Well, here's my $.02. The Moriaritys, Ressurections, Liebers are all beautiful, but they're all also out of my price range, most likely always will be. "Lovely to look upon, heaven to touch. It's a real shame they got to cost so much". So I started working on a Warmoth WDG. You can get them with a coccobolo top, they'll even do a 5 or 7 layer sandwich for you. But then I stared adding up all the extras I would "need" to really be satisfied with my once-in-a-lifetime guitar (and I was a Deadhead when Jerry was still playing the SG
). A custom neck with 5 layers, fingerboard inlay, brass on the top, back, and sides of the body, brass on the neck and headstock, brass fittings, Tiger inlay... etc. It adds up- and I'd still have a flat-top body with no relief.
So I talked to Phil. I wanted to do all the electronics myself anyway, so I was able to get pretty much what I was hoping for at a price that I could afford. I think some of the bad rap Phil has in some parts is from reviews from years ago when he was starting out- he has made hundereds of guitars since then. There are some very satisfied customers on this board. As he says, most of the Tigers pictured on his website were all versions moving toward his current T3 Tiger. He will build you a custom guitar based upon what you want. My lefty is almost done, still a few coats of laquer to go (masking tape on fingerboard):
Beautiful. Way beyond what I could have done or expected with a WGD. It took quite a bit longer than I expected, but like the sign in the speed shop says "You can get it fast, you can get it cheap, you can get it right- but not all three." I'm delighted so far. Time will tell (tick, tick, tick.........).
YMMV
"Do not write so that you can be understood, write so that you cannot be misunderstood." -Epictetus
First show: 8/16/69 (Woodstock)
Last show: 3/19/95 (Unbroken Chain breakout)
Member of the Four-Decade Club
Charter Member, President & CEO of OAD (Order of the Ancient Deadheads)