Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
You're welcome
NGD: Warmoth Regal... Another Singlecut
- Thread starter Snake Aces
- Start date
You're welcome
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
This guitar sounds great clean but it begs to get dirty. Bondage is okay, just make it moan. Just like any guitar with WLH, these pickups thrive when driving pure sex appeal. Hop on or strap up, just get ready to ride...
Ace Flibble
New member
It's not a dye – they clearly denote dye finishes and only use dyes on maple. If you're ever unsure if one of their finishes uses dyes or not, another way you can tell they've used dye is if there is a slight 'burst' on the edges; they burst every dye finish, except Washed Blue and Yellow, with a darker colour unless you specifically pay extra for their 'clean line' option.
They actually do avoid using dyes as much as possible, likely because if there are any mistakes it is much harder (and more expensive) for them to fix, as opposed to simple transparent paints which can be easily chemically stripped without leaving any marks.
All their transparent finishes are a layered process of polyester sanding sealer, then polyurethane for colour. Gloss finishes get a polyurethane clear coat; they're being very vague about what they're using for the clear coat on satin finishes (after a previous attempt by them resulted in many flawed finishes) but it appears to be a tougher 2K lacquer, the same stuff used on expensive custom sports cars. It's actually a very cheap finishing material, but it's super tough and doesn't discolour.
I've got a similar guitar, 1"-thick all-rosewood 24.75" neck on a chambered alder carved Tele body with an LP electronics and hardware configuration (Warmoth body, Musikraft neck), and yeah, it sounds great. That neck of mine has been on several bodies now and it always goes well with chambered brighter woods (or solid mellow woods, like basswood). The lack of treble you get with rosewood balances the bright body wood, but the sharper pick attack from having a really dense and big neck balances out the dulled response you'd otherwise have with chambering. I believe this is why Carlos Santana likes all-rosewood necks on his lighter-bodies guitars.
I do wish Gibson would bring back their ash LPs, or at least make an Epiphone version. Their last run had maple & rosewood necks, so the whole thing was a bit icepicky, but if they would make a new run with the same chambered ash bodies but mahogany & rosewood necks, they'd be on to a real winner, I think. I have been tempted to get Warmoth to knock me up one, but they won't do it without binding and with the huge shipping and import fees I have to pay (twice over, since I get my necks from other companies), it's hard to justify.
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
Yes.
Interesting about the dye- I never noticed, but yeah, they only do it on maple. I was looking at a transparent red korina body, and they are all painted, not dyed. I am now trying to decide if I want the back clear or red all the way around. I kinda think the clear back is more visually interesting.
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
I kinda want a clear-back now....
Well, my thing is that I need to sell a few things before my order goes in, so I have time to sit with these decisions. While I love the idea of a transparent satin red over black korina, I love that wood's natural color. But a whole guitar out of that looks a little 70s furniture to me.
Ace Flibble
New member
If you want a transparent colour top with a clear back on a wood other than maple then you need to call the order in and order that with binding; it's an 'off-menu' extra and not part of the online ordering form, nor do they do it without binding. (At least that's what they told me last time I asked for a transparent purple top + clear back.) If you order a transparent finish on a solid & unbound body it will always cover the entire body. A dye top on a maple laminate is the only way to get a coloured top and clear back as a standard combination.
Warmoth used to (many years ago) be less strict about combining top & back finishes but about ten years ago they started rejecting nearly all custom finish requests since they're churning out bodies at a much faster rate. It's always worth phoning them (they tend to be a bit more dismissive via e-mail) to check, but the general rule is if it's not on their website they ain't gonna bother. Especially at this time of year, which is always their busiest. (And 2020 has been extra busy for them overall and they've still got a massive backlog.)
Warmoth used to (many years ago) be less strict about combining top & back finishes but about ten years ago they started rejecting nearly all custom finish requests since they're churning out bodies at a much faster rate. It's always worth phoning them (they tend to be a bit more dismissive via e-mail) to check, but the general rule is if it's not on their website they ain't gonna bother. Especially at this time of year, which is always their busiest. (And 2020 has been extra busy for them overall and they've still got a massive backlog.)
Yeah, I would figure that I would need binding to connect the top and back. I am not sure yet what that would look like: transparent red top over black korina, with clear black korina back. It might be too much visually. I have to look up similar examples to see what it would be. Painted back or not, it would get binding to separate the top and back. I am ok with that (black binding would look great).
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
I think bindings are now required on Regal bodies, but I could be wrong.
Ace Flibble
New member
If you only order via their website, yes, binding is mandatory on every carved top body, in order to cover the edges of the top laminate.
If you call in your order and get an all-over solid finish then they'll do it without binding, though they won't make it any cheaper than if you have binding.
A solid carved top Tele can also be ordered without a laminate top at all, but again you have to call in your order to get that. Hollow carved Teles always have a laminate.
You can also wait for something to come up in their in-stock showcase; they sometimes stick unbound carved bodies on there, usually with a solid finish already. I got a Mooncaster (their slightly smaller version of a Starcaster) off there which has no additional laminate or binding, just a solid black finish all-over. So never rule out the possibility that an unbound Regal or other body might show up at any time.
I remember you on their boards, having quite a collection of Warmoth LPs. I expect a lot of the bodies you have/had wouldn't be made by them now. They've cut down their options quite significantly. I'm constantly in touch with them about bringing back some of the older options—a bunch of local players don't know anything about gear and get me to sort it all out for them—and it's been really striking over the last few years how many things we used to order regularly from them they'll either no longer do, or only do with a significantly increased price. I suppose that's just what they have to do to keep up with production.
But yeah, I'm the same, I do as much as I can myself now. I still like getting the basic construction done by Warmoth 'cause there's nothing interesting about drilling bridges and neck pockets, but controls, binding, contouring and finishes I do myself now.
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
Well, Warmoth makes a fine guitar no matter what. This sh!t is for real...
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
I can't wait to see some of them!
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Do you have any other examples of things they used to do but no longer do?
Anything less “Gibson” about the tone being bolt-on rather than set neck? Assuming mahogany/maple, 24.75”, dual HB, etc.
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