Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
- tdbajus
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:09 am
- Location: Back in Brooklyn
- Contact:
Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
Pleased to be getting my first Spitfire tort guard, but it makes me wonder: I'm sure opinions vary, but I think the white pearloid guards look swell. Makes me wonder why someone doesn't do some sort of red over some sort of yellow.
It wouldn't have to be an exact clone or anything- but just something swirly with those natural earth tones in it. I mean, ANYTHING would be better than the fake tort fender is using, no?
While I'd love to think of myself as some kind of plastics visionary, I suspect others have thought the same and hit a brick wall. Just wondering what that wall is.
It wouldn't have to be an exact clone or anything- but just something swirly with those natural earth tones in it. I mean, ANYTHING would be better than the fake tort fender is using, no?
While I'd love to think of myself as some kind of plastics visionary, I suspect others have thought the same and hit a brick wall. Just wondering what that wall is.
- Horsefeather
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 468
- Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 9:47 pm
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
They aren't common but there are options out there. I've been considering one of these for a project.
https://www.axetremecreations.com/Strat ... e-Tortoise
https://www.axetremecreations.com/Strat ... e-Tortoise
- tdbajus
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:09 am
- Location: Back in Brooklyn
- Contact:
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
Those look very pretty, but no Jazzmaster guards!Horsefeather wrote: ↑Wed Oct 24, 2018 4:06 pmThey aren't common but there are options out there. I've been considering one of these for a project.
https://www.axetremecreations.com/Strat ... e-Tortoise
- oid
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 834
- Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 8:19 pm
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
It really looks like they are just using proper celluloid tort and laminating up their own blanks, the edges are not even that clean if you zoom in. Looks like they decided marketing was cheaper than decent router bits.Our unique process allows us to create a pearl or iridescent look for our Custom Shop Pickguards. The iridescent look created with our unique process is hard to describe, difficult to photograph, and just pure amazing to see in person!
For those that care, rothkoandfrost.com imports celluloid tort and other materials from the last of the old makers in italy, you can get that and some thin pvc from places like mcmastercarr and laminate up pickguards yourself. Considerably cheaper than spitfire and some of the pickguard blanks.
Logic gates based on billiard-ball computer designs have also been made to operate using live soldier crabs of the species Mictyris guinotae in place of the billiard balls.
- Debaser
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 417
- Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:12 pm
- Location: Phoenix AZ
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
Pen nerds are way ahead on their plastics game.
https://www.exoticblanks.com/Rhino-Plastic-Pen-Blanks/
https://www.exoticblanks.com/Rhino-Plastic-Pen-Blanks/
50,000 watts out of Mexico, this is the BorderRadio...
- tdbajus
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:09 am
- Location: Back in Brooklyn
- Contact:
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
Oh my god, those would be AMAZING.Debaser wrote: ↑Thu Oct 25, 2018 7:47 amPen nerds are way ahead on their plastics game.
https://www.exoticblanks.com/Rhino-Plastic-Pen-Blanks/
- kdanie
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 4412
- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:07 am
- Location: On the road
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
Why? Simple... $$$$ There isn't enough money to be made on a commercial scale.
ken
ken
Life is an adventure, not something to be suffered through. Don't like your life? FIX it!
- tdbajus
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:09 am
- Location: Back in Brooklyn
- Contact:
- kdanie
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 4412
- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:07 am
- Location: On the road
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
Tortoise shell pickguards on electric guitars (maybe some OLD acoustic guitars had real tortoise shell) were never made from actual tortoise shell, they were made from colored nitrocellulose. JM certainly never had real tortoise shell.
ken
ken
Life is an adventure, not something to be suffered through. Don't like your life? FIX it!
- tdbajus
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:09 am
- Location: Back in Brooklyn
- Contact:
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
Sorry, I'm not being clear. The demand was high enough to endanger the turtles. The celluloid is hazardous to work with, but they did for a while. My glasses are fake tortoise shell, and are very nice.
It seems to me that people clearly want a good substitute. The fake rhino horn mentioned above looks DOPE.
Maybe Spitfire needs to branch out his product line!
- Deed_Poll
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 3209
- Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:24 am
- Location: Brighton, UK
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
That rhino plastic looks great!
I just did a search for it, now I'm getting a nose job
I just did a search for it, now I'm getting a nose job
Owner Operator of GuitarForm - Custom Offset Guitar Bodies
www.guitarform.com ◈ @guitar_form
www.guitarform.com ◈ @guitar_form
- Debaser
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 417
- Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:12 pm
- Location: Phoenix AZ
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
Those guitar 'skin' shops and Spitfire's existence show there is a market for 'new tort', but probably a sub-niche inside the already niche tort set.
50,000 watts out of Mexico, this is the BorderRadio...
- tdbajus
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:09 am
- Location: Back in Brooklyn
- Contact:
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
I would be willing to wager that if more good tort was available, it would become much more popular. I mean, those fake tort guards are HORRIBLE looking, so almost no one under 35 even knows how pretty they are.
Also, some of the weirder Rhino stuff looks so cool!
- oid
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 834
- Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 8:19 pm
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
Almost no one under 35 likely cares, most of that age group is just making do, can not recall a single time someone under 35 came to me for a purely aesthetic change to their instrument, it likely happened but far from common. I think 90% of the under 35 market who do such things live here at this forum.
Edit: That is a purely aesthetic change beyond the rebellious youth stickers, random paint, drug behind a car sort of change.
rothcoandfrost was not the celluloid supplier I was thinking of, they are UK and mostly only carry the pearl and tort variations, there is someone in the US that imports it and has twice the selection, cheaper as well, think they were in Colorado. I will see if I can dig it out, they have a good deal of material that is not available in the guitar pickguard market.
Logic gates based on billiard-ball computer designs have also been made to operate using live soldier crabs of the species Mictyris guinotae in place of the billiard balls.
- Steadyriot.
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 1269
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 2:16 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
Re: Why hasn't someone come up with a new tortoise shell analog
I've been pondering this for quite a while now and I think there are two main options for a cool "tort-y" pickguard.
The first one would be epoxy. Deel_poll has been making these and they look the part:
The other one I've been thinking about is called a "Dirty Pour". You throw acrylic paints into a cup and you pour it on a surface. It'll swill and bubble which'll give you something akin to tort:
This has been on my to-do list for a while; a just haven't gotten to it yet. You can also do it with colored resins (what I think Deed_Poll's suplier is doing).
The first one would be epoxy. Deel_poll has been making these and they look the part:
The other one I've been thinking about is called a "Dirty Pour". You throw acrylic paints into a cup and you pour it on a surface. It'll swill and bubble which'll give you something akin to tort:
This has been on my to-do list for a while; a just haven't gotten to it yet. You can also do it with colored resins (what I think Deed_Poll's suplier is doing).
"If someone duetted with a Bald Eagle, they could rule the Country charts from here to eternity." ~shadowplay