If you missed the Purple Tribute, get ready....

[aarontunes]

Here is a hot tip for Unofficial Warmoth forumites...advance notice, if you will:


If you missed the Purple Tributes bodies last year, and you've been kicking yourself ever since, you will have a chance for semi-redemption next week.

As you may recall, the purple tributes were a limited run. All of them sold out within 7 hours. There are no more. However....while developing the Purp Trib we created four prototypes. They will be going on sale next week. They represent the incremental steps we took towards the final product. Each is a little different, with slightly different specs. None of them are exactly what the Purple Tributes where, and they don't come with all the goodies either.


BUT: they all exude the Purple Tribute vibe...and they are priced a little cheaper.

 

[rgand]

Bets on how many hours it takes to move all of them? 2? 3?

 

[new-killer-star]

They will sell out fast I expect.

 

[Ace Flibble]

Any of 'em got maple bodies as per the original totally-not-what-these-are-copying-we-swear guitar? I'll definitely jump on any maple ones which are added.

 

[DustyCat]

Even if they do get scooped up quickly, maybe you could still post pics on FB or even here so we can see what went by

 

[aarontunes]

Check them out here: https://goo.gl/jPcGk6

 

[aarontunes]

First one sold in 6 minutes...

 

[nullref]

Oooh....  I'm digging the unfinished one.

 

[aarontunes]

Was just coming here to post about that one. Not as many people are aware of it.......you could have it finished in Transparent Purple!


Here is the link: http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/ShowcaseItem.aspx?Body=2&Shape=2&Path=Telecaster&i=T5620&?mobile=no

 

[Logrinn]

I dig the coloured turtle in the neck pockets :turtle:

 

[rgand]

I also like the unfinished one. It looks great with a standard pickguard, too. Lots of possibilities, there.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

I kicked myself for missing the first run, however since I'm waiting on a couple of packages from Warmoth as it is I'll have to sit it out again. Congrats in advance to whoever lands them, and I do hope we get to see!

 

[aarontunes]

All gone!


The only one left is the unfinished one.

 

[rgand]

4 hours to clean them out!  :icon_thumright: Someone, however, will get a great one provided they do it right. I hope it's one of the forum members so we can follow it.

 

[tblev]

So a limited run of 7, turns out to be 10 + 1 unfinished. Plus less cost than the first 7.
Sounds like myself and 6 others. Got suckered a little. Oh well that’s how it goes.
Anyway congrats to those who picked up the other 3.
The unfinished one is probably the one to have, because it is truly 1 of 1.
Shame on Warmoth, for advertising. Only 7, when their gone their gone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dqlln1lDos

 

[aarontunes]

So a limited run of 7, turns out to be 10 + 1 unfinished. Plus less cost than the first 7.
Sounds like myself and 6 others. Got suckered a little. Oh well that’s how it goes.
Anyway congrats to those who picked up the other 3.
The unfinished one is probably the one to have, because it is truly 1 of 1.
Shame on Warmoth, for advertising. Only 7, when their gone their gone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dqlln1lDos

The three that were just sold were prototypes. None of them are "correct". They are iterations that show our progress as we worked towards the final product.

The biggest thing we struggled with was the position of the pickguards. It is not correct on any of the protos. If you look at the pickguards and the bridge plates, you will see that each one is a little different, and none are quite right. Two have notches cut in the pickguard so the bridge plate can fit. We were trying to figure that out. In order to get it right, we ended up having to actually move the control cavity to a different position. Also, the binding is black instead of tortoise. They also didn't come with all the stuff that the Purple Tributes came with.

The unfinished one isn't a Purple Tribute at all. It's just a standard Tele, with the 3-piece laminate. It takes a standard Tele bridge. The celluloid bridge plate - one of the most distinctive features of the Purple Trib - won't work on it.

 

[new-killer-star]

Just chiming in, I saw the prototypes. Aaron is right, they're totally different than what we have and the bridge pickguard plate location is huge. It's definitely not right on any of the three (and still a tinsy bit off in real thing, the pickup is too far from the bridge and the whole thing needs to be a little smaller, but hey that's part of what makes it special).

And as one of the seven, I'm totally not upset, a little bummed I was busy at work so I missed out on getting another one, but happy for the peeps that did.

P.S. Why did you guys make the pickguards out of the tortoise shell for the prototypes and not a cheaper pickguard material anyways?

 

[Ace Flibble]

The unfinished one is nice, shame it's a tad on the heavy side.

At this point just lemme order a chambered maple body with the walnut stripe. Add it to the normal builder, let's get 'er done properly.

 

[aarontunes]

P.S. Why did you guys make the pickguards out of the tortoise shell for the prototypes and not a cheaper pickguard material anyways?

The pickguards and bridge plates for the protos were already made. Cutting them was part of the R&D. That pickguard material is now a standard offering. You can have any pickguard made out of it.

As an aside, I would hold these protos up as a prime example of just how much work it takes to develop a new product that, at first glance, seems butt-simple. When we set out to tackle this project, it seemed like a gimme. After all, it was just a T body with a cool pickguard and bridge plate, and some cool laminates. How hard could it be?

The answer?

Really hard.



We had to re-think some of the most fundamental dimensions of the T body to get all the components to work together in a way that looked mostly correct.

 

[tblev]

So a limited run of 7, turns out to be 10 + 1 unfinished. Plus less cost than the first 7.
Sounds like myself and 6 others. Got suckered a little. Oh well that’s how it goes.
Anyway congrats to those who picked up the other 3.
The unfinished one is probably the one to have, because it is truly 1 of 1.
Shame on Warmoth, for advertising. Only 7, when their gone their gone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dqlln1lDos

The three that were just sold were prototypes. None of them are "correct". They are iterations that show our progress as we worked towards the final product.

The biggest thing we struggled with was the position of the pickguards. It is not correct on any of the protos. If you look at the pickguards and the bridge plates, you will see that each one is a little different, and none are quite right. Two have notches cut in the pickguard so the bridge plate can fit. We were trying to figure that out. In order to get it right, we ended up having to actually move the control cavity to a different position. Also, the binding is black instead of tortoise. They also didn't come with all the stuff that the Purple Tributes came with.

The unfinished one isn't a Purple Tribute at all. It's just a standard Tele, with the 3-piece laminate. It takes a standard Tele bridge. The celluloid bridge plate - one of the most distinctive features of the Purple Trib - won't work on it.

You’re explanation of the differences is appreciated. And when I first saw the pictures of these 4 prototypes,  I also noticed those differences.
My post was more on the idea of the “only 7, when they’re gone they’re gone”.
Prototypes, are part of a design cycle. And if they were meant to be sold, should have been offered with the 7 sold last year.
Prototypes are generally destroyed, for their differences or issues to the final product. That being said, I understand Warmoth is a business and business is about making revenue. With these 4 prototypes being sold, different or not to the 7 sold last year. There are now 10 plus 1 unfinished, purple tribute’s not 7.
As these are all tribute’s as advertised, not copy’s. as the 7 sold last year are not built as exact copies of the original either.

This is not an attack on Warmoth products, just an observation. Which is what a forum is for.

Cambridge Dictionary
tribute noun (show of respect)
copy noun (something that is exactly like another thing)