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Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

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  • #76
    Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

    Originally posted by jjimi1647 View Post
    Thanks Mike! Interesting stuff! I was told that you actually had that Jeff Beck HRF for a while...
    Just a few more things regarding the EVH CHarvels:
    About same time the Randy Rhoads was being made there was supposedly an exact copy of the black and yellow VHII made. It was fitted with a handmade Floyd rose unit and the same electronics that EVH had on his first one (not just a volume pot only).
    Do you remember assembling such a guitar and if EVH got that one or any other black and yellow Charvels?
    Look at the VH II cover. That original guitar did not have a Floyd. Stock non-locking brass trem made by Kahler. we made some of those back then. no Floyds though. Eddie didn't use the Floyd till later on. First record = no Floyd.

    ME

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    • #77
      Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

      This isn't a question, but two memories I wanted to share.

      Seymour and I spent two days with you at the Custom Shop while we were working out the details for the Fender Custom Shop Seymour W. Duncan Signature Esquire. I remember you and Seymour totally geeking out over all the old tooling and fixtures that were around from the pre-CBS days. Anyway, at the end of the first day, your builders put together a working prototype of the Esquire and even though the paint wasn't completely dry, you invited Seymour to sit in with you on your gig at the House of Blues where you were tearing it up with Kid Ramos and Dave Gonzales from the Paladins. (Don Mare, one of our forum members, was there that night). I think that was the first time I heard you play live and I was blown away.

      Another memory was hanging out with you at the NAMM show. That same day I was driving back to Santa Barbara and listening to the Rockabilly Hour on the local college radio station and I heard this amazing guitar player. Then the DJ says, "That was Mike Eldred of the Mike Eldred Trio." And I was so proud of that fact that I was hanging out with you just a few hours earlier.

      Anyway, I just wanted to thank you again for spending time with us today. Given your background as a player and luthier with the various companies with which you've worked, I think it would be fair to call you an Industry Icon. As you can tell by the comments and questions, your presence here is very welcome.

      I know you're a super busy guy, but if you have any spare time, please feel free to check back in with us, even if you don't have time to post. Again Mike, thanks for doing this.
      Evan Skopp, Inside Track International
      Sales and marketing reps for Musopia, Reunion Blues, and Q-Parts.

      Comment


      • #78
        Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

        Originally posted by FuseG4 View Post
        What kind of stuff do you look at to give you fresh ideas?

        Do you ever have ideas that you want to do, but think no one but you will like?
        GREAT question!
        The SEMA Show in Las Vegas. It's primarily cars, but the paint work and design is over the top. I wish I could take all the Master Builders there every year.

        Yeah, sometimes that happens, but mostly it works out because you have to approach it like "why not" you know? Yesterday we were kicking around this idea of finding one part... maybe a pickup, maybe a knob,...and building a guitar around it! Let that part be the fuse. MY LIKE!!!!!

        ME

        Comment


        • #79
          Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

          Hi Mike!

          I'm very happy to be able to ask you some questions, so thank you.

          OK...

          1. What are your experiences with the tone qualities of a Fender-style neck---one piece (skunk stripe) , vs. two piece (no skunk stripe) with all other variables the same...type of wood, etc.

          2. What are your experiences, tonally, of a maple fingerboard, vs a Indian rosewood board, vs. a Brazilian board?

          3. What is your experience, tonally, of a slab-style ('62) Fender neck, vs a Veneer-style ('63) Fender neck?

          Thank you very much, it's truly appreciated...

          D
          Originally posted by Jessie's ghost
          That's one of the reasons I don't have children. Bullet-proof insurance against anything bad happening to them.
          Originally posted by JOLLY
          Just made my 7th White Russian. We'll see what happens.
          Originally posted by JohnJohn
          He's a tall crazy tatted up ex trash band guitar player from Vancouver .
          Think of an unarmed Lucid covered in ink.

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          • #80
            Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

            Originally posted by the guy who invented fire View Post
            Mike,

            Thanks so much for taking the time to so do this, and thanks to evan for having you!

            I'll be as quick as possible...

            Of all the celebrity owned guitars you've had in your hands, which was your fav...which stood out the most for whatever reason.

            Also, of all the pro's you deal with and have delt with who is the hardest on their instruments?

            Last...any chance Fender would ever release a coffee table book or something like it loaded with pics and fact of all the celeb instruments you guys have built and/or rebuilt?? I woudl pay good money for that!
            The Woodstock Strat. That guitar still haunts me. I sat up all night looking at the video. When we took the neck off, there was dried sweat under the neck plate. Unreal.

            Hardest on the instrument? SRV or Rory. Those guitars were absolutely mangled.

            Hal Leonard is coming out with a nice book on the CS. Written by Tom Wheeler. Very cool.

            ME

            Comment


            • #81
              Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

              Originally posted by Mike Eldred View Post
              GREAT question!
              The SEMA Show in Las Vegas. It's primarily cars, but the paint work and design is over the top. I wish I could take all the Master Builders there every year.

              Yeah, sometimes that happens, but mostly it works out because you have to approach it like "why not" you know? Yesterday we were kicking around this idea of finding one part... maybe a pickup, maybe a knob,...and building a guitar around it! Let that part be the fuse. MY LIKE!!!!!

              ME
              Cars... NICE. thanks for answering.

              Also, burgundy mist metallic is the best color ever! Every time you guys put out teles in that color I feel like the world is becoming brighter.

              Comment


              • #82
                Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                Originally posted by jmh151 View Post
                First, it's an honor to speak with you, since I bought a new Pro Mod Charvel- and after years of trying to build guitars out of kits, Charvel/Fender finally made a production guitar that fits me perfectly.

                Second- you mentioned the Hendrix strat- is this something new? Will Fender be making a replica of one of Hendrix's strats?
                The honor is mine.

                Hendrix...We made 4 copies of the Woodstock Strat a while back. No plans to do more right now.

                ME

                Comment


                • #83
                  Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                  I can understand not doing more of the woodstock strat. with something that special, it like, if everyone has one, it's not special anymore.

                  Comment


                  • #84
                    Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                    Originally posted by Evan Skopp View Post
                    This isn't a question, but two memories I wanted to share.

                    Seymour and I spent two days with you at the Custom Shop while we were working out the details for the Fender Custom Shop Seymour W. Duncan Signature Esquire. I remember you and Seymour totally geeking out over all the old tooling and fixtures that were around from the pre-CBS days. Anyway, at the end of the first day, your builders put together a working prototype of the Esquire and even though the paint wasn't completely dry, you invited Seymour to sit in with you on your gig at the House of Blues where you were tearing it up with Kid Ramos and Dave Gonzales from the Paladins. (Don Mare, one of our forum members, was there that night). I think that was the first time I heard you play live and I was blown away.

                    Another memory was hanging out with you at the NAMM show. That same day I was driving back to Santa Barbara and listening to the Rockabilly Hour on the local college radio station and I heard this amazing guitar player. Then the DJ says, "That was Mike Eldred of the Mike Eldred Trio." And I was so proud of that fact that I was hanging out with you just a few hours earlier.

                    Anyway, I just wanted to thank you again for spending time with us today. Given your background as a player and luthier with the various companies with which you've worked, I think it would be fair to call you an Industry Icon. As you can tell by the comments and questions, your presence here is very welcome.

                    I know you're a super busy guy, but if you have any spare time, please feel free to check back in with us, even if you don't have time to post. Again Mike, thanks for doing this.
                    You are too kind my friend, but MY favorite memory with you is being asked to "TURN DOWN THE UKULELE" in the hotel bar in Yokohama!!!!! Hahahahahahaha!!!!! That was priceless!

                    ME

                    Comment


                    • #85
                      Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                      That was a good one. I think that was the evening where Mike Lewis caught the ukulele bug.
                      Evan Skopp, Inside Track International
                      Sales and marketing reps for Musopia, Reunion Blues, and Q-Parts.

                      Comment


                      • #86
                        Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                        Originally posted by Desert View Post
                        Hi Mike!

                        I'm very happy to be able to ask you some questions, so thank you.

                        OK...

                        1. What are your experiences with the tone qualities of a Fender-style neck---one piece (skunk stripe) , vs. two piece (no skunk stripe) with all other variables the same...type of wood, etc.

                        2. What are your experiences, tonally, of a maple fingerboard, vs a Indian rosewood board, vs. a Brazilian board?

                        3. What is your experience, tonally, of a slab-style ('62) Fender neck, vs a Veneer-style ('63) Fender neck?

                        Thank you very much, it's truly appreciated...

                        D
                        1) Two piece is brighter. It's that lamination of the finger board. really stiffens up the neck.
                        2) Rosewood is a bit warmer. Indian is what we like the most. Brazilian shouldn't be used. It's been mis-represented in the solid body guitar market in my opinion.
                        3) Slab style is warmer, round lam is brighter. It's all good, just need to take that into account when building the instrument. Slab board on a lighter body is going to sound woofy...and if you're looking for mids and highs, you're gonna miss it.

                        ME

                        Comment


                        • #87
                          Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                          OK, 10 minute warning, guys. Mike is out of here at 2:00 Pacific, so we'll have to limit this to just another couple of questions.
                          Evan Skopp, Inside Track International
                          Sales and marketing reps for Musopia, Reunion Blues, and Q-Parts.

                          Comment


                          • #88
                            Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                            I like the Gretsch influence on the la cabronita. Gretsch's style seems like it would have a lot to draw upon in terms of style and tone. Any more plans to experiment in a gretsch-y way?

                            Comment


                            • #89
                              Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                              Thanks for responding to my last question. I hope I didn't offend you by asking about G&L. There's so much talk about these two companies in comparison, I thought why not hear it from the horse's mouth.

                              Anyway, one last question. In the 80's, it seemed that Fender had quite a few stats loaded with Kahler tremolos: Spyders (licensed Floyds) and vintage 2-point trems with fine tuners & brass rollers (couldn't find the name... sorry). Why did Fender stop using Kahler trems as stock hardware? I know the company stopped working on trems in the 90s, but have begun again in recent years. Any models expected to come out Kahler loaded?

                              Comment


                              • #90
                                Re: Live Chat Now - Guest Luthier Series - Mike Eldred

                                Speaking of Gretsch... whatever became of this instrument & are there any plans for more?!

                                J. 'Moose' Kahrs
                                mixer|producer|recordist
                                mooseaudio.bandcamp.com

                                Originally posted by the guy who invented fire
                                All you need to make a record is a mic, some tape and maybe some bad reverb...

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