If you made one VIP guitar before you die

[Rick]

and the body woods would either be hollow maple with quilt maple top, or hollow mahogany with quilt maple top, and you had to choose a Warmoth Finish, what Warmoth finish would you choose?

 

[pirate]

Actually I'd love to see what a clear satin would look like on quilted maple, I really love the satin finishes over gloss now.

 

[mayfly]

I'd pick some kind of burst

 

[Verne Bunsen]

If I knew I was going to die when I was done, I’d probably put it off for a while. Then, when I had accepted my mortality and embraced the shuffling off of my mortal coil, I’d order it in Black Cherry. I’d probably get the headstock to match. Probably not what you were looking for what with the quilted maple top, but hey, it’s my one VIP before I die.

 

[Rick]

Clear Satin is a sharp look on an all maple body, and it would look cool with a high grade flame maple neck. 

Black Cherry, hadn't thought about that ...

In terms of Bursts, remember, money is no object as long as it's spent at Warmoth, any thoughts?

 

[rgand]

I would probably get tiger's eye on top with a black back and black burstover. No binding.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

Candy red.

 

[Fat Pete]

Candy red.

What he said, except I'd have natural masked binding so you could see the pretty pretty quilt I'd covered over.

 

[BigSteve22]

If I knew I was going to die when I was done, I’d probably put it off for a while....

:laughing11: :laughing3: :laughing7:

 

[swarfrat]

If I knew I was going to die when I was done, I’d probably put it off for a while. Then, when I had accepted my mortality and embraced the shuffling off of my mortal coil, I’d order it in Black Cherry. I’d probably get the headstock to match. Probably not what you were looking for what with the quilted maple top, but hey, it’s my one VIP before I die.

I should be near immortal then

 

[Cagey]

I don't think I've ever seen a VIP I didn't like. It's a great design. But, the last one I had at a playable point was made of black Limba that I finished in a transparent blood red with a black Ebony over Bloodwood neck, and it was pretty heavy overall. Didn't like that aspect of it.

 

[Rick]

What brought this to mind was that when my cousin turned 55 he decided to rebuild a car, a 1949 Mercury 8, and he reached a stage where he was choosing the paint, everything else was pretty much done.  He had settled on a metallic green with sparkles made out of herkimer diamond dust (a kind of quartz from upstate NY).  The car was beautiful.  And then he found out he had cancer and died 3 months later.  But that car made him real happy.

I don't have the money he had, but I'm looking to get as close to that feeling as I can (not that I plan on dying anytime soon) but I like the theory, why waste time with junk that doesn't make you happy. 

So any more thoughts on the color of VIP body, would be appreciated.  Or am I crazy?

I feel that way about the ovation in my avatar.  It's so beautiful and rings out acoustically like piano.  The top gleams like a stienway, the ebony fret board is a sheet of elegant black and it plays like a dream.  But that was by accident.  I just stumbled upon it.  It's one of those guitars that when everyone plays, they love it.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Have you considered metallic green with sparkles made out of herkimer diamond dust?

 

[rgand]

Are you getting close to deciding what you would like?

 

[spe111]

I'd just redo the guitar in my avatar with a VIP body instead of a soloist body. Walnut body with flamed maple top in satin transparent red. Wenge neck with markerless ebony fretboard. Binding all around. EMG 57/66 pickups.

 

[mayfly]

What brought this to mind was that when my cousin turned 55 he decided to rebuild a car, a 1949 Mercury 8, and he reached a stage where he was choosing the paint, everything else was pretty much done.  He had settled on a metallic green with sparkles made out of herkimer diamond dust (a kind of quartz from upstate NY).  The car was beautiful.  And then he found out he had cancer and died 3 months later.  But that car made him real happy.

Wow.  That story really rings true with me.  When I was a kid, my dad and I restored a 1950 Mercury.  Well, I did most of the work (dad was not very handy).  We chose gloss black, and the car was killer.  Among other things, I remember it had the best sounding AM radio I ever heard - and listening to "mercury blues" by David Lindley while tooling around town .  Wish it was still in the family.

OK!  My burst choice for your VIP would be Honey Burst with natural binding.  I think that would look very nice.

 

[Rick]

It'll take me about 7 months before I get the money up to start the build, so now I'm letting everything marinate.  It took a while to get to the VIP shape.

I've been thinking about the green, but also I want it to be mine.  The goal is to say, damn, that looks good.  I think though the color inspiration will come from either of two sources, cars from the late 40's and early 50's, or something that highlights the wood with some bling, like a burst or dye combination, maybe the honey burst.  It could be all gold top gold with gold hardware and gold fret inlay with gold frets.  Not sure yet.  It's just a pleasant thing to mull over in my mind.

 

[rgand]

It's good to take your time deciding. I generally go through 3 or 4 'that's it' colors before I finally decide on the 'that's it for sure' color :icon_biggrin:.

 

[pirate]

It's good to take your time deciding. I generally go through 3 or 4 'that's it' colors before I finally decide on the 'that's it for sure' color :icon_biggrin:.

Right! Otherwise you'd have to build 3 or 4 other guitars, then think, 'wait, I want THIS color' and build another  :icon_biggrin:

 

[TBurst Std]

Well. To chime in on a color:
How about yellow dye over a figured maple top.  Mine (now over 10 years in process), will probably the last before I die LOL. Body is mahogany with a trans brown, natural mask binding, and a flamed maple cap in yellow dye.  Yes so old it’s a cap with recessed pot holes and not a double lam.