Warmoth Decisons

[ztikmaen]

Hi guys,
I'm going to be getting a P90 Korina Warmoth in Vintage white. Parchment pickguard and gold hardware and Mahog Neck + Ebony Fretboard .
Only problem is... I don't know what guitar body it'll be going in   :lol:

So I'm super torn between an SG (A sort of SG Custom look) or a Jazzmaster.
I know in the end it's up to me but I want to bounce some ideas around.
I currently have no Gibsons, and only a Telecaster from Fender.

So I'll end up with damn-near the same sound, just the looks. I feel comfortable with either (Unfortunately :/)

[Sifu Ben]

Sadly the look is the one thing we can't really advise you on, as it's entirely down to personal taste.

[Philly Q]

I don't know what body shape you should go for - but I would say if you're ordering a beautiful korina body don't get it hidden under white paint!!

[WezV]

what if its an ugly korina body   ;)

[Philly Q]

If it was a showcase unfinished body it wouldn't be ugly, they never are (apart from the poplar ones they occasionally have cheap)!

But I'm sure if you do a custom order that's to be painted in an opaque colour, they must use their less attractive looking timber, so fair point.

[ztikmaen]

Ahh that's made me think... Well I'm not budging on the opaque colour choice, so should I go for a Mahogany body instead? I kinda want to choose a slightly different wood since it's a custom guitar and the price hike for exotic woods isn't as bad as on the usual guitar market. I just wish there was a transparent white finish :/

[Philly Q]

I just wish there was a transparent white finish :/

There is - Mary Kaye White.  :)

Looks best on ash though, you wouldn't see so much grain with korina or mahogany.

I'd choose whatever you think will sound best, ultimately.

[ztikmaen]

I just wish there was a transparent white finish :/

There is - Mary Kaye White.  :)

Looks best on ash though, you wouldn't see so much grain with korina or mahogany.

I'd choose whatever you think will sound best, ultimately.

They should both sound the same because of the same materials (although probably more wood on the Jazzmaster)
But from the picture it looks a little pink...

[ztikmaen]

And while I'm asking, what should I look out for when making the guitar? People say the guitar is only as good as the assembly and set up, but what is there to stuff up? I'm not really building from scratch, just ordering finished body bits.
What are some common mistakes made?

And some say the frets need leveling/dressing while others say its fine straight away. If I'm not really after a super low action do I still need to work on the frets?

[Sifu Ben]

Warmoth themselves say that the frets need dressing. I'd say your best bet is to bolt it together and get your local tech to do a set-up.

[Philly Q]

And some say the frets need leveling/dressing while others say its fine straight away. If I'm not really after a super low action do I still need to work on the frets?

Depends what feel you like.  They do a very good fret job and the neck is perfectly playable "straight out of the box".  

However... I'm actually going to quote myself from another thread.  Self-plagiarism?  :lol:

Warmoth parts are very well made.  You could put a neck and body together - they'll fit perfectly - and have a very playable guitar within a few hours.

However, I do think the necks benefit from a bit of "tweaking" - the fretboard edges are quite sharp and I prefer them rounded off a bit.  Also the fretting is perfectly fine but would feel much better after a little extra work from someone who knows what they're doing.

To put it another way, slap it together yourself and it'll sound great but play like a Cort.  A bit more work and a proper setup, it'll still sound great but play like a Suhr.

[Philly Q]

I just wish there was a transparent white finish :/

There is - Mary Kaye White.  :)

Looks best on ash though, you wouldn't see so much grain with korina or mahogany.

I'd choose whatever you think will sound best, ultimately.

They should both sound the same because of the same materials (although probably more wood on the Jazzmaster)
But from the picture it looks a little pink...

I meant choose the wood based on what will sound best!  :lol:  I'm not commenting on the body shape.

As for looking "a little pink", that's the colour of the wood showing through - you can't have a transparent finish, especially white, that completely conceals the colour of the wood itself.

[ztikmaen]

Ok cool, thanks for the awesome replies!
I see what you mean Philly, it seems I might as well get it done. It's just that my local guitar tech charges a lot, almost $200 for a setup :/

Oh and btw what did you mean by sharp fretboard edges? Did you mean it or was it perhaps sharp fret edges themselves?

[gwEm]

Oh and btw what did you mean by sharp fretboard edges? Did you mean it or was it perhaps sharp fret edges themselves?

both really, but if you have a steady hand its not too hard to roll the edges of the actual board.

your tech will round the frets when they do the dressing. (i truly believe a fretdress is  needed on warmoth necks before use, whatever people say)

[Philly Q]

Oh and btw what did you mean by sharp fretboard edges? Did you mean it or was it perhaps sharp fret edges themselves?

Yeah, both to an extent, but mostly I was talking about the edges of the board itself.  I don't mean they're sharp enough to cut you, they just feel very "new" and "clean", like they've just come fresh from the CNC machine - as they probably have! 

I like the neck to feel more "worn in" - like the Tyler I once had!  :D