Official Luthiers Forum!

Guys, in case you didn't see this, check this out, check also the guitar case, truly amazing in terms of craftmanship

Oh and Thanks to Dave White for posting the link on another thread that lead me to this youtube film!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9hWqQaVLLE&feature=RecentlyW atched&page=1&t=t&f=b

Amazing craftsmanship but totally creepy, IMO.
There was a similar guitar posted a week or two back?
Interesting trend.....
John

John, creepy a bit yes, i'm wondering how long it took that builder to build all of this, just an amazing talented builder!

Here's the link

Different....

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Apparently it's being displayed in Harrods, London, next month...

Funnily enough, I'll be in Brighton looking at posh guitars and visiting a posh luthier ('cos a pal wants a commission for a mando) around that time...

However, I don't think I'll go to see it. It's got a psuedo sexual element that only perhaps men can appreciate...

To me, it's wholly bizarre and disturbing. Sorry, I can't get past that to appreciate the workmanship. The work reminds me of a cross breed between artists Jeff Koons and Damien Hurst.

Just my opinion though. Sam Price39088.3487847222

A lot of cool details all over that thing. I think. John, it is a bit creepy, eh? But it's intended to be art more than it is an instrument, and from the art/craftsmanship side, it's pretty darn good.
I'm just not sure about the mermaid's facial expression...

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I think there's a 'sound port' missing...

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Andy Manson has been around and building great instruments for a long long time. It was Andy that came up with the triple neck (6 string/12 string/mandoline) and made it for Jimmy Page of Led Zep.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

and it more than works.
The original sirens of lore would lure men away from ships to their death. The original folklore mermaids (sirens) were instruments themselves that were as beautiful and "evil" as they were lyrical. They were all located in one area, and were known for their traps.
Only Disney and a handful of more modern (since ancient Greece!) story tellers have their mermaids as being "good" or "cute". And yes, I am a big Little Mermaid fan.
I don't see very much sexuality in it actually. I see the face expression as a constant output of lyrical sound as being portrayed by the piece itself.

What I also see is an amazing woodworking feat, and a way more original idea that the "girl guitar" last posted. That to me was more sexual in nature, and a heck of alot less inspirational as an art piece.

As for the artist having his brains on the wall I really think this would be in shreds on the floor first. This to me isn't insanity, it's inspired, but hey what can you say- it's art. I'm an artist, anyone can feel free to feel as they may. That's what good art does. It doesn't matter how artistic a viewer is, only how it makes them feel.


My 2 cents.
Craig L.

More from me soon. clavin39088.6891782407

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www.handcraftinlay.com

Thanks Alain for the better link!

My view of this was on both front, artistic but in awe at first in terms of craftmanship after seeing the guitar case, having built a wooden case for a telescope, i remember how hard it was for me to build a rectangle box that would contain such a weird form.

for the mermaid guitar, i can only imagine how many hours he spent sculpting, so many details, it's just mind blowing.

It sure does have a nice sound about it

Mike

I guess I was being defensive a bit- not meaning to be.



Your review was great.
It is odd, that makes it work so well.

I do have a piece coming up that is hopefully worthy of posting, but to call it genius, or a warning would be a hard sell. I am one of those stand on the shoulders of giants so that I might see kind of guys

Thanks.
Craig L.

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www.handcraftinlay.com

[QUOTE=Sam Price]
It's got a psuedo sexual element that only perhaps men can appreciate...

To me, it's wholly bizarre and disturbing. Sorry, I can't get past that to appreciate the workmanship. [/QUOTE]

Sam-
Not all men 'appreciate' this stuff- believe me!
It has as much appeal to me as sticking a guitar neck in an open-mouthed corpse.
It's a strange world....
John

[QUOTE=JohnAbercrombie] It has as much appeal to me as sticking a guitar neck in an open-mouthed corpse.
[/QUOTE]
Sam, he's givin me ideas again!!!!

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

/\ Martin, you are a CERTIFIED NUT!!

I just can't say anymore!


Sam Price39088.755

[quote=Hesh Necrotone] Martin everyone knows that you can't bend a corpse with a wall paper steamer[/quote]

You'll never know until you try!!

    On Andy's site the guitar doesn't look so cadaverous

    I posted a NTB on Andy Manson about 4 months ago and linked to the mermaid guitar then! I guess nobody looked! I didn't know it sounded so good though! I'd like to know what inspired him to build it, maybe he's a Disney fan?

    No matter the subject, nobody can dis Andy's work. His triple necks are a work of art! He's truly a master and seems a pretty nice guy!

    Personal accessments are being accepted about how long it took to make the case let alone the guitar!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Dang, I was going to make one of those this summer. It looks like I'll have to pass on mermaid guitar and go straight to my Barny acoustic guitar idea.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

http://www.shop4thelot.com/$1cb74c889ded/mermaid




Craig L.

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www.handcraftinlay.com

[QUOTE=SteveS] Dang, I was going to make one of those this summer. It looks like I'll have to pass on mermaid guitar and go straight to my Barny acoustic guitar idea.[/QUOTE]

Already done, Steve...



And yes,there is already a Wiggles guitar too....

I just had a look at the link Clavin provided, and the Mermaid guitar is 9lbs lighter than an electric guitar!!! Those woods must be INCREDIBLY thin...

The buyer would have to store her behind a glass case...you wouldn't want a visitor accidently sitting on her...

When you read up on how the luthier got to build her, you can only applaud him for pushing design boundaries, however macabre it may seem.

Sam Price39089.3808101852

Craig, thanks for the link!

WOW, 2 years and nine months to build this, and with the help of family, friends and associates! COOL!

Steve S, you will have to go dynosaurus me thinks!

Sam, stop discouraging Steve please!