Ghostbuilders

[Trouble]

To avoid hi jacking another thread here is a little info, Heritage is mentioned but not the main focus. Maybe some of you have some more info you could add.

http://www.edroman.com/rants/ghost.htm

[Trouble]

http://www.crookcustomguitars.com/paisleys/

[kbp810]

Oh no, just had to go and start an Ed Thread

[Trouble]

Oh no, just had to go and start an Ed Thread

I actually had forgotten about the Ed fiasco.

 

My intent was just to post some info on guitars that Heritage had ghost built, and other ghostbuilt guitars. I think it is very interesting. I didn't want to start to start a bashing type thread and if it goes that way I hope a Mod takes it down quickly.

[DetroitBlues]

Yep, Ed had quite the opinion. I don't think many of us shed a tear for him. He really hyped up his own brand after he decided to market them and it appeared he had it out against, PRS, Gibson, Fender, and Heritage. I can't speak from experience, only how his rants and raves are very opinionated that favor only him and the poor saps that believe him.

[kbp810]

I actually had forgotten about the Ed fiasco.

 

My intent was just to post some info on guitars that Heritage had ghost built, and other ghostbuilt guitars. I think it is very interesting. I didn't want to start to start a bashing type thread and if it goes that way I hope a Mod takes it down quickly.

It is indeed a good topic worth discussing - the Ghostbuilding part that is.

 

Ed threw in some of his "opinions" on Heritage in that same rant though; and given where Ed Threads have gone in the past... well, lets just say they didn't usually take us to a good place.

[RhoadsScholar]

I worked for Ed doing Web site design when he was based out of Conn... Very interesting, opinionated fellow. At the time, I didn't believe some of his stories, but later on, I was able to validate some of the tall tales as being true which really suprised me (may he R.I.P.)

 

He was fun to talk to, and it helped me learn to:

1. Listen to Everyone

2. Believe Nothing

3. Test Everything

 

I ended up having a bad experience, but had some great life lessons to share with my sons. I love Heritage/their story, their legacy, their products.

 

But now that Ed is no longer with us, who is going to be the sand in the oyster for the made in USA guitar industry?

[bolero]

wow interesting...here is more Godin info I never knew

 

 

"All of the Kramer USA guitars that said "Made in USA" were actually manufactured in Canada by Godin Guitar Company. Just because a neckplate says "Kramer Neptune NJ" that does not mean that Kramer Guitars makes anything there. It simply means that is where it's corporate headquarters are."

[Trouble]

I think we are focusing more on Ed and his "personality" than the real topic, which was ghostbuilding.

 

I'm going to try and dig up some more non-Ed related info, and if any of you have any info I would love you to post it as well. I didn't mean any of this as a slight on any company or builder, it's just strange to me.

 

I guess in some people's case, like maybe Slash, they a prefer a certain design, but want a better quality peice than current production so that's where the ghostbulder comes in.

 

In Billy Gibbons case, since the Billy Bo guitar is a new design he could easily have just had Bolan build a bunch of guitars, but apparently he designed the guitar with Grestch and probably gets some kind of kickback, so now he has to play a guitar that looks like the Billy Bo.

 

Farming work out makes since to me I understand that part of it such as Grestch and D' Angelico using Heritage, and I understand a luthier using a better equipped shop to do some work and then doing the final assembley and finishing their self, but it seems like there is a line that some people are crossing a little by using copies made by high end builders and having a production signature model that sells for 2 to 3 times more than a similar production model minus there name.

[DavesNotHere]

Hey, I really like Ghostb...Oh sorry different thread

 

[HANGAR18]

it seems like there is a line that some people are crossing a little by using copies made by high end builders and having a production signature model that sells for 2 to 3 times more than a similar production model minus there name.

 

That reminds me of something that is kinda similar but different perhaps. For whatever reason, I have been under the impression that many, perhaps even nearly all artists who have a signature model guitar made by a big name company, don't actually play an off-the-shelf version of their own signature model instrument, but rather, play a highly modified and professionally tweaked guitar that only looks like their own signature model guitar when they perform in public. My brain believes that for most artists, the big name company has their customer shop (or a ghost builder) hand built the actual instruments that the artist will perform with but then have the mass production assembly line produce the instruments that you and I would buy off the shelf in the guitar store.

[JackBaruth]

Different artists approach the "signature guitar" thing very differently.

 

I've heard stories about artists who will just go into a Guitar Center and pick up a copy of their sig model whenever something happens to the old one. Then you have a guy like John Mayer who has a few different levels of signature model but still plays Fender Masterbuilts instead of the regular or Custom Shop versions.

 

One guy who apparently plays his Custom Shop sig guitars now pretty often is Slash. This thread contains all sorts of drama/hilarity regarding Slash's Appetite For Destruction guitar:

 

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/other-les-pauls/830-slash-derrig-vs-max-afd-period.html

 

The only thing everybody can agree on is that Appetite For Destruction --- the album which singlehandedly saved the Gibson Les Paul as a viable sales proposition --- wasn't recorded on a Gibson Les Paul.

 

I have a friend who has done numerous ghost builds for platinum touring artists. A lot of '59 replicas, some Korina Explorers and Vees, a Snakehead Tele. He's also done two guitars for me with more on the way.

 

My opinion: most of this ghostbuilder/custom-shop stuff is corksniffer territory. Not that I don't include myself in that territory, but if you consider how many great records were done with crappy guitars... Page played the Stairway solo on a Tele... Gilmour played the Another Brick solo on a Les Paul, almost certainly some random sandwich Seventies thing.

[DetroitBlues]

I worked for Ed doing Web site design when he was based out of Conn... Very interesting, opinionated fellow. At the time, I didn't believe some of his stories, but later on, I was able to validate some of the tall tales as being true which really suprised me (may he R.I.P.)

 

He was fun to talk to, and it helped me learn to:

1. Listen to Everyone

2. Believe Nothing

3. Test Everything

 

I ended up having a bad experience, but had some great life lessons to share with my sons. I love Heritage/their story, their legacy, their products.

 

But now that Ed is no longer with us, who is going to be the sand in the oyster for the made in USA guitar industry?

 

I think the new guy is named, Henry Juszkiewicz

[DetroitBlues]

I've heard, Jimmy Vaughan plays stock MIM signature strats.

[SouthpawGuy]

wow interesting...here is more Godin info I never knew

 

 

"All of the Kramer USA guitars that said "Made in USA" were actually manufactured in Canada by Godin Guitar Company. Just because a neckplate says "Kramer Neptune NJ" that does not mean that Kramer Guitars makes anything there. It simply means that is where it's corporate headquarters are."

 

And another manufacturer who also ghost built Kramers was .... Larrivee. Along with ESP.

[bolero]

 

My opinion: most of this ghostbuilder/custom-shop stuff is corksniffer territory. Not that I don't include myself in that territory, but if you consider how many great records were done with crappy guitars... Page played the Stairway solo on a Tele... Gilmour played the Another Brick solo on a Les Paul, almost certainly some random sandwich Seventies thing.

 

haha!! so are you saying tele's are crappy guitars? be careful down south with words like that lol

 

I believe Gilmour played the ABITW solo on a 50's P90 Les Paul....ampless...straight into some cascaded neve preamps to thicken it up

[Trouble]

Different artists approach the "signature guitar" thing very differently.

 

I've heard stories about artists who will just go into a Guitar Center and pick up a copy of their sig model whenever something happens to the old one. Then you have a guy like John Mayer who has a few different levels of signature model but still plays Fender Masterbuilts instead of the regular or Custom Shop versions.

 

One guy who apparently plays his Custom Shop sig guitars now pretty often is Slash. This thread contains all sorts of drama/hilarity regarding Slash's Appetite For Destruction guitar:

 

http://www.mylespaul...afd-period.html

 

The only thing everybody can agree on is that Appetite For Destruction --- the album which singlehandedly saved the Gibson Les Paul as a viable sales proposition --- wasn't recorded on a Gibson Les Paul.

 

I have a friend who has done numerous ghost builds for platinum touring artists. A lot of '59 replicas, some Korina Explorers and Vees, a Snakehead Tele. He's also done two guitars for me with more on the way.

 

My opinion: most of this ghostbuilder/custom-shop stuff is corksniffer territory. Not that I don't include myself in that territory, but if you consider how many great records were done with crappy guitars... Page played the Stairway solo on a Tele... Gilmour played the Another Brick solo on a Les Paul, almost certainly some random sandwich Seventies thing.

I agree completely, I'm not saying it's good or bad, and I don't play a guitar because it's like one that someone famous plays, the only sig models I've ever been interested in was based on features, and nothing else. As far as strats go the Jeff Beck and SRV appeal to me, because the necks are larger than normal, I love Jimmy Page but with his shaved down necks I couldn't play his guitars.

 

I would love to be able to spec my own guitars and have a whole stable full of guitars made to fit me, but I don't have the cash, I'm more than happy with my 150, wish I had a couple more that felt just like it, maybe in different finishes and tonal options, but other than that I'm happy.

 

Would be nice to have a friend who builds '59 replicas!

[JackBaruth]

Would be nice to have a friend who builds '59 replicas!

 

http://www.retro-guitars.com/home.cfm

 

A lot of the '59 Bursts and Flying Vs on stage around America are actually his. Right now his waiting list is about nine months long, give or take.