Warmoth took my money...Again!

Warmoth is evil.. in a good way. Here is a run down of my KoaCaster build:
Build Start 4:00
Demo Start 15:30
KoaCaster Parts:
Flame Koa & Mahogany Body
Koa Neck w/Abalone Inlays and Stainless SS6230 Frets
Lollar El Rayo Humbucker Pickups
Wilkinson Short Bridge
Gotoh Engraved Neckplate
Hipshot UMP Tuners
Demo Gear:
Groove Tubes Trio Preamp (Clean)
Egnater M4 Preamp w/B-Man Module (2nd channel)
Mezzabarba Nirvana Preamp (3rd channel)
Roland SRV2000 Digital Reverb
Marshall EL84 20/20 Power Amp
Divided by 13 4x12 (Greenbacks & V30s)

[@warmoth]

Killer build Michael....I wondered who snagged that insane Koa from the showcase! :) Thanks for doing the video!

[@Terrysoddy]

Yea that Koa is like gold now. Lol

[@phillamoore157]

@@Terrysoddy Amen... And, finding 4A & 5A flame maple is becoming next to impossible (and insanely expensive), as well. Yet, even with that said, it's still half the cost of a PRS, Suhr, Music Man, etc.... If Warmoth can find a way to keep their costs down, it's beyond foolish to spend $4K+ for a "boutique" brand, unless someone simply has the money to spend...and that's to say nothing of the customization options...

[@arlenroth8373]

The folks at Warmoth have always been the best!

[@altemu]

Mesmerized by the background 🤤

[@sandywarmoth-hosfelt1769]

This brings a tear to my eye...it's just so beautiful.

[@BigHairyGuitars]

That thing is beautiful!!!!

[@SolarWarden88]

Solid build man, that wood has fantastic character and flaming. Even the neck had some wicked flaming going on. Pickups had some nice clarity too.

[@9999plato]

I just bought my 4th Warmoth, used of course. 2 5string Jazz basses a 5 string Gecko bass and most recently a beautiful deep v boat neck cherry sunburst thinline tele with a super light alder body! Sweet! Thats a purdy tele you got yourself!

[@toshsqeez]

Oh~it’s beautiful guitar that’s exactly what my dream guitar 😊

[@barnettg66]

Warmoth takes my money too. And somehow I find myself happy. I recently did a 7/8 S-Style that is by far the best guitar I have owned in 40 years. Initially had the 7/8 Warhead neck, but then tried the 24" Warmoth Mustang neck on it just to see how it'd work --- Warmoth scores more cash. And OMG...wow. It is sublime. The company is amazing and its products are works of art. (BTW...if that room is in your house, the electronic gear alone may be worth more than the house itself. I'd be afraid to spill a beer there lest the damage roll into the tens of thousands.)

[@aarontunes]

That is eye-popping! Very nice!

[@Clinthopanonymous]

good lord that Koa is amazing. Ya got good taste, friend!

[@kohlweisshans3653]

Warmoth took my money twice :-) and I'm very happy that they did :-) I know have two very easy to play guitars with superwide neck (48 mm nut.)

[@richardsmith5362]

I've been thinking about building another Warmoth lately, but it's been over ten years since my last Warmoth experience. The title, "Warmoth took my money...Again!", had me thinking that possibly you had been yanked around by the company. So glad to hear otherwise. You have a gorgeous example with your build, and from what I can tell, it is as gorgeous sonically as it is in its appearance. Even though you posted this two years ago, I just discovered it. Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

[@surf247365]

Have one very similar, solid Koa 1 piece super flamey with solid Rosewood neck. Used to belong to Walter Becker. From the 80’s. Love the exotic stuff.

[@ddaabbzz187]

Beautiful build keep rocking

[@kennyfordham8653]

Wow, beautiful That top is amazing and I didn't know they offered Koa necks Now I feel the urge to book a trip to Maui for some reason 🙂

[@patrolduty8715]

Damn, that ís a seriously awesome looking Tele!

[@Other_Left]

Fantastic looking guitar sir!

[@820hurleyj]

Beautiful!

[@tulsa9999]

Very nice !!! Beauty!!

[@victorbeebe8372]

Aloha and Mahalo. Nice guitar! My friend had a Carvin flame koa neck and body. Ebony fret board and gold hardware. Very nice guitar.

[@TeleCaster66]

Warmoth makes great stuff! My Warmoth Boat Neck is truly awesome.

[@jamesmarkham7489]

Luthiers pedaling expensive tonewood: “woods have to be carefully selected and combined to create a perfect combination of tones”. People ordering off warmoth: “woo hoo look at that beautiful wood!”

[@ManfredElsingBielefeld]

best background;1000 pories....modules etc!!!Very nice guitar!

[@killerrockguitar1845]

very beautiful guitar!

[@Allguitarinfo]

Beautiful guitar

[@TheyCallMeDin]

Beautiful guitar! I almost bought a figured koa body just the other day but someone snatched it out from under me. It wasn't up there very long. Dang! This vid inspired to what patiently for another to pop up :D

[@italoop7850]

Looks and tones are often very different things!

[@cliftonmoberg288]

true, it's just not fair to us when they make beautiful things we have no resistance towards.

[@peterbishop9771]

A Tele build is going to be my next Warmoth project. Zebra wood top w/ yellow transparent finish. It's a start. Beautiful build.

[@chopfather09]

Love me some build videos !

[@billystarcher8146]

Beautiful guitar. Great tone as well. Warmoth has gotten a fair share of my paycheck from time to time too lol

[@darvinclement3250]

Warmouth IS evil! I have a one finished Strat type and a super Strat in process. Nothing nearly as nice as that Koa of yours though. Very nice sir!

[@leroyjenkins4811]

Well, Warmoth took your money again. But you seem quite happy about it. I don’t blame you. That’s a beautiful guitar.

[@philthyphil3324]

Beautiful! I want to build a walnut tele, with flame maple neck and fretboard

[@phillamoore157]

That's interesting (not to mention extraordinarily beautiful)...I had no idea Koa had that kind of flame to it. I thought that was a flame maple top when I first saw it. Yup, when these companies decided to start charging north of $3K-$4K, Warmoth started taking my money to, not to mention the customization aspect. They've completely won me over....and their channel is outstanding, to say the very least. But, I digress... I've watched enough of these gear demo's/reviews to where I'm not nearly as fascinated by the gear as I am how someone can afford a literal massive wall of gear. Regardless...all the power to him. That's a killer guitar in what looks like a killer studio setup.

[@Yupppi]

It's beautiful. Personally would've gone for maybe gold tuners, pickup covers and maybe bridge saddles, with black pickup rings and knobs and bridge base. I love the little bling with beautiful natural woods. Something happened to the audio partway through, got a lot quieter. I think something also happened around the pickup change to bridge on Egnater, as if the top end got more open for the whole video.

[@michaeltoren]

Audio is my struggle...

[@Yupppi]

@@michaeltoren the irony!

[@VanjaSpirin]

Great guitar, man. I have a Warmoth S style with koa top and full rosewood neck. PRS mod with rresistors for coil splitting. This is my best guitar. The best Fender style guitar is guitar you collectt by yourself. And Warmoth is the top solution for that.

[@zAvAvAz]

great

[@f.d.english5080]

I luv Koa also. I'm I really do. Nice

[@frantisca]

Got the same setup as your wall of effects... in my iPad ! :-))))

[@BenBreard]

That wiring is clean! You've got some skills with dressing wires and components. I'm embarrassed to show the cavities of my warmoths. :)

[@morbidmanmusic]

Show your cavities to you dentist🤡🤡🍩🍩

[@frostedhead]

Nice

[@kevindonohue8918]

Puddy from Seinfeld. Just joking. New to your channel I'll keep watching. I like it

[@christiangruhler6929]

Sweet lookin' geetar! I'm fixin' to order some stuff in the near future and do my 1st Warmoth build. You might want to consider attending a "rackmount anonymous" meeting🤘😆🤘

[@LostPlanet2024]

So what color are you going to paint it?

[@Skoora]

Looks great. Only thing I would do different is body mount pickups to lose the rings. Very nice though.

[@professored7169]

Ya and I would want black pickups with no cover and I would prefer a switch to a blade pickup selector

[@j.nelson3025]

Michael -- beautiful guitar. What colors are the abalone inlays? Green/gold, or something else? (Hard to tell from a distance in the video.) Thanks!

[@AdamDKim]

Which neck profile did you go with?

[@dbwproductions]

Great build and beautiful guitar! Do you take your Warmoth builds somewhere for a final setup? On my Tele I put on a new Warmoth neck last year but it still needed a slight fret leveling, etc. (all done by Avi Shavat).

[@michaeltoren]

I do 95% of my setups. I have been very fortunate in that most of my builds have not needed major adjustments to get me where I want (mainly truss rod tweaks). With that said, I just received a neck from Warmoth's showcase that needs some leveling around the 10th and 14 frets. I hear Avi does great work!

[@markgrimm3564]

wow very nice some ebony binding would have looked cool

[@rickyjoeshippyful]

Obviously your into music and it looks like your heart is in it. You could spend some time and money and time on some lessons, work on getting a smooth consistent vibrato that has defined notes happening..not quivering or shaking the neck, learn a few harmonized scales and a handful of two and three string arpeggios. That will keep you too busy to buy anymore gear and give you a good foundation to build on. Beautiful guitar btw

[@freelancevt]

Michael... Why don't you buy a Kemper and get rid of that pile of crap behind you? In fact, you can send all the pieces of equipment that the Kemper replaces to me and I promise to get rid of it all for you at no charge to you! I double-dawg, promise. 😉 (Yes... I'm that nice of a guy! ). Wish I had kept all my equipment from the 50s & 60s. Oh well, at least selling it cut my financial burden at the time by a few hundred bucks! Duhhh. NICE BUILD!!

[@markgrimm3564]

what did it weigh in at

[@89ji76]

That’s a beautiful guitar. Really looks like everything was made to go together just like a great production guitar would.

[@9999plato]

Geez what carve on the neck, width, fret wire? All optional witch Warmoth. I wasn't sure if I would like the boat v neck 1" depth but its great. The CV tele Ive played for 12 years now is in for fret work but it allways felt a bit small to my (bass playin) hands, and now that I have this Warmorth I know it is. What clued me in was my Christmas purchase of a PRS SE DGT which has a somewhat beefy neck. I liked where this was going. I have got to sell some of these instruments. I have too many. I figure I can sell two and buy one. I thought I was bad with gear until I saw your wall of outboard gear. I hope you are operating a for profit recording studio.

[@juanh9350]

That's a beautiful guitar 😍 I have a question: do Warmoth provide the frets leveled and treated just ready to play?

[@michaeltoren]

So far all the necks (20+) needed only minor adjustments like truss rod tweaks or rolling the fret ends. The fret levels have been good and the pre-installed nuts have been really close, with only 2 needing a little filing. .

[@jayteesgear]

I HAVE to have arm contours on Teles! Mandatory haha

[@gutarman1161969]

Did you have to dress the frets?

[@shawnbryant60]

That's a "special" buit!! Highwii'n Koa? So, is made in USA? And can you please tell me how much, I'm right over here cross from Bremerton.

[@user-qr7ee2cp4y]

Warmoth makes phenomenal stuff and I'd seriously consider doing a warmoth build before I'd spend thousands on a custom shop build buy another maker. Warmoth will install the nut and drill the neck holes to screw the neck on. paint the body and install the bridge studs... they're not that tough to put together from there...... your resale will suffer though compared to a comparable "boutique " builder though......

[@XavierRadix]

Shiny!

[@chandlerclement1365]

Cool stuff man. I’m curious about your Kali monitors, do you like them for playing guitar? Or do you use them just for mixing? Wondering if I should get them for just playing guitar in my bedroom, or if maybe they’re too “honest” and won’t sound good to play with 😅

[@michaeltoren]

I use the Kali monitors most for mixing. I have used them most for playing with my Kemper. It sounds great but I miss the air movement you get from the guitar cabs. I have tried playing some guitar preamps through them but it was radically different then through a power amp/cab.

[@chandlerclement1365]

@@michaeltoren gotcha, that makes sense. Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it!

[@llamasjosue]

hey Toren have you ever built any superstrats with floyds?

[@michaeltoren]

I've only built one strat with a trem and it was a Gotoh. Floyds scare me. 😉

[@therangersinger]

I have built 3 warmoths with Floyd's. They all play perfectly especially after creating shims for the saddles to allow for the proper radius to match the warmoth compound radius.

[@merlesmith6794]

😮🤩🤩😳

[@PFDarkside]

I had that neck and body in my cart! Lol

[@michaeltoren]

Great minds think alike!

[@PFDarkside]

Did you get one from the latest limited run?

[@michaeltoren]

This was a one-off body that I found in the showroom a few years ago and before they made the limited run. That limited run was so tempting, such beautiful bodies!

[@vejichan]

What wood combo is your favorite

[@michaeltoren]

That's a tough one as there are so many great combinations. Lately I have been loving Black Korina (Limba)/Rosewood

[@vejichan]

@@michaeltoren any combos in particular?

[@joetheriault21]

How long was the wait when you ordered it?

[@michaeltoren]

Both the neck and body where from the showcase so they only needed minor changes. I think it took 3 or 4 weeks to get both. I know that lately the wait has been longer. I am receiving a custom order this week that was placed back on 8/1.

[@davidhoward8951]

I'd like to get me one built

[@guitarman...]

With all hardware being black, wonder why you settled for chrome pickup covers. Black Chrome covers would have been much better.

[@patrickkem689]

I enjoyed watching your video Michael. But I did notice that you Don’t appear to be a fan of shielding your control cavity or your pick up compartment? Just wondering not hating just inquiring? Thanks.

[@samuelbrainsample]

I wish they'd get my bass to me. :-)

[@vestel777]

How much did cost You???

[@michaeltoren]

I would estimate the total cost in parts was just under $1750.

[@editname8536]

@@michaeltoren not bad, that is a prety pretty guitar you have there

[@lancecluster]

Nice guitar, but can't take my eyes off the endless racks (of equipment).

[@onlyfromadistance7326]

Hope you eventually shielded that guitar...

[@jerryodom1342]

I’d buy that guitar from you……

[@chrispile3878]

There is no way evil can be good.

[@councilofgiants1031]

[sarcasm] Pfffft... That is The UGLIEST instrument I've ever seen![\sarc] Dude... As if the koa wasn't good enough, that thing just comes together with the hardware and the inlays. Wow! Nice stuff, Mr. Michael. :o)

[@james-he7xv]

You need more outboard gear , quit doing everything on the box😜

[@killerrockguitar1845]

i didn't know elvis presley is a client from warmoth ??

[@spoddie]

Nice guitar. I don't understand why people spend money on fancy guitars then cover them with ugly bits of plastic like a standard Fender set up.

[@BlackPhillip666]

The build is unfinished until you get black screws... Seriously, how can you sleep at night?

[@mooseymoose]

You don’t need more gear, you need lessons.

[@RickFoxx777]

I agree Warmoth necks/bodies are of a good quality. However, I believe that they are over priced! This comment is primarily concerning their necks stock and/or custom. IMHO, stay away from their "STOCK NECKS" unless you are a shredder, as they are all standard thin (save for the stock SRV and Boatneck necks which are priced from $500.00-$600.00). As for me and many of my band mates, who have been and are working musicians for over 30 years, the necks we prefer are soft V, medium C, oval C etc... anything but the ever popular modern C, deep C or standard thin. Around four years ago I purchased a neck from Warmoth and buy the time I added a couple regular non extreme items to the neck (shape, steel frets, radius, and a nut) it totaled up to over $300.00 + shipping. Sadly I purchased the neck before I ever noticed that Fender had an actual Fender Classic Player 50's neck (With all, save the nut, features I liked) which at the time cost only $199.00 with a nut , soft V and a 9.5 radius (I would change the plastic nut to bone). Yikes. I will also like to mention that I hate that Warmoth has an up charge of $35.00 for something so standard as a 9.5 radius and also for neck shape! They charge for every... little... thing. IMO, you are better off going to USA custom guitars or just buying an actual Fender neck. At least if you buy from USACG all these things I have mention on my purchase through Warmoth are included for the low price of just $210 + shipping. However, If indeed you like the standard thin necks with 10-16 radius (and no nut) and nothing else, then you are in luck as they are only $187.00 at Warmoth. Just my 2 cents worth. Peace.

[@chickenlickin3820]

audio levels are not good.

[@Vern859]

That's what I thought. To much digital processing going on. Way to dark of a tone. I bet it would have sound great plugged striaght into a Fender amp. 🙋‍♂️

[@Wooburnmusic]

Would of sounded delicious thru a Marshall 50w valve amp and a 4x12 cab, Two EL34 output valves and three ECC83 preamp valves.

[@pharmerdavid1432]

I've never seen so much rack equipment in one place, NASA mission control or what? I just plug into an amp, keep it simple stupid me!

[@stevestevens1457]

Bro, what’s with the tone? That honk makes it tiring to listen to :(

[@mikeferris408]

Zo why in the thumbnail you make it sound as if you got ripped off or treated badly but the company? You that hard up for veiws? Dont worry i wont be back just bc of that.

[@unclestubs8377]

So, you used a fake title with your thumbnail to get people to click. That's called CLICK BAIT. If your content is so bad that you have to resort to this then maybe you should be bagging groceries instead of lying on youtube

[@albatros1752]

Assembly is not building , same as fart is not art