AttitudeCastle Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) Hey all I've been looking around the Warmoth Website and i'm rather liking the idea of a Gecko 6 So anyone gone down the route of getting one? Pretty much custom instrument, adding say 25% for import tax and shipping and it all still comes to a good price, roughly £650 So say what you can Cheers in advance Edited January 31, 2011 by AttitudeCastle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umcoo Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I've had a Warmoth tele bass neck and quite a bit of hardware from them. Build quality is amazing, no issues at all. I bought from the Showcase so only waited perhaps a couple of weeks for the neck to be finished before it was shipped. Emailing the folks there is no problem, you get a response within a day usually. Never really looked into the Gecko stuff, but the more traditional Fendery type stuff is very highly regarded in the parts world. Only issue these days is the exchange rate, but there's not much you can do about that. Good luck if you decide to go for it. Planning and sorting everything before hand is half the fun (well, for sad bastards like me!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soloshchenko Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I built a Warmoth tele thinline. Nicest guitar I own. The build quality is unquestionable, as nice as I've seen on anything. As a Fender man my ultimate dream bass is a Warmoth Jazz rather than a Fender custom shop or vintage one. That's how highly I rate them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 (edited) [quote name='umcoo' post='1109780' date='Jan 31 2011, 06:04 PM']Good luck if you decide to go for it. Planning and sorting everything before hand is half the fun (well, for sad bastards like me!)[/quote] Haha same! Spent hours of fun (been of sick since friday! back tomorrow ) exploring options! Thanks guys! Edited January 31, 2011 by AttitudeCastle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 [quote name='Soloshchenko' post='1109783' date='Jan 31 2011, 06:07 PM']I built a Warmoth tele thinline. Nicest guitar I own. The build quality is unquestionable, as nice as I've seen on anything. As a Fender man my ultimate dream bass is a Warmoth Jazz rather than a Fender custom shop or vintage one. That's how highly I rate them.[/quote] Wow thats praise! Whats the proccess like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soloshchenko Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 (edited) [quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1109962' date='Jan 31 2011, 07:52 PM']Wow thats praise! Whats the proccess like?[/quote] I assume you mean putting it together? It was slightly time consuming but really enjoyable. I got my stuff unfinished and in putting it together felt I learnt a bit about guitar construction and loads about wood finishing. Filling the grain was the most time consuming thing.I must have gone through a million different ways in my head on how to finish it. Anyway, the guitar is a thing I absolutely treasure even if I don't play guitar that much anymore. Like I said, my dream bass is to do a Warmoth Jazz and I'mnot even talking their fancy exotic wood stuff, I mean the Swamp ash body/maple neck kind of thing Fender could do for me. I just think Warmoth quality, when you get it in your hands, is far superior and consistent. Here's my guitar, forgive me bass gods. Word of warning though, re sale value is LOW. People don't wanna buy your idea of a dream bass, especially given you might have buggered up putting it together along the way. If I was ever to sell this, and I'd have to actually be starving,but if I did it's normally a good idea to split it back into parts I think. Edited February 1, 2011 by Soloshchenko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieG Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I've got a Warmoth Dinky J that I put together myself, and here's some photos: [attachment=70622:1.jpg] [attachment=70623:2.jpg] [attachment=70624:3.jpg] [attachment=70625:4.jpg] The LEDs were installed by Martin Sims. It has a string-thru alder body with cream finish, a birdseye maple neck and fretboard with Abalone front dots, vintage tint finish and the headstock painted to match the body, stainless steel 6230 frets, Gotoh 206 bridge, Fender Custom Shop 60s single coil pickups, and series/parallel push-pull pot which I wired in later. Its my main bass, I love it dearly, as does everyone who's played it. My feeling is that I basically got a Fender Custom Shop bass for a fraction of the price, and all I'm missing is a decal or two. I'd recommend Warmoth's stuff to anybody who wants a Fender, but doesn't want to pay their prices for a cookie-cutter bass off a shelf. And if anybody says you can't assemble it yourself and end up with a fantastic instrument, they're lying! I taught myself everything to assemble this, from soldering to setting up, and it is as perfect as it can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettsguitars Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 absolutely no reason why anyone with a bit of gumpsion (first time i've used that one) can't put together one of these. people tend to forget that the best instruments are made and built by hand. it's a no brainer to be honest. all this machine made fender stuff is shamelessly overpriced. building your own guitar can really help your understanding of the instrument and i believe it makes you a better player. there's nothing better than playing a git you made yourself. why d'you think evh smiles all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 [quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1108775' date='Jan 30 2011, 11:09 PM']Pretty much custom instrument, adding say 25% for import tax and shipping and it all still comes to a good price, roughly £650 So say what you can Cheers in advance[/quote] Bear in mind you'll have to add vat to your costs too (to the cost of both the parts and the shipping), as well as finishing, hardware, pickups, electronics, strings and setup if you need it. Warmoth parts are very nicely made - generally better than the far Eastern fleabay stuff, with the big advantage of being able to customise your parts, but my advice would be to add it [i]all[/i] up, look on the HM Customs website to get a better idea of import costs and take a look at what the total cost of the final finished bass will be. Then you can compare it to what you could get off the rack at a shop, or even from a luthier - maybe the difference won't be as big as you think. Sorry to p#ss on the fireworks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 [quote name='henry norton' post='1110713' date='Feb 1 2011, 10:11 AM']Bear in mind you'll have to add vat to your costs too (to the cost of both the parts and the shipping), as well as finishing, hardware, pickups, electronics, strings and setup if you need it. Warmoth parts are very nicely made - generally better than the far Eastern fleabay stuff, with the big advantage of being able to customise your parts, but my advice would be to add it [i]all[/i] up, look on the HM Customs website to get a better idea of import costs and take a look at what the total cost of the final finished bass will be. Then you can compare it to what you could get off the rack at a shop, or even from a luthier - maybe the difference won't be as big as you think. Sorry to p#ss on the fireworks [/quote] After two e-mails with Warmoth what i'd want (Gecko 6 with some things like paint ) and searching the HM sites, (I couldn't find exact figures but its roughly) at total charge of 40% Maximum as far as i can tell which is apprx. £850 or there abouts if my mental maths is right, Which for a Swampash/Basswood body 6 string isn't too bad. It was just an idea for a second 6 which would be nice, If i went to a luthier i'd need £2000 so i could go a bit crazy haha! And unfortunately the only basswood 6s i know of the the Musicman Bongo (£1500+) and all these budget american first six strings =/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 [quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1111414' date='Feb 1 2011, 07:36 PM']After two e-mails with Warmoth what i'd want (Gecko 6 with some things like paint ) and searching the HM sites, (I couldn't find exact figures but its roughly) at total charge of 40% Maximum as far as i can tell which is apprx. £850 or there abouts if my mental maths is right, Which for a Swampash/Basswood body 6 string isn't too bad. It was just an idea for a second 6 which would be nice, If i went to a luthier i'd need £2000 so i could go a bit crazy haha! And unfortunately the only basswood 6s i know of the the Musicman Bongo (£1500+) and all these budget american first six strings =/[/quote] Fair enough, but you (presumably) wouldn't want to use budget fittings and even using fairly decent, run of the mill stuff you could easily get near the £1500 mark with bridge, tuners, pickups, electronics, and all the little things like neck plate, screws, strap buttons. I'm all for building just the bass you want, I'm just saying it's surprising how the costs mount up - approach with caution, unless you're a millionaire... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 done that so many times on the warmoth site. Hovered over the buy button before realising exactly how much it was gonna cost all in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 [quote name='henry norton' post='1111515' date='Feb 1 2011, 07:53 PM']Fair enough, but you (presumably) wouldn't want to use budget fittings and even using fairly decent, run of the mill stuff you could easily get near the £1500 mark with bridge, tuners, pickups, electronics, and all the little things like neck plate, screws, strap buttons. I'm all for building just the bass you want, I'm just saying it's surprising how the costs mount up - approach with caution, unless you're a millionaire...[/quote] My lack of money is how i started look at warmoth haha! I'll keep looking around man! Your a Spanner -> The works! haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 [quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1111575' date='Feb 1 2011, 08:34 PM']My lack of money is how i started look at warmoth haha! I'll keep looking around man! Your a Spanner -> The works! haha[/quote] I've got a quote from Shuker for a fairly basic PJ bass, I also costed up a Warmoth that was similar (spec wise). The Warmoth was around 1/2 the cost, "great!" I thought, but that was before vat/duties/shipping. Add all that in and the difference drops to a couple of hundred quid. I know where I'd spend the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 [quote name='bartelby' post='1111584' date='Feb 1 2011, 08:40 PM']I've got a quote from Shuker for a fairly basic PJ bass, I also costed up a Warmoth that was similar (spec wise). The Warmoth was around 1/2 the cost, "great!" I thought, but that was before vat/duties/shipping. Add all that in and the difference drops to a couple of hundred quid. I know where I'd spend the money.[/quote] Anything with 6 strings + seems to run over £1K ever where i've poked my head round, apart from ACG but i've never played, or had experience with one and the body shapes aren't totally to my liking though i'm not discounting UK based luthiers! I'd prefer to spend my money here! Just the Gecko seems a great deal, i like the look and the options so thats what is at the top of the list At the mo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Hopefully [b]The Mods [/b]will know whether Warmoth will be having a trade stand at the forthcoming [b]London Bass Guitar Show 2011 - 12/13 March[/b] - the promotors were apparantly going to contact BC folllowing the NAMM show Re:advertising. Maybe somebody could contact Warmoth (and other manufacturers) to see if they're coming and if so, what they are bringing - it may be that they don't have to pay import duty on promotional items (until they are sold?) - you could place an "order" for "promotional items". Not that I'm encouraging avoiding paying Tax you understand.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 [quote name='henry norton' post='1110713' date='Feb 1 2011, 10:11 AM']. Warmoth parts are very nicely made - generally better than the far Eastern fleabay stuff,[/quote] I'd say that's a bit of an understatement! The quality of the body and neck on my old Warmoth J was head and shoulders above pretty much every Fender style bass i've seen. The wood (Walnut and Pau Ferro) was stunningly figured and faultless. I got it used for a very good price and sold it for even less (£360) so they do lose a lot of value. It's new owner described it as "a work of art". Warmoth isn't the cheapest route to go down but the quality is assured - it's really great stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I'm really struggling now. Do I make my dream jazz bass through Warmoth, do I make my Anthony Jackson jazz bass copy or do I buy a fretless ACG? Difficult... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 If I was going to go Jazz bass I would probably go Shuker, I love my ACG 4 but after playing Doods 7 string I really want a 6 string shuker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignsOfDelirium_bassist Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I've been thinking about getting a warmoth neck for a while, as much as I like the neck on my VMJ, the blocks look a little bit shoddy to me, and I think there's something wrong with the trussrod (There's bugger all resistance when you try to turn it). I was thinking about getting a tele bass maple/maple neck but with 1 1/2" nut and the slim back contour...will this make it the same dimensions as a jazz neck? I just really love the look of the Tele bass headstocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 One thing i would say about Warmoth necks is that they can be heavy (they have steel support rods in them) and might change the balance of the bass for the worse. This wasn't an issue on mine as the body was a hefty chunk of mahogany but it might affect the VMJ. Also it felt a lot chunkier than what i'd call "Jazz width", i think that's quite a common complaint with the Warmoth J necks/. Another thing - the blocks on the maple necked VMJ are stick on ones IIRC which may explain their appearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) [quote name='Chris2112' post='1111937' date='Feb 2 2011, 02:58 AM']Do I make my dream jazz bass through Warmoth, do I make my Anthony Jackson jazz bass copy or do I buy a fretless ACG? Difficult...[/quote] ... not that difficult [attachment=70790:img_4942.jpg][attachment=70793:img_4943.jpg] Edited February 2, 2011 by ikay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I'm making my own Tele bass using a Warmoth neck, but I'm making my own body from some holly my dad had lying around that he was gonna throw on the fire! All the other bits I've sourced from here. I think you can keep the costs down if you don't actually get everything from Warmoth. If you're prepared to wait around to pick up some deals, then I'd do that. Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 [quote name='ikay' post='1112313' date='Feb 2 2011, 01:12 PM']... not that difficult [attachment=70790:img_4942.jpg][attachment=70793:img_4943.jpg][/quote] I've been thinking of going to Alan for a fretless because I love my ACG so much, but on the other hand I've been thinking of doing a Warmoth project so I can say "I built that". Decisions, decisions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 I love my Warmoth Gecko, put together about 11 years ago, sounds gorgeous, rich deep harmonics, lovely stable neck, great quality parts and very easy project. Pretty expensive but you end up with a unique instrument that plays and sounds great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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