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Is it body depth? Aren't the Campellone's a bit thinner? Wonder if that would make a difference?
Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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05-10-2020 06:31 PM
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vv1k, who decides on the strings? What are they?
Last edited by Dirk; 05-17-2020 at 04:02 AM.
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17x3. I use TI flats 12 or 13’s. A L5 is 3-3/8 depth so yes a Campellone is thinner. I also went with shorter 25.0 scale. Mark does a perfect fret crown which I think has a lot to do with it. A Gibson plek is good but not great. The best fret jobs I ever played were DAQ, Campellone, and Cushman. Man is still better than machines IMO.
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agree with caveats...for mass produced guitars, nothing is better than cnc production...the necks/fret jobs on 150$ squier guitars can be great in fit, finish, and set -up...in a way that vintage hand worked cheapo guitars could never be Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
having said that, nothing beats the all in one mans hands construction of a guitar by a maestro...or in your case 3 highly skilled luthiers...Jimmy D, mr. campellone and our respected fellow forum member matt c!...all completely hands on luthiers
cheersLast edited by neatomic; 05-11-2020 at 02:14 PM.
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vinnyv1k,
That is beyond beautiful. You are one lucky person. I'm still getting my finances together so I can place my order. How long does it usually take Mark to build one?
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Mark builds batches of 6. Both my Campellone's took 4 months exactly. His popularity these days may mean a waiting list though. The word is out that he builds a better L5 for less than 1/2 the price. Originally Posted by Strbender
Last edited by vinnyv1k; 05-11-2020 at 03:11 PM.
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Congrats but why the never ending Gibson bashing? It gets kind of old after awhile.
If they hadn't been the standard bearer Mark might not even be making guitars.
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I am not bashing Gibson. I've owned close to 50 of them in my lifetime. I am a huge Gibson fan boy. Just stating actual facts. A new L5 is over $11k. That is a fact. Not a bash. Originally Posted by wintermoon
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I doubt Mark has the overhead they do, you're comparing a huge company w/a one man business.
And saying that he makes a better L-5 is certainly not a fact, it's at best an opinion.
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In my 59 years of playing guitar I don't recall seeing a more beautiful one. Simply stunning.
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Mark has a much higher overhead than Gibson, on a guitar-by-guitar basis. The main difference, if you don't want to compare the actual instruments, is simply corporate greed. Nobody is bashing Gibson; they have fallen into mediocrity very often all by themselves. I would observe that the percentage of lousy Campellones is much lower than the percentage of lousy Gibsons. Originally Posted by wintermoon
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again, you're talking about a one man shop where quality control can be very high as opposed to a shop where many people have a hand in building a given instrument. apples and oranges.
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Mark charges $7700 for a guitar with L-5 quality woods and trim and there would be an upcharge for a second pickup.
Gibson charges $10,600 for a sunburst L-5CES and $12,000 for a Blonde one.
While Gibson has to also provide profit for the retailer (Sweetwater), there is no justification for Gibson's current price.
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ok, so they're more expensive...….guess which has the better resale value.
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No doubt. It all comes down to what you like. I totally respect Mark's guitars and am glad that Vinny is happy with them. My archtops all say Gibson or D'Angelico on the headstock because that is what I like. Originally Posted by wintermoon
But if I was interested in buying a new one, the Campy would be under consideration. I try not to get laid away on major purchases.
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anyone that buys new Gibson archtops has money to burn, it's just silly unless you have some personal spec.
let someone else do it and you can get the depreciated guitar a day later for 2/3 the price.
if you're put off by the high price tag, just don't patronize them, they won't sell them if no one buys them.
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I never buy used. That is just me. My new blonde Campellone cost $5175.00. Yes you might find a good used L5 for that but not blonde. I see this thread taking a negative turn. If you want to bash me or my comments please do it via a pm to me personally. I would like this thread to end on a positive note. Thank you very much....Vinny
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not to worry vinny...with a guitar like the one mr. campellone built you (with your input), this thread can't possibly end negatively!!..it's been a great thread!!! as i called from the start!!! haha
as long as it arrives safe and sound!
looking forward to the boat landing!
cheers
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no one is bashing you. if you want to buy new that's your own business, the next guy will reap the benefit.
but you're right, I should just stay out of it because I'm sick of reading how this and that is better than this and that every other post.
but if you're going to post those comments as if they're absolutes instead of opinions you should expect a retort.
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Vinny is not bashing Gibson.
I would make the argument that Vinny has been the most ardent Gibson supporter that they probably ever had.
I had this same conversation with Vinny, back in the Patrick days. This was before Vinny became one of my absolute best friends. I didnt understand why Vinny was so disgruntled with Gibson. And I was annoyed about it too. And then I found out, he loves them more than anybody. But they hurt HIM more than they hurt anybody. This guy works his ass off, to buy Brand new guitars. And if Gibson had not stuck it to there customers the way they have in past umpteen years, He'd have more Gibsons.
It just so happens that Mark Campellone makes better guitars than they do right now. And he does it by keeping the costs reasonable and he keeps his promises. That is why he gets major attention around here.
Vinny would like nothing more than to watch Gibson regain there position as the best of the best. Me too. I hope that happens some day. Because they are the only Guitar I care to own. But I buy Used. Vinny wants perfect, expects perfect and keeps them that way - so he buys brand new.
Joe D
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"It just so happens that Mark Campellone makes better guitars than they do right now"
love ya Joe and I think highly of Mark's work, but that is only an opinion. If that's the case why don't the majority of people own them? the fact is that way more people own Gibsons, right or wrong...….I'm out.
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I read this as: "For many years, the word has been out that Mark builds an excellent L-5-style guitar and charges less money than Gibson's retailers." My eyeglasses have a hyperbole filter, which comes in very useful sometimes. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
His Standard is not equivalent to an L-5, since it lacks much of the extra inlay, purfling and detailing of an L-5. His Deluxe is closer, and his Special is closest, when it comes to equivalent levels of bling. The Cameo is an outlier - he's only ever built a handful of them. These days, his general shift to the 'smaller' 17" body size and 3" rims brings his instruments closer to the Gibson Legrand than the L-5, IMO. Sort of inbetween. Or more in line with a Heritage Golden Eagle/Rose. So these comparisons start to get a bit diffuse.
He runs a very different kind of business, with a very different cost base, level of customer service, customization in terms of options available, and so forth. Resale is also a bit more complicated. I'm under the impression, having followed these things for awhile, that Mark's guitars maintain as much or more of their original value than Gibson L-5 archtops of a similar age.
Hey, it's all good. I mean, none of these are Hofner Chancellors, but they are all still pretty nice guitars (I just couldn't resist, ha!).Last edited by Hammertone; 05-11-2020 at 11:34 PM.
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My opinions mean nothing to you wintermoon. I am fine with that Sir. If my posts make you angry go play your guitars instead and God bless. I certainly don't want to cause any type of bad feelings. I apologize if my opinions kindled anger in you. When a thread makes me feel bad I simply jump ship.
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And one more thing.. (Sorry)
Its good that somebody has the balls to tell it like it is and do it in a respectful manner, and that's what Vinny has always done..
The greatest thing in the world is competition. It benefits everybody. It makes companies better. And that is better for the consumer (us). Gibson has a bunch of competitors now who are cleaning their clocks. Lets see what they what they do about it. Maybe a better Gibson is right around the corner.
JD
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