Warmoth Gecko self-build basses

[rjb]

Just found this. Seems quite interesting...

[url="http://www.warmoth.com/gecko/gecko.cfm?fuseaction=include_gecko5"]http://www.warmoth.com/gecko/gecko.cfm?fus...=include_gecko5[/url]

Anyone played/own one of these?

Edited August 26, 2008 by rjb

[7string]

Haven't played one but Warmoth has a good reputation.

[Fraktal]

Ive heard they suffer of horrible neck-dive due to the 2 steel bars they use to reinforce the neck. A pity cos they look gorgeous!

[Delberthot]

Don't have a Gecko but I do have a Warmoth.

Mine is a '54 reissue precision. Mahogany body, Wenge neck and Ebony fretboard. Everything is gold right down to the frets.







Their stuff is first rate and unless you get a maple fretboard there's little you have to do to get them up and running.

Its easily the best bass I have ever owned and not even slightly neck heavy. Its a welcome change from the usual Ash/Alder/Maple/Rosewood basses that you find on the high street without going exotic as it gives you access to a whole lot of woods that are normally only available from the boutique guys without paying boutique prices.

I put my current one together for about £600 which is around the same as a second hand MIA Fender.

I should be getting my next one through at the beginning of October. I'll probably take pics as I'm building it to show exactly how easy it is to assemble. I managed to get this one done for a total of £500.

They are a bit of a gamble as they are considered parts basses and you'll lose a fair bit it it turns out not to be the one for you.

Edited August 26, 2008 by Delberthot

[rjb]

Heh, that's a seriously bling bass you've got there.

Great stuff.

[rjb]

[quote name='Fraktal' post='270628' date='Aug 26 2008, 10:50 PM']Ive heard they suffer of horrible neck-dive due to the 2 steel bars they use to reinforce the neck. A pity cos they look gorgeous![/quote]

Well I'm used to a bit of neck dive - I own a Warwick Thumb!

[Delberthot]

2 basses that I loved but had to sell because of neckdive were a Thumb NT5 and a Thunderbird.

Thankfully mine does not suffer from this.

Actually, I picked the wenge neck as I loved the Thumb's neck and I picked mahogany for the body after the thunderbird (and my 30th anniversary stingray)

[joe_bass]

My friend built a telecaster from Warmoth parts. The quality is excellent. I would love to do this if I had the money & time to decide on all the parts i want.

Go for it mate!!!

[Tait]

i wouldn't mind building a telelcaster shaped bass from warmoth parts in lake placid blue and 2 of those EMG musicman pickups that have coil tap. it'd be the "taitycaster mk. II" lol. almost definatly never going to happen though... by the time i've got enough money i'll be wanting something else lol.

EDIT: just been looking at warmoth colours... scrap the LPB, i'd go graffiti yellow!

Edited August 28, 2008 by lwtait

[Sibob]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='270660' date='Aug 26 2008, 11:29 PM'][/quote]

I normally HATE gold hardware, but the fact that everything is gold on yours kinda makes it ok lol
Nice build!

I was considering a Warmouth neck for my current Jazz build, but went with something a little more 'homegrown'
But their options are second to none, and seem to be fairly reasonably priced, although the dollar is fighting back, so better order soon!

Si

[lemmywinks]

I've got a warmoth jazz, the body weighs a ton so there's no neck dive. Think the body wood on mine is all walnut so might depend on what body wood you choose

Edited August 30, 2008 by lemmywinks

[kemra]

I would love a Gecko, they look fantastic and Warmoth has such a good reputation for quality. But I think i'll need to wait for my apyrise to kick in before i take the plunge on one.

[7string]

I go on the Warmoth site every now and again and just spec a bass together to see how much it would cost.

With hardware but minus electronics, a bass with a pretty decent spec comes out at less than £500. Not too bad at all. You could take that price down by searching out cheaper hardware.

The second hand value might not be too great though, but who buys basses to sell them

[lemmywinks]

Mine was £335 off ebay, with schaller bridge, gotoh tuners and active duncans. Also came with fender strap with locking buttons and a gator case!

[Tait]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='272242' date='Aug 29 2008, 08:51 AM']Mine was £335 off ebay, with schaller bridge, gotoh tuners and active duncans. Also came with fender strap with locking buttons and a gator case![/quote]

acitve duncans? i didn't realise seymour duncan did active pickups.

EDIT: actually, come to think of it, i may have seen them in some magazine being review. i can't remember what they're called, but they're all black, aren't they? no pole pieces showing.

Edited August 30, 2008 by lwtait

[lemmywinks]

[quote name='lwtait' post='273260' date='Aug 30 2008, 06:01 PM']acitve duncans? i didn't realise seymour duncan did active pickups.

EDIT: actually, come to think of it, i may have seen them in some magazine being review. i can't remember what they're called, but they're all black, aren't they? no pole pieces showing.[/quote]

Don't know what the deal with them is, they have "Basslines" written on them. The guy said they we're Seymour Duncan Lightning Rods and there's a battery and some wiring in the cavity. That's about the extent of my technical knowledge

I didn't really bother too much about the innards cos the bass was Mex Fender money so snapped it up!

The controls are standard jazz vol/vol/tone so not really sure what's goin on, looking to upgrade it to possibly an aguilar pre in the near future so would like to know if there's a pre amp in the pickup casing or just a rudimentary one on the pots.

Anyway here's pics:

[lemmywinks]

Anyway, back on topic!

[Matty]

Isn't that Robbie RIM basses old warmoth jazz?

[lemmywinks]

[quote name='Matty' post='273405' date='Aug 30 2008, 11:25 PM']Isn't that Robbie RIM basses old warmoth jazz?[/quote]

Dunno is it?

I got it off ebay in feb this year i think, the guy was a student and lived in leamington spa if IIRC (probably wrong then).
It's a lined fretless and was pretty much unplayed when i got it. Just someone needing money at the wrong time of year to be selling your gear!

[dannyp]

I've got a Gecko. The guitarist from my band turned me on to Warmoth as he'd gradually upgraded his strat to their neck and body. I started my research around March this year and the bass was finally finished in August.

You can see pictures of it here: [url="http://picasaweb.google.com/jugglingdan/WendyWarmoth#"]http://picasaweb.google.com/jugglingdan/WendyWarmoth#[/url]
And its spec. is in my post on the Warmoth forum, here: [url="http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=4720.0"]http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=4720.0[/url]

I can honestly say it's been the best instrument purchase decision I've ever made, for so many reasons. There is sheer, unadulterated pleasure to be had in near-total control over ever aspect of your instrument's construction. Having settled on the idea of a 5-string fretless, I then went about researching the best possible tone woods, the best possible pickups, the best possible preamp...

Warmoth's reputation is already well documented. Their wood selection, build quality and upgrade options are first class. Even knowing exactly what I'd ordered, when the body and neck arrived a few weeks later they were so much more fantastic than I could ever have imagined. Of course, these parts are just the beginning. You then get to spec. out precisely the hardware and electronics which go on/in it.

Excluding luthier fees (which, if you have good wood-working skills you could avoid completely), strings and new accessories (gig bag, stand, strap), I've spent about £1,100 on my Gecko. That's inclusive of all the parts, shipping to the UK, and all the import/tax/handling charges slapped on top when they arrive in the UK. I bought everything from Warmoth and[url="http://&quot;%20<a%20href="http://www.bestbassgear.com&quot;"%20target="_blank">http://www.bestbassgear.com&quot;</a>"] http://www.bestbassgear.com[/url]

Given I bought everything late Spring/early Summer when the £/$ exchange rate was much better, I suppose it would now be more expensive to make the same bass. Of course, bear in mind that I upgraded pretty much everything! I selected expensive woods, a laminate top, all the 'little' options like an accent line, headstock veneer etc. And I also went for premium electronics with Aguliar and Nordstrand. I'm know that a great Gecko can still be made on a much tighter budget but I couldn't help myself!

The resulting instrument has exceeded my expectations in every way. The tone is out of this world; it balances perfectly; weighs entirely reasonably; plays incredibly. It out-classes well known brands' off-the-shelf instruments more than twice the price. I accept it's an irony that I could never sell the Gecko for the price I paid - not that I'd ever want to. I went into the project knowing it wouldn't be any sort of financial investment. Frankly, the journey was more rewarding than any amount of money.

For the fun I've had and the instrument I now own, I think I'd find it really, really difficult in future to justify walking into a shop and buying an instrument. Certainly in the £800+ range I don't think there's anything (for me, at least) which couldn't be out-performed by a self-build Warmoth.

[rjb]

Thanks for the links, Dannyp. Stunning bass you got there...

[SisterAbdullahX]

[quote name='Fraktal' post='270628' date='Aug 26 2008, 10:50 PM']Ive heard they suffer of horrible neck-dive due to the 2 steel bars they use to reinforce the neck. A pity cos they look gorgeous![/quote]


I'm currently half way through building my first Warmoth, a 4 string Jazz with swamp ash body and maple/ebony neck. It currently has no pickups or electronics in it and does suffer neck dive. I'm hoping that fitting p.u's and circuitry will add enough body weight to balance things out. I enquired if Warmoth could fit graphite bars, instead of steel but they said they'd tried that and it resulted in dead spots so they decided to stick to steel. I find that a little strange as my Fender Jazz Deluxe 5 string has graphite bars and balances perfectly despite the extra neck mass and additional machine head and doesn't have a single dead spot anywhere.

[tempo]

Dannyp, that is one of the most beautiful basses I've seen. You should put those pics in the "bass-porn" section, a true centre-fold!

[Delberthot]

[quote name='SisterAbdullahX' post='304686' date='Oct 12 2008, 03:19 AM']I'm currently half way through building my first Warmoth, a 4 string Jazz with swamp ash body and maple/ebony neck. It currently has no pickups or electronics in it and does suffer neck dive. I'm hoping that fitting p.u's and circuitry will add enough body weight to balance things out. I enquired if Warmoth could fit graphite bars, instead of steel but they said they'd tried that and it resulted in dead spots so they decided to stick to steel. I find that a little strange as my Fender Jazz Deluxe 5 string has graphite bars and balances perfectly despite the extra neck mass and additional machine head and doesn't have a single dead spot anywhere.[/quote]

My newest Warmoth also has a swamp ash body but maple neck and fretboard. I went for Gotoh Resolite tuners just in case there was going to be any neck dive. Happy to say that there isn't on this bass. It balances perfectly.

The only reason I used the Gotohs was because they were reverse winding like the original Fender ones.

Also, you don't mention if it is front or rear routed - if rear there is a lot of room in the cavity to add weight

Edited October 14, 2008 by Delberthot

[bremen]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='271711' date='Aug 28 2008, 12:49 PM']I've got a warmoth jazz, the body weighs a ton so there's no neck dive. Think the body wood on mine is all walnut so might depend on what body wood you choose[/quote]


I have a Warmoth swamp ash dinky P that weighs 3.4kG and there is no problem with neck dive.