28-5/8" Conversion Necks

The Baritone Conversion Neck is a unique Warmoth innovation that allows you to easily change the scale length of your 25-1/2" Fender® scale guitar to the longer baritone scale of 28-5/8". These replacement necks require no modification to the guitar body and bolt directly on to most common 2-3/16" (56mm) neck pockets. Baritone Conversion necks are built using Warmoth Pro construction: double expanding truss rods and compound radius fingerboards. They are a very easy conversion and an inexpensive way to experience something new on your old Fender®.

Conversion Necks Compared

The scale length of a guitar is actually the playable string length. Simply measuring from the playing side of the string nut to the break-over point of the string on the bridge will give you the scale. Usually though, we'd measure to the 12th fret (half scale) and double this number; strings actually intonate a little longer than the stated scale (has to do with action height and the distance the string is depressed when fretting, amongst other things).

Warmoth "Pro" Construction

Pro Construction necks are our premium neck offering, representing over 30 years of innovation and refinement. In terms of quality, convenience and long term serviceability there is no finer neck on the market. Features include:

• Double-expanding truss rod that adjusts at heel
• Convenient side mechanism for fine truss rod adjustments without removing neck (except on Baritone Conversion Necks)
• 10"-16" compound radius fingerboard (other options available)
• Widest range of custom options available anywhere
• Unrivaled sustain and an even, balanced tone

The Double Expanding Truss Rod

Warmoth Pro necks use a double-expanding truss rod that is installed in a 3/8" deep, flat slot directly under the fingerboard. The rod consists of two long shafts which are welded together at the headstock end of the neck. At the other end a tube is welded to the top shaft. The bottom shaft passes through the tube and ends with a threaded adjustment nut that is accessible through an opening at the heel.

As the adjustment nut is tightened it draws the bottom shaft outward and pushes inward on the tube attached to the top shaft. This pressure forces the rod upwards in the middle and downwards at the ends. As the adjustment nut is loosened the neck relaxes back towards its neutral position.

The Pro rod floats freely within the neck and all the compression forces are exerted on the metal rod, not the neck. Only the backward motion of the rod is transmitted into the neck to counteract the pull of the guitar strings. The force exerted by the tail end of the double rod is considerable. There must be a minimum 1/8" of wood below the rod end to prevent wood failure in this area. Thinning a neck beyond factory engineered dimensions is not recommended or covered under warranty.

Characteristics of the Warmoth Pro neck include:

• Extremely stable, no seasonal adjustments are necessary
• Increased mass for longer sustain and no dead spots
• No end to end wood compression to eventually distort the neck
• Adjusts at the headstock on 13° Angled necks

Compound Radius Fingerboard

Over twenty years ago Warmoth pioneered the concept of a conical playing surface. The idea was to keep the lower registers of the fingerboard with a rounder feel, more comfortable for chording and rhythm playing but at the same time to flatten the high registers for easier string bending. The compound radius accomplishes this with a continuously flattening radius beginning with a 10 inch radius at the string nut to a 16 inch radius at the 22nd fret. This compound radius isn't something that feels readily apparent to the playing hand in any noticeable way other than the fact that it is very comfortable to play on. With a professional set-up, these necks play exceptionally well.