The faceplate looks much better in the flesh. Black would have been nice though (I looooove black headstocks!). Not a big fan of sunburst headstocks...
Anyway... I don't think it's top secret, the cost for a sunburst was 500$ for my Savoy, no idea if a different faceplate color would cost more. This finish isn't done internally by Blackbird. If you're as shallow as I am, totally worth it
