The Michael Spalt “ResinTop” guitars a unique process marrying a tonewood back with a clear resin coating on the top into which decorations and inclusions can be applied. After experimenting with various types of resin, Michael developed this process, allowing him to assemble objects and assorted bric-a-brac into a homogenous guitar body. The resin is formulated to accomodate the thermal expansion and contraction of the wood and it is sonically transparent. The wood used for the back supplies the basic tonal characterstics and structural stability, while the wood choices for the neck allows to dial in the coloration of the sound. The resin adds sustain and its tonal effect is similar to a “maple cap over mahogany body” effect-sparkle and transparency in the upper frequency ranges. As with a conventional guitar the choice of hardware and pickups also plays a large role in determining the sound of the instrument-- each ResinTop Totem guitar is a unique instrument, both tonally and aesthetically. This Totem ResinTop “Shining Eye” features a Mahogany body with a lightly figured Maple neck, Madagascar Rosewood fretboard, 25 ½” scale, Gotoh vintage style tuners, Dunlop Straploks, and is rounded out with a pair of Fralin P-90s.
