Need Warmoth Neck Purchasing Advice

This is about my new Telecouster build. (Brilliant name, huh? I changed two letters from "Telecoustic.") I ordered the body today (1 piece swamp ash), so a little background first:

It's an Esquire body blank, but no actual bridge pup is going in there. Instead, my 6-saddle bridge will take Graphtech's Ghost saddles with piezos, with wires running to the pup cavity which holds their Acousticphonic preamp and 9 volt battery. This is then covered with the gold ashtray, and from there, it's wired to the control cavity like a "normal" guitar.

The body will be bathed in Danish oil (Watco, still deciding on color) then waxed for a natural woody look.

NO PICKGUARD--so we're talking about a solid body "acoustic" guitar. Got some funky ideas for possibly inlaying a pickguard, maybe adding something later, but for now--no.

This will be used for fingerpicking and strumming, nothing funky. So now that I'm starting to think about my neck order going in in a few weeks, I need your advice.

This is where I'm going with this at this stage of my thinking, so tell me if you think I'm totally off-base on anything. And if you have an answer to any of my questions, PLEASE OFFER IT!

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Here's Warmoth's link to their Pro "Superwide" Tele necks:

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=superwide_warmothpro

1) Since this will be an acoustic type guitar (yeah, right), I was thinking to go for the widest neck available for Tele, which is this one. But as far as radius goes, and with an option to go for a flat radius of just 9" for just $35 more, should I be thinking about that, since it'll be mostly fingerpicking and chords?

Does this make sense? Their standard compound radius for this is 10-16. I just don't understand this radius concept and need a lesson.


2) On the back contour, I can't figure out what the playability difference will be between their Fat and Boat options. (I totally ruled out Thin.) Here is a diagram of all three choices they offer for the same standard price:

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=back_profiles

Which do you think is better for what I'm going to use the guitar for, fingerpicking and strumming? I figure I want something big and meaty.


3) Next, for the Frets, I'm going for their $30 optional gold wire. The rest of the guitar will be outfitted with gold hardware as well, and yes, as a Jew, it KILLS me to spend this extra 30 bucks, but for gold, I think my religion even encourages that. They say these frets sit quite high:

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=fretsize#gold

I think high frets are a good match anyway for what I'm going to be using this guitar for, but I'm not sure.


4) For tuner holes, I figure I'll just go with vintage style. Any reason to be thinking different?


5) I have a choice of three truss rod styles for the same base price, and I'm leaning toward the Double Expanding one:

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=truss_rods#double

It's twice the weight of the Vintage, with more wood, but that's listed there as a plus for sustain. They also have a funky Gotoh style SIDE adjustable option:

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=sideadjust


6) Haven't made a decision on any inlay or neckstock options, because I'm not sure exactly about the exact basic NECK I'm getting.


7) So if I go cheap with standard maple, matched with this guitar's specs, should I go with Ebony, Rosewood or Pau Ferro (Who's HE!?) for the fretboard?


8) I'm guessing that I'm going to start out and set this up with just about the heaviest gauge electric strings available, so can you please keep this in mind while mulling all of my other issues?

The body is in the process of going to the CNC (as soon as I actually pay them, anyway), and I'll have it shortly, but thinking about this neck order is a lot more fun!

Thanks for listening guys!

I have one of these Warmoth compound radius necks, and I have to agree, it's probably more marketing fluff than anything else. Why?
There's no way the top of the fretboard on my "compound radius" neck is 10". It looks and feels just as flat as the upper registers, which are supposed to be 16". That should be a BIG transition, and
on the one I have, it doesn't look that way to me. And I'm sure it's
a compound radius neck. At least that's what I ordered and what the description on the box said. I can't figure those Warmoth guys out.
Why not just make 7.5, 9.5 (or 10) and 12" radius necks, like the rest of the world? If you play a Fender 12" radius neck, it doesn't feel any different that the Warmoth compound radius. Flat is flat. Radiused is radiused. Seems a little weak a sales story, but lots of guys buy them, so who am I to question them? I'm just a customer.
(Oh, and why can you never find any pre-built maple necks there anymore? What's up with that?)

I have an '84 '57 reissue Strat with a stock neck that was compound-radiused at the last refret.I can tell the difference.Chords are more "grab-able" down where it's still close to stock radius,but it's noticeably faster higher up.I like it.And I have a scalloped-fingerboard Strat neck on order from Warmoth for a planned parts-o-caster.

With the compound radius, do the middle two strings (D and G) have a higher action above the 18th fret because of the transition from 10 to 16", or do the E and e string have a very low action near the nut?

Strings are straight, relatively, a compound fretboard isn't.

Or is it that the difference in radius is so slight that it's not really noticeable?

the average player wont feel the difference
i find they are a b1tch to level and most warmoth necks have needed a level and dress - they even tell you that both on the website and on the card in the box - i cant use a radius block to finish the leveling process so its difficult know where you are till you string it up

warmoth only offer the 7.25 flat radius on the total vintage necks - the rest have compund radius - i have gone off warmoth because i cant buy flat radius necks without paying an upcharge - i tried allparts and didnt like em and i am trying usacg next

i agree with pj and say its "marketing fluff"

The heart of any guitar is its neck, and that's a most personal experience and choice for any guitarist, particularly if you play fingerstyle (as I do). My recent personal Thinline build for fingerstyle jazz and bluez employs a custom vintage/modern Wartmouth Tele neck - fat V, 1.704" nut width, compound radius.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/rfdee/guitars/tljb2.jpg

After having my first Warmoth neck installed, the best advice I can give, is to make sure you're buying the right profile - Boat, Fat, '59,
Clapton, etc. The "Standard Thin" profile I have is similar to a Gibson
"Slim Taper" neck. And if you're after more of a vintage Fender profile, it'll be the '59 Roundback you'd be after. Warmoth produces
95% slim taper for their pre-built stuff, but will essentially make you anything you want, within their options. Next time around, I'll be going for more wood in the profile.

I have a 1-7/8" superwide warmoth neck on an strat body that i built a couple of years ago, these are wide necks, not only at the nut end but it`s over 2-1/4" at the 12th fret i dont know how big your hands are?( mine are big) but this width fingerboard on a neck is a handfull and if you opt for a roundback your going to need long fingers.
Im hoping to start machining an acoustic type body for a tele build soon myself and ill be building my own neck so it wont be quiet as wide (maybe a 1-3/4") and i think ill have a 9.5 straight radius, i personally dont care for the compound radius on the warmoth neck and its got a over thick (5mm) rosewood board that im not crazy about either but the maple is highly figured.

Warmoth has screwed up all the custom work I've sent them, so I won't deal with them anymore.

If you decide you really want to buy from them, submit your order in writing. That was my mistake, I decided I wanted to get that personal touch and talk to someone when placing my order.

Thanks for the insight, guys. It was ALL helpful.

The thing is, I want you to think like I'm building an acoustic guitar, even though it's a Tele body and neck, just for fingerpicking and strumming--no lead. That's why I'm attracted to this wide neck.

It's the radius thing which is giving me a headache. I'm thinking 9" flat radius based on its use. NEVER going past the 12th fret to boot.

if you're after more of a vintage Fender profile, it'll be the '59 Roundback you'd be after.

Not an option on this super-wide. Only thin, boat and fat.

My two all-time favorite guitar necks are the two Warmoth Tele necks on my Partscasters; both have 1-3/4" nut width (the sole reason why I went with Warmoth - I HATE narrow necks...), 10-16" compound radius, standard thin profile, double expanding truss-rod, stainless steel med. jumbo frets and pre-cut Graphtec nuts; one is maple with a rosewood fretboard, the other maple with a pau ferro fretboard.
BTW, neither of my two necks needed any fretwork done when I got them (but I heard that SS frets are better in this regard, because they are more uniform because of their hardness); one of the Graphtec nuts did need some filing down of the notches, though, the other one was perfect.

About some of your questions:

1) The 10-16" feels fine for me; it's not like you would pick up this guitar and go "Hey, this is a compound-radiussed neck." - If you didn't know, you'd never notice the difference... I personally don't get along at all with the 7.5" vintage Fender radius - maybe because I learned playing guitar on nylon string classical types, and an ES335-type later-on, I prefer them really flat (like the 14" on my Danelectro), but this compund radius feels just right.

2) Do you play with classical thumb position (thumb on the back of the neck), or thumb-over-stlye (thumb on the top edge of the neck)?
If it's the former (thumb on the back of the neck), V-type necks, even soft Vs like the boatneck, will probably feel uncomfortable, and may even lead to thumb fatigue and pain after a short time of playing (at least I have that experience every time I play on the Tele of the singer in my band, which has a soft V neck).

5) Supposedly, the double-action trus rods are heavier than the vintage styles; all I can say that even on my Thinline Partscaster that double-action truss rodded neck does not make it neck heavy.

7) As I said, I have a rosewood fretboard on one and pau ferro on the other of my otherwise identical necks. Frankly, I don't notice a difference in tone, but for a fair comparison, I'd have to use them on the same guitar with the same strings, etc.
Rosewood is supposed to give a warmer tone than maple (pau fero is supposed to sound like maple because of its hardness), and ebony even brighter than maple. I personally think a lot of the tonal differences of maple fretboards comes from the fact that they have to be lacquered (because of their light color -> dirt); pau ferro does not have to be lacquered, neither does rosewood or ebony.
The pau ferro is lighter in colour than the rosewood (with regards to my two necks), and the p. f. is more highly figured; the surface of the pau ferro is much smoother, there is no open grain like there is on rosewood. And since pau ferro is harder than rosewood, it will probably show less wear over time than rosewood (the rosewood fretboard on the neck that I have been playing A LOT over the last 3 years starts to develop the first bumps and divots in the "popular" spots on the lower frets...)
I personally will go with pau ferro again for my next necks (which will also come fom Warmoth).

The thing is, I want you to think like I'm building an acoustic guitar, even though it's a Tele body and neck, just for fingerpicking and strumming--no lead. That's why I'm attracted to this wide neck.


Oh, and BTW, most acoustic guitars (if you are referring to steel-string types) don't have extermly wide necks - it's usually 1-11/16" on most dreadnaughts & acoustics intended for strumming & flatpicking, and 1-3/4" on some grand concert types and acoustics intended for fingerpicking (my Guild GAD-30E has that 1-3/4" width). Very few custom acoustics have a neck width of over 1-3/4"...


...unless you are talking about nylon-stringed classical guitars, which usually have a neck width of about 2"; 1-7/8" would be on the narrow end for a nylon string. Oh, and nylon-string guitars have extremely flat fretboards - usually somewhere from 16" to completely flat.

Frankly, unless you've got a chance to try a steel-stringed guitar (acoustic or electric) with a 1-7/8" neck width in advance, I'd rather go with 1-3/4" - this gives plenty of room for clear chording, without feeling uncomfortable/unusual...

Ira....good to know that. I've only bought from the "Showcase" - so
what I got was there to see. I think if I bought another Tele neck from the, it'd be a Boat or '59. Do you know which one of those is closest to a 70s-C profile?

Oh, and BTW, most acoustic guitars (if you are referring to steel-string types) don't have extermly wide necks - it's usually 1-11/16" on most dreadnaughts & acoustics intended for strumming & flatpicking, and 1-3/4" on some grand concert types and acoustics intended for fingerpicking (my Guild GAD-30E has that 1-3/4" width). Very few custom acoustics have a neck width of over 1-3/4"...


I think you just saved me from a world of hurt. For some reason, I'm thinking that an acoustic would be wider.

Every time I think I know something, I don't. But why does Warmoth make such a wide neck though?

PJ--I have no clue. I'm about to crawl into a corner and suck my thumb and rock in utter confusion.

Ira....good to know that. I've only bought from the "Showcase" - so
what I got was there to see. I think if I bought another Tele neck from the, it'd be a Boat or '59. Do you know which one of those is closest to a 70s-C profile?

The small handful of 70s Teles I've played had necks that were only average thickness, much smaller than the boat or the '59.

I have a 1-7/8" superwide warmoth neck on an strat body that i built a couple of years ago, these are wide necks, not only at the nut end but it`s over 2-1/4" at the 12th fret i dont know how big your hands are?( mine are big) but this width fingerboard on a neck is a handfull and if you opt for a roundback your going to need long fingers.


My two all-time favorite guitar necks are the two Warmoth Tele necks on my Partscasters; both have 1-3/4" nut width (the sole reason why I went with Warmoth - I HATE narrow necks...), 10-16" compound radius, standard thin profile

About some of your questions:

1) The 10-16" feels fine for me; it's not like you would pick up this guitar and go "Hey, this is a compound-radiussed neck." - If you didn't know, you'd never notice the difference... I personally don't get along at all with the 7.5" vintage Fender radius - maybe because I learned playing guitar on nylon string classical types, and an ES335-type later-on, I prefer them really flat (like the 14" on my Danelectro), but this compund radius feels just right.



Can't really answer any of the OP's questions, but here's some reference info and questions of my own (as I will be ordering a neck in the near future and need to figure out this radius/width thing myself):

My favourite electric is my 7 String Danelectro. The neck is 1 7/8 at the nut, 2 3/8 at the 12th. Radius is quite flat, probably the same 14" as other Danos. So 6 strings on a neck this wide would be silly. I think I would go for 1 3/4. I have loongg fingers. My question is, does hand size influence radius preference? On another thread, someone suggested hanging one's hands at one's sides to see why fretboards are not flat. Well, the natural curve to my monkey fingers certainly isn't 7 1/4" ! Any opinions on hand size vs. radius?

No exactly an answer to your question, but one thing I've noticed: flat fretboards feel wider!

As noted, Danos (at least the modern reissues) have 14" radius fretboards, and a nut width that is around 1-11/16" maybe slightly less). And Dano necks, at least to my fingers, feel quite a bit wider/spacier than vintage spec'd Fender necks, with 7.5" radius, but the same 1-11/16" nut width.
I found the same thing by comapring some acoustics: the singer of my band has a Takamine with 1-11/16" nut width and a really curved fretboard (couldn't find the specs anywhere, but it must be less than 9.5"), and I hate playing it, because the my fingers feel cramped on that narrow neck. I don't have that problem at all on a friend's Martin D-18 (which, AFAIK, also has a 1-11/16" neck width, but a much larger fretboard radius, couldn't find the spec's either, but it is definitely more than 12").