Tonebomb experiences

[Lou Kash]

Interested in ordering a custom finished body and neck rom them. Seems like alot of people have experience with them here, at least more than other forums. Does anyone mind sharing their experience? What they bought, how long it took, how it came out? I am a little hesitant based on wait times and lack of reviews at large

 

[El Tele Lobo]

I bought a custom routed body for a neck only Jazz tele (reverse Esquire) and love it. I also bought a couple of seconds from them for a throw-together Esquire project using a burned-wood finish.

They make awesome bodies for a great price. Here's my jazz tele, The first pictures are as originally built and the last one is how it looks today after numerous modifications.

 

[El Tele Lobo]

Here are some pics of the Firecaster, as I called it. Burned with a torch and finished in Tru-Oil. The Jazz build was a Tru-Oil finish also.

 

[Danb541]

I've done 3 knotty pine bodies from them. No complaints, excellent value, the routes and drill holes are correct. I love them.

 

[Sax-son]

They get good press by those who have used them. I am at a hiatus in my guitar building at the moment, but if I start another project, I would like to give them a go.

 

[SDFD18]

I've done 3 knotty pine bodies from them. No complaints, excellent value, the routes and drill holes are correct. I love them.

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That’s bad ass. Is the hula girl a sticker, applied to the body prior to oil?

 

[Muckman]

Interested in ordering a custom finished body and neck rom them. Seems like alot of people have experience with them here, at least more than other forums. Does anyone mind sharing their experience? What they bought, how long it took, how it came out? I am a little hesitant based on wait times and lack of reviews at large

I have a pine tonebomb tele. Just the body is tonebomb, the neck is an allparts. I bought it from tonebomb about nine years ago, it was one of their cheaper bodies - 4pc I think - all routing was spot on, good wood, it’s light and is one of my favorite teles. I would definitely buy from them again.

 

[Danb541]

That’s bad ass. Is the hula girl a sticker, applied to the body prior to oil?

It’s a water slide decal I applied it after I bursted the guitar, then Clearcoated over it. The decal is under the finish.

 

[SDFD18]

It’s a water slide decal I applied it after I bursted the guitar, then Clearcoated over it. The decal is under the finish.

It looks cool.

 

[kris ford]

I've done 3 knotty pine bodies from them. No complaints, excellent value, the routes and drill holes are correct. I love them.

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Your pic on their feedback helped make my decision to buy from them..mine has it's wipe on poly curing so I finish sand and buff.

I was super impressed with the body I got from them, it has a nice yellow tone over all, looks great under clear.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

Currently 1 week away from being a FULL YEAR since I ordered a body & neck from them. Nothing THAT special; an unsanded ("RuffTone") rear-loaded alder WG body with a P90 route in the neck and one of their regular 25.5" unfinished necks with frets + nut. All of these were options available on the order form; didn't ask for anything special except for them not to drill any pickguard holes on the body.

9 Nov 2023: Placed order. At the time the quoted leadtime on the website was around ~11 weeks. No big deal, wasn't in a hurry.

7 Feb 2024: Asked for an update since it had been 3 months. "Running behind due to being short a team member; looking like a couple more weeks".

13 Jun 2024: Gave them another **4 months** before asking for an update. Was told that the body is ready to ship but neck still needs frets/sanding/fretwork. "We have it as a priority with a number of other older orders..."

28 Sep: Probably being waaay too generous by giving them 90+ MORE days before asking for another update. They replied on 1 Oct saying that the neck was affected by backorder on fret wire; said the wire was back in stock and "...will be working to get it done this week".

1 month later (1 Nov) and still nothing. At this point I'm not even really into the project anymore. Maybe when it eventually arrives it'll respark my interest.

 

[Hodgo88]

Currently 1 week away from being a FULL YEAR since I ordered a body & neck from them. Nothing THAT special; an unsanded ("RuffTone") rear-loaded alder WG body with a P90 route in the neck and one of their regular 25.5" unfinished necks with frets + nut. All of these were options available on the order form; didn't ask for anything special except for them not to drill any pickguard holes on the body.

9 Nov 2023: Placed order. At the time the quoted leadtime on the website was around ~11 weeks. No big deal, wasn't in a hurry.

7 Feb 2024: Asked for an update since it had been 3 months. "Running behind due to being short a team member; looking like a couple more weeks".

13 Jun 2024: Gave them another **4 months** before asking for an update. Was told that the body is ready to ship but neck still needs frets/sanding/fretwork. "We have it as a priority with a number of other older orders..."

28 Sep: Probably being waaay too generous by giving them 90+ MORE days before asking for another update. They replied on 1 Oct saying that the neck was affected by backorder on fret wire; said the wire was back in stock and "...will be working to get it done this week".

1 month later (1 Nov) and still nothing. At this point I'm not even really into the project anymore. Maybe when it eventually arrives it'll respark my interest.

Man, that stinks. I recently had a similar 15 month wait on a partscaster order (different shop) but I had the same feeling. Parts got put away somewhere and I forgot what the original intent was anyway.

 

[wemedge]

OP, did you end up ordering from Tonebomb?

I ordered a custom tele body, unsanded. Timeline was quoted at 5 weeks. I'm still within that time interval; can report back after the 5 weeks either way.

Meanwhile, here's a recent assembly- just completed today. Tonebomb knotty pine body with a Vintera II Nocaster neck. Nitro finish which I did myself, after I sealed the knots with varnish. Got the body off ebay, which came very fast, so at least they ship the ready-made parts promptly.

 

[Jeru]

Currently 1 week away from being a FULL YEAR since I ordered a body & neck from them. Nothing THAT special; an unsanded ("RuffTone") rear-loaded alder WG body with a P90 route in the neck and one of their regular 25.5" unfinished necks with frets + nut. All of these were options available on the order form; didn't ask for anything special except for them not to drill any pickguard holes on the body.

9 Nov 2023: Placed order. At the time the quoted leadtime on the website was around ~11 weeks. No big deal, wasn't in a hurry.

7 Feb 2024: Asked for an update since it had been 3 months. "Running behind due to being short a team member; looking like a couple more weeks".

13 Jun 2024: Gave them another **4 months** before asking for an update. Was told that the body is ready to ship but neck still needs frets/sanding/fretwork. "We have it as a priority with a number of other older orders..."

28 Sep: Probably being waaay too generous by giving them 90+ MORE days before asking for another update. They replied on 1 Oct saying that the neck was affected by backorder on fret wire; said the wire was back in stock and "...will be working to get it done this week".

1 month later (1 Nov) and still nothing. At this point I'm not even really into the project anymore. Maybe when it eventually arrives it'll respark my interest.

I'd have cancelled my order. Nonsense and lies.

 

[doof]

I got their standard knotty pine body through ebay and it arrived within a week or so, it was great, no complaints.

I liked it enough that I eventually ordered a custom body through their website. Basically a knotty pine cabronita style body routed for dual P90s and a belly cut. At the time of order, the lead time was 5 weeks. It eventually took 10 weeks. Not a big deal for me personally as I was in no rush to start the project at the time (a year later I have only sanded the body so far), but still annoying for 99.9% of other customers for sure. The good news is the body itself is great.

I think Tonebomb is excellent value, good quality, but beware you might be in for a wait.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

Currently 1 week away from being a FULL YEAR since I ordered a body & neck from them. Nothing THAT special; an unsanded ("RuffTone") rear-loaded alder WG body with a P90 route in the neck and one of their regular 25.5" unfinished necks with frets + nut. All of these were options available on the order form; didn't ask for anything special except for them not to drill any pickguard holes on the body.

9 Nov 2023: Placed order. At the time the quoted leadtime on the website was around ~11 weeks. No big deal, wasn't in a hurry.

7 Feb 2024: Asked for an update since it had been 3 months. "Running behind due to being short a team member; looking like a couple more weeks".

13 Jun 2024: Gave them another **4 months** before asking for an update. Was told that the body is ready to ship but neck still needs frets/sanding/fretwork. "We have it as a priority with a number of other older orders..."

28 Sep: Probably being waaay too generous by giving them 90+ MORE days before asking for another update. They replied on 1 Oct saying that the neck was affected by backorder on fret wire; said the wire was back in stock and "...will be working to get it done this week".

1 month later (1 Nov) and still nothing. At this point I'm not even really into the project anymore. Maybe when it eventually arrives it'll respark my interest.

UPDATE:
Requested an update on 4 Nov and mentioned that my order was approaching a year old; was told that the frets were in and the neck needed sanding + frets dressed and was expected to ship by 8 Nov (Friday); received tracking number today (8 Nov). Better late than never, I guess.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

UPDATE:
Requested an update on 4 Nov and mentioned that my order was approaching a year old; was told that the frets were in and the neck needed sanding + frets dressed and was expected to ship by 8 Nov (Friday); received tracking number today (8 Nov). Better late than never, I guess.

Another update just because this saga has me feeling extra salty.

Even though they processed the two shipping labels on 8 Nov (Friday), Tone Bomb didn't actually ship the body and neck until 13 Nov (Wed). Want to know how good my luck is? The Canadian postal service went on strike on 15 Nov. The neck made it out of the country and got delivered to me on 23 Nov...but who knows when the eff I'll ever get the body. Tracking info currently says "delivery impacted by labour disruption".

Thanks Tonebomb. Can't even drop packages off when they say that they will. Had they actually shipped it on the 8th, the strike wouldn't have impacted it.

No, better yet....had they actually stuck to their original leadtime estimate or even TRIPLE what the original leadtime estimate was, the strike wouldn't have impacted it.

 

[Minivan Megafun]

Check out this thread: https://www.guitarscanada.com/threads/avoid-tonebomb.268312/?post_id=2815718#post-2815718

It seems as though their unfinished product arrives within the quoted times for customers. However FINISHED product is another story with long delays.

 

[Minivan Megafun]

Currently 1 week away from being a FULL YEAR since I ordered a body & neck from them. Nothing THAT special; an unsanded ("RuffTone") rear-loaded alder WG body with a P90 route in the neck and one of their regular 25.5" unfinished necks with frets + nut. All of these were options available on the order form; didn't ask for anything special except for them not to drill any pickguard holes on the body.

9 Nov 2023: Placed order. At the time the quoted leadtime on the website was around ~11 weeks. No big deal, wasn't in a hurry.

7 Feb 2024: Asked for an update since it had been 3 months. "Running behind due to being short a team member; looking like a couple more weeks".

13 Jun 2024: Gave them another **4 months** before asking for an update. Was told that the body is ready to ship but neck still needs frets/sanding/fretwork. "We have it as a priority with a number of other older orders..."

28 Sep: Probably being waaay too generous by giving them 90+ MORE days before asking for another update. They replied on 1 Oct saying that the neck was affected by backorder on fret wire; said the wire was back in stock and "...will be working to get it done this week".

1 month later (1 Nov) and still nothing. At this point I'm not even really into the project anymore. Maybe when it eventually arrives it'll respark my interest.

My experience was the same as yours. I was quoted 13 weeks and got the run around for months. When it hit 9 months I canceled and had to force the issue to get a refund.

I then went and ordered my finished body from Guitar Mill. Was quoted 16 weeks and they shipped it in 11 weeks.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

Check out this thread: https://www.guitarscanada.com/threads/avoid-tonebomb.268312/?post_id=2815718#post-2815718

It seems as though their unfinished product arrives within the quoted times for customers. However FINISHED product is another story with long delays.

Thanks for the link. I'm going to reply to that thread (and any other one that I ever run across for the next 30 years) and let them know about my experience as well.