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I was reading through Big Mike's thread from 2019 on his other Special Blonde 17" with the quilted rear before I purchased this through Butler after (again) reading so many Campellone-inspired comments on the forum--how could someone who knew nothing about a Mark Campellone guitar not pull the trigger on one! His following here is remarkable, and for good reason. It arrived yesterday, and again, thanks to Deacon Mark for encouraging the purchase. I did not know Big Mike, not at all, but how moving to have read through his 2019 NGD post on the other guitar-the excitement and thrill of a kid, and the mutual support and recognition of his many friends here. Mike had 3 Campellones altogether? Anyway, just a handful of pics here. It arrived yesterday in S. Florida jungle humidity, in tip-top shape and will not be sitting in its Cedar Creek case. Playing alongside the Gibson Legrand, which now feels and sounds inferior, just a little less substantial in comparison. This is a 2007 Special.
Last edited by tomvwash; 07-04-2024 at 12:53 PM.
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07-04-2024 07:13 AM
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Congrats and happy 4th of July. The guitar looks great, love the flame on the neck. I don't think it gets much better than a Campellone for a nice jazz axe. You can always use your Gibson for a beach guitar or round the campfire beater so it's not completely worthless. Maybe learn some cowboy songs on that one. Enjoy! It's beautiful!!!
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What a beauty! And welcome to the Campy club. I am glad that this one stayed in the Jazz Guitar Forum family. I would bet that after the novelty of the new girl in the Harem wears off, you will revisit the old girls like your Gibson(s). But a Campy is special and your Special lives up to it's name. May she inspire your playing for many years to come!
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Welcome aboard the Campy Train. A train we all love riding on.
A big Congrats Tom.
Mark is now using TKL deluxe cases. Buy a TKL case and throw that Cedar Creek case in the garbage can.
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For a replacement case, the TKL 8820/LTD would do fine - or if you want something a little fancier (for a little more money), the TKL 8920/BL.
Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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Outstanding that BM’s guitar landed with you! It’s one beautiful Special! Enjoy it!
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Thank you, Mark. Garbage pick up is Saturday, and the CC was already in the garage by the time Vinny brought it up- on the way out. I suppose I could list on Craigs for free to avoid the landfill??? ..with the toxic case warning. Originally Posted by MCampellone
I took two more rear pics just to reassure myself of no signs of that dreaded CC green-not there, nor is anything on the sides. Funny how some get the virus and others don't! BTW, I think I have asked this before...I think Big Mike's strings were shot. I put Pyramid Round 12's on here--nice chime-- but maybe back to Thomastik GB Flats, as BM had on here, originally?
Thank you for all the above comments today.
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I like TI Jazz Swings on my Campy’s. I never liked the high/low gauges on the GB’s - not to mention the extra $ for George’s mug shot on the pack.
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WOW that is some serious guitar pron :-) Congrats & enjoy!
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Gorgeous! Welcome to the club. Mark’s guitars are spectacular, as we know. Mine is almost 2 years old and sounding better and better. +1 on the TI Jazz Swing 12’s.
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If the guitar has been kept in that case since 2007 and hasn't developed any staining problem, then the case is probably OK. When years ago I started seeing some staining issues with other CC liner colors, I switched to the green liner and that seemed to be OK for a while - eventually, even some green lined cases started causing problems, but I think that was only after they started using a different padding material under the liner fabric. Originally Posted by tomvwash
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Interesting. Here is Big Mike's other 2000 Campellone 17" CC case, now off of Reverb. BM posted a NGD on this guitar in 2019, and the guitar appears near-mint, but can't help but wonder if the case has caused damage, given the bleed tone. You've probably heard enough about these cases by now.. Originally Posted by MCampellone
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Yeah, I've seen some cases like this, too, where the liner discolors but the guitar is unaffected - all very mysterious. Originally Posted by tomvwash
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I have had 3 Super 400’s and 1 Campellone stained by the green CC cases. They are built like a tank but they also weigh a ton.
I will stick with TKL.
The Super 400T that Mark repaired the broken headstock and sold me has some very light green stains but it’s now 12 years old so I doubt it will ever get worse. The staining seems to happen pretty much when new.
The last Super 400 was made in 2017 and I saw that the CC case lining was white so Gibson was obviously aware of the bleeding at that point.
Zero bleed on my Campy’s with TKL cases.
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I have several cases with discolored lining that hasn't affected the guitar. My Campellone lived in its original Harptone case until recently, when I bought a Hiscox for another guitar. That guitar did not fit in the Hiscox but the Campellone did, so I switched them out. Neither case has developed any discoloration, but there is some red stain on the Campellone's binding, which I attribute to a red guitar cloth. Everybody talks about the case as a culprit, but in my case, no pun intended, it was a cloth. Originally Posted by MCampellone
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Just wow!
I love the contrast between that gorgeous figuring on the back, and that exquisitely straight grain of the spruce on top. (Straight-laced up front, with a wild-ass backside. Who could ask for anything more?)
Congrats to the OP. Play it in good health for a good long time.
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Beautiful guitar! Happy NGD and may you enjoy it for many years.
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I have had binding discoloration on a couple of guitars in the past. Rather than replace the cases, I just wrap each guitar in an old piece of a white bed sheet inside its case. Never had the problem since I started doing this. Originally Posted by MCampellone
Keith
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Guitars are both practical and aesthetic. Yours has both in spades.
The finish IMO is equal to any in the range of "naturals" in that it does not obfuscate the beauty of the wood and really enhances it.
I note the spruce. It is highly figured with medullay rays and tight grain, both of which are consistent throughout. Being from Kalamazoo and indoctrinated by the Gibson and Heritage luthiers, I'm assured that doesn't necessarily predict tone. But one can lose himself admiring the intrinsic beauty.
The maple is also mesmerizing.
The stylistic touches of the binding, inlays, and forms to the pickguard and tailpiece augment the appearance perfectly.
I had played this instrument one night at Mike's. To me, it's as good as it gets and better than I deserve. That obviously is fully attributable to the creator.
Congrats!
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Thank you, Marty. Really great to read your comments on this one. It makes me want to have BM's other 17", with the quilted back, now vanished. I wonder if someone here purchased? One is never enough, but should be! No wonder Big Mike and others own or owned 3 or more. Originally Posted by Marty Grass
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Nice catch Tom.
The woods look great! The ripple on that neck is quite something.
Mark said recently that woods like this are getting harder to find. Tonewood sellers in the UK would want about £500+ per sq/ft for something that heavily rippled. In contrast, non figured would be about £50 per sq/ft
I've been studying arched plates for two years now, mostly through 3d scanning and Marks are certainly in the top 1%. when it comes to design and consistency of shape.
Enjoy!
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I was going to add an example of Mark’s carving and design accuracy but wanted to clear it with Mark first.
Here is a screen grab of a scan, taken from a Campellone Deluxe. The view is from the back of the guitar, looking through the body to the neck.
The brown lines represent a ‘cross section analysis’ of the mesh data (the digital surface created by the scanner).
I have added two blue ‘construction lines’ to show the symmetry from the left hand side, to the right hand side.
This shows a very high level of accuracy.
How that translates into sound is not quite the point but I like to think that someone who takes this much care, to make such a uniform shape, is starting in the best possible position, to create the finest sounding guitars, within this style of archtop design.
It’s the mind and the method, that is important here.
When you see things in CAD, you can pick out much more detail, than you could with the naked eye and hand tools/jigs etc.. Everything scanned is accurate to within 2 microns.
Marks work, under the most obscene levels of scrutiny, is what I refer to as a ‘work of art’.
I’ll do a separate thread shortly.
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Case in point: when I got my Special sometime in the 1990s, I asked Mark how he managed to execute his inlays so cleanly. His response - "carefully"! Originally Posted by Archie
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I think maybe I've been given too much credit here - I do try to achieve a reasonable level of accuracy and symmetry on the top and back plates, but mostly just by sight and feel - and as Archie implies, perfect symmetry isn't necessarily a goal - I'm sure a larger sampling would reveal a few things off by "a micron or two" Originally Posted by Archie
I was going to add an example of Mark’s carving and design accuracy but wanted to clear it with Mark first.
Here is a screen grab of a scan, taken from a Campellone Deluxe. The view is from the back of the guitar, looking through the body to the neck.
The brown lines represent a ‘cross section analysis’ of the mesh data (the digital surface created by the scanner).
I have added two blue ‘construction lines’ to show the symmetry from the left hand side, to the right hand side.
This shows a very high level of accuracy.
How that translates into sound is not quite the point but I like to think that someone who takes this much care, to make such a uniform shape, is starting in the best possible position, to create the finest sounding guitars, within this style of archtop design.
It’s the mind and the method, that is important here.
When you see things in CAD, you can pick out much more detail, than you could with the naked eye and hand tools/jigs etc.. Everything scanned is accurate to within 2 microns.
Marks work, under the most obscene levels of scrutiny, is what I refer to as a ‘work of art’.
I’ll do a separate thread shortly.
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It's been years since I've done my own inlay work - my inlays are cut by Precision Pearl and set into wood by Bordeaux Inlay (both outfits using CNC machines). With occasional exceptions, the only inlay I do myself nowadays is the rear peghead inlays on the Special and Cameo, because it's not practical to send a whole neck out just to have one inlay installed. Originally Posted by FourOnSix
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