd just paid around £600+ for just a neck I shouldn't need to have to correct Warmoth's sloppy production values, they should've got it bang on right in the first place!
No I understand and you have a point for sure. I am very picky and I saw that when I unwrapped the neck but it's way too much aggravation to even bother returning the neck for me. That's the UK thing. It looked like a splinter had lifted somehow in production but they did not fix that. Had I been in the USA I would have pursued that further. But for me, this specific neck was chosen because of the final guitar and what exactly I had in mind. Its matching to the body I think was really nice. Like I said its a fair point and I understand you for sure. Its a good thing to point out anything you see really and I like to see that for the most part from guys that actually mean well - I know you did ;-)
@@tonymckenzieofficial We all want to build our dream guitar (to what ever budget we can extend to) so with that in mind our fussiness, OCD should kick in to a certain degree. That said at the end of the day it's how the thing sounds and the feeling of satisfaction it gives you when you play it that really matters. Enjoy the beautiful guitar and make some amazing and memorable music with it. All the best to you and yours.
I agree that Warmoth are not cheap. But finding a neck like the one shown is very difficult and I don't see Fender with anything like it, custom shop or not. My view is that on a guitar neck that you generally get what you pay for... but that does cost. I also sometimes use Jeff Beck Fender necks that are really nice, but constructed of different materials. Thanks.
Hi Tony, Excellent Video, absolutely beautiful Neck, at a guess I would say $550.00US??? I recently bought an Allparts Lic Fender Neck, Maple SMO Fat from that Fender parts Store on eBay, you know the one, cost $200AU shipped, luckily it was made in Japan, nowhere near as pretty as Roasted Maple though. You made a Video on the Fender Elite and pointed out a gap at the Bridge near the Tremolo arm hole, anyway I built one from that Seller and once built there was no gap, but when I looked at my USA Deluxe Strat there was a gap?? Great to see you, take care, looking forward to parts 2 and 3. Melbourne, Australia.
You are wrong on the price. $200AU shipped is a great price for any reasonable neck. The Elite did have that 'hole' but also I checked my 2008 Fender USA Strat and that has one too. I noticed in the stores that it seemed to depend on the finish... e.g. (for elite strats) solid colours seemed to have less of a 'hole'. Who know s why. It is a weird phenomenon and once you know about it then you can't stop looking! Melbourne... man a long way away... but thanks for stopping by its always appreciated and of course thanks for watching.
tonymckenziecom , You are Spot on , the Elite is in Mystic Black, The 2012 Deluxe is Metallic Sunset, pretty colour and the one with the gap, you are right Tony, I just don't get it??? Take care Mate🤘. Melbourne, Australia.
I can't decide between a Warmoth or a Fender Custom Shop. It's neck and neck.
Sorry.
Brilliant. :)
I have been a fender player primarily, for almost 30 years. Warmoth website is worth a look. About 3 years ago, I received my Indian Rosewood quarter sawn one piece strat neck, and a chambered black korina strat body. This is the most comfortable and hands down the best guitar I have played. It is gorgeous as well. The neck was perfect. I didn't need to do anything to it.
Yes they do make some really cool necks. Thanks.
I have two Custom Shop necks and I've bought and sold half a dozen warmoth necks... If Warmoth had a few extra features, I would've held onto them, but they're behind on the finer details with radius and thicknesses. Other than that, they're great builds and considerably cheaper than the Custom Shops I have, and best for most people.
If you get both, people will be rubber-necking to get a glimpse!
Hey Bryant Crawford - thanks for the post I really appreciated what you have to say to that guy. I can't contact you Brian and I can't post it as is because of the language you used ;-) but don't worry too much about that episode with him... I've been around too long for it to bother me. Thanks for watching.
Built a Strat using one of their necks a couple of years back and having built guitars using "Fender Licensed" necks from other manufacturers, am totally convinced that Warmoth makes the best necks out there, hands down! Had it custom made, roasted maple, abalone dots, with a straight 12" radius and 6105 stainless frets and it only set me back $385.00 U.S. Worth every penny!
Thanks for posting about how you found Warmoth. I'm pretty much the same as you really and I also find their necks to be exceptional compared to some others I have tried. Thanks for watching.
Played aftermarket necks of all kinds...allparts, warmouth, mighty mite, you name it and I can comfortably say the best I’ve come across is usacg.
They don’t finish their necks. You have to do it yourself (which I prefer anyway) but their carves are amazing (specifically their soft v shapes...good god), their stability is rock solid, they’ll fit tightly into any neck pocket, their fret and inlay work is fabulous.
I finished mine in tru oil with nitrocellulose on the headstock and the thing is an absolutely second to none strat neck. Done any other way, it would’ve cost well upwards of $1000....I’m sure of it.
I did not know that brand (ha with me coming from the backwater of the UK :) But thanks for posting this comment. There are some very good makers out there and clearly I have not tried every last neck! Of the necks I have tried though these days Warmoth tops them... even Fender in some ways although the Jeff Beck necks take some beating.... pity those are not figured as this one is. Thanks for watching.
You should give them a shot on one of your builds, Tony. There are other guys who’ll back me up on this. USACG is pretty well known among strat dorks in the states and have a reputation for being about as good as it gets for custom strat necks.
Indeed I will take a look and consider them for the next one I build (if I do build one) you are the second guy to mention them... so I will check it.
Warmoth necks are absolutely incredible. I rebuilt a Squire Strat with mine and it’s been my number 1 guitar for over ten years now.
I also have friends that put Warmoth necks on their Basses. It’s like you are getting a several thousand dollar instrument for maybe $400 more than a regular model.
Absolutely true.... this one was more of course, but try and buy a Fender one from Fender - you can't. Thanks for watching.
As soon as the Chinese start Pleking their necks it's all over for Warmoth.
It's ALL about the neck these days! It's the main thing that makes one guitar better than another.
@@joeking433Chinese don’t take the time to dry the wood properly , not everybody wants torrified maple , I have warmoth necks from the 90’s that are still stable and play great . There price will go up if they pay 150,000 dollars for a plek machine .
Great review of the neck. One suggestion that I might recommend is to adjust your white balance in you video as everything looks orange/yellow from the lights used. This would help show off the details better and be more accurate to what you see in person. Keep up the great videos.
Hi Ryan, you're probably correct on that one. I have been looking at getting lighting for the videos to make them better - but my wife... Ha she would throw a wobbler with lighting over everywhere... trust me on this! I have of more recent times adjusted the white balance, but I don't always get consistent video tones - probably because the room light changes from the windows... but maybe I'll take another look. Thanks for the info and for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficial you may be able to adjust the white balance either in camera or in post production. I have no idea what camera or post production software you use but most have the capability. I know how the wife can be, she hasn't found out about my new tele yet....😟
@@Ryan.Chapman Yes I can do that in post or the camera, but usually post. Trouble is it is still variable. Latest videos I did it in post... but I still need the lamps I think. In any case thanks for the info... and watch that wife...
I have 3 Warmoth necks and they are decent. I purchased a Musikraft neck recently though and it blew me away. not sure if you can get their stuff across the pond but if you can, you should give it a try. they seem to have a lot more customizations available and they offer graphite reinforcement rods, and the quality is phenomenal. they can get significantly more expensive, depending on the options you choose, but the quality reflects the price in my opinion. I had them build me a neck that was completely custom profile and all and it was $750. it’s quartersawn maple, Ebony, fingerboard, skunk stripe and plug, stainless frets, brass side dots, brass nut and oil finish. I think, even though these might not be your preferred specifications, you would agree they are all premium upgrades and for that price I feel like this neck is amazing. I have attempted to have other manufacturers make me a thin Ibanez type of neck and it never turns out well. These guys nailed it, and the neck feels super solid, almost as if it were a original Ibanez wizard neck, which is a super solid neck itself. definitely the place you want to go if you want full out custom at a reasonable price.
I have not tried a Musikraft neck myself, but I believe you :) and posting your experience is something I always like to see from viewers because it helps many. All sounds interesting and you should post a link to their site... and thanks for watching.
Musikraft and WD is also worth checking out. I played a WD neck for years and was very happy with it.
Well thanks for the post on those - probably all good gear... and thanks for watching too.
Tony I must say my go to neck for years has been Warmoth, but recently for Strat style Necks, Locke Custom Guitars has Won me over. Known for his Near Perfect Van Halen Bodies and Neck reproductions, I ordered his 78 Neck and have never seen fretwork this good ever, and the work was so good, instead of using neck for a Build I had scheduled, decided I am ordering one of his GMore Bodies to partner to it. since I know you also value Craftsmanship and Quality, you need to check out how Amazing this Small American Company is.
Thanks for this info. I am ALWAYS looking for great suppliers when it comes down to parts and sadly there are not that many IMO. Warmoth was one and may still be, but I think the ravages of the pandemic have hit them from what I see of the website these days. Come back and post a link if you can... and that way its beneficial to everyone including the company. Thanks for watching too...
I have warmoth necks on 3 of my 60s fenders and on a 12 string tele. All 4 necks are fantastic.
Some don't like them but to be honest I think they are great too! Thanks...
I have purchsed a Musikraft neck and i'm very happy with it. My Start body was made by Warmoth and it's alright but a bit too heavy for my taste.
I always check the weights! Good point and one I should always mention really. Thanks for the info on Musikraft too...
I have built a bunch of guitars with Warmoth neck and body. They turn out equally as good as any Fender CS I have played.
Oh I agree. I have a number of them too and all pretty spot on. Thanks for watching.
'Where Hendrix came from.' Instant thumbs up.
Indeed :). Thanks and stay safe.
I was thinking about you and there you are! Look great my friend and those necks are everything you say and more. I have a close copy of a David Gilmore Black Strat. It was the same until I put one of those neck on. I like it better and plays much better. I have been off for a time cause I have a bit of cancer. I worked with nasty chemicals and came and found. Take care and I love your videos.
Hey Kevin.... I sincerely trust you are on the right side of those health problems. I have been there myself and it's all really hard to deal with I think. Do let me know how you go on with that Kevin.... and I really wish you well.
The necks are great these days for sure... I appreciate your viewing the video... and the best to you.
What does 🚮 mean?
I have 5 strat necks from unfortunately defunct USACG. They had fantastic direct customer service, and impeccable attention to detail. They were bought out, the site is still up, but i believe they no longer produce anything
Sounds bad... and it is. Problem is, I guess, that the market is that competitive it could be hard to make it pay... Thanks for the post and for watching too.
Tony, I picked up a mint used warmoth strat at gc with the compound radius maple/rosewood neck, Schaller locking tuners, mohogany chambered body, flamed maple top, American fender bridge, three bill lawrence rails pups and a highend hardcase for a ridiculous price of $200 usd. You can't build a decent guitar for that money and it plays/sounds fantastic! Definitely a keeper. Love your humor, keep the vids coming. Greetings from Florida.
See, some people don't see the value in Warmoth. Those pickups alone would cost more than that, let alone the case. I have said to others on here that over the years I sold only two of my Warmoth guitars but I never lost money like that - I did not make money, but that was never the idea when I made them. I guess maybe the USA has different values for Warmoth. Even getting the parts to the UK costs a fortune and then there's 20% (yes 20) tax on the top which is really painful.
But There is no doubt that guys like GC see no value in them... maybe it's because they don't sell the parts or finished guitars from new. I could guess that they would have a different view then.
Yes like you, I really like the Warmoth stuff and I'm pretty sure I'll keep mine. I was asked at one time to build a guitar for a really famous band (I won't name them as it was a confidential discussion) but I opted against doing that because I don't build them commercially but just for myself really. In any case I know they would likely have paid good money if that had been my reason for building guitars. I don't need the money really. So I never did do it. But I did sell one to Glenn Proudfoot and he could really make that guitar play... an incredible player and it shows just how good a Warmoth guitar can sound in the hands of a really brilliant player like he is. Link is here: ua-cam.com/video/FogNP5nQvc4/v-deo.html and I guess that's the best its ever been played :)
Florida is a great place to be and I go there probably once a year but sometimes other USA places depending on work... enjoy... trust me, its better than here... although the police can be quick to pull you over :) they got me a couple of years ago... Thanks for watching and those kind words.
@@tonymckenzieofficial to be honest the gc clerk said that since it didn't have a logo on the headstock they couldn't price it according to the parts used to build. I guess I lucked out! Anyway takecare my friend.
Thanks for that snippet... useful in it's own way.
You really lucked out! That’s the odd thing: Warmoth guitars have almost no resell value. If you find one at a store definitely check it out.
I also thnk it depends on the exact build of the Warmoth guitar. I could guess that some of mine in the UK would fetch more than the USA market. I only sold one to date and that was to a brilliant artist guitarist - and he had no issues in paying a good but fair price for the guitar. But I get this comment and its a pity because often the Warmoth stuff can be better than the 'original'. Thanks.
I was looking at guitar parts, thinking about a future build. I saw these roasted flame maple necks by Warmoth and they were the most gorgeous pieces of maple in a neck that I've ever seen! I would love to be able to afford one some day. I know they're expensive, but you get what you pay for! I'm sure these are worth every penny! 👍😎🎸🎶
The trick is, to keep going back and looking because sometimes there are some really nice necks for much lower price... I have bought some myself... but you have to keep looking. The roasted maple figuring is drastically enhanced with the 'roasting' IMO. Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficial ok...thanks for the tip!☺
Warmoth are the best around. My Black Limba Tele neck is stellar. Just need to level the frets and crown and polish. Flawless quality.
Thanks for posting your experiences with them... it's great to tell others what it was like when you bought them. I believe in the same thing so made the video. Thanks for watching.
I have never been disappointed with Warmoth necks or bodies. I have used five necks, and two bodies. Built five different guitars.
They have all been amazing. The fret jobs have been almost perfect. I’ve haven’t needed to dress to achieve a great setup.
You can get almost any configuration of nut widths, back profile and fret size. This really allows you to get the perfect neck for YOU.
Not to mention a stunning array of wood choices and finishes...God, I’m sounding like an ad 🙄
I think they are a no compromise choice. They are not the cheapest, but I think they are the best.
Thanks for telling your opinion about Warmoth as you found them. Ha it's easy to sound like an ad... the thing is, that it IS hard to criticise Warmoth - I think with the exception of price (from here in the UK of course) they are hard to better. My number one choice too. Thanks.
Fabulous humour... flawless timing, superb delivery.
Why isn’t this guy famous?
I'm more infamous really. But not as infamous as many charlatans on here.
I recently got a Warmouth strat neck and it is SO worth the $$. I have purchased "other" necks for far less on Ebay and Amazon, etc., and the work I had to out into them turned them into 500.00 necks when all said and done. The Warmouth was nearly 100%. I only had to slightly level 4 frets which was fast because I have all the special tools. And I rounded off the fret ends and fretboard because I'm nuts about that played in feel. AND AMAZINGLY! Their pre-drilled holes matched the holes in my 70 strat body, perfectly! I will never buy a neck from anyone else.
A number of years ago they had not good fret ends and they don't fix that before shipping. But from what I've seen over the last five or six years they have it generally solved and the necks I too have bought have all been exceptional. Those fret ends can take time to make better but that is worth the effort although I'm sure some guys don't even do that. Your experiences are very similar to mine and I look at other necks... but buy Warmoth or sometimes a Fender Jeff Beck neck - which are made exceedingly well. Thanks Rick for your experiences...
@@tonymckenzieofficial Sure, no prob! And that's why yrs ago I started giving too much $$ to Stewmac for nice tools...lol But now you can get some decent tools on Amazon as well. In the end, the lesson is - Pay me now or pay me later in time spent hovering over someone else's shite fret work...lol Last no-name neck someone handed me had frets 45 to 70 thousandths lower than the majority which were already all over the place. China no doubt. And I also think there is something to be said about how intimately you get to know your gtr when you do all the work yourself. I know....Whoo-whoo......lol
@@rickraney3939 Dremel for fret ends and decent paste :) saves so much time...
@@tonymckenzieofficial Absolutely, I found a great, small cordless one on Amazon that just fits the bill for polishing frets. Although for really popping fret ends I use the angle-file block, then the fret end file and then just one of those foam -core sanding blocks at the right angle pretty much get 90% of the rest and rounds the edge of the fingerboard slightly. Then I follow that up with very fine sandpaper. All before polishing of course. It goes fast.
@@rickraney3939 I have used a number of different 'Dremel' tools and always found them useful. I even have a 'Dremel' router :) not that expensive and they can be useful with guitar builds :). Thanks.
thanks for this , if your build goes well and you like it , i'll consider it myself , i called warmoth and asked if they did neck inserts , they said no, i asked the guys at kiesel if they would add neck inserts , they also said no, my luthier uses neck inserts , he is a huge proponent of the inserts , he says the inserts allow neck screw torque specifications to go from 7 plus foot pounds to something like 13 foot pounds , i guess it's just a cost thing for everybody , if it works why change it , getting the neck inserts in square and true is probably pretty exacting work , oh k, thanks
Thanks Mark for the info... I certainly was not aware of that and I'm sure others were not too. And thanks for watching... the build is waiting for the body, so when you see the body review then the build will be around the corner :)
The nut design is ingenious! Helps to get rid of first couple of frets (especially G-string) tempering. Why didn't I think of that long ago?
Subscribed :)
I think others have done it and maybe even 'microfrets' which were guitars used by Grand Funk Railroad back in the 70's... listen to that live album. pretty awesome and representative of the time. First time I have used this nut so should be interesting. I'll be covering it all in the guitar build. Thanks for watching.
I have 7 warmoth necks... all but 1 needed frets leveled. 2 needed a complete level re-crown. Lets not even talk about fret sprout.
To be fair they are pretty clear about their necks not being leveled.
My only gripe I guess is they are way to expensive to need any work at all.
The only reason I keep using them is I can do the work myself, and Carvin/ Keisel don't do custom necks any more.
I absolutely love the Carvin Keisel necks...sad they moved away from this.
Thanks for your experience with the Warmoth necks... they are expensive I agree, but I tend to know what I'm getting so for me worth it. I never had the Carvin/Kiesel stuff but again useful info... and thanks for posting it. Stay safe.
I've been buying Warmoth parts since about 1984. In fact, my most favorite guitar I've owned was put together with Warmoth parts. They had a deal at the time that if you bought a body you could get a neck at half price. The body was alder with a beautiful book matched flame maple top & a birds eye maple neck with jet black ebony board. Sadly it was stolen. Damn I miss that guitar. I also have a nice Warmoth neck that I bought in 1990 for $100 because it had a so called blem. Nothing more than a half inch long mineral streak in the side of the headstock. I doubt they'd call that a flaw these days.
Thanks Bruce for your input about how you found Warmoth for parts... I'm pretty similar really and have no complaints at all. Thanks for watching too...
@@tonymckenzieofficial By the way, that was a gorgeous neck you profiled. Bet it was pricey.
It was expensive... but there's no way to get something like that for the price of a coffee :)
Just bought one custom made. Arrived with a bad mineral streak. You are Correct Sir.
I have a similar neck, except i didn’t want flamed maple, and got the black mother of pearl and a regular nut.
The roasted maple without a finish feels amazing, especially during the warmer and more humid months when nitrocellulose finishes start to feel sticky. (It also smells really good.) The compound radius and thin profile are fast playing and very comfortable.
The side-mounted truss rod adjustment is for fine tuning the action. The end adjustment is a regular adjustment used to get it into the ballpark and then the side adjustment gets it perfect. It’s different, but I think it’s useful.
My tech doesn’t like Warmoth because they pissed him off with bad service in the past, but I’d buy another, and based on working through with one of their customer service guys, who was outstanding, I’d recommend them to my friends and would buy from them again. I’d look into their bodies too based on the neck quality.
Yes the roasted maple needs no finish and as you say are literally like silk slipping through your hands. A wonderful players neck for sure. Correct on the side adjuster also I do not say that in the video... saving it up for the build :) and I think its pretty cool too. You have to slacken the strings when adjusting that side tensioner though or you can strain it and zap the threads.
Historically about 6 or 7 years ago I ordered a body, they said they could customise my requirements, but then the body turned up not modified - even though I sent images and had it agreed before it was made... so I 'get' your tech's point of view. But of recent times (last two or three years they have improved no end to being really good and they listen to the customer which is a nice change.
Yes me too.. indeed I made the video to show guys what it is possible to buy from them, although they also make low cost necks too and none of those are shabby.
Thanks for the insight of your experiences and thanks for watching.
I'm about to take all of the bits of my Part-o-caster to the guitar doctor for reanimation. California Strat body with a Warmoth neck that has a Musicman profile in the back. I just need to take a little paint out of the pickup cavities. The neck is a player for sure.
Thanks for the info about your experiences with it all... it helps many when users post here. And hey thanks for watching.
USACG necks I have found to be the best aftermarket necks around. They are in Washington State as well. I have several and they have been perfect right out of the box and years later are still perfect.
Thanks for posting the info always good from real users of the gear ;-) Thanks fore watching.
richard Turk I was considering USACG a while back but went with MusiKraft since USACG didn't offer 24 frets as an option. (I don't know if they do now)
I ordered a roasted maple/pao ferro neck/fretboard from warmoth about 8 months ago, it’s gorgeous. Needed a little fret dressing but would have worked fine straight out of the box
Yes the fret ends etc. are usually need a little bit of work but pretty minor and as you say they are OK without that extra work. But I usually do tidy the fret ends and check the level etc. Thanks for posting your experience too. The roasted maple is really cool.
How do you like the frets medium jumbo
I don't mind them because basically I was/am an Ibanez and Gibson guy also.
you used to be able to buy those side adjust units form like WD whatever, in the day
Ah I did not know that... thanks for the info. They do work pretty well, but of course you have to slack the strings etc. Thanks for watching.
So dont ask for a fitted bone nut ! I bought a second hand Warmoth flamed maple neck with a lovely piece of rosewood for he board. It was compund radius 10 to 16 something like that. It was also the fat neck. In the end i sold it as I hated the flat radius and the neck was just too fat. I sold it and bought an Allparts neck for a lot cheaper and I love this neck !
Thanks for the info and posting your experience with Warmoth... good to know because some of this is subjective and different guys like different things. How were the fret ends? I have used Allparts stuff also but prefer the Warmoth stuff for the figuring aspect and these days I like that quality. But I'm sure that every last thing Warmoth sells is not always perfect... Thanks for this post as I said and thanks for watching.
Even the Blues Saraceno Samick TV series necks were girthy,,but they just had a great feel...the ones I have just are the regular slim neck profile but I just love them.
I think a neck has lots of specifics for players and we all have our own 'special' size, layout and aesthetics not to mention the finishes on them. It's always hard to chose 'the right one' and in this case it was no exception. But great necks in their own right... now all I need to do is to learn how to be a Hendrix :) Ha it will never happen.
I bought a flame roasted maple neck once....but not from warmouth......it looked beautiful and very light as well of course. Never again though. I tried to get the tuner bushings back out of it as I bought some better tuners and a huge chunk of wood came off of the headstock due to it being so brittle. I recently bought a neck from Northwest guitars......an Eric Clapton style one piece quarter sawn hard Maple with a medium V profile that feels brilliant....22 frets {that are levelled and dressed} and satin finish £109. Without a word of a lie its the best neck I have ever touched. They are all handmade and cant be beaten for quality. They blow real Fender necks out of the water for a fraction of the price.
Ouch! Well I too know that you have to be careful with the hole sizes in particular for ALL holes including the bolts for holding on the neck. If you use regular sizes it can be a problem. Seems like yours might have been tight a little. Thanks for highlighting that aspect of roasted maple... it applies to all of the roasted woods though... Your neck is a good price for sure. I have used a number of brands (an non brands) of necks - not Northwest guitars (but I'll take a look). I generally when building a guitar to the highest level need a great neck but also great aesthetics because when the guitar is finally completed it all needs to be 'what I see in my minds eye' if you will. I can't buy a neck like this from anywhere that is a hundred pounds or so, if I could I would. But over many years I have never found a 'cheap' neck that fits my needs. When I have looked at necks other than for aesthetics actually one of my favourite necks is a Fender Jeff Beck neck... agreed not a cheap neck, but just about perfect for what I want from one.
Thanks for posting your options with necks and how you found them. Warmoth are not the only guys out there for sure and they could be the expensive option especially if you live in the UK. Thanks for watching.
I think you made the best choice going with Warmoth, over the factory Fender neck. The lighting in your video doesn't do the neck justice. You should take it outside on a sunny day, so we can really see the beauty in it! Nice!
Well there's limited lighting at home, but I'm working to improve that currently... the neck is probably the best one I have ever seen and I have bought a few historically, but this one beats them all. Check the body I used too.
beautiful flame on the back.
put bar soap on the screws.
This neck was later used on a guitar I called 'Golden Brown' and you can watch it here being made: ua-cam.com/video/KguqdJ4rvdM/v-deo.html and here being completed then being played: ua-cam.com/video/x7q4YlqWeco/v-deo.html It's a really great neck, and when I completed the guitar it remains one of the most resonant guitars I have ever owned. Good point on the soap too! Thanks for watching and stay safe.
I've got necks from Warmoth, Mighty Mite, All Parts, B Hefner , USACG. The best Fender licensed necks are Musikraft. They will give you ANYTHING you want. (for a price). Black Guard parts copied from actual Black Guard guitars . "Franky" replica parts. Now they just started making replacement necks for G&L guitars.
Ha great name :) Well I have tried some of those necks but not all of them. Actually I like to grab also Fender necks from the Jeff Beck models.. those are really good necks and need absolutely no work. All of the others including this one there is work to do. Thanks for the info about those other makers though and I'm sure some will find that useful. Oh and thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficial I just purchased a Warmoth Strat conversion neck because of price.
You should be fine with it and a bit of time on the frets ;-) Thanks.
Yes that looks like a quality piece . I never bought necks from Warmoth but I have bought a 2 piece mahogany strat & a 1 piece swamp ash tele body in the last three years. Both the workmanship and the wood were superb! I usually buy my necks of a site called The Stratosphere Guitar based out of Vermont in the U.S.. They take apart brand new guitars and sell the parts piecemeal. Looking forward to your next video , you put out great stuff! Cheers
Aha... me too :) I have bought Fender Jeff Beck necks from them and they are great - now called stratosphereparts.com if I remember correctly. They do also sell dismantled second user parts, so if you go on there read the text as it always says so if they are... thanks for posting that. Thanks for watching and it won't be too long (I hope) before the next part arrives - probably weeks though as they are making it.
I never understood the reasoning in what they do. I went to a guitar trade show years ago and saw lots of vintage Fenders in the same state. Parts and more parts. they were selling neck plates with old serial numbers. I scratched my head.
My neck I wanted (nothing extra, or special) came to 400 USD. I said to heck with that, but it would be a dream to play for my small hands.
They certainly can be expensive I agree. but to be honest, if you take a look at a neck unfinished... it saves a fortune. And I have used simple spray cans for the finishing - it works great. Thanks. and stay safe.
The compensated nut on the musicman guitars are brilliant... I'm certain that earvana will serve you well.
Well we can all see what it does as I make the guitar later :) Thanks for the info and for watching.
As always, I enjoy watching your videos. I have 4 different Warmoth necks, love all of them, especially the 59 roundback profile. I have 3 vintage/moderns and 1 vintage neck. What do you think of the tone on the Modern construction neck? Also, because of your video, I ordered some Klein 1963 strat pickups which are awesome. Are you liking your Klein 69's?
Indeed, I have a 59 Round back neck too - its not as 'boatneck' as some might think. Typically I stuck my 'neck' out (is that the right word) and bought one and when I got it I liked it!... nice profile. I like the modern Warmoth necks and don't really notice any real tonality differences (other than rosewood or maple of course) with them. I like the Warmoth taper too. The Klein pickups are very good and well made. Slightly different tone to the Fender CS 69's which are also incredible pickups. I bought the Klein for that original 69 tone and they do the job pretty well. Thanks for watching Steve.
I own 2 Modern Maple one for Floyd Rose lock nut oneveith a Graphite nut...been 3 years and they are the best I ever played...
Thanks for posting this... useful for guys contemplating the brand. I love them and the necks improved no end... thanks for watching.
I like the Jeff Beck Fender necks... really good, but they cost also an arm and a leg. I have used two or three of those and they are always of the highest quality. Once you find a neck that is great and you can buy others the same somehow I also get attracted to those particular necks too. But this build is all about quality, feel, tones (they come later) and the aesthetics of the neck... hence I went for the Warmoth neck and not the Jeff Beck neck. Thanks for the tip... always useful...
Although I was hoping to learn a new place from you here, you are spot on that Warmoth necks are excellent. Their bodies are as well. I live in Washington State and have to pay the sales tax, but it's more than worth it nonetheless. I'm sure you pay more with shipping and VAT being abroad. There are a few other good places in the States like USACG and Musikraft, but I pretty much stick to Warmoth when ordering new necks.
You are the second guy to mention USACG so anyone reading the posts will learn about that company - indeed, me too! Thanks for the low down on Musikraft too.. again I have not used those guys. And thanks for telling your views about Warmoth. I am just a user of the Warmoth stuff and pay the same as everyone else from them, but the necks certainly have improved over the last few years. They are not really cheaper than Fender in some ways, but the figured stuff I tend not to be able to find anywhere else... but I will check those other companies. Thanks for watching and you're right re the tax etc. to here.
I'm gonna have to go ahead and defend Warmoth here as I've enjoyed 3 different necks & 1 body from their "Showcase" The price is always better from the Showcase than a custom spec build$$$. The quality, fret work, and finish is perfect. Stable as a ROCk in my experience. I sold my Fender American Tele neck to "Upgrade" to a Warmoth.........you get what you pay for.....nuff said.
Yes the 'Showcase' is a good way to buy and I have used that a couple of times... cheaper for sure when on offer. If you have a custom neck of body made for you expect a high cost... I have had a number made that way. But I will say that making a custom body leaves you with an incredible piece - especially if you opt for figured woods. And there are some options such as the .720 neck drop (in the pocket) that Warmoth will not do any other way. Cost is cost, but I believe you are right as I have similar experiences, especially over the last few years. Thanks for your input and for watching.
Never saw gold frets love em.
They are out there :) Thanks for watching.
I have 2 Warmoth modern construction strat necks. They are great.
Next, I need a Charvel neck replacement which is 2.25 inch at heel. However, Warmoth does not offer this option. I will try Musikraft.
Thanks for the info.... and for watching.
I bought a Warmoth neck in 2016 and a Musikraft neck with very similar specs in 2017. The Musikraft is a little bit better. It was more expensive than the Warmoth but the fit and finish is absolutely ridiculously perfect.
Thanks for posting about the Musikraft necks... I have not tried them myself, but good to get comments from someone that has! I do think back in 2016 that the necks from Warmoth were not as cool as now, particularly on the finish and the fretwork, but this one was cool. Thanks again for the info and for watching.
I have a roasted maple telecaster neck from them which i absolutely love, and i have a solid rosewood jaguar neck that i also really like. I prefer my warmoth necks to actual fender american necks.
They tend to play nicely without the coatings etc. so I have opted for these over the last few necks I have bought.. nice and silky. The rosewood will be the same and I guess no finish on that...
Warmoth are great, but I prefer to buy their finished bodies and put Musikraft necks on them.
Thanks for the info... and for watching too
I made two custom Warmouth guitars. One fancy Telecaster, birds eye maple neck with chambered, bound quilt maple body and gold SD mini humbuckers, the other more of a standard Telecaster with SD Tele bridge pickup and a P90 in a humbucker shell (also SD) Lovely guitars, very individual with my name on. Cost me as much as USA Fenders, but they are unique to me and I don't care about re-sale. They are both my go to guitars for home recording. My Les Paul and Strat only come out when needed. The first one can be seen in a video by Crimson guitars when it was set up professionally by Ben Crowe after I built and dyed / varnished it. they sell bodies and necks as well so it would be interesting to try one sometime. the worst thing about buying Warmoth is the extortionate import charges!
You are right about the cost and the result... I'm similar to you in that the finished guitar is always somewhere near the cost of an off the shelf Fender, but they are chalk and cheese often and 'you' are in that guitar. I'll check Crimson Guitars... I have heard of those guys before if I remember correctly. Ha the tax we have to live with... which you might know is 20% here to be 'compliant' with Europe. Maybe it will get less when we leave... or not. Thanks for watching.
Yes, there is absolutely no point in anyone going on about lost value etc. This isn't about value, it's about making something unique for yourself that you enjoy playing. People make their own coffee tables but they wouldn't get back what they spent on it if they sold it, and that's not why they make them in the first place! Why one earth anyone would think of making their own Warmoth (or similar) guitar with a view to selling it is beyond me. The only way you can make anything out of selling instruments like this is if you make them from scratch with bare wood etc. Even then the margins are extremely tight and that's if you're selling for 2 - 3 thousand pounds!
Well, I have sold over the years just two of the builds I have put together. In both occasions I did not lose money. So in the respect of 'losing money' I am not entirely agreeing that someone would... unless it was made very badly, or was just a 'run of the mill' type of guitar which was 'average'. I never really made any money from those two though. But making one is something of the reason for buying the parts. It is all so easy just to buy one off the shelf... I have bought loads probably like you. But when you build one and those parts are very carefully turned in to EXACTLY what you want to make then things are surely different and it's a primary reason I have so many. I don't intend selling them any time soon.
Getting the exact parts that you want, (or even dream of in some cases) and creating the final instrument and how it turns out is generally in your own hands. It's not really rocket science, but could be hard for some guys I admit. Making the videos hopefully inspires guys to 'have a go' and I think that is important and a great reason to build the guitar also.
As you say, they are 'go to' guitars because really a part of 'you' is in them, and you will remember each and every aspect of making those guitars probably forever. It's a great experience when you have finished, it plays wonderfully, and literally looks like $10,000 dollars :) So I'm with you on the reasons.
I've got a neck made from MusiKraft with a Charvel headstock and 24 stainless steel frets. It was perfect!
Thanks for the info Chris... there are great necks out there of course from some other makers. I use Warmoth because of what you see in the video - and absolutely not because of the price which is high. Warmoth used to be worse on necks some years ago but of recent times they have undoubtedly improved to what you see here.
But good to know about the MusiKraft stuff especially from someone who has used them and recommends them... Always good to get that info posted on here... and thanks for watching.
Warmouth is awesome see a 10000 dollar david gilmour signature stat u want? You can build it to all the same specs like 1500 all in
Hi Marcus, I can't disagree with you. I have bought quite a lot of parts from them and for me they always came up with the goods. AND they are USA made :). Stay safe.
Hi Tony. How does Warmoth's standard thin neck profile compare to the likes of Ibanez, Fender modern C, PRS wide thin, etc?
Great question. It is certainly not an Ibanez equivalent for sure. I would relate it (just a personal opinion) similar to the Fender elite neck whatever is on there. It's also not a PRS wide thin neck either - my old 91 PRS had that neck and that was no Ibanez but I would say its sort of in the same area as this neck re feel. It's hard to really equate some of those necks (by brand) profiles really - the most different is clearly the Ibanez which really IS thin. Hope it helps and stay safe.
Lovely looking neck Tony, don’t understand the dot problem as loads of PRS’s come with abalone birds. Also to adjust the TR looks like you still have pull off the neck as the side adjuster is within the 4 bolts?
Incorrect! watch here at the guitar : ua-cam.com/video/cz4pi-gGSbI/v-deo.htmlm40s and you can clearly see its adjustable. But it was a good point I was saving for later :)
They stopped me buying the neck with 'mother of pearl' (description of theirs) for that reason stated. Apparently its the 'in thing' to watch for now. Maybe others will do the same? We shall see. Thanks for watching.
Mother of pearl looks best with silver colored frets (in my opinion), so those black markers look better with the gold frets.
You know, you are right. Gold and black work well... I never considered that, although I know that they do go well as gold and black... Thanks for watching Erik
Not a fan of MOP dots. I think you did good with black! Nice neck!
Well if you live outside of the USA Warmoth won't ship the neck. But ultimately the black were fine :) Thanks for watching Robert.
Very nice review as usual. Does a warmoth neck feels like a fender quality?
Oh yes it does. There are no corners cut on a neck like this one. I have not tried the really 'cheap' Warmoth necks but I doubt there are quality issues. I have bought from them for many years and never seen quality issues ever. Thanks for watching and stay safe.
@@tonymckenzieofficial Thank you very much Mr McKenzie. I definitely have to check them out.
Looking forward to this new build Tony!
A wait for the parts in particular the body and pickups.... thanks for watching.
Bought Warmoth and Mighty Mite necks. Warmoth, mm's of shim, Mighty Mite straight swap.
Warmoth twice the price here in the UK.
I have also looked at Mighty Mite necks and bodies and scarily I'm in the UK too :) But I have yet to find an MM neck that comes close to the one on this video. MM are lower cost and I expect to get a lower cost neck when I buy from them. That's what I pay for! With this neck however, I bought a very high end neck and that's what I got. It's a little unfair to criticise the shipping though and as for the greedy government and their 20% VAT because we're part of Europe that's an altogether another matter. I recently found another guy in the UK www.guitarbuild.co.uk who has stock products and custom products and will make custom guitar parts if anyone needs them. I bought a walnut 62 type Stratocaster body for just £140.00 or thereabouts and its particularly good. Warmoth would have been substantially more expensive for sure so your point about lower cost parts is not lost on me either. But what I will say is that Warmoth is (and has been) the best place that I can buy highest quality authorised parts of in the world. That might change and certainly costs are not low for those parts. I have never shimmed a single Warmoth neck or body btw... Thanks.
I have many Warmoth necks and bodies. You can get done really exotic woods for a great price. I have an ebony on wenge neck on a koa strat. Ipe on Limba strat neck. Padauk tele neck. Pau ferro on Goncalo Alvez strat neck. All rosewood tele neck. Tulipwood on canary 12 string neck. Every neck is great quality and i don't care about resale as i am not going to sell any of my guitars.
Thanks for the info about your experiences Chris with Warmoth. I like them too. I have had necks (particularly over three years ago) that had issues with frets, finish etc. but these days they seem to be near enough spot on. When I fitted this neck and did all of the checks recently (coming up over the next day or so) there was no need for fret levelling of any kind... that was amasing to see and the first Warmoth neck that has been that way. I did the fret ends, quick adjustment and it flew on to the guitar. Best Warmoth neck I have ever had. Sounds like you have had some nice stuff there.
I would not 'write off' the resale value either. Some guys do say second hand value is useless, but that's all down to what the guitar and specifications and indeed the playability come down to and I don't think for one second that I would lose money if I was to sell the Warmoth based guitars that I own. I won't sell them of course, but I'm more than confident that its money well spent for sure.
Thanks for watching too!
Resale value is not why you build up a guitar from parts. The Warmoth bass I built tops $1K easily in parts alone. My labor? No guess but there is plenty. I just got new pups for it...$200.
I could have bought a nice used Fender but wanted to do it myself. Love the action and tone.
450-550 US. can’t wait to see the finished. I almost want to go to $600 or better. You’ve put together some of top tier guitars I’ve seen from anyone sourcing their parts.
✌🏻🎸
Too low for this one. Glad you liked the videos of the guitar builds. I try really hard to show stuff in different ways with different parts and this new one when it arrives is no different in that respect. Pickups that most will never have seen let alone heard of, a body that is exceptional, but I still did include some regular Fender stuff and designs in the mix, so I end up with a Fender Strat style, but more of a bite in more ways than one. Waiting for the parts and body... and thanks for watching.
tonymckenziecom haha I hear ya loud and clear. I do not doubt for a minute I was to low. That neck is a one of a kind and yep I’m lucky someone’s willing to show (&tell) it. Much of your stuff is incredibly top tier and your right. I wouldn’t have known about much of the acquirements if you had not shared it. Very cool of ya. Thanks again Chief from Little Rock Arkansas USA.
:) wait until you see the body... and it's NOT maple topped :)
Have you ever tried anything from guitar anatomy Tony?
Actually, I don't know that one! I have had a very sheltered life :) but I'll bear it in mind and look further.. thanks for the info.
@@tonymckenzieofficial they are uk based and seem a similar quality to warmoth. Im in the process of getting parts together for a build and was put off from ordering from across the pond in case of an issue. Plus import tax and all that.
Sheltered life..yeah right! Haha
Post a link if you have one... it should be useful to lots of guys. I have also bought from guitarbuild.co.uk and while that's not really the same as Warmoth and less 'fancy' they do make an exact 62 body ;-) thanks.
Warmoth states right on their site that "all neck will requiring crowing and dressing" to play adequately. So you must be prepared to do it yourself or to spend the extra $ to get it done for you. Its not an option..its a "Must"...in order for the neck to play accurately and to accommodate your your set-up.
That's a true statement of course... they DO say that on their site. From experience I have found 'some' of their necks reasonable without all of that and some a must to do work on. They seem to have improved substantially from say five years ago though and back then there was a lot to do and now in general less to do. Good point and thanks for watching.
nice video,good infos,thanks a lot.Isnt it better if the neck is one peace of wood?Otherwise a neck with a rosewood fingerboard is traditional good as a one peace alder neck...so whats better?
I specifically bought this neck because of the roasted maple and also its figuring for a build I have in mind. I could have bought any wood made neck you are right, but this was the one for my project as I see it. Roasted maple needs no finish firstly, whereas if it was rosewood and alder it would need finishing which changes the feel of the neck when playing quite dramatically depending on which finish is applied. Of course I could have bought a one piece neck of roasted maple... but then maybe not the same figuring that this one has, and I guess that the rosewood/alder you mentioned is also a two piece so I don't see any real difference in that way, except that figuring and, the 10-16 radius, the gold frets and the secondary truss rod adjuster I liked too.
It really al comes down to what the builder sees as the final instrument BEFORE it is made, because without that foresight you might well end up with a guitar with little meaning or sound. I know exactly what I want from this guitar and how it will look and sound before I screw a single part together. There is no other way IMO.
You had some good points there - and you can buy a neck far cheaper than this one... but it all comes back to what the objective of the build is... and for me this was exactly the right neck. Thanks for the info and for watching.
Alder neck?
Maple...
Not sure if your statement about "mother of pearl" is correct but, Abalone is FOR SURE from a animal and the harvesting of it is kind of a big deal especially in the United States. Thanks Tony! Always enjoy your stuff.
It must be a new thing... 'Mother of Pearl' I guess is part of the shell of an animal... seems they have something going on there about it. Never had a problem before. Thanks for watching.
Thank you, ive heard earvana couple of times. How could the grain along the neck goes from side to side while the grain on the headstock goes top to bottom?
The 'grain on the headstock goes the same way as the rest of the neck. The 'Figuring' of the roasted maple goes top down... this neck I still have and its pretty cool. You should check the guitar I fitted it to here: ua-cam.com/video/x7q4YlqWeco/v-deo.html that is part two of the video but there is playing also at the end etc. A really great guitar. Hope you like it... and thanks.
hey tony i'm curious how the build is going , i recently saw a pro strat build using MJT body , US CUSTOM GUITARS neck, CALLAHAM bridge and DON MARE vintage strat pickup set , add all that up , pretty amazing guitar at very compelling price point , it just bugs me why none of the corporate builders use stainless neck inserts when the additional cost would be minimal , but neck screw torque specifications go from 7.5 to 13 plus ft pounds , significantly increasing neck strength , sustain etc
The build is waiting for the body and other parts currently. Next video will be the body. I usually try and use different things for my guitar build (and/or wiring etc.) but sometimes not. This next one does have some things I have never used before... particular wood body top and particular pickups, along with likely wiring things. I also think it does work well if you're making a guitar from parts to get the exact 'idea' correct before you buy anything... then have a shopping list - which is what I did on this next one. I have not checked on the stainless steel stuff as you described, but like you say it's probably peanuts difference in costs. That's the same for many things though that I see and sometimes I wonder why a (for example) crappy switch was fitted and the real deal would have been so much better. Good point... and thanks for watching.
Warmoth only install the frets they never dress them , the big plus is that they do this so well that often you could use it as is with no fret dress. This is a testament to how good they are . All Warmoth necks should have the frets dressed and the ends rounded by you, this is in no way any fault. Big premium these days on fancy woods so £400. I've been using them since the late 80s.
I agree that they don't do the fret dressing and never have. It used to be a pain to do them, but these days whatever has changed is much for the better. They used to be horrible a few years ago. Price is wrong :) with the dreaded shipping and everything else the price is pretty way off from there... but I don't mind this neck will be incredible for the body. Thanks for posting the info... loads will see your input and that's always a good thing. Thanks for watching too.
They were Boogie bodies back in the 80's.
I really like the look of darker roasted maple necks. I think Reverend Guitars uses those entirely now? I really dislike the look of pale maple fretboard necks.
Yes roasted brings out the features.
$507:00 USA 🇺🇸 or £394:00 UK 🇬🇧. According to the Warmouth web site Like you say, “you gets what you pay for”.
Looking forward to watching a new build. 👍🏻
Too low on the pricing... it was an expensive neck for sure... but I do think that if you put together really great parts the sum of the parts is often more than them alone when its finished. Waiting for parts and body but wont be too long. Thanks for watching as always.
Hey Tony, when you coming back to the brown Hatter TM club for another lap dance? remember NO TOUCHING!
Ho Ho Ho... truth is... the only 'Hatter' is you!
Looks great in 4k Tony!!! Excellent work as always!
White balance was off :( it was the first video on a brand new camera is my excuse :). But still watchable. Thanks and stay safe.
Hey Tony, better 4K res. but you might need better light (s).
You're right!. The camera is not that easy to use actually and the gains of 4K are hardly there when I add the extensive file sizes, the awkwardness of that particular camera etc. so I might sell it and go back to Sony. Thanks for watching.
Nice neck Tony,one of the best I've seen. Also your camera has a Yellowish tint. A little to dark also.No worries I'm sure you could fix that.Great video regardless.👍🎸
Those Warmouth necks are just as much as the Fender necks. One like yours is $699USD.That's half the price of a new Performer series Strats. But if your looking for that one neck that you have to have this is the one.🎸✌
Oh I know... but they don't seem to have them like this at Fender :) But to get a 'Fender' guitar like I built with this neck it would be many thousands for sure... probably more than three of them :) Stay safe bob.
The camera did... it was when I first bought it... I got past the yellow tint mode :). Today it makes wonderful 4K videos and I might revisit this neck (but stuck on the guitar) at some stage. Thanks.
@@tonymckenzieofficial You bet, I got lucky on one Strat I bought used , a Vintage white Strat Deluxe player series,Texas specials with the 6 way tone switch and a beautiful flamed neck and flamed laminate fret board.Not a roasted neck but it looks like a Ocean wave as you move around.One of the best necks I've seen on a stock guitar.Wish I had 10 more I'd change all my necks. Good luck on your build. 👍🎸
Bob its finished here: ua-cam.com/video/x7q4YlqWeco/v-deo.html and here: ua-cam.com/video/8vQVXy1Q7TI/v-deo.html (trem) and here: ua-cam.com/video/1y4vNlrgCJc/v-deo.html (fishman pickups) hope you like it - and I made a recent video on the resonance too which was exceptional in length here: ua-cam.com/video/sBlx5L1KZgQ/v-deo.html not sure if you're getting those... but this particular guitar with this neck ended up probably one of the best I completed... and yes sounds like you struck gold there on the one you bought. Decent necks are not that common especially figured ones - there are Chinese ones but honestly from my experience really bad. Good to hear you Bob... and stay safe.
Warmoth makes good stuff. That's a nice piece of wood. Could that be in the 7ish range? I have to admit, i have no idea why you like that truss rod miasma. You have to loose off the strings, unscrew the neck screws, twist, put it back together and possibly repeat. It seems like a nightmare compared to an accessible truss rod at the nut. And with that neck being brittle as you pointed out, I'd think you want to not touch those screws as much as possible. Why do you like layout?
Indeed it was. And even higher when you add the shipping and TAX at 20%. Actually the truss rod micro adjuster is really useful. You can see here: ua-cam.com/video/cz4pi-gGSbI/v-deo.htmlm31s that in fact you do NOT have to unscrew the neck at all... you do slack the strings, but that's a million times better than having to remove a neck for the truss rod adjustment. Remember that a 62 specification neck (just as an example) has the adjuster at the body end... so while there are plenty of necks out there that do have the adjuster at the headstock, there are many that don't, including all those reissues that Fender make ad infinitum.
The Gotoh micro adjuster certainly IS an innovation that actually does work and it does not impede small adjustments no matter what wood is used on the neck and the neck screws can generally stay in position unless there is a massive adjustment to make. Typically I adjust the neck once, set the micro adjuster in the middle and then final adjust when the neck is fitted and won't be removed again.
These were great points, but if you have not used one they are questions that I would expect someone to ask. Hopefully this helps to answer those. Thanks for watching.
Musikraft make some pretty nice stuff also
Yes I have heard some good comments about them also... thanks for watching.
👍👍👍Great man,love your videos,,looking for neck and this is a very good option
Indeed it is, but this one IS expensive. They have loads of high quality for less price though depending on the figuring you choose... and some 'specials' that are always great prices. Thanks for watching and the body will be awesome :)
Tony: Nice video. I too will be purchasing 4k cameras. (Next year). That being said, You Tube limits all video to 1080p. Secondly, NO BROWSER supports 4k. Some phones are 4k, and monitors for p.c.'s and laptops, go back and forth about pixel and refresh rates. Unless the T.V is being used for a monitor, and is over 40" diagonal class, 4k is useless. I will be using a Samsung 50" class next year, 4k. Apple phones in the U.S. are 5k, but still no browser support
Yes I understand. I saw the 1080 below. But if the video is made in 4K later I will not ever have to go back to it (at least while I'm around!) and watch poor quality video as often that IS the case in my archives. I have every single video still and the first, when I go back and look are not the quality that they should be. You raised a great point and one I rapidly are learning about 4K. It's problems are myriad... the camera is a pro camera, but using it effectively for 4K is hard. I make often long videos and this simple 20 minute video (short for me) is 2.5Gb of compiled video footage. Had it been 1920 then the size would likely have been less than 500Mb or so.
Maybe UA-cam will update that maximum resolution sometime, the storage is these days so cheap. But all great points... I read your post at least four times! and for anyone with the 4k want... then you show the real state of play. Thanks for watching... and maybe I'll up the frames per second and reduce to 2048 or something....
Thank you Tony. To be clear, I love that you are shooting in 4k, and like you, I'm hoping that by doing so, someday the browsers and You Tube will upgrade, and I will already be ready. I would hate to make a music video, and then 5 years down the road, the new format requires a re-shoot.To your followers, buying a 4k on a streaming service like Amazon, is a waste of your money. Nothing on the internet streams in 4k.
Thanks for the info Ted... Ha I just found it hard work right now. I'm sure it will change over time.
Padouk neck / Padouk fingerboard. Fat boy. Lots of awesome natural wood. Amazing neck. Can't find close alternative.
If you mean Fat Boy IOW I have bought from him and he does have good stuff for sure. If not IOW Fat Boy then there's two :) (probably me and him :)
Thanks for the info and for watching...
Beautiful neck indeed I would guess about 750 dollars! Love those roasted Maple Flames!Cheers
That's a pretty good ball park guess. I like how it brings out the figuring... and no finish required :). Thanks for watching.
Tony can you post up the specs for the neck? Specifically how did you order the wood to get that look?
In reality, this neck was actually pre-made. The body on the other hand is custom and hence the wait.
Yes, believe it or not this neck was there for anyone to buy. I tend NOT to buy custom necks from Warmoth personally because if you wait around a while you can get pre made at a lower cost than if you opted for the custom made neck. Having said that, this neck is exactly what I would have ordered spec wise and the only singular difference I would have chosen was (originally) mother of pearl inlays. But to be honest I really do like the neck with the black markers on it better since I received it.
Here's the specs:
Roasted Flame Maple.
Roasted Flame Maple Fretboard.
1 11/16 Nut Width.
Standard Thin Profile.
GD6150 Gold Colour Fret Wire.
Schaller 25/64 Tuner Ream.
22 Frets,
Compound Radius 10 to 16.
Black Face Dots.
Black Side Dots.
Graphtech Black TUSQ XL - Earvana Nut.
No Finish.
25 1/2 Scale Length.
Standard 4 Bolt Fixing.
UPS Worldwide Shipping.
There are necks on Warmoth all the time and sometimes if you stay watching over time you can grab a 'special' neck... but be warned, if you decide to get it 'tomorrow' often when you come back its gone!
You CAN custom order the necks, but are limited (so I believe) to the type and figuring of the wood - however, unlike the custom bodies you can't choose the exact wood. As I said the body is a completely different story... so my advice is to wait until you see 'your' neck.
I watched for weeks to get this one... it's sister they declined to supply because of the 'mother of pearl' inlay and that I was outside of the USA.
Thanks for watching.
Beautiful necks. Quite expensive though. They are the best no doubt. My guess is $450. You're right that they cost more than many complete guitars. That's why I don't have any! Maybe someday.
For this neck you are in fact wildly out. Sorry about that :) I think it was around 700... very expensive I agree, but I could not find a nicer neck from anywhere. Thanks.
u should try out the neck from crimson guitar they started selling kit guitars made by english lutiers the neck is aorund 270 euros guessing it be around 220 pound for uk professional made with ebony fretbord maple neck and silver nickel frets
Hi Jay, Thanks for the info. Of course I have heard of Crimson and they do have some very useful stuff especially if you assemble guitars. I have not tried them for the necks or bodies but I'll bear that in mind and maybe create a guitar in some review... Thanks for the info as I did not know they were making kits - although I prefer to choose the parts personally more often than not as I did with this neck. Thanks.
@@tonymckenzieofficial yeah ofc i understand that and im happy to inform you they ahvent done it for a long time they doing it fairly recently so they went form only tele and strat to now prs ish style and single cut maybe in the future they will expand but sitll for somone maybe who wants a high quality british guitar parts for a amazing price its still fun deffenetly a upgrade from other off brand part makers and also more easy for people inside the eu that cant affort shipping and other expenses from getting parts from america wich is my problem and some other peoples warmoth sure makes insane stuff ive seen but their a company thats just build around that versitility idea kinda like carvin was untill they went to kiesel and everything got a bit more pricey anyways been watching u for years and forgot to re sub on my new youtube accound so when ic ame across this i was like oh nice now i can re sub haha have a good one mate
@@Jay-rd6fe Oh I agree... the shipping costs and the tax are horrible to the UK or Europe from the USA. Anyone that will make the Warmoth level of component here in the UK or Europe for less than the total Warmoth costs is on a winner.
I think that the neck iza $500 piece of flamed beauty! The figure is Outrageous !! And U could legit put a fender side decal on it... IF it were mine I'd ginish it with Tru oil imo.
You could do that, but because its roasted just trust me you don't need to. Its super smooth. Thanks.
@@tonymckenzieofficial hay. awsom neck, i can tell buy your accent your from the uk wich is grat becuse i have been saving up to get a custom CBS warmoth strat neck, but the problem is that i have no way of noing how mutch duty (customs inport tax) ill have to pay on top, it would be a god send if you could give me a ruff idea of how much it usually costs to get a neck through uk customs? thanks
Yes I'm from the UK.... but Ha don't hold it against me :) The costs on the Warmoth gear are typically 20% for VAT. Then there's the shipping (get that from Warmoth). Also there's a very sneaky charge of about £18.50 from the post office in the UK for 'clearance' fees. Those clearance fees are simply a joke... but only until you have to pay it! I did not see any import duty on the Warmoth parts so that should be it... and of course the price of whatever you buy. NOTE: They work out the VAT on the TOTAL landed price... so for example £200 for a neck, £45 for the shipping, total 245.00 x 20% equals the VAT. You pay the total!. Not cheap, but I have yet to find ANY company over in the UK that had a neck like that one. Thanks and I hope it helps.
@@tonymckenzieofficial thanks so much for the help, i can just about fit my bild with in budget, one big step towards my dream guitar!
in the US i would imagine at least 350$ for the flame alone. I might have missed it but if its quartersawn that would put it at least 500$
It was very expensive and cost more... it was at their top end of choices for the woods and finish etc. that I wanted. They make cheaper ones, but I have a specific idea for the guitar re looks and so it did matter to me. It will play well I believe. Thanks for watching.
Hi! What about a Norway spruce wood for the body? Why no one use it if it’s the most resonance ?
Cheers!
You know - I don't know why they don't use the Norwegian spruce... the scientific paper confirmed that it is the most resonant wood. Anyone that has an answer to that please post below! Stay safe.
@@tonymckenzieofficial someone says it’s too soft for an electric guitar and the vibrations of the strings could be absorbed by the wood itself 🤷♂️
Well there are many that can often 'talk the talk' so to speak. I always think that speaking with someone that has actually done this would be the best answer because anything else is entirely anecdotal. I'm not convinced about the absorbed by the wood itself if the wood is the most resonant? That does not add up....
I have one and it is good. But the fretboard edges are sharp (the wood is not rolled) and there is no fret work at all besides edges beveled. I'm currently looking at a Musikraft neck instead as they do it all, but they cost more.
The fret ends are not finished when they supply the necks. You should finish those (and the sharp wood sides between the frets) for the best results. I will be doing some of that when I get to the build stage in video three... just to show what I did. I'm grateful for the comment. The Warmoth ones are not cheap (for one like this neck) so if Musikraft are more expensive than this Warmoth then they really should be finished. But these should too ;-) Thanks for watching.
I got a 24 fret from MusiKraft and it was perfect!
Great information... video is a bit yellow (might check white balance/and lighting).
I saw that too... was recorded with tungsten house lights and was auto but seemed wrong... too late for this one but I'll work on that. This was the first 4k video I have made and boy those files are huge... 2.5GB for 20 minutes! Thanks for letting me know and thanks for watching.
They are made of pretty wood but they don't make a one piece neck. I will never buy another until they do as I hate glued on maple fretboards. I bought a Birdseye maple bass neck from them a few years back and paid $275 for it. I like the action but It feels funny compared to my one piece Fender. They are flawless but two pieces of maple. You can specify how much figure you want in the wood and the price goes up as you push the figuring. I got the walnut body from them as well and walnut is my favorite body for bass now. If they go one piece I may use them again.
My PRS swamp ash special has a glued on maple fretboard and I am growing to dislike that.
I got abalone dots on mine and they put them on wrong as you can't see them when playing; the grain on abalone is funny that way. You can see the black dots on a maple fretboard very easily compared to MOP or abalone.
Rant off.
True its not a one piece. Yes they do indeed get expensive if you want one looking like this one was. Ha rant off :) I like it. Actually the two piece does not bother me but we're all different. Thanks for watching
Forget the resale value. If you buy a Warmoth neck, it's for keeps. I got 4 of them, one since 1985. Did not move a mm. Stable, great sounding, maximum playability, smooth frets that last a lifetime.
I've got birdseye maple, Pau Ferro and Mahogany. The last one has been personalized in my name: needless to say I don't intend to sell it ! Best playing & sounding neck on a Tele (Thinline). Coupled with splittable Seymour Duncans SH-2, you get the whole palette of tones you will ever need.
I agree. Resale can be achieved, but if you were to make an 'average' or low cost guitar out of bottom end parts then exactly, the guitar won't achieve a favourable resale value. I have sold two ever, and for those I did get my money back. But they were high end guitar specs.
Sounds like you have some great necks there... thanks for posting how you find these necks because guys that have bought and used them show how good or bad a product generally is. And thanks for watching too.
Hi, thanks for the video. Do you know where I can find Ibanez 24 fret aftermarket necks??
Hmm sorry I don't. If I come across any I'll post it here... Stay Safe.
@@tonymckenzieofficial Stay Safe too!
Hey I'm still alive and kicking and I just had this video pop up in My UA-cam feed. I'm in LOVE with the Roasted Maple Neck. That's actually a Roasted Flamed Maple Neck right? I LOVE those necks due to them being more stable then other woods. I also LOVE their Warmoth Warhead Guitar Headstock.
Hi Steve, good to know you're still there - with all this virus stuff around too! Be careful about that and stay safe. This is probably the best neck I have ever bought from anywhere... I used it to create a really great guitar here: ua-cam.com/video/KguqdJ4rvdM/v-deo.html it's a series about that guitar - you might have seen it - probably the best guitar I completed and I used lots of stuff that was high end and honestly really a great result. Watch it if you have time, there are two parts if I remember correctly. In any case... good to hear you :)
@@tonymckenzieofficial Tony I will definitely watch them. I meant I'm still alive and kicking because I suffer from Stage 4 Inoperable Double Lung Cancer. Yeah the Coronavirus Pandemic is crazy and I'm trying like Hell not to catch it.
My apologies - I remember I think you told me that before Steve - but I forgot about that. Well whatever, I wish you well Steve and really be careful about that darned virus. I watch the USA (not sure where you are) and other places where people are gathering and just a personal view, but that sort of gathering is sure to 'help' the virus along a little... the wrong way most likely. Let's hope they get the solution for it sooner than later... its a horrible disease. Regards...
@@tonymckenzieofficial Tony I live in West Central Illinois. It's 3 1/2 Hours Southwest of Chicago and 37-40 minutes Southwest of Springfield, Illinois.
Ah got it... I do go to the USA off and on (but not right now) but never been to Illinois - the USA is a really big place :) Nearest I got (other than Chicago) was Reynoldsburg Ohio ... not sure if its even that near but maybe sort of :). A long time ago I went there. More often LA, Dallas, Florida... that sort of thing really. In any case take care Steve.
Without the Pearl dots... $299. Delivered.
By the way, is it one solid piece of Maple?
Clean fit and finish! Love it!
I wanna go Warmoth on an old Aria bass body
I don't know all the options... And it was a custom build, so I'd like to put my mark at $425 plus taxes/delivery
It is actually a two piece neck/fretboard. Custom made at Warmoth and I hate to say it that you might just pay the UK tax and shipping for that :) Warmoth are very good, but they are expensive for sure.
@@christianscott6891 Ha Christian... wrong! Over a year ago I bought it but I think over $600 plus ship and tax. Expensive - but actually one of the best necks I have.
I have a Gecko 5 string Bass that it spectacular.
Does that count? Ha... No I'm just joking around... Gecko are a pretty cool brand and made well enough from what I have seen. I'm no bass player so can't say what they are like.. but as an owner that's good feedback and thanks for the post. Thanks for watching too.
If I'm paying £500+ and then shipping to the UK plus import tax and import VAT I would like the hole where the truss rod has been installed to be clean and not look like it has some tears or dents from the factory installing it.
I had no problems whatsoever in paying that price in the UK plus the tax etc. It's simply that you can't find a neck like this in the UK for the price I paid for this neck. Am I in the least bothered about some truss rod hole? of course not. But fair enough point it could bother some people. I wonder if you saw the completed finished guitar? That might help a little, its here: ua-cam.com/video/x7q4YlqWeco/v-deo.html it's pretty unique, has features that others don't have and is the best strat style of guitar I have ever owned including the many Fender guitars I have had since about 1972. Thanks for watching Nick and stay safe.
@@tonymckenzieofficial I think the finished guitar looks amazing! I'm not having a pop at you BTW, I just think that if you pay that kind of money for a specific item that is supposed to be the best of the best, then I'd want a fit and finish to match the price tag. Yes the truss rod hole can be refinished but hey if I'd just paid around £600+ for just a neck I shouldn't need to have to correct Warmoth's sloppy production values, they should've got it bang on right in the first place!
No I understand and you have a point for sure. I am very picky and I saw that when I unwrapped the neck but it's way too much aggravation to even bother returning the neck for me. That's the UK thing. It looked like a splinter had lifted somehow in production but they did not fix that. Had I been in the USA I would have pursued that further. But for me, this specific neck was chosen because of the final guitar and what exactly I had in mind. Its matching to the body I think was really nice. Like I said its a fair point and I understand you for sure. Its a good thing to point out anything you see really and I like to see that for the most part from guys that actually mean well - I know you did ;-)
@@tonymckenzieofficial We all want to build our dream guitar (to what ever budget we can extend to) so with that in mind our fussiness, OCD should kick in to a certain degree. That said at the end of the day it's how the thing sounds and the feeling of satisfaction it gives you when you play it that really matters. Enjoy the beautiful guitar and make some amazing and memorable music with it. All the best to you and yours.
And the same to you Nick... and stay safe... it's still out there.
Nice neck, Warmoth build pretty nice parts.
I think so too Eddie... and thanks for watching.
Nice neck for sure, but Warmoth are the most expensive necks after Fender Custom Shop.
I agree that Warmoth are not cheap. But finding a neck like the one shown is very difficult and I don't see Fender with anything like it, custom shop or not. My view is that on a guitar neck that you generally get what you pay for... but that does cost. I also sometimes use Jeff Beck Fender necks that are really nice, but constructed of different materials. Thanks.
Hi Tony, Excellent Video, absolutely beautiful Neck, at a guess I would say $550.00US???
I recently bought an Allparts Lic Fender Neck, Maple SMO Fat from that Fender parts Store on eBay, you know the one, cost $200AU shipped, luckily it was made in Japan, nowhere near as pretty as Roasted Maple though.
You made a Video on the Fender Elite and pointed out a gap at the Bridge near the Tremolo arm hole, anyway I built one from that Seller and once built there was no gap, but when I looked at my USA Deluxe Strat there was a gap??
Great to see you, take care, looking forward to parts 2 and 3.
Melbourne, Australia.
You are wrong on the price. $200AU shipped is a great price for any reasonable neck. The Elite did have that 'hole' but also I checked my 2008 Fender USA Strat and that has one too. I noticed in the stores that it seemed to depend on the finish... e.g. (for elite strats) solid colours seemed to have less of a 'hole'. Who know s why. It is a weird phenomenon and once you know about it then you can't stop looking! Melbourne... man a long way away... but thanks for stopping by its always appreciated and of course thanks for watching.
tonymckenziecom , You are Spot on , the Elite is in Mystic Black, The 2012 Deluxe is Metallic Sunset, pretty colour and the one with the gap, you are right Tony, I just don't get it???
Take care Mate🤘.
Melbourne, Australia.
Me neither? It's a weird thing... thanks for confirming too! :)
Is the radius close to a wizard neck?
On this neck no it is not, but Warmoth actually make an equivalent to the Wizard neck I believe... thanks.
I put together a 50’s Strat in 2 purchases from Stratosphere. One loaded body and a loaded neck. Love it!
Indeed I have used those guys too... they have some great parts.... thanks for watching.
I want to Bill Miss Stratocaster Warmoth
Go for it!