Expectations for maple tops orders not using the "Unique Choice Lam Top Choice"

[docteurseb]

Wondering what kind of figuring you guys got when ordering a curly maple top without selecting one from the "Unique Choice Lam Top".
How good of a figuring did you get ?

Thinking about placing yet another order without using the unique choice lam top for once. I don't have specific figure requirements this time but I'd still want it to look 'nice' ;-)

 

[TBurst Std]

I’ve had one.  You tell me. It’s still in progress. (Crappy cell phone pic)
Search my username and VIP

 

[docteurseb]

This one ? Looks pretty good to me:

 

[Cactus Jack]

If you can spring for a "Unique Choice," I say do it.

I have several Warmoth figure topped guitars, and to be honest, I haven't been impressed by the run of the mill Show Case bodies. I'm sure you can search up my old posts, but every body I've purchased has been flat and devoid of the character most folks associate with high grade guitars. In no instance did any of them approach the quality my my Les Pauls or G&Ls. Some folks argue that those guitars cost 3x than Warmoth so they should be better, but the truth is my daughters $200 import Washburn has a spalted flame maple top that exceeds all of my Warmoth purchases.

I know this isn't a popular opinion, but this is coming from a guy who is a Warmoth fanboy and backs it up by giving them my hard earned money on a regular basis.

 

[TBurst Std]

This one ? Looks pretty good to me:

That’s it

 

[bagman67]

My strat was a showcase purchase.  I'm pretty happy with the degree of figure. 

 

[Hendrix]

I think it like showcase item without "High Grade " or  in wood spec . Usually price under $450

 

[docteurseb]

Thanks for all the reference points. I'd be happy with some of the ones I see, less so with others if I were spec'ing them sight unseen.

I can definitely 'spring' for it, and have done so on too many occasions in the past 2 years...

Thing is the Unique Choice section right now is almost empty, and if I extrapolate Aaron's post refilling it won't be a priority anytime soon.

The showcase can have both super high grade tops and more basic figured tops.
If I could find something I like there it would always be my first choice given that it's always discounted compared to a custom order.
But in this case I'm thinking about a Regal body, unfinished, and lightweight....I have zero expectations of seeing that showing up anytime soon. Although, my 1st/last Regal build was precisely that and had a great figuring:
https://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=27614.0

Thanks all. I might wait a bit until the unique choice section gets replenished to be safe, unless I can ask for a higher grade figured top when ordering.

 

[Ace Flibble]

I've put together a few builds for friends which were ordered with unspecified, random tops, three flames that I recall and one quilt. I don't have any pictures of them and a couple I haven't seen in a while but IIRC they were all around what I'd consider AA. Warmoth aren't going to hand you a perfectly-mirrored AAAAA piece for 'free' (does it bother anyone else that we rate wood figuring on an A-AAAAA scale and not E-A? or 1-5? Just me? Huh) but they're fine. FWIW I've yet to see any mass producer using more than AA flame these days, anything better has become rarer and rarer and now carries a bigger premium than ever before. Even the Gibson Custom Shop, who still have the biggest reserve of flame maple of anyone, have switched to mostly using AAA pieces on non-limited editions.

The main thing to watch for is the orientation. One of my friends was really disappointed that his body came in with the wood arranged with the figuring making a slight neck-facing '^' kind of pattern when he likes figuring to be in a 'v', pointing towards the rear. That made me think twice about my own orders because I'm the opposite way, I want flame figuring to always be making a very slight point towards the neck and I can't stand the look of it pointing downwards or just straight across totally horizontal. I ended up buying that body off him (though have since sold it on again) and he ordered a second one, that time picking out a specific top. Given that experience I myself have also decided I won't be ordering any flame tops without choosing a particular piece or getting it off the showcase.

 

[Logrinn]

I on the other hand was very happy with the quilted maple top I got, especially since it wasn't a Unique Choice:

... The main thing to watch for is the orientation. One of my friends was really disappointed that his body came in with the wood arranged with the figuring making a slight neck-facing '^' kind of pattern when he likes figuring to be in a 'v', pointing towards the rear.

How very strange ???
It's the '^' pattern that's the classic one and what I assumed everyone wanted.
The 'v' pattern looks to me like there was an intern that did the book matching and didn't know better.
But, hey, that's just me, I guess. :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Rick]

That's right, blame it on the intern.

 

[Ace Flibble]

It's the '^' pattern that's the classic one and what I assumed everyone wanted.
The 'v' pattern looks to me like there was an intern that did the book matching and didn't know better.

I always thought that, too, but after some digging I found a lot of images of 50s Gibsons with flame tops going in both directions. I suppose, just like with the P.A.F. pickups, they weren't putting any specific thought into it at the time and were just slamming wood down whichever way so they could get more units out the door. I've seen a few PRSs like that, as well. I don't like it either, but then I've seen some truly ugly figuring that some random has claimed is AAA+ and vice-versa; wood figure is about as subjective as you can get.

Mine's not anywhere near as fancy-looking as yours but I too have a hardtail H-S Mustang with a toggle-vol-jack plate. So at least two of us have good taste :icon_thumright:

 

[docteurseb]

I like ^, V, or - or whatever but it depends on the finish I'm going for.

For a PRS-style dragon breath patter I'd really want a ^:

For a glow/burst either works: