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

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 9:49 am

If I had been aware of the historical significance of the Selmer-Macaferri I probably wouldn't have included it, Randy. Ignorance can sometimes be an excuse and I plead accordingly, your honour! I'm sure we'd all stand up for Django - no question about it.....

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 9:50 am

Yes... some very interesting reading. Especially when it comes to strings.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:09 am

Those puppies take special strings...

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:29 am

I'm guessing they'd be abnormally expensive... yes?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 4:41 pm

The Macaferri and Selmer-style guitars are being built by several independent luthiers in the USA and Europe. As you saw, the plans are readily available and are very accurate. A luthier-built copy will run from US$2500.00 to about $4000.00, on average.

Gitane's replicas are, of course, built in the Far East, but they are getting pretty good reviews, and can be purchased on eBay or through online distributors for less than a grand.

Make me want to become a part-time gypsy. My wife has an exotic accent, so maybe we could make this a family thing...

Sheena's gonna grimace at this next comment:

Beautiful guitars.

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 9:55 pm

Oh come on Paul... i surely wouldn't, albeit some say a smile on my face always looks more like a grimace.

"Beauty is under the skin"... that's what it's all about, and given i never held such a guitar in my hands... AND I DID SAY I'M SORRY!!!
PS: i really did like the one with other style soundhole...

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 7:10 am

OK, OK. Wasn't really trying to harass you, Sheena, just trying to soften the blow of that last two-word sentence.

And, please don't apologize--I neither designed it nor did I build it, so you couldn't possibly insult me or hurt my feelings on this topic, and I've had a number of these epiphanies, just since joining this Forum a year ago.

They are a part of our education...

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 7:28 am

I had to look up "epiphany" in the dictionary... forget the words sometimes...

Yeah, education... used to dislike this word at school and university... not on this forum - there's lots of really good teachers here!

Mmmm... lots of comments here - how about creating a thread "The best-looking guitars EVER"?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 8:32 am

Sheena, every day on this very Forum, there are pictures posted of the best-looking guitars ever--Rickenbackers!

But I think this is a good one, and look in this section for that very thread.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 6:47 am

Hey, people....GREAT NEWS!

MVP is back in action!

Here's his latest. I gotta tell you, this guy is either a big put-on or the thickest guitar builder wannabee out there.

Notice how he still has not grasped the basic idea of making templates in order to achieve symmetry.

He's come up with a new way to make tailpieces--bend up some threaded rod and stack hardware store lamp ferrules and plumbing "O" rings to make ornate, decorative, and very ugly trim. And the Rural Route Mailbox stick-on letter and acorn nuts at the bottom, polish off the whole concept.

He's also attacked some Fenders, liberating the necks and electronics and building his own "improved" asymmetric Tele bodies. Note that you can buy a Bigsby combination tailpiece/bridge pickup surround at any guitar supplier. But he's decided to use a Fender B5 along with the stock tailpiece bracket, but then he's also added a Gretsch Tune-O-Matic bridge onto the whole mess.

Result is that the Bigsby hangs off the bottom of the guitar about 1/4". BTW, the nutz on gretschpages.com are still encouraging him...

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 9:58 am

Awww geeez! Beautiful, ain't they?

Wonder when his birthday is.... perhaps we can all pitch in for that shock therapy he so desperately needs!

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 11:38 am

One question (which actually applies to all those...things):
Whazzat?
'Course, they might be good for scarin' the birds away

kog · Post by **kog** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 2:42 pm

Saw that too. He calls it his "White Falcon Thinline" made with Zebra wood. Another pic for your dining and dancing pleasure...

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:23 pm

Aah... (lost for words)

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:43 pm

Thinline, for sure. It looks to be about 3/4" thick, ha ha.
As Gilligan might say, "Oh boy".