The new CAMPELLONE V1K model begins

**Don6200** · 08-11-2020, 05:17 AM

I added pix of the finished Cameo. It plays like a dream! Bob Wilcutt and his his sidekick Ben made a minor adjustment to lower the strings a TAD.

The "Special" I have is being professionally photographed. It will come on the market soon. It is extra fine quality, has been lovingly played, and taken care of since 2007. I will talk with a few specialists to price it.

I will post pictures of the blond "Special" S/N 3220607 soon. It is l antique blond, flame maple back/rims with a select spruce top. It has a floating gold pickup with a volume control. See the pix below. I will add the additional photographs when I get them within the week.

By the way, Mark's backlog has exploded! I was introduced to him by a professional I met in Atlanta in 2002.

**vinnyv1k** · 08-11-2020, 11:21 AM

Absolutely STUNNING ! That fingerboard is insanely beautiful.

**Don6200** · 08-11-2020, 12:55 PM

Thank you for your comment on the FINGERBOARD.

I can't wait until the Cameo is ready! I will figure out how to drive to RI to pick it up just as I did for #322.

Take care! ...Don6200

**Max405** · 08-11-2020, 06:34 PM

Wow!
I can’t even imagine the amount of work required to craft the fine scrollwork inlays. Someone must have nerves of steel to do that. Incredible.
That is going to be a very fine guitar.
Joe D

**neatomic** · 08-11-2020, 06:48 PM

i hope mr. campellone comments on that inlay work!

cheers

**Hammertone** · 08-11-2020, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by Max405

Wow! I can’t even imagine the amount of work required to craft the fine scrollwork inlays. Someone must have nerves of steel to do that. Incredible. That is going to be a very fine guitar. Joe D

Er, ah, times have changed in this regard. These days, almost all such inlays are designed by man and cut by machine, using CAD, CNC and similar technologies.

**Don6200** · 08-12-2020, 09:08 AM

Please give Mark a call as I did many years ago. ...Don Mills

**rlrhett** · 08-12-2020, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by Hammertone

Er, ah, times have changed in this regard. These days, almost all such inlays are designed by man and cut by machine, using CAD, CNC and similar technologies.

It’s certainly possible, but I know from experience shell doesn’t cut well with a rotary tool or the kind of CNC machines a boutique builder might have access to. Work holding is an issue, and small bits need to spin at 5-10x the rpm of a typical woodworking spindle. Finally, attacking shell with a rotary cutting tool kicks up a lot of toxic dust. I’m not saying it is impossible, just that I suspect that this was cut by hand. Maybe not by Mark.

Very intricate shell is being imported from mostly Vietnam where I am certain it is being cut by hand. I have seen similar sets available from sources like Duke of Pearl. Inlaying it into a fretboard is still up to the luthier, and far from trivial; but the truly stunning hand work is actually still being done the traditional way.

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**Max405** · 08-12-2020, 04:40 PM

RLR, Great Post. Something so beautiful should not be just glossed over. The stunning inlays all look a little different from the next one. After the 3 years it would have taken me to finish up one, I would look at the next one and say, Nope, He's only getting one on this guitar!
Thanks, JD

Originally Posted by rlrhett

It’s certainly possible, but I know from experience shell doesn’t cut well with a rotary tool or the kind of CNC machines a boutique builder might have access to. Work holding is an issue, and small bits need to spin at 5-10x the rpm of a typical woodworking spindle. Finally, attacking shell with a rotary cutting tool kicks up a lot of toxic dust. I’m not saying it is impossible, just that I suspect that this was cut by hand. Maybe not by Mark.

Very intricate shell is being imported from mostly Vietnam where I am certain it is being cut by hand. I have seen similar sets available from sources like Duke of Pearl. Inlaying it into a fretboard is still up to the luthier, and far from trivial; but the truly stunning hand work is actually still being done the traditional way.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

**Don6200** · 08-13-2020, 06:31 AM

Thank you all very much for your comments on the "Cameo's" fingerboard inlays. Mark Campellone told me he has a very special colleague who does them. I never considered the efforts required to do this work. Thank you for giving me another reason to admire Mark's artistry. ...Don6200

**MCampellone** · 08-13-2020, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by neatomic

i hope mr. campellone comments on that inlay work!

cheers

Some good questions and answers here on the subject of inlays. All the inlays for my regular production models are cut by Precision Pearl, Inc. (run by master mandolin builder Tom Ellis of Austin, TX) using CNC machines - CNC cutting works great for most stuff, but it can be problematic with extremely delicate pieces. For the first Cameo (prototype), I had a buddy cut the fingerboard inlays on his CNC machine - they came out OK, but there were some breakage issues. Following that, I contacted shell supplier Masecraft - like Duke of Pearl and DePaule Supply, Masecraft offers a wide variety of pre-cut inlays, all hand cut in Asia - they said there'd be no problem having my pattern cut. I was amazed at the quality and precision work done by these hand cutting wizards - then again, not all that surprising when you consider the very long tradition of expert shell work in Asian culture.

As for setting the inlays into wood, I have all that work done by Bordeaux Inlay in upstate NY - Paul Bordeaux also uses a CNC machine in routing the pockets for my regular inlay jobs, but for the Cameo inlays, he routs the pockets by hand - and does a fine job!

**neatomic** · 08-13-2020, 06:09 PM

^ thank you for your detailed response...appreciated

am familiar with depaule..who have skilled inlay cutters in vietnam

cheers

**iim7V7IM7** · 08-13-2020, 08:12 PM

FYI, as Mark explained, most luthiers outsource inlay work to specialists. Some still do there own inlay work by hand, but today’s market has little patience “for signs of the hand” in guitar details, so most outsource today. Aside from Tom Ellis who many use for more standard inlay work, there are a number of specialists who create beautiful custom inlays such as Craig Lavin, Harvey Leach, Larry Robinson and Jimmie Wingert.

**MCampellone** · 08-13-2020, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

FYI, as Mark explained, most luthiers outsource inlay work to specialists. Some still do there own inlay work by hand, but today’s market has little patience “for signs of the hand” in guitar details, so most outsource today. Aside from Tom Ellis who many use for more standard inlay work, there are a number of specialists who create beautiful custom inlays such as Craig Lavin, Harvey Leach, Larry Robinson and Jimmie Wingert.

In the "old days" when I started building, there was no internet providing easy access to good craftsmen in other parts of the country, and I hand-cut my own inlays - VERY time consuming and VERY tedious - here are pics of a couple of solid bodies I build back then with intricate inlays that I'd cut by hand - I doubt I'd have the patience for it nowadays : )

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The new CAMPELLONE V1K model begins-scan0005e-jpg

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**neatomic** · 08-13-2020, 10:07 PM

grate! rick turner/alembic/irwin era roots!

cheers

**MCampellone** · 08-14-2020, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by neatomic

grate! rick turner/alembic/irwin era roots!

cheers

Ha - yes indeed! The guitar was built for a customer who wanted a copy of Gerry Garcia's guitar. And as you might know, I started out building electric bass guitars, and as you can see in these additional pics, Alembic was a huge influence for me -

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The new CAMPELLONE V1K model begins-scan0002-jpg

**Don6200** · 08-14-2020, 09:17 AM

Mark,

Super. Do you still have one in inventory?

Don6200

**neatomic** · 08-14-2020, 12:57 PM

nice! & a little carl thompson too!

cheers

**AdvenJack** · 02-13-2021, 11:53 PM

I am very happy to be able to see the instrument come into being!

**Nick71** · 02-20-2021, 08:08 AM

I keep coming back to look at these.
Does anyone know the width of these guitars? 16 inch or 17 inch across the lower bout?

Originally Posted by vinnyv1k

Bonus build pics from this batch.

Attachment 72072 Attachment 72073

**Hammertone** · 02-20-2021, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by Nick71

I keep coming back to look at these.
Does anyone know the width of these guitars? 16 inch or 17 inch across the lower bout?

I think that the one with 2 x P-90s is 17" across the lower bout,
and the one with 1 x P-90 is 16" across the lower bout.

**vinnyv1k** · 02-20-2021, 12:52 PM

The V1K is 17x3 / 25 inch scale / 1-11/16 nut.

**MCampellone** · 02-20-2021, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by Nick71

I keep coming back to look at these.
Does anyone know the width of these guitars? 16 inch or 17 inch across the lower bout?

Hi Nick - Hammer is right - the two P90 guitar is 17" and the single P90 guitar is 16".

**MCampellone** · 02-20-2021, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Don6200

Mark,

Super. Do you still have one in inventory?

Don6200

Hi Don - sorry not to reply sooner - just noticed your post. Anyway, I only held on to one of my solid body instruments - a bass that I made for myself. I worked playing electric bass for many years, and after a while, I got tired of my shoulder aching from the strap - so I built this little bass that I jokingly refer to as the "orthopedic model" - It's neck-thru construction, with a Wenge neck and maple body wings - the body is 1&3/16" thick, about 9" wide @the lower bout and the bass weighs less than 5lbs : )

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The new CAMPELLONE V1K model begins-img_2316_1-jpg

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**neatomic** · 02-20-2021, 08:37 PM

great fun to see the campellone basses...very much of the era...quite a contrast from the more traditional archtops he/you build today..bravo to both!

can't help but think of carl t!

just for info, what scale is the "orthopedic model"?...those tuners are wrapped! hah

cheers

**vinnyv1k** · 02-21-2021, 01:38 PM

WOW.....this post has almost 25,000 views

Mark Campellone is a rock, oops.....jazz star.

**bluejaybill** · 02-21-2021, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by vinnyv1k

The V1K is 17x3 / 25 inch scale / 1-11/16 nut.

I hope that's a good combo, because that's what I just ordered from Mark!

**bluejaybill** · 02-21-2021, 10:44 PM

While we are on the subject, I just ordered a blonde guitar from Mark, and am on the fence as to natural or tinted.

Does anyone who has ordered from him feel strongly about which is the better finish? Mark says that the natural finish ages to yellow pretty quickly anyway.

Also, some tinted finishes look too yellow to me, kind of unnatural. Or maybe it's possible to add just a bit of tint to get you started.

First world problem, I know!

**GuitarJay** · 02-22-2021, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by bluejaybill

While we are on the subject, I just ordered a blonde guitar from Mark, and am on the fence as to natural or tinted.

Does anyone who has ordered from him feel strongly about which is the better finish? Mark says that the natural finish ages to yellow pretty quickly anyway.

Also, some tinted finishes look too yellow to me, kind of unnatural. Or maybe it's possible to add just a bit of tint to get you started.

First world problem, I know!

I'm jealous of those of you who are ordering guitars now - I'm on the queue about 24 months forward!

I'd go with natural, no tint, and let the natural aging of the lacquer reveal that beauty over time.

**jazzkritter** · 02-22-2021, 09:47 AM

Hi bluejaybill
Not a Campy owner sadly, but my natural L5 took about ten years to go honey. Once it did it really was awesome. Dont know about you but if it were today I probably dont have the ten to wait lol!

**Nick71** · 02-22-2021, 11:35 AM

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I just feel like natural is a bit too bright. I prefer the antique natural that Mark C applies. To my eyes it has a bit more depth and a bit more warmth.

Originally Posted by bluejaybill

While we are on the subject, I just ordered a blonde guitar from Mark, and am on the fence as to natural or tinted.

Does anyone who has ordered from him feel strongly about which is the better finish? Mark says that the natural finish ages to yellow pretty quickly anyway.

Also, some tinted finishes look too yellow to me, kind of unnatural. Or maybe it's possible to add just a bit of tint to get you started.

First world problem, I know!

**Hammertone** · 02-23-2021, 03:27 AM

I like it when they turn this colour:

**bluejaybill** · 02-23-2021, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by Hammertone

I like it when they turn this colour:

Yes, that's what they call in the Martin world pumpkin! Sitka spruce turns more that color than some other spruces.

My old 000 is almost that color.

**jads57** · 02-23-2021, 04:07 PM

I definitely admire the inlay and wood art on fancier archtops. But I remem er a conversation with Mark Campellone way back where he told me. His Std e try level guitars played and sounded the same as his fanciest models.

So while I can appreciate a Beautiful Blonde,LOL ! As a player I would consider the tone and playability first and foremost. And after playing a Campellone Deluxe owned by freind , they are GREAT!