Why don't many famous musicians use custom-made guitars?

[newmexstrings]

It's a Schaller 451 roller bridge. Low friction and vaguely Rickenbacker-vibe.

 

[mullyman]

In 1998 I had the opportunity to tinker around on Eddie Van Halen's striped Wolfgang Special for a few minutes. As far as I could tell the body and neck were the same, the pups were not and, I think the most important part of the whole thing, the set up was nothing like I have ever seen before. The action on that guitar was so low I have no idea how he doesn't get fret buzz. Obviously the frets are sanded down and/or shaped to accept the way his action is set.
MULLY

 

[Nando Vallart]

IThe action on that guitar was so low I have no idea how he doesn't get fret buzz. Obviously the frets are sanded down and/or shaped to accept the way his action is set.
MULLY

Call it a master work from a freaking master luthier

 

[Volitions Advocate]

Prince uses warmoth...

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

Prince uses warmoth...

Prince the punce, says my dad.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

..and his trademark Tele from the Purple Rain days isn't a Fender.

 

[callaway]

Prince uses warmoth...

Prince the punce, says my dad.

Boy, I had to look that one up.

I catch Prince stuff on occasion and always love it. He is unbelievably amazing. I should listen to him more. I always catch those YouTube videos in the 5-minute span before he has them taken down for copyright violation. (The best one was when Radiohead posted a rant on Dead Air Space about Prince having taken down a video of him covering Creep, citing copyright violation claims from the owner of the copyright. So Radiohead emailed YouTube asking them to put the video back up. I don't think it worked.)

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I saw him doing "While my Guitar gently weeps" with Tom Petty, Jeff Lyne (sp?), and Harrison's son.  He came out at the end dressed like a pimp, did the solo at the end and walked off.  Awesome.

 

[Mor Paul]

Sounds like almost a Traveling Wilburys semi-reunion there, STDC

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

I saw him doing "While my Guitar gently weeps" with Tom Petty, Jeff Lyne (sp?), and Harrison's son.  He came out at the end dressed like a pimp, did the solo at the end and walked off.  Awesome.

I saw that done by an Asian dude with a uke. It was seriously amazing.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Sounds like almost a Traveling Wilburys semi-reunion there, STDC

I guess so.  Could you picture Prince and Bob Dylan playing together?

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

Sounds like almost a Traveling Wilburys semi-reunion there, STDC

I guess so.  Could you picture Prince and Bob Dylan playing together?

Call it the 'Frock and leathers' tour.

 

[DangerousR6]

If you believe Ed Roman, he's got some great article's on his site about how all the pro-musicians use ghost builders.  Sure all the gutiars have the Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, PRS, etc, name on the headstock, but 99.9% of the instruments made for celebrities are made in custom shops by expert luthiers, often who don't even work directly for the companies.    Or... often times they'll play the original one-off prototypes of their signature model.  Look at Vai for instance, his main two guitars, EVO & FLO are both the prototypes made whent he Jem 7V was being designed.    You rarely see him play those off the shelf, mass produced, basswood, Jems.

Slash is the best example.  His main 3 Les Pauls, that he records ever record with, are all fakes.  Super accurate, better, reproductions of 1959 Les Pauls made to look and sound EXACTLY, or better than the originals.  He even admits it.

erik

Tru dat..... :laughing7: I've read other articles besides Romans about several musicians including Slash, Billy Gibbons and others about having ghost builders...

 

[DangerousR6]

Stubhead

I recently read an interview with David Gilmour in a guitar magazine where the interviewer keeps asking Dave about this piece of gear and that piece of gear...  Dave will politely answer the question and end each response with some variation of "the gear really isnt whats important", "but I usually just sound like myself", or "I wish there wasnt such a focus on the gadgets".  I tend to agree. 

With all do respect to Gilmour, the guitar and gadgets are what make up his eventual sound output. Yes he sounds like Gilmour when he plays, but you know as well as I that he's got particulars that he must have, whether recording or playing live. And he says he sounds like himself cause he uses the same stuff all the time, so naturally to him it's the way he sounds...

 

[hannaugh]

Style + timbre = what a person's sound is.

That is a silly thing for *David Gilmour to do, pretending that his equipment means nothing.  A big part of your personal playing style is the gear that you have.  You choose gear that gives you the sound that you want, according to your personal taste and style.  If I play something on my banjo, and then switch to my guitar, you can still tell it is me because of my playing style, but it definitely sounds way the hell different timbre-wise.  If people are curious about how he achieves the timbre that he uses, he shouldn't look down his nose at them. 

If Jimi played Voodoo Child without the effects, it would not sound the same.  It would still be Jimi, but it would not be the same. 

If David Gilmour doesn't place any importance on his gear for his sound, why doesn't he just give it away and record everything with just one acoustic guitar?  Or maybe do a tour where he lets the fans bring him the equipment he is going to use at each gig so it is different every time and he doesn't know what to expect?  I'd like to see that.




* Disclaimer: Don't get me wrong, I love Pink Floyd like a fat kid loves cake... actually, I like cake too.  And I think David Gilmour is a wicked awesome guitarist. 

 

[m4rk0]

So what I want to know... custom or not custom, why do a lot of famous musicians not use exotic woods?

oh hold on... deja vu :_
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=2708.0  :icon_biggrin:

 

[rounce55]

i think the closet signature model to the actual guitar is the zakk wylde model

 

[mullyman]

So what I want to know... custom or not custom, why do a lot of famous musicians not use exotic woods?

oh hold on... deja vu :_
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=2708.0  :icon_biggrin:

One thing that isn't posted in that other thread, that should be pointed out, is that exotic woods cost more....for customer and maker alike. I doubt any company wants to go down that road. The waste would be extremely costly.

You know, I'm not against them not using exotic woods but it really steams my shorts that a lot of these signature guitars are using cheap garbage like basswood. The EVH Wolfgang comes to mind. 3 grand for a guitar made out of basswood? Talk about a profit margin.
MULLY

 

[blimpo]

Steve Lukather uses his signature model "Luke" made by Ernie Ball and the shelf models are identical to Luke's.

Luke has about 12 (different colors) he tours with. He claims that although all are essentially the same, they all have different characteristics. He uses the one that fits his mood.

I've played one of his and he swears that any shelf model is identical to his, except for the sweat stains and scratches.

If you play one though, you might not sound like him. :icon_scratch:

 

[Nando Vallart]

I saw him doing "While my Guitar gently weeps" with Tom Petty, Jeff Lyne (sp?), and Harrison's son.  He came out at the end dressed like a pimp, did the solo at the end and walked off.  Awesome.

I saw that done by an Asian dude with a uke. It was seriously amazing.

What the Concert for George verstion