“Flamed” top Strat body

[docteurseb]

I just received a telecaster body with the same garbage cut. Sending it back .

It's a very fine looking body, as mentioned on the thread you created.
You got what you paid for by going the standard flame maple option; if you wanted more you should have spent the extra $100-$200 for the higher figured unique choice tops.

Unique choices I got were minimum $195. That’s a 66% up charge beyond the body. Pretty stout in the minds of some.

Stout but it seems like that's what it'd have taken to get him a figuring to his liking.

Gambling on base cost giving a decently figured top is just that, gambling.

See jkhv's thread for a few examples of the wide range or figuring (poor to decent) you would get on a $4k+ PRS (the ones without the uncharge for a premium top).

 

[docteurseb]

Allow me to expand on what was obvious pre-pandemic or to anyone not new to ordering from Warmoth...

The only times you would get fantastic figuring for a good price was via Showcase items.
Back when the showcase had hundreds of Strat bodies to pick from you could find a finished body some of the higher grade curly/quilt maple tops for around $550-650 with natural masked edges.
That was the same cost you'd pay for a custom order with basic figured maple top, and 20-25% cheaper than a custom order with high grade laminate top choice.

Those days are gone for the time being with so few bodies to pick from.
If you want a good looking figured top at a decent price, then I'm sorry but a custom order with basic figure is absolutely not the route to go and is likely to disappoint you nearly every time. There is no good deal to be had until the showcase gets replenished and demand craters.

 

[Gkelm]

I just received a telecaster body with the same garbage cut. Sending it back .

It's a very fine looking body, as mentioned on the thread you created.
You got what you paid for by going the standard flame maple option; if you wanted more you should have spent the extra $100-$200 for the higher figured unique choice tops.

Unique choices I got were minimum $195. That’s a 66% up charge beyond the body. Pretty stout in the minds of some.

Stout but it seems like that's what it'd have taken to get him a figuring to his liking.

Gambling on base cost giving a decently figured top is just that, gambling.

See jkhv's thread for a few examples of the wide range or figuring (poor to decent) you would get on a $4k+ PRS (the ones without the uncharge for a premium top).

Left field comparison...not analogous at all. With a PRS you know what you’re getting up front...and, you can bank on decent resale value. We can go on and on with this.  :icon_biggrin:

Can’t speak for the other guy (I think his will finish darn nice), but this is a fun project for me...I have a budget I’m mind. I’m confident it will turn out fine, but personally I can’t see dumping a lot of money into a Warmoth project build. It may be glorious on paper (and in pics), but I’ve owned dozens of guitars and know that does not always equate to something I love playing. In other words, the “gamble” for me is dumping $500 on a body to which the guitar ends up disappointing. Part of the challenge for me is keeping it at a reasonable price point.

I think mine will look okay once it’s oiled...the neck I have is not “upcharged” figured either. Just hope it tunes up well and sounds good...and makes me a little bit happy.

 

[Gkelm]

Allow me to expand on what was obvious pre-pandemic or to anyone not new to ordering from Warmoth...

The only times you would get fantastic figuring for a good price was via Showcase items.
Back when the showcase had hundreds of Strat bodies to pick from you could find a finished body some of the higher grade curly/quilt maple tops for around $550-650 with natural masked edges.
That was the same cost you'd pay for a custom order with basic figured maple top, and 20-25% cheaper than a custom order with high grade laminate top choice.

Those days are gone for the time being with so few bodies to pick from.
If you want a good looking figured top at a decent price, then I'm sorry but a custom order with basic figure is absolutely not the route to go and is likely to disappoint you nearly every time. There is no good deal to be had until the showcase gets replenished and demand craters.

Thanks, I am new to ordering from Warmoth, but this was helpful to me too. I had looked at threads in various forums about standard flame tops, and seemed to see folks generally reported getting nice tops. I now see the light (or darkness, maybe)! Time change, everything is somewhat mucked up these days.

Maybe I’ll start a build thread and get some good vibes going.  :hello2:

 

[docteurseb]

"With a PRS you know what you’re getting up front."

That's the thing, you don't necessarily do.

If for whatever reason you can't find the one you like in stock you can order it from a dealer, wait 1-2 years, and get the luck of the draw as well.

Now, why would people buy sight unseen a $4k guitar when there are so many around ?
I don't know but it's not all that dissimilar to custom ordering sight unseen a 'curly maple top' Strat body from Warmoth and hope you get something you like

 

[teleme01]

i ordered a walnut on walnut thinline,  let warmoth choose, i am to find out my fate on friday, thursday if lucky...  i am anticipating waves of golden grain and waves of red grain...

 

[SeattleScotty]

When going with a transparent finish, the top is too important to leave to chance - pay the extra money to choose your own veneer. It's the only way you'll be sure to be happy. It's maybe an extra 10% to the total price when it's all said and done, but it's worth it to make sure you're satisfied with the end result. I would not be happy with the ones we've seen posted here a couple times either.

 

[War_in_D]

Or, you could always build your own!  Sorry, have to include the gratuitous flame maple top picture.  I paid $46 for this top off of Ebay. It was about 1/4" thick top, and I think the Sapele body blank was around $60.  Of course, that doesn't count all the tools I've bought over the years that were used to build it, and the labor involved... or the weeping and gnashing of teeth when I was knocking chunks out of the body trying to route it, and all the time I spent fixing those issues, etc..  So, yeah.. maybe just order the nicer top. You'd probably be money ahead. :icon_biggrin:

Turned out decent in the end, but it was a long road getting there.

 

[stratamania]

When going with a transparent finish, the top is too important to leave to chance - pay the extra money to choose your own veneer. It's the only way you'll be sure to be happy. It's maybe an extra 10% to the total price when it's all said and done, but it's worth it to make sure you're satisfied with the end result. I would not be happy with the ones we've seen posted here a couple times either.

Good point, although the cost is more than an extra 10%. Currently for example on a Strat body, the cost of a flame maple lam top base price is $75 and the unique choice price is added to that. At the time of writing UC tops available in the builder are $175 and up. So $75 for let Warmoth choose and to choose a UC would be $75 + $175 = $250 and upwards for a UC lam top.

The lam top base price of $75 is not just the cost of the top but the construction of adding a lam top.

If someone lets Warmoth choose it will not be from the UC tops but from a different pile of tops.

When there was a lot more choice in the showcase pre-pandemic finding a body with a lam top and already finished was a good option to see what you would be getting and showcase prices are generally less overall than a custom order.