scott powell - Posted - 12/02/2022:  08:43:10

Back around 2010 I spoke with Tom and he hand built me a reso. since that time, I have had multiple surgeries, and now time and "uncle author" has come to visit. I was wondering if there is any interest in a numbered reso from Tom. I will have to get the build # and some pics uploaded if anyone is considering. I haven't pulled it out of the box since 2015. Condition is perfect. sound was steller { killed my Banjo that I had at that time}. located in NC.  {SOLD}

Edited by - scott powell on 12/12/2022 12:39:31

wlgiii - Posted - 12/02/2022:  13:58:53

I have #40 built by Tom in early '11 and it indeed has stellar sound. There should be a lot of interest, and someone out there will end up with a nice treat under the tree.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 12/03/2022:  10:02:06

Sorry to hear about your medical issues Scott.

As far as interest in a Tom Warner built Appalachian - there will definitely be interest. 

As an aside, there is nothing unique about it having a serial number. I'm pretty sure Tom  put serial numbers on all of his guitars. 

FrederickPatterson - Posted - 12/03/2022:  10:12:43

Mine has a number.

WGale - Posted - 12/04/2022:  11:32:23

I just ordered a custom build from Tony at Appalachian a week ago, what a great guy to deal with! So nice with great communication. Its similar to his personal guitar, curly maple body and neck, Appalachian Sunrise sunburst mat finish, Macassar ebony fret board, Martin snow flake fingerboard inlays, rosseta cover plate (chome), Allen tailpiece, open sound rings, Gotoh locking tuners, ebony head stock, maple and herringbone binding, Legend cone, #14 spider, shockwave bridge and a TKL Deluxe hard case. 3 to 4 month build time. I CAN'T WAIT!!
I might have bought yours if I would have known about it a week ago. You should have no problem selling it. So sorry about your medical problems.

MikeS - Posted - 12/05/2022:  09:20:34

Ugh! Medical problems resulting in not being able to play-no matter what the instrument is. Sorry it's crept up on you.

It would be helpful if you would let us know the species of woods used and the cone, spider, etc. as well as the price you are contemplating.

Take Care!

toddborger - Posted - 12/06/2022:  03:49:16

quote:

---

Originally posted by MarkinSonoma

As an aside, there is nothing unique about it having a serial number. I'm pretty sure Tom  put serial numbers on all of his guitars. 

---

I don't know if this was normal or not, but I bought a guitar from Tom that I received in 2020. This was post-Appalachian and it has Tom's "A.T. Warner" headstock. He dated the guitar but did not number it. When I first saw the date, I was a little bummed that it did not have a unique number, but in hindsight I think the date ends up being more meaningful, remembering how difficult 2020 was for everyone, but also it being shortly before Tom's passing.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 12/06/2022:  10:36:15

Tom didn't make many of those A.T. Warner guitars, maybe he didn't put a serial number on it because he said on more than one occasion  he was trying to retire from building prior to contracting Covid - but the retirement didn't completely "take." 

To expand on my earlier comment, Scott in the original post wrote that he had a "numbered" Appalachian. Not unique among luthiers, they pretty much always have serial numbers on guitars. It was weird in the mid 1930s that many Regal built Dobros didn't have serial numbers, but they were cranking them out in those days in a mass production operation. 

Maybe Tom didn't want to number the Warner resos because again, he kept trying to retire from building and a serial number might come off like he was competing with the new Appalachian guitars after selling the business to Tony Langley. Speculation  on my part - I guess we'll never know. 

 

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 12/06/2022 10:38:05

Terry Harris - Posted - 12/06/2022:  13:06:24

I have a Tom Warner built reso built after he "retired" and mine also does not have a serial number. Nine came as a trade for a reso I had that he wanted

scott powell - Posted - 12/07/2022:  10:51:19

Thank all of you for the information. the numbers I was referring to was placed on the inside along with the date of build {#56 or so}. I have had a large amount of interest in this and at this time, a gentleman is scheduled to purchase over the weekend. thank you all.
scott

resotom - Posted - 12/08/2022:  09:49:36

I have APPY #48.. Built in 2014 for someone else who couldnt get the finances together. It has custom binding with a legend cone.

FrederickPatterson - Posted - 12/08/2022:  10:59:48

I have APPY #277. Built in 2018 as a side project while Tom was waiting for glue & finish to dry on other builds. It has a spruce top, limba wood sides and 3 pc. back w/curly maple center wedge-finished out like Brazilian RW.
Pictures are in my profile.

allthumbs49 - Posted - 12/08/2022:  19:11:11

Interesting to follow the numbers. I have #132, delivered in Dec. 2013 and #190 completed in Oct. 2015. Sounds like Resotom’s reso might have actually been built a few years earlier and maybe never delivered. Tom always seemed to have a few “homeless” guitars sitting around. They made good trading stock for him. Like many of you, I really miss him.

Alan Rausch - Posted - 01/23/2023:  05:53:19

If some of you have been around this site for a while you know I have posted many of Tom?s Appalachian builds. Here is the reason why. I have #23 @March 2010 Green Laminate Birch, at this time Tom had been building for 8 years. About a year later he contacted me and said, I will build you anything you want gratis. He said customers have mentioned how much they like yours and I am at #60. If you do the math his requests more than doubled than what he built in 8 years. Being from Hawaii, I said I know some people and I will send you a Koa set to help you out. I got the set plus a bonus set for a ukulele for almost nothing. I received Koa #63 in August of 2011. I alternate between the 2 on a regular basis. The birch has deeper lows and higher highs, the Koa more midrange. Both now have Legend cones, originally Scheerhorn cones. Josh Swift took my Koa to Bobby Wright and he changed out the Schoonover spider with Beard Shock Wave and a few other tweaks. Tom had started an 8 string for me, in Gray Mango, but never finished it, not sure where that project is, or it got scrapped. Tom was a great guy all around.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 01/23/2023:  13:26:35

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alan Rausch

Josh Swift took my Koa to Bobby Wright and he changed out the Schoonover spider with Beard Shock Wave and a few other tweaks.

---

Alan - the part above is confusing, maybe you left something out.

You wrote that Bobby changed out the Schoonover spider. 

Did he install a Beard #14, or a Beard adjustable spider instead to hold the Shockwave  insert? 

 

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 01/23/2023 13:29:18

Alan Rausch - Posted - 01/23/2023:  13:28:49

Yes, sorry he had to take out the spider as well.

Dobrojan - Posted - 01/23/2023:  15:26:40

I have an AT Warner reso with no serial number. I am curious how many of us have or had one of Toms guitars that was built in WVA?

Dan Turner - Posted - 01/23/2023:  16:45:59

I have # 28 (June, 2010), made from a cherry tree Tom cut down on his property in West Virginia. Alan, I saw the picture of a Tom built, cherry reso, that you posted here. That picture and positive reviews from owners made it easy for me to give Tom a call. As I recall, Bobby Wright owned the one in the picture. It was a great purchase. Still playing it.

allthumbs49 - Posted - 01/23/2023:  18:34:52

DobroJan, I have the 2 guitars mentioned above. #132 was built in WVA and #190 in Florida. As I recall Tom had been in Florida for at least 6 months at that point in Oct, 2015. Maybe someone will chime in with more info but there must be around 100+ individuals with WVA built appys.

Dobrojan - Posted - 01/24/2023:  09:20:45

Dan I had a cherry Appalachian made from the same wood as yours.

I have has 3 that were built in the WVA shop.  

Edited by - Dobrojan on 01/24/2023 09:30:16

Cherry Appy

 

wlgiii - Posted - 01/25/2023:  09:02:16

Good ol' birch plywood for #40, with a chocolate stain- Tom asked what finish I wanted, so I told him to make use of any nearly empty can he wanted to finish off. I also told him I wanted white binding, but the instrument arrived with ivory. He thought the ivory looked better with the chocolate and didn't check with me. He was 100% right. (Note- coverplate not screwed down, so it's a tad askew.)

Edited by - wlgiii on 01/25/2023 09:03:11

 

mmannaxx - Posted - 10/27/2023:  13:30:08

I just recently acquired an Appy made by Tom Warner, built in April 2014. It was numbered in the 140s as far as serial # goes. It is a curly maple build with a nice custom case. I was very fortunate to find it on eBay and it was mis-advertised as having a biscuit cone. I confirmed that it was a square neck with a spider cone, from Mr. Beard I believe. In very good shape but has some finish checking which gives it extra character. At first I was concerned about the sound but after I put some new strings on it, it sounds great!

RIP Mr. Warner and condolences to his family. The acoustic music world and resophonic builder fans miss his talent but will cherish his memory.

silverface - Posted - 11/09/2023:  21:33:46

God bless Tom, he was a wonderful man - and one heck of a reso builder.

I broke out into a grin when I saw a post about #277 above - he built mine - a solid broadleaf maple, deep soundpost-supported well; 4 different triangular shapes in asymmetrical locations, with a clear soundhole reflector - not the stock bent shape, but heated, twisted, deepened or made shallow - "tuned" for the best tone and volume he could get. I asked him to use simple dot inlays and bound front and back - he inlaid my initials in the solid peghead. He told me the maple had really distinctive flame - so I sent him picture of a friend's original 1959 (faded) Les Paul sunburst and asked him to get as close as he could.

He said he'd never done a faded 'burst before; I told him NOT to send me any pictures of the build or finish - just ship it.

Which took almost all of 2016. He felt so bad about the amount of time it took that (after finding out I did instrument setups, repairs, and restoration) that he sent me a 27 roundneck you could shoot arrows with and another 27 as a box of parts for nothing. He *nailed* the finish color, and the tone, projection and overall volume is amazing.

Tom was SO underrated as a builder! I have a 1936 Model 37 I use only for traditional bluegrass and the Appy for virtually everything else - and I play an assortment of musical styles. My other vintage resos are excellent sounding/playing, and great collectors' items - but the Appy gets 90% of my playing time.

But my point (sorry it took so long to get here!) - it was "the last one I'm going to build" (quote: Tom Warner, January 2017) - number 232. And he passed away owing me the $10 we bet - I said there was NO WAY he'd stop! ;-) And I'm really happy for the additional 45+ owners that he DIDN'T!

Back - Appy 232 in 񓟇 'burst"

Appalachian #232