1 piece tops: Why do you like them?

What is it about 1 piece tops that floats your boat?

  • Because Carlos has one.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • They should all be opaque anyway.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    61
I love the continuity of the grain on a one piece top. When book match is done "right", it can be way cooler than a 1 piece IMO, but the ones that are matched correctly are, I think, more rare than the 1 tops (unless we are in Private Stock territory where most of the book matches are real close to matched if not fully matched). I have about 100 silk shirts and I won't buy one if the patterns don't match up down the button line or the pocket (if it has one) does not match the pattern it is laying on top of. Had a couch refinished a few years ago, and I let the lady who was doing it know, that if those lines did not match where the fabric was going to come together, it was coming back ;~)) So I guess I just have an issue with stuff matching! More relaxing on my eyes me thinks!
 
I don't have a preference. I am more likely to pick a guitar based on its colour than whether its got a book matched or single piece top. Assuming I have the choice to pick between two identical models in the same colour, I am still just as likely to pick the 1 piece top as I am the book matched top - the one that has the most interesting figuring to me - assuming they all sound and feel exactly the same.

I actually have a 1 Piece top/back Hollowbody as well as a bookmatched Hollowbody and the backs really show off these without the 'distraction' of hardware...

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I think both have their own unique charm. I do like more 'chevron' style book matching but 1 Piece tops have their own charm too.
 
I like it when a one piece top has a lot of variation from one area to another and is not linear. If it is a very symmetrical top that you don’t notice it is one piece instead of nicely book matched, I would appreciate it, but wouldn’t prefer it over a cool two piece.
 
I don’t have any 1-piece top, but I’ve been intrigued by them when I see them (and came “this close” to buying one recently)...

For me, it’s mostly the cachet of the rarity of it—it’s not all that easy for a manufacturer to find a beautifully-figured piece big enough to span the whole guitar’s width. (Think of how Martin started appropriating smaller pieces for the backs of D-35’s versus the 28’s.) It’s sort of a “conversation item” that makes the guitar slightly more unique or valuable, at least to me.
 
I don’t have any, so they’re definitely rare on my walls. I think the look is cool, and something you don’t see often. Still, a good looking top is a good looking top... the lack of all-in-oneness hasn’t slowed me down any!
 
Wow... that’s insane! I haven’t seen anything like that. Period.
Brent Moss who used to own The Guitar Store in Canada did a 1 piece body Koa Sisters run of 2 guitars. This is #1, the second one is a hard tail Cu24. I was looking up pictures of it when thinking about doing a PS order and learned it was for sale from the original owner. 1 minute later it was mine :D
 
For me, it seems like book-matching is not as consistent as in years prior. The grain on a flame top just does not line up as it should in many cases.

If I were ordering a PS I would get a one piece for that reason.
 
Brent Moss who used to own The Guitar Store in Canada did a 1 piece body Koa Sisters run of 2 guitars. This is #1, the second one is a hard tail Cu24. I was looking up pictures of it when thinking about doing a PS order and learned it was for sale from the original owner. 1 minute later it was mine :D

Brent built some stunners.
 
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