Grateful Dead Music Forum

After being back at Leo's for a short visit, my Tiger is back home with me.

A few months after I got it, the finish began to lift off the brass binding in multiple areas around the guitar.




I never thought much about the different expansion/contraction properties of metal and wood and it wasn't something that Leo and I ever discussed during the build process. He easily could have told me that this is an simple fact of nature and that it happened on Jerry's guitars as well. Even Matt Moriarty has a disclaimer on his website stating that he can't guarantee this finish work, though neither of us knew that at the time. Instead, Leo graciously offered to take the guitar back, completely strip and respray it at no charge to me. He used a few tricks that he learned from such masters as Tom Lieber to help reduce the chances (or at least severity) of this happening again in the future.

I don't care whether you're having a house or a guitar built (and I've been through both), unexpected and often unavoidable things are bound to happen. It's how the builder handles these little "speed bumps" that truly separates the professional from the amateur. I can recommend Leo without the slightest hesitation. He proved himself the first time around to be a luthier of uncompromising quality and the second time around as a person of unmatched character.

Thanks again, man!

Did Tiger have two layers of Brass like your's or was that something you asked for?

That is a VERY interesting question. The brass binding has always been one of my favorite aspects of Tiger but I didn't request it. Leo had been fairly new to building Tiger's (I believe this was his first or second) when this one started and he was going off some not-so-great photos. Apparently he mistook the maple laminates for brass. The guitar was already past that build point when I agreed to buy it, so I knew what I was getting. Basically I've got the only one in existence with four layers of brass. Happy accident for me!

First of all, add my voice to the chorus on how customer service-oriented Leo is (with all the negativity these days re: various builders or techs here or there, it's nice to know there are also some special ones).

I'm quite intrigued by how your guitar was spec'd. If you can post anything further on how the brass layers impacts your tone and sustain, I think many of us will be interested in your findings!

It's not a layer of brass, just a binding. Right?

Jon S. wrote:First of all, add my voice to the chorus on how customer service-oriented Leo is (with all the negativity these days re: various builders or techs here or there, it's nice to know there are also some special ones).

I couldn't agree more. Leo was awesome all the way around most importantly the guitar is incredible.

Searing75 wrote:It's not a layer of brass, just a binding. Right?

Correct…these are very thin layers of brass. I'm not a luthier or a true audiophile but I have to believe that their overall impact on tone and sustain is negligible. The brass Schaller bridge is quite heavy and definitely contributes to both. Leo Would be more qualified to answer how much weight is added by the brass binding.

Binding, get it now!

Right- the brass is 1/16" square "wire" that's inlayed into a slot in the guitar. Having a finish applied over it has been a problem since... about 1979

Interesting in the photo of your guitar- maybe it's just the angle of the photo? It looks like the finish lifting issue is only on one of the brass inlays- not on the other? Is the wood layer sequence (coccobolo- vermillion (?) the same at both bindings?