martinh Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 I'm curious if anyone knows why Gibson often charges a premium for natural finishes? I ve heard several explainations, including that the natural finish requires a flawless piece of wood, or that it is harder to put binding against a natural finish, but none of them seem to quite ring true. Anyone have an answer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 Higher grade maple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 If you have an ugly, but other wise stable, hunk of wood you can paint it a solid color. But if you want to keep the guitar natural you have to use good looking wood. Good looking wood ain't as easy to find as ugly wood. Not every maple tree is full of flames and quilts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 Also, nowadays wood is cultivated/harvested/managed. I just don't think that the grain patterns are the same as old growth wood, when a tree happens to yield a nice grain it is a good opportunity to charge a premium for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Everyone is going GREEN and NATURAL.......It costs more.... :unsure: :blink: .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 There's nothing "green" about a nitro finish? o_O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 There's nothing "green" about a nitro finish? o_O Dang, I always wanted a Les Paul in Nitro Green..... .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I want one in grabber green with black binding and baby seal eyes for knobs. But maybe that,s just me :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
This_Dying_Soul Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I would have to go with the theory about the need a good looking piece of wood... If you'r going to paint it a solid color, it doesn't matter so much, but for anything that needs the wood grain visible they would have to take appearance of the grain into consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Ok, then what about the faded finish LP Studios? You see tons of grain in mine, and it was 800 bucks... splain lucy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Higher grades of wood with obvious good grain get saved for natural finishes the lesser wood get's dark bursts and wood that has mismatched grain or multiple pieces in a top get painted especially now with wood getting harder to find in good grain. As for your comment Fuzzy Fred a faded finish is see through so it has a good quality of wood just nothing noted as really special but you can get lucky even with painted guitars I've refinished painted guitars and been thrilled with the wood underneath it's just rare. and if you get real lucky or your really picky when your looking you can get a great piece of wood remember even a broken watch is right twice a day anything can happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Interesting and correct point from Retro............. However, semi-hollow guitars like 335s, 339s, 175s, etc etc, ALL are made with laminated wood.....As such, only the top layer of wood on these guitars with flame or quilted tops are flamed or quilted.....And since the top layers is only a veneer, I find it dubious that a super premium would be charged for any guitar with a flame or quilt laminated top....................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I find it dubious that a super premium would be charged for any guitar with a flame or quilt laminated top....................... Figured maple is more expensive that plain mnaple even if it's being made into a laminat. Also it's harder to spray a burst or translucent finish than a solid one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 In order to have a piece made with a natural finish you have to use a piece of clear blemish free wood or else it would look terrible.If you've ever gone into an exotic wood lumberyard you'd see that clear and even grained wood can cost up to 4 times or more than just plain wood from the same species of board.So there is truth in the wood grain story-for premium grain wood you have to pay a premium as it all comes down to availability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Better living through chemistry. If natural was better and cheaper they all would be 'natural'.... whatever that means. It is part of the human condition to find a better/cheaper substitute. Therefore I suspect that either the natural finish materials are more expensive or more labor intensive to apply or they are using the current marketing 'buzz' word. Compare spraying on polyurethane to a hand applied french polish. In some cases the word 'natural' or 'organic' can command a 10% to 50% premium, just because people will pay a premium because it's 'natural' or 'organic'. In the food industry, take a gander at what is being hawked to you as containing 'natural sugar'. Consumers tend to believe this means the sugar within is not high fructose corn syrup, which by definition IS a natural sugar and has gotten an undeserved bad rap from the media. In the marketing world, it's called a glittering generality. So, why is a 'natural' finish (whatever that is) more expensive? Either because it's more expensive to apply, or... just because 'natural' is a buzz word in the food industry that has been co-opted by other industries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnastynebr Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Still has a nitro finish that needs to be buffed and polished. Here is my natural beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.