Jetglo vs. Mapleglo

Blue_Meanie · Post by **Blue_Meanie** » Fri Mar 23, 2001 6:31 am

For a new 330 or 360. Can't decide on a finish.
Mapleglo or Jetglo? Any thoughhts or opinions? Past experiences with either finish?

Thanks.

racket · Post by **racket** » Fri Mar 23, 2001 6:56 am

You’re probably just going to get opinion on this one. My personal preference is Jetglo. It should be noted that the top clear coats are the same for either color (I guess Mapleglo is no color!)

Frank_S · Post by **Frank_S** » Fri Mar 23, 2001 7:13 am

I only like Mapleglo with the gold pickguards.
Jet glo always looks good and classy.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Mar 23, 2001 8:39 am

Mapleglo looks so cool, especially if the wood has some figure to it......

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Mar 23, 2001 10:50 am

They are both nice finishes. If you are the sort of person that doesn't like smudges, go with Mapleglo as the slightest grease mark or speck of dust shows up on the Jetglo.

Robin_G · Post by **Robin_G** » Thu Apr 12, 2001 9:24 pm

Jetglo looks great but, as Peter said, it shows every tiny mark, surface scratch and smudge. If you like to keep your Ric looking mint - it's a difficult finish. Fireglo is a dream to keep looking great so I guess Mapleglo would be too...

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Fri Apr 13, 2001 5:07 am

My question to this group is ,

WHY was it painted Black?

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Apr 13, 2001 6:45 am

To hide the highly 'figured' wood underneath???

That's why every now and then you run across an old Hofner bass with a black-painted neck and the rest of it is great--blems in the wood the neck was made of. Keep us thinkin' man !!!!

racket · Post by **racket** » Fri Apr 13, 2001 8:05 am

It only makes sense that the wood which is not “beautiful” is used for JetGlo. Even at that, I noticed that the grain that can be seen on my 330 (inside the sound hole) is very nice.
Anyway, is Mark suggesting that the wood that is not highly figured with exquisite grain is inferior? This is assuming that you don’t care about looks because its going to be painted an opaque color.

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Apr 13, 2001 9:22 am

In 1996, I called Hofner to make me a black Violin Bass. It was really funny, the guy on the phone hesitated a moment, and then said: "Why do you want a black one?!" I was ready for everything, but not for that. I replied: "That brown is so boring!" So they made it at last, and suggested gold hardware. That bass was a real beauty. I sold it last year to get me a 330.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Apr 13, 2001 10:17 am

I can see the logic behind wood selection for painted vs. stained instruments--you would want to save the higher-grade pieces for translucent finishes; after all that's why it has appeal. I have two Mapleglo Rickenbackers and one Jetglo--all very cool...so yes, I think it would be a shame to paint over wood that has a lot of curl or whatever---and with the price of select woods the manufacturer has to take this into consideration 'cause they pay more for the good stuff and just pass it along in the price of the instrument...

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Sat Apr 14, 2001 4:35 am

When you get a flatbed truck full of wood ,there is bound to be a piece of material the even when you buy A grade or AA or even AAA grade wood you get a piece that has "blemishes " in it.

You also throw in the factors of manufacturing ,where a corner piece chips in cutting and someone is quick in finding that piece and regluing it ,to losing it altogether ...and then what do you do.

Maple gets these little streaks of black in them .They come out of nowhere.They also have waves of non white wood .Some time greenish and sometimes a tan color.This CAN be cut and matched to look good ,and it mat not look the best in "natural" so you fireglo the piece.
Then lets say there was an error in removing the body from a fixture while the cutter head was still slightly turning and it get chewed a bit ...what to do ? Fill it with some epoxy.

There will always be those guitars whose figure don't match well .You try to explain to the staff ,the concept of matching wood for a guitar ...but if you make lots of them it is bound to have the few odd looking pieces.

When I worked in the spray booth ,Russ Chapman was the head painter and he showed me how and WHY the guitars and basses got the color designation .
Black covers all things not wanting to be seen .I am not saying that structurally the wood is inferior.It is only cosmetic.

Gibson does not save their best maple for the Black custom Les Paul .Trust me .This goes on their Standard Flame tops or the non flame top.

I hope this is clearer now.

I am NOT insinuating that Rickenbacker uses or has ever used inferior materials in their product.