The new CAMPELLONE V1K model begins

[neatomic]

wm, i think a great majority here appreciate your loyalty to gibson...including vinny and Joe D...great passion...

i also think that vinny is super excited about his new guitars and dealing with mr. campellone...and is putting that out there for other people to awaken to...a worthy effort

but if sales were the sole measurement of guitar quality, then the strat would be the best guitar ever made!!...(and some do think so!! haha)

it's my thought that campellones will increase in value, much like the now near priceless d'angelico and d'aquisto's with time

lastly, lets keep guitars the bridge between us all here, not the divide!! esp. in these troubled times

cheers

[wintermoon]

not one ounce of anger vinny, it's all good, I get that you're excited about your new guitar, and why not, it looks spectacular!
and I know you're a Gibson fanboy. it's just that it seems you have a chip on your shoulder about Gibson and never waste an opportunity to let everyone know about it.

[Max405]

"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.

I know that bro and you are my guy too. And You are right, its just my opinion. And only an opinion based on me spending a couple of weeks with the cheapest model Mark builds. And it was THAT good. Perfect workmanship. An acoustic and an electric sound that was top of the class, all rolled into one guitar. Playability that was as good, right out of the box as any Guitar I've ever touched.
But...
Come the end of this year, I will have another guitar that will be my last. And it will be a Gibson. But it wont be a new one. It will be from an era when Gibsons were something special. That's the only guitar I want.
But for those who want a perfect L5 style guitar, the way Gibson use to make them (and sell them for that matter) A Campellone is a better choice right now. No doubt.
Not to mention.. Pick up the phone and call Mark. You will be treated to customer service from one of the nicest guys in the business. Pick up the phone and call Gibson. You get attitude.
JD

[vinnyv1k]

Yes I have a BIG love/hate relationship with Gibson. I have been dealing with them since 1973. I had to step on a lot of turds to get to the promise land. Warranty issues from 1973-present has always been a nightmare for at least me. Customer service, well sometimes very good and sometimes very bad. I will say I had a great relationship with Jim Culberson. I don't know now if he is still around or if the Crimson shop is still actively building archtops. From the late 90's to 2016 Gibson made some really fantastic archtops. Now you can get a purple Les Paul but not a ES175. I will always be the 1st to praise Gibson and the 1st to bash them. I will say Gibson has the absolute best designs and when they get it right nobody can touch them. Consistent is not in Gibson's vocabulary but they have had some very great periods. Consistent is in Campellone's vocabulary. This is not my opinion. I have lived these facts. Name one person that said they bought a Campellone that was a complete piece of crap and I will shut my big mouth. I wouldn't have all these Gibson's if I didn't love them. Love the guitar and hate the company basically. Oh and one more thing. If my pickguard broke on my Campellone Mark would send me another. If my pickguard broke on my L5 Gibson would tell me to pound salt. This new J.C. Levi's guy hasn't impressed me yet though I want very much to see Gibson succeed big time. Gibson and Harley Davidson are my 2 favorite American icons.

[vinnyv1k]

not one ounce of anger vinny, it's all good, I get that you're excited about your new guitar, and why not, it looks spectacular!and I know you're a Gibson fanboy. it's just that it seems you have a chip on your shoulder about Gibson and never waste an opportunity to let everyone know about it.

Agreed !

[ronjazz]

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.

actually, guitars and guitars. I'm talking about a 100-year-old company that made its name building Campellone-quality instruments SOME of the time.

[ronjazz]

"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.

Chevies outsell Rolls-Royces. Rolls-Royces are better cars, why doesn't everybody own one? What a silly argument.

[Stringswinger]

Gibson and Harley Davidson are my 2 favorite American icons.

You and me both, Bro....

[wintermoon]

Chevies outsell Rolls-Royces. Rolls-Royces are better cars, why doesn't everybody own one? What a silly argument.

I'm not certain but I think Rolls Royce's are considerably more expensive than a Chevy. If they weren't, more people would own them....duh

[vinnyv1k]

Around here say the word "Gibson" and a JGF internet fight will break out. The reason is clear. A lot of love and a lot of hate. I sadly have both emotions equally. I will defend them and trash them. Campellone, Cushman, Holst, D'Aquisto, D'Angelico, Borys, Trenier......all love with me baby.

[Gustavo Eiriz]

Gibson's reputation is number 1 and people is less prone to forgiving them for mistakes always.
People also want to help small talented and honest luthiers.
I have played 30.000 Usd archtop boutique blahblah guitars and people does not complain that they sound very harsh. If it were gibson we be screaming.
I am sure Campellone guitar are better fit and finished that Gibsons. They soun acoustically better too. That being said every modern custom shop archtops I played had an amazing unique amplified sound. Super fat. Probably this design can be matched but... Bettered? I didnt see that yet (i didnt played Campy's with same specs: set humbucker etc...).
Gibson guys still know what and why they do, it is not that they dont care or dont know how to carve a top. It would be easier to carve it thin like Eastmans and the guitar will sound loud at the beginning, but great bowed strings luthiers says the same: thin tops dies soon, they dont develop, they sink (early 175 sinks but nobody complain because early gibsons are supossedly made with more love than now).
Last thing, "Gibson" is the name that share guitars made by completely different people in a different city and in a different world. There is not family tradition there.
Anyway, used Gibson price are still fair.
I have mine already. Now i am lusting for a Campellone with a lot of inlays L-5 wesmo exact specs but with 3/4 nut width. Thick top. Blonde.


Enviado desde mi LG-H870 mediante Tapatalk

[pilotony]

Hello Vinny. I sent you a pm regarding a Campellone order I plan to place. Thanks.

Tony D.

[vinnyv1k]

Hello Vinny. I sent you a pm regarding a Campellone order I plan to place. Thanks.

Tony D.

Great news Tony ! You will love it and the build experience exactly how you want it. Mark will send you pics every step of the way. The build process is a fun ride.

[vinnyv1k]

I will always love the Gibson L5. I bought a new one in 2008 for $5700. Now they are $12K new. My income hasn’t doubled since 2008. I can no longer afford a Gibson.
2 things I never buy used. Cars and guitars. I like new with warranty.

[vinnyv1k]

Check out this New Campellone !

[vinnyv1k]

[Ovader]

Enjoying this thread when it stays on topic and pleased to see Campellone accepts custom orders as I thought he only makes the four models as listed on his website: Standard, Deluxe, Special and The Cameo. Seriously considering a custom order once I have settled on my specs.

[skiboyny]

Come the end of this year, I will have another guitar that will be my last. And it will be a Gibson. JD

I bet it won't be your last guitar!

[skiboyny]

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.

How would you qualify that observation?

[pilotony]

Great news Tony ! You will love it and the build experience exactly how you want it. Mark will send you pics every step of the way. The build process is a fun ride.

Thanks Vin. You're always a gentleman.

Tony D.

[Soulero]

Hi everyone,

I have a guitar in this batch, the one with two p90s on the previous page. I wanted to get an L5 but the two things I wanted were a beefy neck profile (about 1") and p90s, and most of the L5s in my price range from the 70s on have slimmer or medium necks and humbuckers. I would love a 50s L5 with p90s but they seem to go for around 20k, and I got this one for less than 6k. I will get Mark's guitar very soon and I'm very excited to play it. Of course it will be more of an electric guitar because of the 2 pickups and Mark built it with a thicker top than he would a more acoustic guitar. Mark has been great to work with and it's been a fun process.

[vinnyv1k]

Soulero.....Congrats ! A real stunner. I like where Mark put the toggle. Great color too.
Let us all know how she sounds with the P90’s.
This batch was out of the box for Mark. He told me it was a fun batch.

[ronjazz]

How would you qualify that observation?

I don't need to. I've played many examples of both, I've followed this discussion and many others through Gibsons checkered history (my 1st and last L5 I bought in 1974, it was a blond acoustic with a D'armond, 1959, I think. Beautiful guitar, rendered useless by modern organ trio volumes). I've played several Campellones, not one was anything but spectacular in every way. I've also played and owned Gibsons of all sorts, the last one was an ES5, which turns out to be a dog under working conditions. I have played great Gibsons, including one of Wes's, Tal's, Jim's, Joe's, and many more. I know what I have observed: there is a larger percentage of sub-par Gibsons than there are of Campellones. From what I have seen, the Gibson dogs are not discounted as they should be.

[Don6200]

Hi, I purchased a "Special" in 2006. The rims are 3.125" thick.

Mark now produces ones with 3" rims as well as 2.25" rims.

I just ordered a "Cameo" model. It will have a 17" lower bout, 25.5" scale, 1 3/4" nutt, 3" rims, a floating pickup, and have a chestnut sunburst finish. The nutt is 1/16th" wider than my "Special."

I play both amplified and acoustic. The Special has a very nice voice.

I did quite a bit of research on voicing versus dimensions and stuck with those on the "Cameo."

I have pictures posted somewhere in this thread.

I have owned an L5c and 2 Super 400's, all built in the 60's. Good solid guitars all, but not great ones.

[skiboyny]

I don't need to. I've played many examples of both, I've followed this discussion and many others through Gibsons checkered history (my 1st and last L5 I bought in 1974, it was a blond acoustic with a D'armond, 1959, I think. Beautiful guitar, rendered useless by modern organ trio volumes). I've played several Campellones, not one was anything but spectacular in every way. I've also played and owned Gibsons of all sorts, the last one was an ES5, which turns out to be a dog under working conditions. I have played great Gibsons, including one of Wes's, Tal's, Jim's, Joe's, and many more. I know what I have observed: there is a larger percentage of sub-par Gibsons than there are of Campellones. From what I have seen, the Gibson dogs are not discounted as they should be.

I thought you had real data to offer.