The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Another sweet batch is underway. Stay tuned…….

    The New Campellone fall batch-img_0588-jpegThe New Campellone fall batch-img_0589-jpegThe New Campellone fall batch-img_0590-jpegThe New Campellone fall batch-img_0591-jpeg

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Very exciting! I've got a guitar in this batch that's going to be a little....unusual. No spoilers right now, I'm going to keep you all in suspense.

  4. #3

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    ........Has MC made any bracing changes ? Why are there 2 styles ? A ( new ? ) one looks exactly parallel, while the others have a 'taper'....

    Interesting

  5. #4

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    It looks from these photos, that the ones that will have built in pickups and top mounted controls are braced differently from those that will have floating (or no) pickups.

    That said, it still appears that a Campellone with a built in pickup is braced more lightly than is a Gibson Wes Montgomery L-5.

  6. #5

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    The one w the darkened spruce and number stamped doesn't look like MC's work, I can't imagine he'd leave glue squeeze out from the braces.
    Looks like another old Gibson top, maybe from HT?

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon View Post
    The one w the darkened spruce and number stamped doesn't look like MC's work, I can't imagine he'd leave glue squeeze out from the braces.
    Looks like another old Gibson top, maybe from HT?
    Correct. An old Hammertone Gibby top.

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon View Post
    The one w the darkened spruce and number stamped doesn't look like MC's work, I can't imagine he'd leave glue squeeze out from the braces. Looks like another old Gibson top, maybe from HT?
    That is correct. This is the third and last NOS Gibson carved top I supplied to Mark.


  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis D View Post
    ........Has MC made any bracing changes ? Why are there 2 styles ? A ( new ? ) one looks exactly parallel, while the others have a 'taper'....

    Interesting
    Marco (SS) is correct and yes Gibson has wing bracing where Campellone’s do not but Mark uses a center seam strip that can serve a dual function.
    Prevent seam separation and add some top strength.

    Different recipes with different tonal qualities. I love them both. I will always have a Campellone and an L-5 till the Lord takes me.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis D View Post
    ........Has MC made any bracing changes ? Why are there 2 styles ? A ( new ? ) one looks exactly parallel, while the others have a 'taper'....Interesting
    Quote Originally Posted by Stringswinger View Post
    It looks from these photos, that the ones that will have built in pickups and top mounted controls are braced differently from those that will have floating (or no) pickups.
    That said, it still appears that a Campellone with a built in pickup is braced more lightly than is a Gibson Wes Montgomery L-5.
    The converging parallel braces are traditional for acoustic archtops.
    The fully parallel braces are an entirely practical variation that allows for set-in neck pickups to be installed without cutting through the converging braces.
    Gibson does the same thing - Converging braces on an L-5C, fully parallel braces on an L-5CES or L-5WES.

    Mark contemplating the nature of the universe:

    Attached Images Attached Images The New Campellone fall batch-img_9956-jpg 
    Last edited by Hammertone; 09-17-2024 at 06:16 PM.

  11. #10

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    Whoo-hoo, I love the smell of fresh new Campellone startups in the morning!

  12. #11
    The lean mean carving machine

    The New Campellone fall batch-img_0618-jpeg

  13. #12

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    The New Campellone fall batch-screenshot-2023-11-28-12-10-30-png

    Here is a Gibson L-5 CES bracing pattern (the one pickup WESMO has one less horizontal brace). The Gibsons are overbuilt compared to a Campellone and therefore have less acoustic tone. Not necessarily better or worse, but different.

  14. #13
    Rim wood

    The New Campellone fall batch-img_0523-jpeg

  15. #14

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    Is Mark Campellone making sharp cutaways as an option nowadays?

  16. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by jads57 View Post
    Is Mark Campellone making sharp cutaways as an option nowadays?
    The short answer is no. Can you talk him into it …… ?

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by jads57 View Post
    Is Mark Campellone making sharp cutaways as an option nowadays?
    That sharp cutaway body is another Hammertone project - I'm gonna put a new neck on it for him.

  18. #17

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    Just thought I might add some details about this batch - some interesting stuff - another Cameo (#11) and two non-cutaway models - one of which will go to Andrew - some special features on that one, but I'll hold back those details so as not to ruin the anticipation

    As already noted, the tops with "straight" parallel braces (and the single cross brace for the pickup rout) will be for built-in pickup models - note also the cross-grain reinforcement patches where the V&T controls will be located.

    I'm also doing a spec piece in this batch, prompted in part by the acquisition of Hammer's NOS L7 top (I added f-hole binding and a center seam strip - and yes, I left the original brace glue squeeze out intact - lol). The other motivation for building this guitar was my having obtained some billets of highly figured "blister" maple. For those who aren't familiar with it, it can look something like quilted (western big leaf) maple, but it's an entirely different species - it's a hard American maple that grows mostly in the northeast (Gibson used eastern hard maple almost exclusively back in the Kalamazoo days - I've never seen a back from that period that was bookmatched, so I assume they probably just purchased flat-sawn 5/4 lumber by the board foot, and "slip-joined" two pieces to form the back). While "curly" hard maple is fairly common, hard maple with blister figure is harder to find, especially in thick billet form which can be re-sawn and bookmatched - so I was quite lucky to get these billets. And ironically, I got if from a local wood supplier (Kimball Hardwoods) who harvested these trees from land that's less than 2 miles from my location!

    Anyway, I thought it would be cool to match the blister maple with this L7 top, and make a guitar that would be reminiscent of the archtops Gibson was building back when this top was made.

    Here's a shot of the back plate prior to carving -
    The New Campellone fall batch-img_0223-jpg

  19. #18
    WOW - another Gibsollone coming. I covet the 1st one.


    And for those wondering the E is not silent in his last name. Vowels are never silent in Italian names.

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by vinnyv1k View Post
    WOW - another Gibsollone coming. I covet the 1st one.
    This one will be the Glassllone Spezial. Gustav Glassl, a student of Franz Hirsch, was the ghost builder for top-tier carved archtop guitars from West German shops, like Hopf, Klira, and others, during the 1950s and 1960s. This particular guitar has a remarkable acoustic voice, but suffered from the terrible scourge of WNS (wiener neck syndrome), soon to be remediated.

    The Gibsellone Award? It will be the last guitar to leave the building, after I do.
    Last edited by Hammertone; 09-22-2024 at 04:43 PM.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by vinnyv1k View Post
    The short answer is no. Can you talk him into it …… ?
    Mark will be happy to build you a 15” carved-top EP model with a Florentine cutaway.
    Last edited by Hammertone; 09-22-2024 at 04:43 PM.

  22. #21

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    moving the batch forward - rims after bending, and rims joined to end and neck blocks -

    The New Campellone fall batch-img_0280-jpgThe New Campellone fall batch-img_0282-jpg

  23. #22

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    Mark is the sharp cutaway to time involved vs the Venetian? It seems to have better access to the upper frets for the player. Perhaps I’m looking at it incorrectly? Thanks!

  24. #23

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    Wait, is Mark allowed to post photos of his own builds? I thought by the laws of the jazz guitar forum, photos had to be posted by Vinny?!

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by andrew View Post
    Wait, is Mark allowed to post photos of his own builds? I thought by the laws of the jazz guitar forum, photos had to be posted by Vinny?!
    It is always good to eliminate the middleman.

  26. #25
    So blessed to see one of the best builders on Earth posting here! Thank you, Mark!!!