The priciest expected sale was a 1930 Martin OM-45 deluxe - one of 11 made. Apparently the Reserve price was set as high as $1.6 million, then lowered to $800,000 or so, and it sold to Martin for their Museum (and no doubt the creation of a few replicas ;)) for $300,000 with an auction fee putting it somewhat higher. All things being relative, Martin did well - and the vintage dealers and collectors who hang out at the UMGF are happy for Martin and chuckling at the seller, who, if you read the 16 pages of the thread, is apparently not thought of highly when it comes to guitar deals…
Haven’t chimed in for a while but have to add some agreement:
I bought a THR10C to go with my (Christmas present for me) Godin Montreal Premiere and really enjoy the little thing. Did lots of research beforehand and it is living up to all the good reviews.
Second the justinguitar.com suggestion. I realize it is not supportive of local instructors to go this route but it works for my adult beginner situation – I’m just not able to commit to regular lessons and can’t always keep up a steady practice schedule. But Justin is that good buddy who is always ready to help out and I find it easy and fun to follow along so I’m really enjoying the learning process. Which justifies more guitars and gear, of course!
Never heard of them, but it looks like they are making Vox replicas - the classic teardrop and other shapes. Probably licensed from Vox or something, although Vox does make guitars today, IIRC…
There’s a big market for cool replicas - Eastwood contracts for guitars to be make in China (I think) based on hold Harmony, National, Kay and other designs. And they aren’t bad - in many cases better than the original in terms of construction quality (because they weren’t made all that great back in the day).
Chefguy, they remind me of those Vox guitars Paul Revere and the Raiders played. I don’t know if you can play one of those sitting down without a strap. And I’m wondering what sort of bridge is under that cover. And whether that’s a hollow body or a semi-hollow body.
I’m not a fan of vibrato tailpieces. My Strat has one and I usually leave the handle in the case. I never had the tools to just shim it solid. I’m especially not a fan of Bigsby vibrato tailpieces. Back in my early learning days, everyone I knew who had one only used it to play “The Pusher”. Other than that, they blocked it with a round disk of wood they cut off a broom handle. Phantom says their tailpiece is better than a Bigsby. If it has a lock, I guess that’d be okay. But some people like a vibrato tailpiece and know how to use one well. Brian Setzer does, off the top of my head.
I’m still waiting for someone to come up with a semi-hollow body with a venetian single cutaway. Not that I could afford one now.
There was a story in today’s paper about all this. Korg bought Vox years ago, but continues to sell them under that name. This guy (Jack Meussdorfer) based his design on Vox, but the names “Teardrop” and “Phantom” are patented trademarks of this guy’s company. Years ago, Korg tried to have the owner come work for them, but he didn’t like what they were doing. Korg recently sued to have his patent rights removed, contending that the names have become generic. A judge disagreed about the Phantom name, but Korg is now selling guitars under the Teardrop name while this gets further argued in court. Phantom makes all of their guitars by hand and in low production numbers of 250-400/year
Ranger Jeff if I’m not mistaken the Godin Montreal Premiere (my aforementioned Christmas present to myself) is a semi-hollowbody with a venetian cutaway. I got a screaming good deal on mine and it is a keeper.
I know I posted here some time ago, and I have been a busy bee since then. I need some advice.
I have been playing acoustic, primarily 12 string (because I’m a masochist, that’s why), for 30 years. I used the guitar as an accompaniment to singing so it has been mostly 1st position chords and I never learned how to play solos. While I love rock and blues, I feel like I don’t have the mojo to play it properly.
I am in the process of becoming a luthier and decided to start with a tele partscaster, which turned out far better than I had any right to expect, 72 warmoth Thinline body, trans wine red in nitro gloss finish and pearl white pick guard, Lindy Fralin Blade (blues wind) pups with mil spec pots, 4 way switch and phase reverse, Bigsby, Grover locking machine heads, and a 78 MIJ Tele maple neck which I re-fretted. This is going through a Vox wah and Genz Benz Black Pearl 30 head and 2x12 cab. I’ve also repaired/modded/hotrodded my son’s electrics as well.
I am studying music theory and am practicing scales, which is what I should have been doing in the first place, but my problem is this.
Where do I start?
I love playing acoustic but I want to be able to do all that Albert King, SRV, Jimmy Page bendy wailing goodness ! How does a middle aged dude find his groove?
Good for you! I have built a couple of parts-o-caster Tele’s and really enjoyed it.
In terms of learning - nothing beats playing! My son got started in the modern era (sigh) and really relies on YouTube. Pick a song/lead you really like and YouTube it - there are typically 'leventy-twelve folks posting on YouTube dying to show someone how to play it!
Ranger Jeff - Dude, hasn’t Gibson had a bunch of semi+venetian guitars over the years? Or have all of those been thinline hollowbodies?
ThanksWordman! Good advice, and probably what I would have told someone else. I think I might be overthinking things, I’ve always been a little intimidated by the complexity of all those footpedals, amp settings, and trying to get the right tone.
Why is it we never listen to our own advice? That’s how my son does it as well, but he had the added benefit of a really good teacher who has since left the area (to tour with his band, Komodo Wagon) which does me no good.
I’m in the process of building a Martin O18 clone kit from LMII with a cypress top and lacewood sides, I’m looking forward to playing it once it’s done. I’m also going to build a baritone 72 Fender pawnshop replica with my own touches, I love the simplicity of the controls, one volume, one blend pot, easy peasy.
It’s got that pointy cutaway. I consider that Florentine, not Venetian.
Venetian? Yes. Thinline? Some. Semi-hollow? No. The Johnny Smith, ES-350T, CES, etc. were all hollow body. You can tell by looking at the bridge. Hollowbodies have a wooden saddle supporting the bridge to transfer the string vibrations to the sound board. On a semi-hollowbody, the bridge is mounted on posts that go through the soundboard to the block. Less feed back and more sustain that way. Look at a ES-335 to see what I mean. Oh, and hollowbodies have trapeze tailpieces; semi-hollowbodies have stop tailpieces, which again have posts that go through the soundboard to the block. Or, sadly enough, Bigsbys.
Gibson ES-330s and Epiphone Casinos (like Lennon played) are thinline hollowbodies. They might fool you because the bridge is mounted directly to the sound board; there is no wooden saddle. But they’ve got trapeze tailpieces. P-90 pickups too; some people prefer the sound of them.
Jeff - do you really think you need to educate me about how to tell hollow from semi-hollow Gibsons? :dubious:
I just assumed that if they made guitars like the ES-137 - Thinline, Semi-Hollow, but a Florentine (sharp) cutaway - they had to have made one or two with a Venetian/rounded cutaway. I just am on the road so don’t have access to my guitar geek library…
I’ve been eyeballing their guitars, since I love those old Vox designs. I’ve asked around on a couple of guitar boards for opinions on the guitars but haven’t got anything concrete. I drive by that area on occasion when on the way to relatives, and am hoping to demo sometime soon.
And yes, I know there’s an ES-137 and I expected they must have made a similar one with a venetian cutaway. But I’ve never found or seen one in any Gibson catalog, Gibson / Norlin website, or store. So I’ve come to the conclusion they don’t make one and never have. It gripes me because I figure they can use the forms they already use to bend the sides/top/bottom of a CES/Byrdland. They’d just have to come up with a minorly altered top template. But I guess they’re just not that interested. I suspect if I was willing to throw enough money at them, they might build a one off, but I don’t want one that badly.
