Soft Launch of the U-Pick Lamtop option

[simple]

Hi Guys,

Before we left the office on Friday, we did an unannouced launch of our body lamptop "U-Pick" option similiar to the fingerboards. Like the fingerboards, we are going to build it out further with more inventory and spanning more body models. Right now the option is in the Strat, Tele and Jbass sections.

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/bodies/strat.cfm?fuseaction=strat_laminate

(You have to scroll to the bottom).

 

[jackthehack]

Those lam tops orderable for Thinlines as well?

 

[Nando Vallart]

Yummy!

Those Flamed Koa are amazing!

Damn you Gregg! I don't have money to pay even my credit card this month!  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Xplorervoodoo]

Wow, amazing feature!  Very expensive though, but that's the price you pay for something unique  :toothy10:

 

[m4rk0]

cool feature,
but I have to say that the prices seem to be out of proportion if you compare them to fancy lam topped bodies in the showcase..

 

[simple]

No Thinline 1/4" tops or 3/4" carved tops yet, but they will come next week.

Yes, it is not the most inexpensive way to go, and its hard to manage on our side as well but we thought if we could start moving in that direction, we could begin to develop a good process over time.

 

[simple]

cool feature,
but I have to say that the prices seem to be out of proportion if you compare them to fancy lam topped bodies in the showcase..

That's on purpose. We'd rather sell you the Showcase body.

 

[m4rk0]

ah ok, that makes sense.
so does the (agreed) surcharge for exceptional/specific style woods still apply? personally I am prepared to take the risk to get something unseen for a lower price

 

[simple]

ah ok, that makes sense.
so does the (agreed) surcharge for exceptional/specific style woods still apply? personally I am prepared to take the risk to get something unseen for a lower price

Good queston. I would think that option would go away in lew of this new option. It may not happen overnight but it would make sense from a business standpoint to go that direction. The whole thing is baby-steps right now so the details will be hammered out over time. I wouldn't count anything in or out right now. We'll try and keep as many options on the table for customers as possible.

 

[dbw]

WOW those are incredible.  Especially this one http://www.warmoth.com/select/images/large/LT26a.jpg

 

[simple]

You can pick a Ziricote Lamtop and match it up with a U-pick Ziricote fingerboard. That is a pretty cool way to build something custom.

 

[spauldingrules]

See:

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=2359.15

Another way to charge more, perhaps?  I have no problem with Warmoth making more money, but it seems like this will degrade the "regular" orders since every above-average piece will be pulled to sell in the top showcase.

 

[RLW]

Will binding (front and/or back) still be an option if you order a Tele top?

 

[m4rk0]

See:

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=2359.15

Another way to charge more, perhaps?  I have no problem with Warmoth making more money, but it seems like this will degrade the "regular" orders since every above-average piece will be pulled to sell in the top showcase.

I am just a bit sad that the below examples may now be a thing of the past:
I believe neither Superbeast or Orpheo paid a surcharge for their fretboard or top!

I expect that going forward similar pieces to be on the list for 400+ extra

 

[Wyliee]

Please keep in mind there are extra administrative costs involved in photographing, documenting and administering hand picked laminates.  It also changes the production procedures for orders with hand picked materials.  Extra costs for extra services are inevitable.

 

[simple]

See:

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=2359.15

Another way to charge more, perhaps?  I have no problem with Warmoth making more money, but it seems like this will degrade the "regular" orders since every above-average piece will be pulled to sell in the top showcase.

Absolutely a way to charge more. Warmoth is not a non-profit organization. We will definately put our wildly figured pieces up to catch the best price. Getting good money for high end pieces lets us keep our standard prices low. As I mentioned on the fingerboard post, we always pulled our highly figured woods aside for the Showcase or for people who called in swinging a bunch of cash for something extraordinary. We have a lot of wood so customers specing standard woods will still get surprised from time to time with more figured than what they paid for either because that is what we had close by for wood or by the time we finished the piece it evolved into something extraordinary. That is what has always been going on.

Speculating that standard build orders will be adversley affected by a high end offering is to not understand the amount of wood we have access to. Most guitar parts companies are not in that position.

 

[tfarny]

Great, great work!  I think this is especially nice for flame koa, black korina, figured walnut, and rare stuff like redwood that just have so much variance from piece to piece. Not so impressive for flame / quilt maple I think.

I would be a lot more likely to order a $900 flame koa telecaster that I could see than a $600 custom one that I couldn't see. Neither one of which I can afford at all, right now.

Just to clarify, the wood is not cut, right, you're just using some template to give us the 'strat shape' or whatever.

Nice work. Wow this is above and beyond the call. What you guys say makes a lot of sense, it allows you to play more effectively at the high end, and those of us who scrap together $700 guitars won't be buying these anyhow.

 

[DiMitriR33]

are those 1 piece quilted maple tops!?

that's awesome. thought i wouldn't buy one, the grain is too busy, i prefer a 3a bookmatch if it has a uniform looking figure, that's just me.

 

[tfarny]

Oh yeah, and I gotta ask, what the hell are 'jotoba' and 'shedua' and what else are you guys holding out on us? I gotta say it never occurred to me to think about a canary lam or something, much less some wood I never knew existed.

 

[simple]

Oh yeah, and I gotta ask, what the hell are 'jotoba' and 'shedua' and what else are you guys holding out on us? I gotta say it never occurred to me to think about a canary lam or something, much less some wood I never knew existed.

Oh yeah, you will see stuff that has been hanging out on shelves forever that we just haven't done anything with - weird stuff. Should be interesting!  :icon_thumright: