Almost time to unleash the Tonar dragon

[jay4321]

Okay you guys remember this plan?

The body is done and will be here this week.

Looking for some opinions and advice before I order the last of the parts, there's a few things I'm on the fence about (and I have a few challenges).

First, I'm nixing the relic job. Much as I like the idea for this (and the way it looks in the mockup) deep down I feel it's kind of poser-ish. Others see it differently and I understand why, but it isn't for me - if it turns out well it will see plenty of play over the next 30 years.

 

[jay4321]

So here goes:

1. How do you feel about the gold bridge & jackplate on this as opposed to chrome, and if you like, what hardware shouldn’t be gold on it? [Note: W is out of the chrome tremolo for another month to month-and-a-half.]

2. Strongly considering traditional Kluson-looking tuners for this, however they’ve have to be reasonably priced ($80 or less) and of good quality. Suggestions?

3. Straight black pickguard or b/w/b? Parchment knobs and whatnot of course

4.     How terrible would it be for me to do a more modern take on this, say with Everything Axe pickup kit, Earvana and locking tuners? I don't mind going more classic or totally modern but would rather not mix the two.

 

[Nando Vallart]

The all black pickguard looks cool...
Gold is ok!
Old style looking tuners

 

[AutoBat]

i hate gold hardware, but it might work here.  possibly white tuner buttons?

 

[Cagey]

Green is a cold color, so chrome will look better on it than anything else. I have a pretty low opinion of Kluson tuners, so I'd never use them. Black pickguard is going to look best on that body, I think, and I wouldn't sandwich it. A solid will sit better the burst.

 

[exaN]

Yeah, I'm for the chrome hardware too.

The finish is amazing though

 

[nexrex]

Yeah, I'm for the chrome hardware too.

The finish is amazing though

I agree, that finish is amazing. It would be a real shame to hammer the crap out of it. I would let it vintage on its own.

 

[pabloman]

I would do a mix of black and nickel hardware with a matte black guard and parchment plastic. Go with a nickel bridge with some graphtech saddles, black jack plate with nickel jack and screws, black tuners with nickel hex bushings. use nickel screws in th guard and throw a graphtech nut on it too. :guitarplayer2:

 

[jay4321]

Should point out here that I will need to watch the budget on this one. The Mrs is recently unemployed so most of what would normally be gear/GAS money is being set aside (at least for right now). Not that I have to cut corners and go with $10 tuners or anything, just nothing too boutique. 

Anyway I changed the mockup to chrome out the gold - I don't know that it looks as good now that I see it. ?

 

[Tonar8352]

I like the look of the original concept, gold and black.

 

[Ace Flibble]

I think gold looks better in concept but chrome will look better in reality. I would suggest you get any spare gold and chrome parts you can find, even if they're not ones you would put on this guitar, just to see how they look right next to the finish and decide base don that.

And Tonar is going to put Warmoth's finish department out of business.

 

[jay4321]

What about this, too goofy?

 

[smjenkins]

I think gold looks better in concept but chrome will look better in reality. I would suggest you get any spare gold and chrome parts you can find, even if they're not ones you would put on this guitar, just to see how they look right next to the finish and decide base don that.

And Tonar is going to put Warmoth's finish department out of business.

Shhhh, don't tell anyone, we don't want Tonar to get to busy to support our esoteric finishing needs. 

Also, +aBigNumber on the chrome hardware.  Will look really good with the yellow, green and black.   

 

[exaN]

Green is a cold color, so chrome will look better on it than anything else.

Yeah but there's a lot of yellow-green in there too.

 

[stubhead]

I can't imagine anything the Kluson tuners can do better that the SG38's from Gotoh, except maybe make you look like a "vintage doof" to anyone except other "vintage doofs"... um, that's NOT a classic finish, huh. Which means the opinion of Vdoofs is inapplicable... I see could either black or chrome, the gold might/would/could clash with the yellows in the underbelly, only one way to find out? Huh.

 

[jay4321]

Body arrived, and I'm here to tell you it's pretty awesome

 

[AutoBat]

You know we can't believe you yet.




Please insert pics below:

 

[jay4321]

There are pics of the finished body in the first post. My camera isn't very good

 

[Tonar8352]

Jason I'm glad you like it.

I’m building a couple of guitars for an exceptional local player who works closely with Two-Rock amps.  He happened to have his seven-year-old son with him when he came over to check out some necks I had received from Warmoth for him.  His son saw your guitar and went nuts!  Since he has stared playing guitar recently his dad told him that if became accomplished enough for a big guitar they would have me build one just like it for him. About a week later they came back to pick up a body that was ready for dad and the kid made a bee-line right for your guitar and stood over it drooling.  Are you supposed to get GAS at seven?  His dad said it was all he has been talking about since he saw the "Green Sunburst"

Who knows maybe you have inspired a future prodigy.  :icon_thumright:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Who knows maybe you have inspired a future prodigy.  :icon_thumright:

Or you have.