Help convince me.... Warmoth or Musikraft?

blindside · December 1st, 2007, 11:46 AM

Hey guys,

I'm puting together my firstTele (partscaster) and I'm going all out. It's very important that I get the best of everything because I've wanted a Tele for SOOOO long and this will be my only one for a while. Actually, Sadly I sold my USA Lonestar Strat yesterday, which has been my baby, to pay for it.

I've got the body already, and I just ordered the Callaham kit and Fralin p-ups, and now I need to get the neck

I want a wenge neck (love the feel) with a pau ferro board. I thought Warmoth was the only place to go to get that until last night when I read on here about Musikraft and checked out their website. It seems A lot of people are happy with both.

Can you guys help me make an informed decision, PLEASE?

petebradt · December 1st, 2007, 11:51 AM

I had a Musikraft in a partscaster I no longer own, and it was great. I have no exp with Warmoth necks.

BritishBluesBoy · December 1st, 2007, 12:13 PM

Am waiting on delivery of my all Rosewood body and neck from Warmoth. As soon as it gets here I'll post my thoughts... Until then I can help much I'm afraid...

dimenjj · December 1st, 2007, 01:18 PM

I have put together over a dozen partscaster's and with the exception of one, I have always used Warmoth necks. Their quality is top notch and I have never encountered a problem with any of their necks. They have both finished and unfinished necks:
Total Vintage Construction (a close replica of the early vintage Fender necks, duplicating both the dimensions and construction methods used in the mid to late 50's.)
Vintage Modern Construction (necks based upon the vintage Fender necks but with a few refinements and improvements for convenience. The walnut filler strip or skunk stripe down the back side of the neck is a standard feature. Maple necks are made of one piece of wood those with alternate fingerboard woods are made of two pieces. The tone of these necks is very vintage and warm. In replacement situations, these necks will preserve the tone of your instrument.
Warmoth "Pro" Construction (feature a number of advancements including a double truss rod design, compound radius fingerboard, convenient truss rod adjustment and a wide range of custom options.

If you are using quality hardware and pickups, don't skimp on the neck. Have fun and best wishes.....

riggergreg · December 1st, 2007, 02:10 PM

No experience with Musikraft, but I've ordered two necks from Warmoth and both were crap. I've been using Allparts since.

keiths · December 1st, 2007, 03:26 PM

Not to muddy the waters but you can also check out USACG for necks as well.

psychotelepathic · December 1st, 2007, 03:26 PM

None of the above. USACG, on my third neck and all have been winners. Not to mention Tommy will take care of you no matter what happens.

Markl8 · December 1st, 2007, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psychotelepathic

None of the above. USACG, on my third neck and all have been winners. Not to mention Tommy will take care of you no matter what happens.

Hands down without a doubt USACG! He speaks the truth!

Swamp ash body Maple neck MOP inlays, pardon the lousy photography!

Pete Galati · December 1st, 2007, 04:03 PM

USACG is great to deal with. About the only reason I got a body and neck from Warmoth for my current project is because I could easily select from parts that're already finished, and ready to ship out.

But if I was going to custom order something, I would have called up Tommy.

I'm kind of planning to have USACG build me a neck for the gold guitar body they built for me earlier this year. The MIJ neck that's on it is a bit of a weak link.

boris bubbanov · December 1st, 2007, 04:03 PM

All four of the Warmoth necks I have ordered are absolutely beautiful, nice subtle wood figure, nothing disco, and the fretwork is very nice. Just the sizes and shapes I was aiming for, about half what I feared having to spend.

The advantage of Warmoth is if a neck of your dreams shows up on the page and you can swing it, you buy it with a real intense understanding of what will arrive two weeks later ready for a nut and finish.

If I were custom ordering I definitely go with Tommy at USACG. They've a smaller environment where each customer matters so much more; very friendly. The downside is the extra time, and the neck that arrives will be wenge and pau ferro but it still may not be what you'd originally envisioned, cause wood is like that.

Some day when I'm super persnickety, I use Tommy's stuff exclusively, but in the meanwhile there's nothing like quick gratification.

Bubbanov

blindside · December 1st, 2007, 04:40 PM

I'd love a USACG neck, but they don't offer wenge as an option and, after playing one, I love the feel and that's what I want.

If I was just getting a maple though....

It's like, for every 5 good things I hear about Warmoth/Musikraft, there are two horror stories. I have bad luck with custom ordered stuff too, for some reason, and I just want this guitar to be MY guitar, if you know what I mean.

Telepatio · December 1st, 2007, 05:00 PM

I did the same thing, custom order what I thought would fit the bill as my #1 guitar. What I got from Warmoth is excellent. The guitar is incredible. Customer service was never a problem for me.

Here's a pic of the walnut/walnut/ebony custom I made:

If you look close, you can see the corner of my 50's Wurlitzer :-)

freepatriot · December 1st, 2007, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blindside

Actually, Sadly I sold my USA Lonestar Strat yesterday, which has been my baby, to pay for it.

I hope that does not turn out to be a decision you call "a mistake" in the future.

blindside · December 1st, 2007, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freepatriot

I hope that does not turn out to be a decision you call "a mistake" in the future.

Seriously...

It pained me, honestly. I like strats, but I've always wanted a Tele and I can't afford both right now. The only way it'll be a mistake is if the neck sucks and the guitar plays like crap, which is why I want a nice neck.

thepassivevoice · December 1st, 2007, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telepatio

Here's a pic of the walnut/walnut/ebony custom I made:
If you look close, you can see the corner of my 50's Wurlitzer :-)

Hi Telepatio:

Just a quick side question, how much does your walnut tele weigh? (Noticeably more than an ash/alder tele?). Thanks.

Telelicious · December 1st, 2007, 06:04 PM

Got my 6th neck in 4 years from Warmoth 2 weeks ago and it is perfect. As were the last 5. It took 3 weeks for my custom order.

I ordered it like this:
Birds eye maple
1-3/4 nut
Rosewood board
Graphite nut installed
thinest profile they offer
10mm tuner holes
22 fret board
6105 SS frets
double truss rod with side adjust (custom pro series)
No fret markers
No attachment holes
No finish

$258.00. They charge extra for no fret markers and no attachment holes is my only small beef. I dont order from the site though. Ive called and discussed it then order over the phone.

They have more options than the rest and Ive never had an issue with them at all.

blindside · December 2nd, 2007, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telelicious

Got my 6th neck in 4 years from Warmoth 2 weeks ago and it is perfect. As were the last 5. It took 3 weeks for my custom order.

I ordered it like this:
Birds eye maple
1-3/4 nut
Rosewood board
Graphite nut installed
thinest profile they offer
10mm tuner holes
22 fret board
6105 SS frets
double truss rod with side adjust (custom pro series)
No fret markers
No attachment holes
No finish

$258.00. They charge extra for no fret markers and no attachment holes is my only small beef. I dont order from the site though. Ive called and discussed it then order over the phone.

They have more options than the rest and Ive never had an issue with them at all.

What do you think of the 6105 SS frets? That's what I've been thinking about getting.

blindside · December 2nd, 2007, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telepatio

I did the same thing, custom order what I thought would fit the bill as my #1 guitar. What I got from Warmoth is excellent. The guitar is incredible. Customer service was never a problem for me.

Here's a pic of the walnut/walnut/ebony custom I made:

If you look close, you can see the corner of my 50's Wurlitzer :-)

So, is it your #1 now? How does it play? It looks sweet.

Gilamnstr · December 2nd, 2007, 09:10 AM

I've only built one Partscaster, but I'm extremely happy with the Warmoth neck I ordered. Fretwork was great, wood is beautiful, tuner holes were drilled perfectly, nut was very well-cut (Corian). No issues with it whatsoever, and it feels/looks/plays as well or better than any of my "factory" Fender necks.

BroadMaster · December 2nd, 2007, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blindside

Hey guys,

I'm puting together my firstTele (partscaster) and I'm going all out. It's very important that I get the best of everything because I've wanted a Tele for SOOOO long and this will be my only one for a while. Actually, Sadly I sold my USA Lonestar Strat yesterday, which has been my baby, to pay for it.

I've got the body already, and I just ordered the Callaham kit and Fralin p-ups, and now I need to get the neck

I want a wenge neck (love the feel) with a pau ferro board. I thought Warmoth was the only place to go to get that until last night when I read on here about Musikraft and checked out their website. It seems A lot of people are happy with both.

Can you guys help me make an informed decision, PLEASE?

MUSIKRAFT will make to your exact specs DETAIL. Jim Jamerson runs a nice shop. They listen. They deliver your requests. I like their quality.
Warmoth is ok but I have had problems before and Musikraft is my choice for a well made neck. Give them a call. They'll call you back. Email works, too.

e-merlin · December 2nd, 2007, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riggergreg

No experience with Musikraft, but I've ordered two necks from Warmoth and both were crap.

Please elaborate. Were they warped? Were the trussrods broken? Was there dirt in the finish? Were the frets put in backwards? Did you send them back? If so, how was the customer service? That statement sounds like something an 11-year-old would say. I'm sure the OP wanted more than "they were crap."

I've used several suppliers in my builds. Everything I've ever ordered from Warmoth has been top-notch. They have plenty of options and their customer service has been very helpful when I've had issues, such as when I split a headstock pressing in tuner ferrules.

Telepatio · December 2nd, 2007, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thepassivevoice

Hi Telepatio:

Just a quick side question, how much does your walnut tele weigh? (Noticeably more than an ash/alder tele?). Thanks.

Yeah, maybe a little more...she weighs about 8.5lbs. I like a little heft to it though.

It's definitely my #1. Very loud and resonant acoustically. Sounds great plugged in but a lot of that is the harmonic design pickups. Plays great....needed frets crowned and dressed and i took a light sandpaper to the back of the neck, but that's my personal taste. All around a great guitar.

The only thing I would do different is to get flush string ferrules...warmoth doesn't have them. I actually may go back and install some.

Brendan · December 8th, 2007, 10:35 PM

I ordered a neck from Musikraft today after seeing good reviews on various forums. I've ordered Warmoth in the past, but hate their pricing structure. Why charge more for some neck profiles and not for others? Musikraft has a lot of options with no upcharge and i look forward to getting this neck. After my last transaction with USACG.....I'll only deal with them again if I have Tommy on the phone. Another employee sold me a "hand picked" swamp ash body blank that produced a tele body that was nearly 6lbs. I emailed my weight concerns before routing and he assured me it would come down to 4.5 or so. Hardly. I copied Tommy in on my responses, but his address bounced back. That was a waste of $90.

RodeoTex · December 8th, 2007, 11:10 PM

Can someone please post a link to USACG please? Everytime I try to go there I only get to the US Coast Guard's site, and no, I don't want to join up.

December 1st, 2007, 11:46 AM	#1 (permalink)
blindside TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Richmond, VA Age: 25 Posts: 22	Help convince me.... Warmoth or Musikraft? Hey guys, I'm puting together my firstTele (partscaster) and I'm going all out. It's very important that I get the best of everything because I've wanted a Tele for SOOOO long and this will be my only one for a while. Actually, Sadly I sold my USA Lonestar Strat yesterday, which has been my baby, to pay for it. I've got the body already, and I just ordered the Callaham kit and Fralin p-ups, and now I need to get the neck I want a wenge neck (love the feel) with a pau ferro board. I thought Warmoth was the only place to go to get that until last night when I read on here about Musikraft and checked out their website. It seems A lot of people are happy with both. Can you guys help me make an informed decision, PLEASE?

December 1st, 2007, 12:13 PM	#3 (permalink)
BritishBluesBoy Friend of Leo's Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brooklyn, NY Age: 40 Posts: 4,420 62 Photos	Am waiting on delivery of my all Rosewood body and neck from Warmoth. As soon as it gets here I'll post my thoughts... Until then I can help much I'm afraid... __________________ BBB.

December 1st, 2007, 01:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
dimenjj TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: DE Age: 54 Posts: 58	I have put together over a dozen partscaster's and with the exception of one, I have always used Warmoth necks. Their quality is top notch and I have never encountered a problem with any of their necks. They have both finished and unfinished necks: Total Vintage Construction (a close replica of the early vintage Fender necks, duplicating both the dimensions and construction methods used in the mid to late 50's.) Vintage Modern Construction (necks based upon the vintage Fender necks but with a few refinements and improvements for convenience. The walnut filler strip or skunk stripe down the back side of the neck is a standard feature. Maple necks are made of one piece of wood those with alternate fingerboard woods are made of two pieces. The tone of these necks is very vintage and warm. In replacement situations, these necks will preserve the tone of your instrument. Warmoth "Pro" Construction (feature a number of advancements including a double truss rod design, compound radius fingerboard, convenient truss rod adjustment and a wide range of custom options. If you are using quality hardware and pickups, don't skimp on the neck. Have fun and best wishes..... __________________ "*You're only as good as your last gig*"

December 1st, 2007, 02:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
riggergreg Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Back in Texas, Again Age: 51 Posts: 1,013 34 Photos	No experience with Musikraft, but I've ordered two necks from Warmoth and both were crap. I've been using Allparts since. __________________ I got all I need.....For now

December 1st, 2007, 04:03 PM	#10 (permalink)
boris bubbanov Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA + in the past Posts: 7,664	All four of the Warmoth necks I have ordered are absolutely beautiful, nice subtle wood figure, nothing disco, and the fretwork is very nice. Just the sizes and shapes I was aiming for, about half what I feared having to spend. The advantage of Warmoth is if a neck of your dreams shows up on the page and you can swing it, you buy it with a real intense understanding of what will arrive two weeks later ready for a nut and finish. If I were custom ordering I definitely go with Tommy at USACG. They've a smaller environment where each customer matters so much more; very friendly. The downside is the extra time, and the neck that arrives will be wenge and pau ferro but it still may not be what you'd originally envisioned, cause wood is like that. Some day when I'm super persnickety, I use Tommy's stuff exclusively, but in the meanwhile there's nothing like quick gratification. Bubbanov Last edited by boris bubbanov; December 9th, 2007 at 03:20 PM.

December 1st, 2007, 11:51 AM	#2 (permalink)
petebradt Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Niner Country Posts: 3,393 12 Photos	I had a Musikraft in a partscaster I no longer own, and it was great. I have no exp with Warmoth necks.

December 1st, 2007, 03:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
keiths TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Maryland Age: 36 Posts: 68	Not to muddy the waters but you can also check out USACG for necks as well.

December 1st, 2007, 03:26 PM	#7 (permalink)
psychotelepathic Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Charlotte Posts: 452	None of the above. USACG, on my third neck and all have been winners. Not to mention Tommy will take care of you no matter what happens.

December 1st, 2007, 04:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
Pete Galati R.I.P. Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 8,104 2 Photos	USACG is great to deal with. About the only reason I got a body and neck from Warmoth for my current project is because I could easily select from parts that're already finished, and ready to ship out. But if I was going to custom order something, I would have called up Tommy. I'm kind of planning to have USACG build me a neck for the gold guitar body they built for me earlier this year. The MIJ neck that's on it is a bit of a weak link.

December 1st, 2007, 04:40 PM	#11 (permalink)
blindside TDPRI Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Richmond, VA Age: 25 Posts: 22	I'd love a USACG neck, but they don't offer wenge as an option and, after playing one, I love the feel and that's what I want. If I was just getting a maple though.... It's like, for every 5 good things I hear about Warmoth/Musikraft, there are two horror stories. I have bad luck with custom ordered stuff too, for some reason, and I just want this guitar to be MY guitar, if you know what I mean.

December 1st, 2007, 05:00 PM	#12 (permalink)
Telepatio Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 390	I did the same thing, custom order what I thought would fit the bill as my #1 guitar. What I got from Warmoth is excellent. The guitar is incredible. Customer service was never a problem for me. Here's a pic of the walnut/walnut/ebony custom I made: If you look close, you can see the corner of my 50's Wurlitzer :-) __________________ Isn't life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves? - AW

December 1st, 2007, 06:04 PM	#16 (permalink)
Telelicious Banned Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Seattle Age: 44 Posts: 403	Got my 6th neck in 4 years from Warmoth 2 weeks ago and it is perfect. As were the last 5. It took 3 weeks for my custom order. I ordered it like this: Birds eye maple 1-3/4 nut Rosewood board Graphite nut installed thinest profile they offer 10mm tuner holes 22 fret board 6105 SS frets double truss rod with side adjust (custom pro series) No fret markers No attachment holes No finish $258.00. They charge extra for no fret markers and no attachment holes is my only small beef. I dont order from the site though. Ive called and discussed it then order over the phone. They have more options than the rest and Ive never had an issue with them at all.

December 2nd, 2007, 09:10 AM	#19 (permalink)
Gilamnstr Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Southern CA Age: 46 Posts: 507 6 Photos	I've only built one Partscaster, but I'm extremely happy with the Warmoth neck I ordered. Fretwork was great, wood is beautiful, tuner holes were drilled perfectly, nut was very well-cut (Corian). No issues with it whatsoever, and it feels/looks/plays as well or better than any of my "factory" Fender necks. __________________ Mac

December 8th, 2007, 10:35 PM	#23 (permalink)
Brendan Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 263	I ordered a neck from Musikraft today after seeing good reviews on various forums. I've ordered Warmoth in the past, but hate their pricing structure. Why charge more for some neck profiles and not for others? Musikraft has a lot of options with no upcharge and i look forward to getting this neck. After my last transaction with USACG.....I'll only deal with them again if I have Tommy on the phone. Another employee sold me a "hand picked" swamp ash body blank that produced a tele body that was nearly 6lbs. I emailed my weight concerns before routing and he assured me it would come down to 4.5 or so. Hardly. I copied Tommy in on my responses, but his address bounced back. That was a waste of $90.

December 8th, 2007, 11:10 PM	#24 (permalink)
RodeoTex Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,178	Can someone please post a link to USACG please? Everytime I try to go there I only get to the US Coast Guard's site, and no, I don't want to join up. __________________ Turn it on, turn it up, turn me loose.