Why synthetic pearl for block/trapezoid neck inlay?

[Spider]

I'm looking to build my 4th Warmoth soon (so far, one strat, a tele and a thinline) and I was thinking of a bastard child of a Fender and a Gibson. I want to have a bound neck with block inlays, but have a question - why doesn't Warmoth offer real rather than synthetic pearl for their block inlays? It can't really be about price because real MOP inlays aren't that expensive relatively (and even if they are a bit more, a possibility could exist to upgrade and pay the extra). It doesn't really make much sense to me - in all other respects Warmoth stuff is such high quality - so why the plastic?

On a more positive note, any of you guys out there have an LP-type neck and find the synthetic pearl inlays ok or even great?

 

[SkuttleFunk]

check into CITES for one example as to a potential 'why'

beyond this it could easily be that the dimensional availability of natural vs. synthetic makes for a consistent availability for all neck sizes and fretboard radii

all the best,

R

 

[Red Rocks]

Pearl and Abalone ruin the sanding beds of our radius machines. All Mother of Pearl and Abalone have to be filed out by hand while maintaining the radius of the fingerboard. This is very time consuming and would shoot the price of inlay up drastically. Many other companies cut the radius on to the fingerboard before it is glued to the neck. We have found in most applications this is an inferior way to build a neck. Who knows maybe someday we will be able to accommodate different inlay materials. :guitaristgif: