Knock-Offs, Rip-Offs, and Just Plain UGLY!

[jingle_jangle]

Well, guys and gals, it's time to update everybody on our old friend MVP's latest project...

I had thought he was kaput, lunch, history. I fantasized that he finally gave up and left the gretschpages site in search of greener pastures...


I was WRONG, unfortunately. Although I went on the attack a few weeks ago on the site, and was my usual curmudgeonly self, tempered a bit in my language, but nonetheless completely obvious in my negativity, he continues to amaze and offend.

My friend Tim, who also posts on the site, has given up trying to figure out the guy's motives and basically given up trying to patiently explain to him what he was doing wrong.

In brief, mvp just plain doesn't care to be educated and continues to arrogantly post pictures of his monstrosities.

Here's his latest in a line of "Eagle" guitars that's getting longer and uglier with each addition:

What could a person be thinking to create the cutaway in such a hideous shape?

How 'bout those eagle sound holes?

Who sez that control knob holes should be spaced evenly and in a straight line?

Who says a curve on a bout needs to be consistent?

Why not paint a musical instrument baby blue--with woodgrain showing through--and trim it with gold glitter?

And there are actually some people on gretschpages.com who ENCOURAGE this guy...

Thank God there's common sense and appreciation of beauty on THIS site!

[melibreits]

Ick.

That one doesn't even deserve a small "ewww..."

[ozover50]

Which part of an eagle did that drop out of, Paul? I have my own opinion on that, BTW........

[harvey49]

Howard, that guitar looks uglier than eagle do do!! (not that I've seen a lot of eagle poo in my life mind you)

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but IMHO this guy needs glasses bad!!

[ozover50]

.... or even an erk! from me, Melissa!

[ozover50]

Perhaps he doesn't need glasses - seems to me he's blind, and glasses ain't gonna help!

[jingle_jangle]

I'm so depressed by this guy's "work". I spent from 1966-71 getting a design education, from 1971-2003 working in the field, first learning from some terrific practicing designers, and then a couple of decades practicing the art and craft. Now I teach it to talented young men and women who agonize over the placement of one line or highlight and do and re-do until something's absolutely perfect...

Then a clown like this comes along and spits in the face of it and refuses any sort of rational help. My first inclination was to give constructive, teacherly encouragement, which I did. Then both Tim and I tried to reason with him when he persisted in this ugly butchery...

Now we just give up. My last post on gretschpages said, simply, "Atrocious. Abominable. Each one worse than the previous."

No sense of design or craft. Frustrating.

And he still has the grain running ACROSS the guitar.

We've never heard one of these things or even known if it's remotely playable. And he cannibalizes parts from his previous efforts to build his latest.

I'm out of words, so I'll just go to bed. Tomorrow will be another day.

[melibreits]

Don't be too depressed, Paul.... You've done all that you can do; if he does not want to take your advice it is his own problem--some people are unteachable because they think they know everything, and there is nothing anybody else can do until they realize their own foolishness. Don't feel that you are responsible for his extremely poor taste and lack of artistry or design--he has obviously made up his own mind. Obviously nobody is going to buy his **** anyway....

[ozover50]

I understand your frustrations, Paul. I've been over there and had a good look at many of the posts. The 'softly softly' approach from you and Tim didn't have any effect, nor did bagging the absolute 'bejeezez' out of his monstrous creations. Seems he's a hard-headed coot - bricks just keep bouncing off his noggin!!

[jingle_jangle]

And apparently some of them have done some damage, too, judging from the pictures on this thread.

[kcole4001]

Aesthetically warped! It looks like my kids made it using play dough
Don't like pastel colors either, but not even a really good FireGlo would help that thing.

[wayang]

I disagree, Kevin...a really good 'FireGlo' produced by combining this guitar with a can of gasoline and a match in a 55 gallon drum would help it immeasurably...

Just the thought makes one consider purchasing it...well, almost...

[ozover50]

I'm glad you said 'almost', Dane. If he sold one of his 'doo-hickey' fiddles the poor old Gretsch forum would never hear the end of it!

[kcole4001]

If it were cheap enough! As long as it doesn't cost more than the gas
Looks a lot closer to what I'd call "kindling" though.
On second thought, maybe he's going for a slight avant garde form of guitar design: only slightly off kilter so that he can progressively become more like a Dali or Picasso of the guitar world.
IE: the knob placement, the color choice, the sloppy cutouts for the pickups, the oddly wandering cutaway.

[jamie]

Maybe if he put a clock in the body and had a cookoo bird come out of the F-Hole it might be amusing. But damn those are hideous monstrosities.