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Ever been in a love-hate relationship?

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  • Lango-DjangoLango-Django Niagara-On-The-Lake, ONModerator
    edited October 2016 Posts: 1,868
    Thanks for your thoughts!

    Discussing personal artistic taste makes about as much sense as discussing which flavour of ice cream is 'the best'--- however, that being said...

    I agree that the classic Selmac does have an Art Deco look, but probably for a lot of us North Americans, it still has a definite "European" look as well... especially those grande bouche models and the bridges with the extra "moustache"... you'd never see those things in North America except on gypsy guitars, and they are still fairly rare on our continent.

    For my personal palette, the D'Angelico and the classic 20s-30's Gibsons are what define "Art Deco" in jazz guitars.

    My local luthier will soon be refinishing the instrument's top and he tells me he can emulate the classic browny-red Gibson sunburst which I love.... see attached photo.

    Yes, I am definitely planning to add a pick guard at some point, and am currently dreaming of one which has that old-fashioned tortoiseshell look, yet which is sufficiently translucent or transparent enough to allow the rosette to partially show through... and yes, I'm considering your idea of having the lower side of the pick guard cut in a zigzag pattern to match the tailpiece and tuners.

    And yes, I am also contemplating some inlays but still haven't come up with my ultimate pattern design, so I'm just going to leave the fingerboard alone for a while I think about that. Can't rush the process.


    Will

    PS However, I just gotta say this: look at Gibson's rosette and MY rosette and tell me which one is jazzier...

    Paul Cezanne: "I could paint for a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing."

    Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."

    Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
  • Lango-DjangoLango-Django Niagara-On-The-Lake, ONModerator
    Posts: 1,868
    From an art deco wall sconce, I found this idea for a pick guard... when I have some time I'm going to find some kind of paint or drawing software to fool around with it a bit more...

    (Damn, whatever happened to ClarisWorks or AppleWorks? I used to be able to do this kind of stuff so easily!)

    *********

    The luthier who is now working on my guitar is going to try to have it all finished in time for my 65th birthday at the end of November.

    I hope this isn't a bad omen... the day I turned fifty, George Harrison died. And then on my 60th birthday, my father died.

    So maybe I should just tell the guy to take his time and finish the guitar in time for Christmas!

    **********

    Well, that's the story for now and I'll be back when I have some more to report...

    Will

    Paul Cezanne: "I could paint for a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing."

    Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."

    Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
  • Lango-DjangoLango-Django Niagara-On-The-Lake, ONModerator
    edited October 2016 Posts: 1,868
    Ok, here's my first rough sketch... as my wife says, if the colour stays white it'll be the only thing you really see when you look at the guitar... so I'm thinking tortoiseshell plastic with the arrow tip either black or gold...and the gaps in between the three 'feathers' coloured to match the arrowhead... possibly with my initial "W" in the arrowhead...?
    Paul Cezanne: "I could paint for a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing."

    Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."

    Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
  • BucoBuco NOVA, DCDeity Ivanovski maple/spruce
    edited October 2016 Posts: 4,944
    I love the basic idea but I'm having a hard time picturing it in the context of the guitar.
    Every note wants to go somewhere-Kurt Rosenwinkel
  • Lango-DjangoLango-Django Niagara-On-The-Lake, ONModerator
    Posts: 1,868
    Oh, yes, Buco, you are totally correct and before I make any decision I'm going to get the guitar back and create life-size mockup(s) of this idea to see what it looks like in real life.

    While browsing on the internet this morning I found one with a very similar pick guard idea... but I don't think I go for the multi-coloured look...

    Paul Cezanne: "I could paint for a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing."

    Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."

    Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
  • scotscot Virtuoso
    Posts: 666
    I liked the original look of that guitar a lot, especially the triangles. But I think it's going to look even better when you get finished. Steven Anderson in Seattle uses a very similar pickguard on his Emerald City archtop though I assume his is going in the opposite direction from your concept...
  • Lango-DjangoLango-Django Niagara-On-The-Lake, ONModerator
    Posts: 1,868
    Speaking of art deco guitars, here's a brand that was new to me... "Monteleone"... holy @#$%, look at the price!

    https://reverb.com/item/1520508-john-monteleone-speciale-arch-top-acoustic-guitar-2010-ser-252-original-brown-hard-shell-case
    Paul Cezanne: "I could paint for a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing."

    Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."

    Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
  • BillDaCostaWilliamsBillDaCostaWilliams Barreiro, Portugal✭✭✭ Altamira M01F, Huttl, 8 mandolins
    Posts: 654
    Looks like the seller is Retrofret - great place to visit in Brooklyn: half shop half museum.
    When I was there they encouraged me to play everything on display which was a quite a treat. Not too many GJ guitars when I visited, though - 4 or 5 maybe.
  • BucoBuco NOVA, DCDeity Ivanovski maple/spruce
    Posts: 4,944
    Wow, I knew he was a high end builder but didn't know the asking price can be into high 5 figures!?
    Every note wants to go somewhere-Kurt Rosenwinkel
  • Luthier47Luthier47 Mid Atlantic USANew To Be Determined
    Posts: 1
    I have never seen any of the failures that John Monteleone may have had but I have sure seen the successes and they are spectacular. He is a remarkable maker. My current situation is well described in your comments as well. I've played more than 50 years now with time off in between for greater responsibilities. My family played with some very big names in the 30's and 40's and when I was younger, I wanted little to do with anything but Led Zeppelin. My discovery into this form of music is commensurate with addictions of all sorts. As the countdown clock marches on and I am discovering the guitar I want the most, with some great help from Michael here. I also realize that I can string up any jazz guitar I have or an old Gibson archtop with D' addario or Savarez Argrentine strings and the music is still the music.

    I believe you are in a very good position to investigate all that is out there. And there are a bunch of great guitars . My realizations are to stick to a mid priced D-hole, modify the fretboard inlay (which you may find is a LOT easier to do than you'd think and worth trying on a fingerboard blank) and try like heck to improve my playing before the meter runs out. How I got older so fast is still a puzzle to me. I wish you luck and the pictures your have posted are a testament to your search.
    BucoBillDaCostaWilliams
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