built by then artist relations builder larry l. brooks for shotgun messiah guitarist extraordinaire, harry cody.
specs include:
•center seam ash body in “50s nitrocellulose two tone sunburst
•nitrate green guard with “62 north screw guard placement
•texas specials
•“50s style one piece maple telecaster neck with closed 12th fret dot spacing
•scalloped fingerboard
•14″ radius board with 6105s
•6 point vintage vibrato bridge with steel block
•schaller locking tuners
in late september of 2012, i got a hankering for a whambulated extrapolation on the venerated blackguard tele.
the basic chassis featured all of the tried and true blackguard tele specs like
• 1.75″ ash body (one piece & flatsawn) with router hump
• 1 piece maple neck with 7/32″ walnut skunk stripe.
• butterscotch nitrocellulose lacquer finish
• lacquered bakelite 5 (slotted screw) pickguard
here’s where the big left turn happened….
• 12″ radius
• 22 frets
• 6105s with 90 degree angle fret ends and no round over (for more low and high e bending and vibrato real estate).
• tummy cut and arm over.
• middle tele neck pickup.
• angled neck pocket.
• scalloped back cutaway for better upper fret access.
• 6 point vintage vibrato bridge with back route for maximum upward pull.
• height adjustable locking gotoh tuners in order to eliminate that pesky string tree.
• reverse angled tele bridge pickup for more upper harmonic content on the wound strings and warmer response from the g,b and e strings.
• push/push tone pot which enables activation of the bridge pickup with either just the neck or neck and middle pickups (super quack).
i did my research, checked out a number of builders and finally set my mind on mario martin.
i contacted cliff cultreri @ destroy all guitars and sent him the specs. when mario got the specs, he talked them over with me.
he had questions.
i had answers.
the build took around 10 months, mainly due to mario’s desire to make certain that every last spec was incorporated.
without further ado, i present my mario martin blackguard whambulated tele!!!
ordered by guggenheim recipient/musical maverick david fiuczynski in 2003 and spec’d out by myself and johan, this guitar has been around the world, literally, many times, as fuze’s primary instrument.
it’s been ridden hard and put away wet.
in addition to countless other records and tours, fuze used it for the hiromi sonic bloom project.
johan is no longer accepting custom orders of any kind as he is backlogged with orders for standard models.
here’s an interview with guitar player, where fuze discusses, among other things, this extraordinary instrument.
this is an uncommon opportunity to acquire a rare and beautiful instrument, built for an incredible player, by an incredible builder.
$16,750.00 plus shipping/bank fees
robocoptick@yahoo.com
this incredible piece of history was built by michael stevens in austin in 1983.
the first of these was built for christopher cross, who was introduced to michael by eric johnson.
the second of these was commissioned by beauty of the burst author yasuhiko iwanade.
this guitar was featured in a guitar player magazine article on austin guitar players, back in 1983.
real “60s necks!!!!!!
here’s the strat neck.
the 12 string neck.
incredible opportunity to acquire a historic instrument built by a national treasure.
$9,750.00 plus paypal fees/shipping.
no trades, thank you.
email me @
robocoptick@yahoo.com
for years i have wanted a guitar that could give the boomph and bite of a “58 explorer, in a more compact platform. once again, johan gustavsson stepped up, from the realm of potential to the realm of action. the jg futuremaster was born.
he built several prototypes before settling on the final version. white limba of sufficient quality was nearly impossible to procure.
johan went with a flying v extended tenon and heel, creating a seamless and incredibly responsive instrument. the guitar is, ostensibly, 3 pieces of wood. white limba neck and body with old growth brazilian rosewood fingerboard. the routes are spot on to a “58 explorer.
a simple meal, lovingly prepared with absolutely top flight ingredients.
i met johan gustavsson on a guitar forum back in 2002. i immediately recognized his incredible skillset and unflinching eye for the most minute details. his deep understanding of and appreciation for the iconic “58-“60 gibson les paul burst cemented my interest in securing one of his guitars for myself. i purchased the prototype for the now venerated bluesmaster “59 custom and ordered a souped up 7 string variation on this model, which has come to be known as the bruisemonster. this magnificent instrument was delivered to me in 2003 and became the basis for 7 string builds for my dear friend doctor know of the seminal hardcore/reggae force of nature known as bad brains, as well as iconoclast guitarist extraordinaire and occasional sonic partner in crime, david fiuczynski.
deviations include
“25 scale length
strat control layout
tummy cut
7 strings with 6 string whammy
straight string pull headstock
in 2008, i approached english guitar builder damian probett with the idea of doing a setneck version of my telstar model, which was designed with former gibson and fender masterbuilder gene baker. my objectives were simple. i wanted to retain the comfort and lines of the bolt on version, while incorporating the extended tenon and flush heel of the “58 gibson explorer. i figured that we could also tap into some aspects of one of my favourite “50s solid body guitars, the epiphone slab crestwood.
the process took quite some time, but when the prototype arrived, i was over the moon. damian’s work is extraordinary.
features include:
old growth honduras mahogany neck and body
madagascar rosewood fingerboard
“950-1″ neck profile
24.625” scale length
custom wound throbak rod mag p90s with matched bridge hum
john mann 2 point whammy
locking gotoh klusons.
this guitar covers all of the ground that i need, sonically, while feeling like a “58 gibson.
i started playing 7 string guitar in 1990. back then, it was nearly impossible to find quality solid bodies. most of my guitars would come from my friend the maestro. i was fortunate enough to link up with an exceptional builder in the woodstock, ny area named dominick ramos. dom cut his teeth in dan armstrong’s fabled shoppe in the late “60’s-early “70s.
thus began a 2 decade collaboration that continues to thrive to this day.
in 1993, i finally (after 2 years of failed attempts) made contact with famed guitar builder michael stevens. i placed an order for a 7 string whambulated version of his single cut lj.
it’s features include:
white limba back and neck
one piece western maple top
brazilian rosewood fingerboard
ramos pickups
john mann 7 point whammy bridge
here are some shots:
michael stevens is an american treasure. he was tapped by fender to start the fender custom shop. his client list is a virtual who’s who of electric guitar icons.
here is my most recent build from the estimable mister stevens. i wanted a guitar that combined the elegance of the late “50s gibson blonde dotmarker with modern flexibility.
features include
white limba back and neck (.950″-1″ offset v)
“58 flying v neck heel
exquisite curly maple top from paul taran
25″ scale length 24 fret brazilian rosewood fingerboard
john mann bridge
jon gundry /throbak pickups
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