Quality And Consistancy of Warmoth Finishes?

[LooseCannon]

Hey guys, i'm not sure if I should go with warmoth for finishing the body or let someone else do it. I'm going with dye on a flame maple top.
I've read their body finishes are very thick and can chip easily, is this true?
I've also noticed on the showcase that a lot of the same finishes (fire burst, tiger burst for example) can look vastly different, so I'm afraid I might choose a color I think I like and it'd turn out different because of this inconsistancy.
Can I send warmoth a pic of one of their showcase bodys with a finish I liked and they'll match it as close as possible?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rouse]

I've never seen a bad Warmoth finish per-say (personal opinion) but if you really wanted, you can tell them to make a finish as close as possible to a showcase body, I think, last time I checked anyways. Warmoth wouldn't send you a bad finish/body, I was worried when I bought my body but she turned out to be a beauty.

 

[Tempest]

I told them a body in the showcase that I really liked and asked if they could get it close to that.  It came out better than the showcase body.  I agree with Rouse I've never seen a really bad Warmoth finish.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

There are subtle differences in the same finish on different pieces.  I attributed it to the differences in wood type.  A burst finish obviously looks different on maple compared to korina.  Maybe the finish shop lightens or darkens to give all of the pieces an overall consistent look.  But, dyed and transparent finishes on bodies and necks are done together so they can be matched best.  Rest assured any burst ordered will look like what you ordered.  A Cherry Burst will never look like a Tobacco Burst.

 

[dbw]

I disagree about them being thick.  I can see in the neck pocket and pickup routs of my LP that the finish is quite thin.  They are poly so I suppose chipping is possible... don't whang it on anything metal and you won't chip your finish.  :rock-on:

 

[Mor Paul]

A Cherry Burst will never look like a Tobacco Burst.

I was just thinking of a bengal burst there


I think Warmoth will let some variation pass in some of the dye pieces and burst pieces to give people more choices. They will probably help get a finish closer to an existing one if you ask, though.

 

[mayfly]

My Experience with three warmoth bodies:

1 - the finishes are great
2 - they are not very thick
3 - I have chipped the finish on my green tele - but only because I was rolling around on the floor while soloing at a show awhile back.

I can't imagine that you can buy a better finish - except if it's from Tonar.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

You have to put some effort into chipping a finish.  If you are going to be beating up the guitar then expect it to chip at some point.  When I was 14 and the strap came off my beater and I dropped, it chipped.  I would assume the same treatment would cause any finish to chip.  The site states that the finish is only about 0.012 inch, which is a little more than a sheet of computer paper folded once.  My guess is that their finishes will hold up at least as good as any other companies on the market.  As far as color, you have to talk to them and they should tell you what they believe is possible.
Patrick

 

[tfarny]

I think the finishes are great, I have two W finishes. Not sure where you read they are thick and easy to chip. I have a mexican MIM tele body - now THAT is a thick finish and it has a nice big chip.
They've said that the finishes vary a bit depending on the qualities of the wood - so if there's a thicker than average outer burst for instance, it's because the painter maybe wanted to cover up a tiny ugly spot in the wood or something. You also should take internet photos with caution - often finishes look different in person than they do on the net. Nearly everyone who shows off their W body here says some variation of "much better than the showcase photo".

 

[GoDrex]

I love the way Warmoth does finishes. They did a great job on my gold top and trans-red LP. The trans-red is especially beautiful. After getting one done by them I have even less interest in trying to do a finish myself, since I'll never come anywhere near it. I could be wrong but my guitar doesn't seem like it will chip, unless I bang it on something with an edge to it. Seems more like it will dent, but I don't know. I don't baby my guitars so I'll probably hurt it at some point. There have been some people here that were less than pleased with their finish, but they are very much in the minority. Most people love the paint jobs that Warmoth does. I'll definitely get another guitar finished by Warmoth.

 

[mayfly]

Updating my post a little,  the chips in my green tele were actually caused by a metal buckle on my guitar strap.  When I was rolling around on my back on the stage, the buckle got between the guitar and the floor.  At times my full weight was on it - and yes the finish did chip.

This is an admittedly extreme use, one that you're not likely to encounter.

 

[jackthehack]

The ones I've gotten with Warmoth factory finishes are uniformly excelllent, and are a whole harder to chip/dent than lacquer finishes. If you've ever done any finishing, you'd know that even the exact same stain/dye can look a lot different from body to body even on the same species of wood, as there can be a lot of variation in the base wood coloration and it's dye/stain absorbtion quotient.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Man, Mayfly!  Rolling around on the floor during solos at shows, toddlers and newborns running around.  You're wearing me out.