Non unique choice tops question

[CaptVemo]

OK so Im getting ready to pull the trigger on buying a tele body from Warmoth this week. I have a question non of the unique choice tops are really blowing me away enough that I want to spend a extra 150 to 250 dollars for. Who has just let Warmoth pick there top for them in especially flame or quilted maple or any top for that matter. And was just blown away by what they picked for them? Im thinking about just letting them choose but I still want a decent top. If you got pics feel free to share.

 

[line6man]

Most people seem to be satisfied with Warmoth's wood choices.

 

[Ace Flibble]

A friend of mine once recieved a neck from Warmoth that had very significant 'bonus flame', when they very specifically wanted completely plain maple. We're in the UK, so returns are a huge pain to sort out, so I ended up taking the neck off their hands and they ordered a new neck from a different company, instead. Sometimes Warmoth give you figuring that's too good!

That said, if you have a specific look in mind—the way the grain is orientated, for example, can be very important to Les Paul fans—then I suggest either contacting Warmoth directly to seeing if they'll be getting any more wood in soon, or simply waiting another month or two. If you're prepared to spend the extra money to get a unique choice top, on top of however much you're spending on the body anyway, you can probably also afford to wait three or four weeks to see if a top you do like will come in, rather than taking a blind gamble. If you actually can get a piece of wood you like, you'll still be enjoying that guitar long after you've forgotten about the extra wait.

edit: and, for clarity, I have always followed my own advice and simply waited for a nice top to come in, so I can be sure i'm getting what I want. Even if Warmoth guaranteed AAAA figuring, one man's AAAA is another's AA, and even if you agree that the figuring is of a high enough grade, it may still have some aspect which is unappealing to you. It's your guitar and you're already paying a premium for it, so you may as well go all the way and be sure you're getting a top you like.

 

[Gemcutter]

http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=25916.0;attach=36433

I am very impressed by the high quality of the quilted tele that Warmoth selected for me (see above link). In another thread, I recall reading that the unique choice tops aren't necessarily higher quality, they simply allow you to shop and see if they have a specific characteristic that you find attractive. I'm one voice, so I'm also be interested in knowing about experiences of others.

 

[musicispeace]

I have experienced getting some nice "bonus flame" in a maple neck I ordered, which was a very cool surprise. I also bought a body off the showcase that had a maple top, I have to assume it was not unique choice. It is nicely grained but not over the top (which works perfectly for me) but is not something you would send people postcards of. It reminds me a a decent bit of swamp ash for its grain pattern. I would have to conclude it might be worth biding your time and monitoring the unique choice segment for guitar tops if you have something in mind that falls within a type of figuring. But if you are not specifically looking for an absolutely stunning top you would probably be fine with letting them select for you.

 

[elgravos]

I went with a Warmoth choice flame maple for my carved top telecaster.  Looks ok but I'm not blown entirely away.  If I had to do it again, I would go with a unique choice.  They just didn't have anything that I liked at the time.  I also went with a Warmoth choice on my Jazzmaster - and that one is great.  But it's just a 1/8th laminate instead of a full maple top so easier to source high end figuring.  Also, that was before the days of "unique choice" where the options where to order AA / AAA / AAAAA.  You could ask for either and Warmoth picked for you within that range.  The JM was specced as a AAAAA so I was expecting top notch and that's exactly what I got.  The tele was a roll of the dice on my part so can't blame anyone but myself for not loving it (and some people really like the top).  It's all pretty subjective.  You can find both guitars on the forum in the finished project posts (in tele and misc for the JM).  From my standpoint, I can never quite tell whether I like the unique choices or not as you really don't know until you receive the finished guitar.  I actually preferred the AA / AAA / AAAAA rating.  You just set the baseline and Warmoth picked it for you and could be trusted to do it just fine.  I must be the only guy in that camp though!  I believe it was significantly cheaper too if I recall correctly - but that was around the time they stopped being able to supply solid quilted maple tops and went with double laminates etc. so probably all connected to the market prices shooting up - but I digress there.

 

[Ace Flibble]

They likely stoped the A-rating because those ratings are entirely subjective and not standardised in any way, and people could get stroppy if they requested an AAAA top and they recieved what they percieve to be a AAA or AA top.

Gibson are actually feeling this sting right now, because their 2016 Les Paul Standard is advertised a having a AAAA top, and of course some people are saying they're 'only' AAA. The reality is that Gibson are not a small company and do not treat their flagship model lightly; they're putting incredible wood on those guitars. But some people have unrealistic expectations, picturing the Unicorn figuring which only exists in their dreams, and they'll lash back against anything lesser. Personally, I blame this more on people buying £2,000+ guitars blindly online, but that's another issue on top.

Point is, if a manufacturer gives the grade of a wood, all they're really doing is leaving themselves open to criticism and complaints. By not grading the wood and simply giving you a photo of the wood instead, things are slowed down and more expensive, but you're going to have far fewer disappointed, complaining customers.