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Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

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  • #16
    Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

    Originally posted by willeubanks View Post
    Hey thanks for doing this! You'll get plenty of guitar questions, so I'll go ahead and slide a bass question in...

    Have you built any custom basses for high-profile guys, and which would be your favorite if so?
    Pino Palladino. What a machine!

    ME

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    • #17
      Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

      Hey Mike, I've got a couple of quick questions:

      1) Has Fender completely dropped the harder rock/metal market now that you've acquired Jackson?

      2) How come Fender doesn't make the Showmasters anymore? those guitars were the bees knees/cat's whiskers/dogs bollocks, etc etc. Set neck, sleeker strat shape, arched top, no pickguard..those things were totally rad!!! Even the floyd rose equipped 24 fret production line showmasters from a few years ago were wicked.

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

        Hi Mike, thanks for sitting in and doing this.

        Do you feel extra pressure to live up to the high standards that people expect from the Fender Custom Shop, or are you able to treat it as a "normal" job?


        Do what I do. Hold tight and pretend it's a plan!

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

          Hi Mike, thanks for taking the time to chat with us!
          You've worked on countless famous guitars guitars over the years... could you please tells us about the early Charvel years and specifically, your involvement with the Randy Rhoads models, the Jeff Beck guitars, the Eddie Ojeda bulls-eyes and, of course, the Eddie Van Halen black and yellow striped Charvels?
          Also, back then, did Charvel send guitars to Floyd Rose to install the systems or were you doing the installations?
          Do you remember what Charvel guitar received the first Floyd Rose bridge?
          Thanks!
          Last edited by jjimi1647; 03-16-2010, 11:44 AM.

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

            Originally posted by Luís View Post
            First of all, Mike, thank you for accepting to do this.
            Second, let me just say that I love Fender for their sound and reliability (and repairability )

            I have two questions:

            1) I own a fine Cyclone (more on that later...) and I just ordered a Champion 600 (can you please tell your guys to ship faster to Portugal, I've been waiting for nearly two months lol). In the electric department you guys practically rule but when are you doing something about acoustics?

            You build them. They sound and look good. You need more than the Fender 6-in-line headstock on an acoustic to get them out there. We had a thread on those a couple months back and people either loved them or they didn't really get them. Slap them on some up and coming artist and get a whole new set of clients.

            2) I mentioned before I own a Fender Cyclone. It's a great guitar. Well built, looks like a million bucks (from what I gather you didn't make a lot in Caramel Metallic but they all look awesome). Most important it plays like no other.

            Sure this is all personal opinion but I have to ask... why did you discontinue it? Again, no advertisement, wait, very little advertisement, I've seen Gibson failed experiments with more ads than Fender did for the Cyclone. I've only been able to find one to this day and it was a Cyclone II (I ordered a Cyclone, would have accepted the regular, HH or II as I ordered it as soon as I could after they were discontinued).

            You people have 50 versions of the Telecaster and Stratocaster. Why not a different beast? People love the mustang shape, the contours, the shorter, yet usable scale that didn't feel like a toy. The electronics are simple yet versatile. And what makes the guitar even more unique was the price. It sure wasn't cheap but I reckon it costs about half as much as your average strat.

            It combined a lot of things while not taking away clients from the tele and strat because people that really want one of those are going to get it sooner or later. And let's face it, isn't it better to sell 3 700$ unique guitars than one 1200$ guitar that everyone knows?

            I'm using the Cyclone as an example, the Squire 51 was also discontinued despite being a great modding platform, I'm surprised you didn't market it just like that "Here you have a great guitar that you can make your own. We supplied a great piece of wood, you supply your needs and turn it into your perfect guitar".

            I'm pretty sure that when you have forums dedicated to it you are doing something right, so I have to ask: Couldn't you have killed off a couple of half inspired and severely overpriced artist models and had some originality? Wasn't Leo Fender a risk taker? Sure, you folks are trying to keep a business, not create one but where is Leo's spirit?

            I don't mean to sound mad or offensive. I enjoy my guitar, I enjoy the Fenders I have played to this day and your amps. I'm ordering a Bronco bass as soon as the champ gets here (can you guess my favourite shape and how big my hands are? ) I like the products. I just wish they stuck around a bit more.

            BTW, if you are cancelling the Bronco soon give me a heads up, please

            I'll leave you with some pics of my Cyclone (day it was purchased) so you can shame whoever cancelled it into bringing them back along with the 51's.
            It's tough because there are always people who are REALLY attached to guitars that get discontinued! BUT, you have to make room, and certain things have to go. Sorry it was one you liked, but rejoice in the fact YOU HAVE ONE!!! And it looks KILLER!!!!

            ME

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            • #21
              Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

              Originally posted by B Bent View Post
              WOW! How cool to have someone from my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE guitar/amp company on planet Earth here at SD!! Nothing in the world compares to the sound of a Tele into an old Vibrolux Reverb.

              Now that's out of the way, are there any plans to produce a Tele from the CS with a B Bender in it anytime in the near future? Not like an artist model, but something at the CS level w/ a bender as a "standard" type of model.

              Twang on!!!!
              We do the Fender Bender version. Not much call for them really. But we do them occasionally. I remember when we did the Marty Stuart Tele we offered that option. Marty said, "Me and about 6 other guys use that". It was pretty funny.

              ME

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              • #22
                Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                Mike - how involved was the Custom Shop and it's luthier team in creating a process by which to deliver consistent relic products (the Road Worn line)?

                I know the Road Worn series is a hot button for some folks, but I am simply amazed at the detail of the relic work on the 60's rosewood Strat neck I have.

                I have heard rumblings of a John Mayer "The Black One" unlimited production model (assumedly using Road Worn techniques), as well as 83 masterbuilt custom shop guitars. Do you have any visibility of this project, and if so, when can we look forward to seeing these?

                Thanks a lot! We're so glad to have you here!

                -Hunter
                my vinyl record collection | updated 11 August 2015

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                  Originally posted by Got_tone? View Post
                  Hi Mike, it’s great to have you here. Evan, you’re awesome for getting Fender here.

                  Mike, I’d like to talk to you about the aerodyne series guitars. Is Fender USA going to release a USA made version of these awesome guitars? The only Fender Aerodyne guitars available to the states are made of basswood and what looks to be a maple veneer (for the strats). I’d love to see corona’s take on what Fender Japan is putting out. I know that they recently had a 2 piece alder version of the Fender Aerodyne Strat but it's for Japan only.

                  Seeing how this most likely will never happen, would it be possiblehave one built through the custom shop? Maybe even a Master Build?

                  Well, thanks for taking you’re time to stop by and keep up the good work with Fender.
                  Man, I'm sorry but I don't deal with that side of the business too much. I know they were talking about it a while back. I know you can order it Master Built, but that's all I know about it. Sorry!

                  ME

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                  • #24
                    Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                    Originally posted by Chrismo View Post
                    Hi Mike - glad to see you here!

                    One of my favorite Custom Shop pickups is the Hot Nocaster. Are there any plans to release a Custom Shop set of pickups for aftermarket sale like these (i.e. the original Nocaster set)? Perhaps a Twisted Tele neck with a Hot Nocaster bridge set? If not - are there any pickups that come close to that tone?

                    Thank you!

                    Yes, we are working out on how to do Limited Edition release sets from the CS. Our pickup department is not very big so we can't really open it up to bigger runs.

                    ME

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                    • #25
                      Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                      It's nice to see one of many gifted luthiers in this world to have a nice talk here in SDUGF today.
                      Thanks Evan for bringing this up ,and Mike I've got a question for you:
                      Is it true that any endorser artist get exclusive rights to have a custom shop guitar build for themselves for free (at least once)?

                      And to top it all off,between any artist you have worked with together,who is your most favorite of them all and what do you like about him/her?



                      Wait a minute,I guess that was two questions then
                      Sorry if my English so bad,but it's truly fun to have you join us right here Mike.
                      Last edited by marvelous_seven; 03-16-2010, 12:01 PM.
                      Originally posted by GuitarDoc
                      Don't take yourselves, or anything for that matter, too seriously. We're born, we live, then we die. All of us. Just the same.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                        How do you feel about the CBS headstocks?
                        Originally posted by Gearjoneser
                        Put the two together, and make it Kambone.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                          Originally posted by Evan Skopp View Post
                          Hey Mike:

                          Thanks for joining us. It's always a pleasure to spend time with you, even if it's over the Internet. My question is more a personal one; what was like to find yourself as a working, touring, recording musician in your 30s with a wife and kids?

                          And if I could be so bold as to slide another question in, what do you think of titanium vibratos?

                          - EAS
                          First of all, thank you for even asking me to do this. You (and your beautiful wife) are two of my favorite people and it's a bummer I don;t get to see you unless it's in a booth at a trade show.

                          Touring was fun, but once our first daughter came, it was getting really hard to go out. Lee Rocker is a great family man and he would always keep the tours down to two weeks at a time. We had one three week deal when my daughter was about 3, and when my wife picked me up at the airport, my daughter looked at me, and I could tell she was confused. That was it.

                          She's 15 now and still looks at me that way...but for different reasons.

                          Titainium trems? I dunno. Haven't gone there yet.

                          ME

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                          • #28
                            Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                            Hey Mike THANKS FOR BEING HERE!

                            I know I'm in the monority, but I prefer a hadtail strat, any plans for any new hardtails?

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                              Originally posted by ConvoysToNothingness View Post
                              Hey Mike, I've got a couple of quick questions:

                              1) Has Fender completely dropped the harder rock/metal market now that you've acquired Jackson?

                              2) How come Fender doesn't make the Showmasters anymore? those guitars were the bees knees/cat's whiskers/dogs bollocks, etc etc. Set neck, sleeker strat shape, arched top, no pickguard..those things were totally rad!!! Even the floyd rose equipped 24 fret production line showmasters from a few years ago were wicked.
                              1) I don't think so. It's just people tend to gravitate to other brands for that.
                              2) That guitar was VERY cool! We just retire certain models and that one was time to go. It really wasn't what people come to us for, and we have so many more requests for the Relic stuff or more vintage type instruments.

                              ME

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                                Hi Mike, thank you for doing this.

                                It seems that Fender has been facing competition from a lot of custom builders and part suppliers, like Warmoth, Nash, Suhr... I know the Custom Shop is competing with the higher end custom builders but I wonder how do you deal with the mid priced competition... is there a plan to make some sort of a build your own guitar service with standard parts?

                                Also, I bet you have worked with a lot of artists and seen a lot of of people who are putting in different upgrades in their guitars - pickups, active electronics, hardware, special comfort cuts, scalloping, etc... What do you consider to be the ultimate upgrade for a Strat and/or Tele?

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