New Small-Batch Campellone Build

[Rickco]

Thanks to you and Mark for the pics, thats as close as Ill get to a Campy but having the maker send you pics like that is above and beyond, at this point (72) Ill just have to be a voyeur, that neck blank shot is great not many of us get to see our guitars in the womb, congrats! Mark said He'd do some work on my Epi if he can work it in...not a Campy but mabey a Epillone when done. Please keep pics coming!

[andrew]

Speaking of binding, I just thought I'd add a note that might be of interest to some of you. The binding pattern I use is taken directly from a late 30's L5 I owned many years ago. Everything on the front of the guitar - top, fingerboard, peghead and pickguard - all had the same 5-ply pattern - purfling strips of .020 white, .020 black, .020 white, .040 black, and finally the outer most thicker white binding strip. The binding on the back was a little simpler - 3-ply made up of .020 white, .020 black, and the thicker outer binding. I like this pattern for its uniformity. Later Gibson models like the L5 had four different binding patterns - 7-ply for the top, 5-ply for the peghead and pickguard, 3-ply for the back, and with only the fingerboard retaining the original 5-ply pattern.

This is really cool info. I have to admit that I have, on more than one occasion, compared the binding on Campellone's guitars to various Gibson model. I had noticed that, while many of them were similar, they weren't exact 1:1 matches and this explains why. Perfectly reasoned.

[John Owen]

I love the term Epillone!

[Rickco]

I love the term Epillone!

actually kinda makes me hungry "id like an order of Epillone with some Cannoli"s to go"

[Hammertone]

I don't think Mark has ever made an Epillone, but he did put together my "Gibsellone Award," complete with the properly consistent pre-war binding scheme.

[wintermoon]

actually kinda makes me hungry "id like an order of Epillone with some Cannoli"s to go"

Leave the Epillones, take the Cannolis

[MCampellone]

I don't think Mark has ever made an Epillone, but he did put together my "Gibsellone Award," complete with the properly consistent pre-war binding scheme.

Really getting a kick out the "smash name" banter Looks like there will in fact be an Epillone coming down the pike as I'll be doing a restoration of this '39 Emperor - and I also have this '39 Gretsch Synchromatic project going - a "Synchrollone"?

[58flame]

Really getting a kick out the "smash name" banter Looks like there will in fact be an Epillone coming down the pike as I'll be doing a restoration of this '39 Emperor - and I also have this '39 Gretsch Synchromatic project going - a "Synchrollone"?

What's the official count on the number of plies on the Epi binding? I've seen photos of that guitar and I lost count.

Can't wait to see both of these restored.

[Rickco]

Im plotzing to see that Emperor!!! please keep pics rollin, next best thing to bein there

[MCampellone]

What's the official count on the number of plies on the Epi binding? I've seen photos of that guitar and I lost count.

Can't wait to see both of these restored.

The Synchro has 8 black/white layers of purfling - same on front and back - this does not include the missing outermost binding strip, which on this guitar was tortoise-shell (sunburst models usually had white binding as the outermost 9th layer)

The top of the Epi has 7 black/white layers of purfling, plus the 8th outermost white strip. The back of the Epi is just nuts, with 14(!) black/white layers of purfling plus the 15th outermost white strip.

Bear in mind that on both these guitars, the thicker layers of black and white purfling are actually made up of thinner strips glued together, so the number of individual strips actually used is even greater!

[MCampellone]

Im plotzing to see that Emperor!!! please keep pics rollin, next best thing to bein there

Since I have some new builds going right now, it'll be a while before I really dig into these restoration projects - once the new builds are completed (maybe in 2-3 months) I'll take another building break and just get the restorations done.

And speaking of future restorations, here's another recently acquired 'guitar rescue' piece I have waiting in the wings - a '59 ES-175 - stripped of its original PAF humbucker, and sadly, "modified" to accept two Gibson low-impedance pickups and a microphone gooseneck

[Stringswinger]

Since I have some new builds going right now, it'll be a while before I really dig into these restoration projects - once the new builds are completed (maybe in 2-3 months) I'll take another building break and just get the restorations done.

And speaking of future restorations, here's another recently acquired 'guitar rescue' piece I have waiting in the wings - a '59 ES-175 - stripped of its original PAF humbucker, and sadly, "modified" to accept two Gibson low-impedance pickups and a microphone gooseneck

I might have a nightmare after viewing those photos. Someone screwed up a fine guitar and that is so screwed up.

We await your magic on that one Mark!

[andrew]

What’s super interesting about that poor, poor 175 is HOW they butchered it. Notice that they didn’t add any extra pots or a pickup selector switch.

[John Owen]

What’s super interesting about that poor, poor 175 is HOW they butchered it. Notice that they didn’t add any extra pots or a pickup selector switch.

Well that is fortunate at least!

It's nice to know that will be healed after it goes through the Campelonne Way-Back machine.

[Hammertone]

... What I had in mind was a 16 inch body, 24.5 inch scale and 1.75 inch nut width. I'm coming up on 70 years old and those specs are what I'm hoping will help my aging body continue to have fun playing guitar until it's time for my dirt nap....

Hooray for these specs!

[John Owen]

I love it! That is a beauty. You even got the tapered headstock (which is also one of the items I asked Mark for on my guitar but don't think I mentioned here)!

[John Owen]

I got another update from Mark today. Here’s what he had to say…

“...here are shots of your neck after initial machine shaping and after final hand shaping - with necks now completed (except for final heel shaping), I'm ready to cut the body dovetails and then start fitting necks to bodies.”

So it looks like we are about to head into the home stretch. Needless to say, I’m about as excited as I could be. Here’s the latest installment of astonishingly beautiful evidence.

[bluejaybill]

Looks beautiful! My 17" Campellone Special is, amazingly, coming up on its fifth birthday.

I recently have felt that a shift in tone has happened, and it sounds warm and as sweet as honey. I have played it as my main practice guitar for that entire time, and I think that has helped it open up nicely. It also records beautifully.

It's going to need a fret dress soon!

Thanks again Mark, for all of your great work. I feel very fortunate to have made it onto your queue!

And thanks to this forum, and especially Vinnie. Otherwise I never would have know about Campellone and his wonderful work, or gotten off my duff to order one.

[Mick-7]

And speaking of future restorations, here's another recently acquired 'guitar rescue' piece I have waiting in the wings - a '59 ES-175 - stripped of its original PAF humbucker, and sadly, "modified" to accept two Gibson low-impedance pickups and a microphone gooseneck

I think the word you want is ripped (from), not stripped (off), but is such a badly abused laminate guitar worth the trouble?

[John Owen]

I think the word you want is ripped (from), not stripped (off), but is such a badly abused laminate guitar worth the trouble?

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and predict that Mark’s answer to that question will be something along these lines...

[Stringswinger]

Looks beautiful! My 17" Campellone Special is, amazingly, coming up on its fifth birthday.

I recently have felt that a shift in tone has happened, and it sounds warm and as sweet as honey. I have played it as my main practice guitar for that entire time, and I think that has helped it open up nicely. It also records beautifully.

It's going to need a fret dress soon!

Thanks again Mark, for all of your great work. I feel very fortunate to have made it onto your queue!

And thanks to this forum, and especially Vinnie. Otherwise I never would have know about Campellone and his wonderful work, or gotten off my duff to order one.

Indeed, Vinny was the bearer of the Campellone good news on this forum which has inured to many of our benefit. My Campellone is the V1K Custom, made for Vinny and now in my hands going out on gigs from time to time. Here is a pic:

[MCampellone]

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and predict that Mark’s answer to that question will be something along these lines...

Ha! Ditto on that, John : )

[MCampellone]

I think the word you want is ripped (from), not stripped (off), but is such a badly abused laminate guitar worth the trouble?

Ha - I have to wonder if anyone who would alter this guitar in this way even knew what the original parts were worth! As for whether or not the restoration is worth the trouble, in the case of this guitar, I was able to get it for a price that makes the restoration practical financially.

[vinnyv1k]

Indeed, Vinny was the bearer of the Campellone good news on this forum which has inured to many of our benefit. My Campellone is the V1K Custom, made for Vinny and now in my hands going out on gigs from time to time. Here is a pic:

I am still trying to squeeze 1 more V1K Custom out of him…..LOL
Blue with lots of abalone dedicated to my Mom. She loved the color blue.

[Mick-7]

Ha - I have to wonder if anyone who would alter this guitar in this way even knew what the original parts were worth! As for whether or not the restoration is worth the trouble, in the case of this guitar, I was able to get it for a price that makes the restoration practical financially.

I just think your talent is wasted on such an abomination, Mark.