Custom woods and paint jobs

[TheDrizzle]

Hey hey

I'm seeing a number of unique paint jobs, as well as very nice figured woods on guitars that you can't get through the builder.  Is there a secret unwritten thing where you can call the W guys and they will do custom work?  I've looked all over the site for the "call only" type stuff and I'm not seeing anything.

Thanks.  I would love to know the types of cool stuff you can get.  For instance I'd love to get a really nice carved top tele with a funky colored natural mahogany or black korina, but it seems like to have to wait for one to hit the showcase and then hope it has the routing, bridge etc that you want.

 

[line6man]

The showcase has its limitations. Most people call in their orders.

 

[mullyman]

Well, you could ring them up and tell them what you want. My opinion on that though, better to wait for it to show up in the Showcase. The only reason I say that is that you could call them and tell them you want this black koruna etc... but you won't know what it looks like until it's already made and you're responsible for paying for it. If you're not happy with the way it looks then you're pretty much screwed. Don't get me wrong, the guys at Warmoth will do the best they can and try to get the best looking piece for you, but, what the person pulling the wood thinks looks really nice and what you think looks really nice could be totally different. I've been waiting for a spalted Strat for the longest time. There's one in the showcase now, but it's not what I'm looking for. If I had called in an order and ended up with that I would have been bummed beyond words.
MULLY
patience is a virtue

 

[TheDrizzle]

What about the funky paint jobs?  there was that cool acrylic swirl job, as well as a few very neat looking fades that resembled burst coloring.  Are those hit and miss showcase deals as well?  I think I saw in a post here where W mentioned they were doing an acrylic swirl for a customer, so I get this vibe that there is like an insider world of W (no, not that WoW) that the frequent users are in the know on.  No?

Also someone mentioned a catalogue?  I can't find anywhere on the site that mentions catalogues, but it would be really cool to have something to flip through at home that had all of the options available.

 

[croquet hoop]

I think I saw in a post here where W mentioned they were doing an acrylic swirl for a customer, so I get this vibe that there is like an insider world of W (no, not that WoW) that the frequent users are in the know on.  No?

I don't think so. If you look at W's on-site gallery, you'll find other guitars with the same acrylic swirl (I have seen at least one strat). Maybe they were ordered by the same customer, but in any case, if you want the same finish, just email Warmoth and ask them for a quote. Same for any other finish that does not appear in the builder. Just be prepared for the extra $ any custom order implies.

 

[TheDrizzle]

Ok cool.

So, how's about we use this here thread to list the secret options that don't show up on the builder?  As far as I've seen:

Acrylic swirl
Tri-stripe
Fade burst
Flame pattern? ( do they still do this one)

Also not sure if you can request inlay funkiness, but I'm assuming you can request any of the existing inlays in different positions on the board.

 

[croquet hoop]

OKay, so I just checked the site again for custom finishes & stripes :

http://www.warmoth.com/Paint/Custom.aspx

I guess you're out of luck if you want flames. Triple stripes are still available, though.

 

[TheDrizzle]

OKay, so I just checked the site again for custom finishes & stripes :

http://www.warmoth.com/Paint/Custom.aspx

I guess you're out of luck if you want flames. Triple stripes are still available, though.

Hmmmm...  I wonder why they wouldn't still offer them at a premium?  I'm not one to tell W their business, but seems like an easy win for everyone.  Unless the time used to custom one guitar for like $100 is less than the chaching they make for regular jobs on three others.

So scratching the flame, anything else I'm missing that we should throw on here?

 

[drewfx]

There are lots of things that they can do that aren't in the builders, often for an upcharge. There are other things they can't/won't/don't-really-want-to do. Just call or e-mail them and ask.

Sometimes it comes down to limited availability of something, or limited availability of large enough pieces for a given purpose. Other times things are new enough that they just haven't been added to the builders yet. Or maybe a particular option has very limited appeal or would be confusing if it was in the builder as a "standard option".

 

[TheDrizzle]

There are lots of things that they can do that aren't in the builders, often for an upcharge. There are other things they can't/won't/don't-really-want-to do. Just call or e-mail them and ask.

Lots of things?

LOTS OF THINGS?  Grrrr

Was hoping for some options!  :icon_smile:

Maybe I should just go with my Carribean Burst and be done with it...

 

[bbl4ck]

There are lots of things that they can do that aren't in the builders, often for an upcharge. There are other things they can't/won't/don't-really-want-to do. Just call or e-mail them and ask.

Lots of things?

LOTS OF THINGS?  Grrrr

Was hoping for some options!  :icon_smile:

Maybe I should just go with my Carribean Burst and be done with it...

Pick up the phone and call or send them an email.  The worst they can do is say no  :dontknow:
Then at least you can rest assured that you tried...

 

[Nightclub Dwight]

Sometimes they also put experimental finishes in the Showcase.  These might be paint jobs that they try out to see how it works, but may later decide that its too much work or they don't like the unpredictability of the finish so they decide not to offer them as regular items.  But they will sell the experimental pieces as one off items.  In these cases you would have to buy the Showcase piece because they won't be offering that style in the future.

 

[mullyman]

As for a catalog, yeah, I think all of us would cream ourselves getting a 2 inch thick Warmoth catalog, but in all fairness, it wouldn't be cost efficient for them in the internet world. Their stock changes so quickly that they wouldn't really be able to put any of the available bodies/necks in it. It would basically just be a catalog of available finishes, parts, accessories etc... You can get a Stewmac catalog for that.
MULLY

 

[TheDrizzle]

As for a catalog, yeah, I think all of us would cream ourselves getting a 2 inch thick Warmoth catalog, but in all fairness, it wouldn't be cost efficient for them in the internet world. Their stock changes so quickly that they wouldn't really be able to put any of the available bodies/necks in it. It would basically just be a catalog of available finishes, parts, accessories etc... You can get a Stewmac catalog for that.
MULLY

Agreed - pretty much everything is available online for you to read/research.

Thanks all for the replies.  I think my best bet on the funky stuff will be to stalk the Showcase for a finish I like, or try to hit one out of the park by finding a natural finish body with the specs I want that I can buy directly.

 

[Cagey]

You should be aware that calling Warmoth isn't like calling most manufacturers. Over the last 30 years or so, the vast majority of companies have taught us to never call. It's frustrating in the extreme, and often pointless. Can't learn or get anything done, and you spend precious phone dollars taking what I'm sure is unintended but ultimately painful abuse for your efforts.

Warmoth is different. There is no "receptionist" or switchboard, per se. The sales people take the calls directly. You can rest assured that when the phone is answered, you're immediately talking to an intelligent American human that knows the business well and can either give you answers directly, get them quickly or take your order. It's weird, really. I've made a number of calls there that the only reason they lasted 15 seconds was because they were padded with amenities like "hello, my name is..." and "thank you for your time", etc. The question itself was asked/answered on the spot.

I don't mean to be a shill or anything, I just want to make sure people know they don't have to wonder about things if the answers don't seem to jump out at them. There's a group of folks there that really seem to enjoy their jobs and are more than happy to do them. Sadly, it's unusual in the extreme.

 

[bbl4ck]

You should be aware that calling Warmoth isn't like calling most manufacturers. Over the last 30 years or so, the vast majority of companies have taught us to never call. It's frustrating in the extreme, and often pointless. Can't learn or get anything done, and you spend precious phone dollars taking what I'm sure is unintended but ultimately painful abuse for your efforts.

Warmoth is different. There is no "receptionist" or switchboard, per se. The sales people take the calls directly. You can rest assured that when the phone is answered, you're immediately talking to an intelligent American human that knows the business well and can either give you answers directly, get them quickly or take your order. It's weird, really. I've made a number of calls there that the only reason they lasted 15 seconds was because they were padded with amenities like "hello, my name is..." and "thank you for your time", etc. The question itself was asked/answered on the spot.

I don't mean to be a shill or anything, I just want to make sure people know they don't have to wonder about things if the answers don't seem to jump out at them. There's a group of folks there that really seem to enjoy their jobs and are more than happy to do them. Sadly, it's unusual in the extreme.

+1000 :icon_thumright:
That's why I didn't understand why you just didn't call.  They are really great professional and knowledgeable folks and often if they can't do exactly what you want, they can offer an alternative that they can or are willing to do.
I can say the same thing for all my email communication with them as well.
Go ahead; call em'
:rock-on:

 

[stubhead]

I may be in the minority, but I only build a guitar when I know exactly what I want. The odds of "finding" it in the showcase - yikes. I have such perverse urges.... Warmoth used to be somewhat more flexible in options, but I can understand that on relatively-low sales items like Mustang and Jaguar bodies, they just can't afford to pull somebody out of the machine to tiptoe through the tulips with me. But it never hurts to ask them not us. They seem willing to go long & wide on custom paint jobs, at least more so than on routing. I'm always violating the warranty in a jiff too, after the requisite period of ogling and fondling.  Which gets shorter and shorter these days.

Hmmm - perverse needs, minimized foreplay - I guess it IS true what they say!*

It may be partly luck that they've hit on a business strategy that actually might work better in a recession because us po' folk are more likely to take a swing at assembly to save money - but there's more than luck there too. Ever since I've been here (creak, gobble, slobber) they've been running like a perpetual help-wanted ad:

Available Positions:

CNC Programmer | Neck Crew
Sales Department | Fret Crew | Paint Shop

Another sign that they're not withering away is the willingness of our Beloved Mediators to let us run far afield from just Warmoth and Warmoth only and frolic with "the others" in our yaks - Warmoth's the apex predator in Guitar Woodyland, and the pipsqueaks don't frighten them. Christ on a biscuit, have you seen Harmony Central lately? Musician's Fiend bought them (too :laughing3 and they've surgically excised each and every molecule that could possibly be construed as meaning anything other than "Buy yer crap from Musician's Fiend." 

Oh sure. That's gonna work. :icon_thumright:


*( :icon_biggrin:  it aint THAT easy, Smilchee)

 

[Cagey]

I don't think I've ever bought a body on purpose. They always just pull me aside and ask if I wanna party. Of course, there's just a dark spot on the MRI where my impulse response used to be, so I have little choice but to say "Aren't we partying yet?"

Necks, on the other hand, I'm usually pretty deliberate about.

I didn't know MF bought Harmony Central. Been a long time since I've been there. Far too wild, like a room fulla kindergartners on their first caffeine buzz.

 

[TheDrizzle]

Look what I came across in the gallery:

http://www.warmoth.com/Gallery/GalleryItem.aspx?id=4370

I really like it, they called it the Swamp Thing.

Imma put that one on the list.

 

[TheDrizzle]

Ummmm... Little help?

http://www.warmoth.com/Gallery/#!/Strat/41

Seems to be missing something, no?  :dontknow: