Brown to clear burst, or honey burst? Let's see pictures!

[PumpinIron]

I'm ordering my first Warmoth guitar body (already got the neck from them) and I am torn on whether I want honey burst or brown to clear burst.

This is going to be a Tele body with a rear rout and no pickguard.

Let's see your photos of brown to clear burst and honey burst! Maybe that can help me makeup my mind.

BTW, if this is the wrong forum, I apologize. I wasn't entirely sure which forum to post this in.

 

[musicispeace]

I can't contribute on the pics side unfortunately but one visual source I have utilized before are MJT Guitars color gallery on their website. I know they have some examples of honey burst. I am totally with you though on the no pickguard approach to a tele. Continue to post as your project develops. Thanks. 

 

[PumpinIron]

I can't contribute on the pics side unfortunately but one visual source I have utilized before are MJT Guitars color gallery on their website. I know they have some examples of honey burst. I am totally with you though on the no pickguard approach to a tele. Continue to post as your project develops. Thanks.

Thanks for that suggestion, I'll check it out!

I already have a Fender American Vintage '52 Telecaster Reissue in Butterscotch Blonde with the black pick guard. That's a classic looking guitar for sure, but I've been checking out a lot of Telecasters lately without pick guards. With a nice quilted or flame maple top, they really look amazing.

My thought is I'll put some clear paint protection film in the pick area, just to save it from any heavy pick wear.

I ordered the neck, which is a roasted flame maple neck, here's an image of the exact neck I ordered:

 

[rgand]

That's a beautiful neck. Nice choice, there.

 

[musicispeace]

That neck is outrageous, great choice. That is one nice thing about The Showcase, what you see is what you get. My thing has been fretboards so I've so far had plain looking solid colors for the body but with as interesting a fretboard as I could get. Flame is very cool though. I need to acquire a better camera and get a few pictures done. I have been impressed with the color of Warmoth's roasted maple. I've seen examples elsewhere that look like they could use a finish to make them pop even a bit but Warmoth has done very well with their take on roasted maple as raw wood and that is how most of the forum plays them, raw. To each their own of course. I have a couple of strats with raw necks and am happy.

 

[PumpinIron]

Thanks guys!

Yeah, the neck was costly ($652), but I think it was worth it. The beautiful flame pattern in the wood, and the roasted maple... It's just gorgeous. I got it in the "fatback" profile too, so it's as big as Warmoth makes them!

I liked that it was showcase as well, since that way I got to see exactly what I was getting.

I went with a clear satin finish on this one. I was thinking about a gloss finish, but I ended up deciding on satin. Heck, if I really wanted gloss down the road, I could always refinish it. I'm not sure it even needed any finish at all (does it?), but I figured that satin would keep the look it has in the pictures, just add a "protective" coating to the wood.

I think the neck should pair nicely with either a brown to clear burst, or a honey burst.

 

[musicispeace]

Agreed. Nothing wrong with a satin finish especially if yours is looking stunning in ten years compared to some of the rest of us who rebelled! Hasn't been long enough yet for me to draw a conclusion and what differing hands have to "contribute" to unfinished wood varies. My plain maple neck has a nice satin finish. Regarding the fatback, I recently went to the fatback profile and love it. Having both boatneck and fatback I am of the opinion that the slight protrusion from the V in the boatneck makes the boat feel a little larger in the hand than the rounded C of the fatback. But either way, liking it.

 

[PumpinIron]

Interesting to hear that!

My other guitar that I mainly play is a Fender American Vintage '52 Reissue Telecaster (the "Thin Skin" model only sold by Wildwood). The neck on that thing is a very good size, and most people tell me it is about the same size as the "boatneck" profile from Warmoth.

This will be my first Warmoth guitar (and neck), but I knew I wanted the biggest neck I could get. Even my Telecaster neck feels like it could still be bigger. Which is funny, because my hands are no bigger than average (I'm only 5'9), yet I can't stand skinny necks. I can play these big necks just as fast and easily as any stick thin neck, so I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.

Anyways, hopefully this fatback profile will do the trick. I was torn between a fatback and a boatneck, but I ultimately decided on the fatback since I spoke with Warmoth on the phone before ordering, and he told me that the fatback is indeed their biggest neck. I could see how the slight v-shape of the boatneck might give the illusion that it is bigger.

I just know that I like fat necks. The size of the necks Fender puts on their guitars these days is a joke (with my '52 reissue being one of the few exceptions).

 

[musicispeace]

I think you will be very happy. Technically the boatneck and fatback are about the same size, just slight V shape as opposed to rounded C shape. I don't find any substance to discuss regarding how the shoulders supposedly differ very slightly. If you can play one you can play the other. I like both but personally feel the slightly more mass and rounded C of the fatback is the most comfortable and playing on one almighty chunk of lumber is pretty awesome. I can't really deal with factory guitars at this point if I have any choice in the matter, maybe Chapman if I had to buy off the rack but his necks seem to average about a 12" radius and aren't as slim as many other factory models but are by no means chubby.

 

[PumpinIron]

I can relate completely. I am done with factory guitars for the most part. I'm just shocked it's taken me this long to reach this point. I didn't even know about Warmoth (I'm not sure why) until a few months ago.

I kept trying to find the perfect Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster to suit my needs. I wanted a a Fender with a big and chunky neck, a hardtail bridge, and somewhere around a 12" radius neck. Fender doesn't even make anything like that. All of their modern guitars have thin necks, 9.5 radius and good luck finding a modern Fender Stratocaster with a hardtail bridge.

I finally got so fed up with that BS that I started looking at my options, which is how I came across Warmoth. Wow, what a breath of fresh air! Finally I can make the guitar the way I want it, without having to pay Fender Custom Shop (or anyone else) $5000 or so to build me a guitar to my specs!

It's just amazing that I can build a badass guitar from Warmoth for around $1800 (for a really tricked out one), when the same guitar from Fender or anywhere else, would cost me around $4000-$5000!

 

[musicispeace]

Its really refreshing and inspiring to see what we can accomplish in DESIGNING and then having our own guitars at a comparative fraction of what the Fender or Gibson custom shops charge for more limited options. You get the wood you want, the hardware you want, the pickups of your choice, etc, etc. I think you will end up with a superb guitar that fits you as a player on a custom shop level plus some. I am a second time around player and had to learn the importance of a good, pro level set up for my partscasters but you probably already know that is the step after assembly that is important. This has been a quiet weekend in the forum but believe me, numerous others will appreciate seeing your resulting guitar.

 

[PumpinIron]

Yep, I know the importance of a good setup, and I have just the guy for that. I'll put the guitar together myself, but I have a local guy who sets up all my guitars for me and does an outstanding job! This will be my first Warmoth (and my first custom guitar), but he will be the one dialing it in.

It's refreshing to see that I don't have to pay $5000 for a guitar that is custom made to my specs by some big name company like Fender or Gibson. Those guys are largely charging for the name alone.

My Telecaster build is going to cost me around $1800 for everything, but it's going to be a top of the line Telecaster with a high quality neck, a high quality top, etc. All of this would be at least 4k from one of the big names.

Fender (and the others) disappoint me these days. You'd think if they wanted more business, they would let guys like you and me customize our guitars without having to go through their custom shop programs. The fact that I can do all of this from Warmoth's website is intuitive and modern.

Of course now that I am building this Telecaster, I find myself wanting to build a Stratocaster as well (which I will)!

 

[PumpinIron]

BTW, this is the Telecaster I am trying to recreate (with the exception that my neck will be the solid, roasted flame maple as shown above).

 

[Logrinn]

That is one beautiful Tele. Wow, gorgeous!  :icon_thumright:

 

[Axkoa]

Definitely Brown to Clear burst.

 

[Logrinn]

I don't know ... I think honeyburst would look great. Like Johan Gustafsson's guitars

 

[Axkoa]

I don't know ... I think honeyburst would look great. Like Johan Gustafsson's guitars

Sorry  :icon_biggrin: I meant that that Tele he linked was Brown to Clear burst. Personally I prefer Honeyburst, especially if it ever were to be over a RSA Strat...

 

[ghotiphry]

Fantastic build here.  The flame on that neck is amazing. 

You going to bind it in cream?  Flame maple top?

I like my necks sans finish, personally...

 

[PumpinIron]

Well guys, I decided on brown to clear burst. I think I'm going to go that route with this one, and then do my Stratocaster build in honey burst.

I just placed the order with Warmoth this morning. It's a Telecaster body with a rear rout (so no pick guard), a top quality quilted maple top, swamp ash body, black hardware, Gotoh black bridge, and I'm putting Fender Custom Shop "Nocaster" pickups in it.

The color as mentioned is brown to clear burst, with a brown back, and an ivory binding on the top.

It's going to look almost identical to that Telecaster I posted, with the exception that my neck will be the solid roasted flame maple neck.

All in all, this guitar is costing me about $1800. Keep in mind though, that's all top shelf parts (including the guitar body itself). This sam configuration would cost me upwards of 5k from Fender or other big names, I'm sure of it.

So while it's still costly, I look at this as a great deal for what should be a gorgeous guitar.

I'll post photos of it when it's done!

 

[ghotiphry]

Bravo!