What's under the paint on a Gold Top?

[Caddie]

I'm looking at a Hamer Studio Custom Gold Top. It has the usual binding around the top as a custom should. So what's underneath the opaque gold paint finish? Is there a maple top, no laminate top at all, balsa to keep the weight down, more mahogany body wood with an edge route for the binding? Do I need to bring this down to the lab, put it on the slab, do the MRI and shiver with antici……….pation.

Thx in advance guys n girls if our highly astute BlueRedWhite should care to chime in with her usual hi level of informed intelligence, wit and good grammar. Those Canadians, they're so well educated. Now what's the deal with that damn Keystone Pipeline?! Please BRW, bring your formidable skills n connections to beer to resolve that one. Please. We want your oil baby and you know how we mean that. Please. The free world awaits.

Cheers

caddie

[gorch]

Open the pickup routes. Often you can see if it is laminated in there.

[mirrorimij]

USA models have a hard rock maple top under the paint. The top is the same dimensions as the figured tops on Studio Customs with transparent finishes.

[carfish7]

Wood. Fine, fine, wood.

Oh - Maple wood to be more specifical.

[cmatthes]

What the early-rising mirrorimij said above.

As it was explained to me years ago, Hamer used the plain-grained rock maple on the goldtops and other opaque finishes (black, white, etc.) instead of the figured tops, because over time, the grain "telegraphs" through the finish. The plain grain is a smoother foundation, less open, so the finish remains more flat if that makes sense.

[murkat]

unless the figured top is F'd up (no pass QC) .... If it is, solid color is applied.

[bubs_42]

^^^^ LOL, Everytime I'm this close to buying a damn LP and you throw stuff out like that.

[Caddie]

What the early-rising mirrorimij said above.

As it was explained to me years ago, Hamer used the plain-grained rock maple on the goldtops and other opaque finishes (black, white, etc.) instead of the figured tops, because over time, the grain "telegraphs" through the finish. The plain grain is a smoother foundation, less open, so the finish remains more flat if that makes sense.

"Telegraphs", eh? What a great word, it immediately conjures up the image of that ripply effect in the finish that mimics the grain.

I may use that for my next Warmoth project. The Telegraphcaster. Thanks cm.

caddie

[mirrorimij]

unless the figured top is F'd up (no pass QC) .... If it is, solid color is applied.

I've seen a few Gibby's like that over the years. That was a no no at Hamer due to the telegraphing described above. All the black and gold ones were plain hard rock maple. I couldn't even get the ok for an all mahogany Goldtop when I worked there because they didn't want it to sink after the guitar aged.

[bcsride]

And, if you put P90s in them, they sound fantastic - even the "non" custom versions. The studios (non custom) don't have the neck binding, but they do have the body binding. At least mine does.

[BlueRedWhite]

My dear Caddie: 25 (almost) years in this great country, and i'm so grateful...but i still feel Cuban

Keystone Pipeline is the ticket for the richest province in Canada to come out of the worse recession that they'll ever known. Alberta started the oil sands production a few years ago, becoming the richest province in Canada. But the exploitation of these sands is very expensive (and they have very strict laws protecting the environment), so the pipeline would offer jobs on boths sides of the border and would certainly help.

Here in Quebec, an oil and diamonds(!!!) primary exploitation were stopped by the government...and i've decided to become the next prime minister here and get myself a throne of diamonds while fighting corruption....

We (Quebec) are rapidly becoming an unproductive province that want to keep many social programs and services with a population that is mainly retiring..so it's gonna be kind of tough. Already the most taxed piece of land in North America, it's either winning the lotto by selling some of our resources, or having a sale tax of 18% plus 40% on income taxes for middle class families. and that phoquing socks.

Under my custom golden duotone there's just pure gold. i know it because the fralin p90s tell me so

[The Shark]

When I was a Key-Man endorser back in the early nineties (I was the top salesman at Abney's Music in Orlando), I ordered a Bound and Crowned Sunburst in black with chrome parts and a Floyd. From the day it was new, the incredible fiddleback flamed maple top could be seen. That guitar was everything, but i found a three piece maple neck just killed the tone for me.

Flame under the black or gold? You bet.

[Ting Ho Dung]

My dear Caddie: 25 (almost) years in this great country, and i'm so grateful...but i still feel Cuban

Keystone Pipeline is the ticket for the richest province in Canada to come out of the worse recession that they'll ever known. Alberta started the oil sands production a few years ago, becoming the richest province in Canada. But the exploitation of these sands is very expensive (and they have very strict laws protecting the environment), so the pipeline would offer jobs on boths sides of the border and would certainly help.

Here in Quebec, an oil and diamonds(!!!) primary exploitation were stopped by the government...and i've decided to become the next prime minister here and get myself a throne of diamonds while fighting corruption....

We (Quebec) are rapidly becoming an unproductive province that want to keep many social programs and services with a population that is mainly retiring..so it's gonna be kind of tough. Already the most taxed piece of land in North America, it's either winning the lotto by selling some of our resources, or having a sale tax of 18% plus 40% on income taxes for middle class families. and that phoquing socks.

Under my custom golden duotone there's just pure gold. i know it because the fralin p90s tell me so

Holy Shit!! You need to immigrate to Florida. No state income tax. 7% sales tax but food, medicine, etc is exempt. Lots of Cubans. Only 90 miles from your Homeland. And, Haulover Beach.

As for the gold top, it's wood. Take a drill to it. You will see sawdust fly.

[Caddie]

As for the gold top, it's wood. Take a drill to it. You will see sawdust fly.

No drilling allowed. My power tools, garden tools and many of my hand tools were confiscated several years ago. And for the most part I'm ok with that because I still have all 11 webbed fingers. The webbing is very handy for wasabi when having sushi.

[cmatthes]

When I was a Key-Man endorser back in the early nineties (I was the top salesman at Abney's Music in Orlando), I ordered a Bound and Crowned Sunburst in black with chrome parts and a Floyd. From the day it was new, the incredible fiddleback flamed maple top could be seen. That guitar was everything, but i found a three piece maple neck just killed the tone for me.

Flame under the black or gold? You bet.

That stopped sometime after Jol came back. A Studio Custom in Goldtop would more than likely be post-95/96, and per the specs, the P-90 Goldtop models were fitted with the plain rock maple cap for the exact reasons you mentioned.