A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owners

[Econ]

How is the quality of the fret work? Will I need to do some work on the frets the same way it sometimes required with necks from Warmoth?

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owners

I'm one for five in that regard. Only one neck I got needed some rough fretends like the tool used was dull or something. The ones I got after that were pretty damn good. Also note that only 2 of them are mounted so that may change when I actually finish the build and play the rest of them. The way I approach it is that most new replacement necks will need some minor work once you get them and put them on a guitar body. You have to remember that you are buying raw new parts, you may or may not need a fret dress based on what you are used to playing on. I bought some files from stew-mac for that very reason and just consider that part of the build process when I build from parts.

I love their necks and Jim has a killer amount of options you can select from. I like that you can select whatever options you want and get the profile you want. Just because I like the look of Charvels doesn't mean I like skinny neck profiles for example. I'll order more as I'm phasing out the pointy headstocks from my stock of guitars.

[Econ]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owners

Thanks Shawn.

[Bengal65]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owners

I just recieved my first one from them. It is an ebony/maple Charvel style with a standard nut for a hardtail I'm building. The neck was pretty good overall, but no where compared to the quality of Warmoth IMHO. I've never had to do a fret level on the 15 necks I've gotten from Warmoth, or filing sanding and fixing production mistakes like I had to do on the Musikraft. It had scratches in the ebony that I had to sand and blend, then at the headstock where the fretboard meets the maple headstock, I had to file and sand to get the profile correct (where the nut area in the ebony is, back to the nut slot). They had done a fret level, but I don't know if they did it under tension or not. Between the nut and the first fret on the board there was a burnish mark, most likely due to clamping and a small chip in the ebony. I had to fix where they cut the nut slot. I had to sand that out and repair it. The sanding operation need work on the edges of the headstock too. Must have been a bad day for them when they released this one. I'll try one more and if I have to work on it, it's going back. Maybe better luck next time.

[Econ]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owners

That was going to be my next question: How do they compare to Warmoth necks? Iguess they could required some work based on your answer.

[Bengal65]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owners

The Warmoth necks I have recieved never required any work. If I got one unfinished neck for nitro lacquer, urethane or an oil finish, I didn't even have to do any prep sanding. I just applied the finish, buffed her out and bolted it on and did a set up. No fret leveling required.

[skorb]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owners

the Warmoth neck I got this year (custom birdseye Tele w/ 6150s) was perfect right out of the box. mount and play, sounds incredible, I am impressed. but they are not cheap.

[wodka]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owners

I can't comment on Musikraft but my Warmoth necks have been perfect on arrival. Never had to do a thing.

[Bengal65]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owners

Yea, the Musikraft was less money than a comparable Warmoth, but not by much. I figure the 8 hrs I spent yesterday preping it for the finish was burn't up in the price difference. Shawn Lutz has gotten more necks from Musikraft and according to him were very good, except one that needed the fret edges filed a little. Correct me if I'm wrong Shawn! I just finished sanding the neck profiles and polishing the frets after their so, so fret level. I think next time, I will go back to Warmoth, but may give Musikraft another try. They will make it right however, so they say.

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owners

thats pretty much it. The cheapest neck I bought was 275 from Musikraft so I select a lot of upgrades. If your neck was that as jacked up as you say I would have sent back. Did you talk to Jim about it? He seems very customer oriented from my dealings with him. I had bought 2 necks in the same selection but one had a lot more birdseye in than the other one and asked him what was up with that, he explained the process and offered a discont . My next order he checked it before they shipped and it is a killer neck with an isane abount of birdseye & very sweet ebony board. As I said in my first post 3 of them arent mounted so I can't really say for sure on fret levelness until its mounted.

The one that needed work is on this one

this one was perfect but I bought it used and dunno if it had an fret work on before I got it


The fret ends that were rough were not sharp or like razor blades [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] but more like some lower end ESP, Ibanez or Fender guitars that are out there. As far as other replacement necks I know people who had the same problem with Warmoth and Wd's necks. I've only had 2 other new replacement necks from Mighty Mite and both of those need fret work as well.

[Markus]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owner

I was looking at their necks on ebay today, and they've got some great ones for sale.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrpp...Q3aMEFSQ3aMESOI

-Mark

[Bengal65]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owner

Shawn, Yea I talked to Jim, but I was more concerned with the custom body they sort of goofed on. I was in the process of sending the body back to get a replacement made. I expected a goof up since it's the first they ever made, but I sent them pics and a description. Jim was very good and said he would make it right. This is something Warmoth will not do; is to make a body or neck to your own specification (Warmoth will do what you want but paying major $ in the process). The neck, a high dollar one at that, I had already applied Gun oil on the backside, when I looked closely on some spots on the neck and discovered the flaws. This is a style neck that they normally build. I'm hoping the next one is spot on.

[slash]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owner

I own 2 warmoth necks both mounted no fretwork needed when I got them and I have 3 Musikraft necks unmounted and at the very least they need the fret tabs filed down a little on the edges. Not sharp enough to cut you but you can feel them when your slide hand down the neck.

[Econ]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owner

I guess Warmoth is the way to go then. The price difference is not that much (compared to Musikraft).

[Bengal65]

Re: A couple of questions for Musikraft neck owner

You can go to their website (Musikcraft) and run the "neck order" form to get your price then make a comparison. I know every Warmoth neck I've gotten was perfect out of the box, including the one's in the "Showcase". If you want the Charvel style squared fretboard bottom from Warmoth, just ask. They used to square off all their 22 fret necks, but they now come "rounded" like Fender. There is a small charge for the squared version, most likely because they have to stop and change the CNC program.