Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Since we now have "The Dale Project" 4080-12 (which must be one of the most challenging restos ever attempted by our esteemed Mr. Fortune!), I'll call this one "the AITCH" PROject.

It's being created for some guy in Australia by some guy in California. It started life as a Gretsch Pro Jet solid body. What it will be will be seen here in the next couple of months or so. It's actually part of a series of 5 of these things which will receive different appointments but will have their name and color scheme in common.

First steps were to strip the guitar, make some jigs, collect some parts and hardware, and scoop it out like a big ol' pumpkin. This weight-reduction program resulted in a 4 pound bag of shavings and a 4 1/2 pound guitar, when finished.

Yeah, I know this is a Rickenbacker Forum, but this sort of thing is entertaining no matter what the flavo(u)r of your obsessions!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/GRETSCH%20deVille%20Project/clamped.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/GRETSCH%20deVille%20Project/peeling2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/GRETSCH%20deVille%20Project/relief.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/GRETSCH%20deVille%20Project/chamb2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/GRETSCH%20deVille%20Project/chamb4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/GRETSCH%20deVille%20Project/gluerout.jpg

The guitars will be double-bound, 1/2" thinner than stock, and have custom pickguards/vibratos/harnesses/paint.

Oh my goodness! This should be an interesting thread to follow....

Congratulations, Aitch--I can't wait to see what you guys are dreaming up!

Paul, I think that guy who mangles Gretsches in hopes of making a ridiculous profit should come over here and learn something--I'm sure whatever the end result will be, it will be good!

A 4 pound bag of shavings...reminds me of something a guy tried to sell me at the bus station once...

Melissa, that guy (mvpgretsch) still posts on gretschpages.com, and has finished two more monstrosities since I last displayed his wares on this Forum. I told him that his main market--Liberace--died long ago.

He in turn posted these pictures of a welded steel guitar that somebody else--not mvp--had built with Hank Williams Jr.'s endorsement, and auctioned off on eBay for charity:

His final comment was: "...you can sell anything with a celebrity endorsement." He did NOT see the irony or the significance in his statement. In fact, he seems to have no sense of irony or critical faculties; he's apparently convinced that somebody famous is gonna buy one of his guitars on eBay and make him rich.

The steel HWJR. guitar sold on eBay for $10,600.00, BTW. I bet that made mvpgretsch wet his diaper...

I can hardly see what he dreams up next...

Hmmmmm....that HWJR guitar is certainly....interesting. Definitely....unique....Ack!

But it certainly has more appeal than MVP's atrocities, although it appears he is trying, very sadly, to copy the "style" of this one.... More power to him, I guess....but it might take him a while to find somebody else who believes in his dreams!

Crikey, Paul - I feel like I've just been gutted!!! Holy router bits......

That HWJR jobbie looks like something The Black Adder might have carried around!

You been gutted, Aitch!

I forgot to ask--where should I send this bag o' shavings?

Or should I put it into my shavings account?

LOL! Use them to smoke your next cod or haddock.. or turn them into sawdust and save them for next time you go ballroom dancing... or they could be useful for next time you view one of Mr. Mvpgretsch's monstrosities..... RUTH!!!!

S'truth!

Hey Per'fesser JJ...save the bag of shavings, we'll burn 'em on the parking lot outside the next West Coast Rick Conference...

I'll bring whatever I can score at the bus station...