What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

  • I prefer figured hottness. How can you not?

    Votes: 15 44.1%
  • I prefer straight-grain. Figured is cool, but I prefer the old-fashioned wood look.

    Votes: 11 32.4%
  • I like solid colors, so I don't give a rat's a--!

    Votes: 1 2.9%
  • Rob Option - Included under penalty administered by Ace

    Votes: 7 20.6%

  • Total voters
    34

ExplorersRock

X-Files Duckbucker
Now I think we could all agree that a great piece of figured wood grabs the eyes in a way that only guitar players can understand. But sometimes, does it come across as too much? Do you prefer the look of a nice piece of alder or ash? Or does the allure of (insert figured wood type of your choice here) always look better with it's elegance or natural beauty? You be the judge here!

My two cents? Figured woods are beautiful, and I have a few figured tops. But to me they have been kinda played-out and overdone. Plus, there is something about a transparent finish over a great piece of alder, ash or mahogany that just screams rock and roll to me. Sort of the "working mans guitar" thing, where the only frills are tone-related. :headbang:Not that I don't enjoy beautiful figured woods, nor would I not enjoy owning more. But on the average day, a nice standard grain looks just-right to my eyes if you know what I mean. :bigthumb:
 
Last edited:
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

A little figuring outside of the normal grain lines is okay. Any more than a little and it just looks hokey to me. Bookmatching makes it even worse. That said, I will play a figured guitar no problem, if it is a good instrument. I have a few.
 
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

I've never understood why people feel the need to choose one or another, such as plaintop vs. flametop, strat vs. LP, modeling vs. tube, Coke vs. Pepsi, etc.

I'd be inclined to own one of each finish, in a perfect world.

But under a translucent top, I like honey flame, charcoal flame, lightburst, lemonburst, and cool shades of blue, red, and green. I know it when I see it. I'm pickier with curly maple.....it really has to have a color that pops like the ocean or burning embers.
 
Last edited:
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

Wood, dude... not micrometres of laminate, not plastic shrinkwrap, not crap from a printer. WEIRD, HUH???
 
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

I wouldn't like plain flame maple. That needs at least a tinted clear finish. I like dark dyes best with figured maple, preferably with some masked binding.

Woods like Ash and Walnut look good plain.
 
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

I like it to match the level of the guitar... Strats and Teles look great with plain ash, Les Pauls with a classy flame and exotic guitars with more exotic levels of figuring.
 
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

Premium tonewood. I'm after sound. Appearances are secondary.
 
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

There's something beautiful about the natural grain under a good, transparent finish.

36034.jpg
 
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

What the wood looks like does not matter to me.


<-------
 
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

Whenever I see a transparent finish over figured wood it always makes me wonder how much better the guitar would have looked with a nice stain. Transparent finishes look nicer with plain wood in my books, largely for this reason.
 
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

I don't like quilt, but an A flame is all right. Nothing ridiculous. I prefer a birdseye, actually. Mahogany and Marina have that look I like too.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
 
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

What do I prefer? Quality and great looking wood.

112512g.jpg
 
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

^
Stop doing that! :banghead:
 
Re: What Do You Prefer Under Transparent Finishes?

I prefer a good quality material cap:naughty:. They look and the texture really pops over a Crystal clear gloss.


**** looking at that picture i am wondering why i haven't finished that guitar. I am also confused as to why i didn't drill the bridge holes first. What a dick head!!
 
Last edited:
Under Transparent Finishes?

Under Transparent Finishes?

What did I do???? :eek5:

How about some Quilty goodness from Hamer under Trans Aztec Gold instead then?

Elvis....

2005hsc24_zpsa78f6690.jpg


2005hsc18_zps4778e39f.jpg
 
Back
Top