Faux Gator, where to buy it?

[Willabe]

Faux gator/crock is my favorite tolex but I can't find the good stuff anywhere.         

I like the kind with what they call the 'medallion' included in the skin pattern. The 'medallion' is a roundish plate on the back of the neck just behind the head that has like 4 to 7(?) raised bumps.

Faux gator/crock patterns are different, some are copies of the belly skin, some are the back and sides and some are the back and sides with the 'medallion'. I like those the best as they have more variation of pattern texture and shape.

The back skin, side skin, belly skin and tail skin are all different in texture and shape. If you look on line at gator shoes and jackets you can see how they use this detail.

Mesa has some amps with the 'medallion' gator skin that look great to me from pics on line but you have to see them in person to be sure.

I've spent many, many hours searching on line for tolex/faux animal skin/grill cloth and have at least 50 different samples of faux gator/crock that I requested from different fabric store and tolex dealers and they all are terrible looking and/or to soft to use on an amp.            (I have well over 300(?) possible samples for amp coverings and over 100 grill cloth samples.) 

Below, this is the pattern I like best as it has the medallion, back and side skin patterns. 

The medallion is under the left side of the handle, by the right chassis strap and on the top of the left side center in the 2nd/bottom pic. Looking at the medallion it goes right into the back skin, which has high bumpy protrusions/armor like the medallion. The older the gator/crock gets the larger and more raised these armor bumps are. The medallion also gets larger and develops more armor bumps as the gator/crock gets older and grows larger. The top center section under the handle is the side skin.   

[Willabe]

Here's a few more pics from Mesa amps, center and bottom pic is a belly and side pattern, belly is the square/rectangle pattern;

[Willabe]

Nice faux ostrich too;

[drgonzonm]

I am not sure how close you are to Florida, but I suspect, you might be able to buy some python skins to wrap your amps.

From what I've seen on PBS, those pythons in the everglades eat alligators and other large animals

I could you using an advertisement, with a python wrapped around an alligator covered amp beginning to sallow the amp.   

[Ritchie200]

Brad,

Check out Tandy Leather.  There is a shop near you in Elgin.  You could go there and check out the skins - call first to see what they have in stock.  The one next to me is packed to the gills with skins, but YMMV.  They also sell a clear protectant coating to keep the soda bottle stains off of it.  These shops are locally owned by leather crafters, so tell the folks what you have in mind.  They will be able to help you out (glue, stain, how to cut, protectant, etc).

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/category/embossed

Jim

[Willabe]

Thank Jim, but that's real cow hide that's embossed with a gator pattern. I'm looking for the faux tolex stuff, much thinner, lighter and less $$.
 

[Ritchie200]

Are you sure those examples you posted were done in tolex?  Some of those leather skins are pretty thin.  I'd still give them a look-see if you are in the area.


Jim

[Willabe]

Are you sure those examples you posted were done in tolex?

  Hmmmm,  maybe your right. 

Some of those leather skins are pretty thin.  I'd still give them a look-see if you are in the area.

Yeah, guess I should go take a little look see.