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New Violinmaster Telecaster Relic Guitar From Fender's Custom Shop - Jazz Guitar Today
Limited edition Violinmaster Telecaster® Relic® guitar from principal master builder, Yuriy Shishkov.
Only $30,000 usd. !
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10-20-2021 11:42 AM
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For 30 Gees you'd think it wouldn't be a bolt-on neck.
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So we can put you down for three guitars then?
Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
I can't help but think what else you could get for that money from any of a dozen world class luthiers!
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Maybe the Strad that inspired it was a bolt-on Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
All kidding aside, I was fascinated to learn that bolt-on and adjustable necks on stringed instruments are neither new ideas or limited to guitars. There have been fine classical instruments with these features for a few hundred years and several contemporary makers use bolt on necks. I don't know if Stradivarius made any with these features himself (I haven't ever been able to find details of who actually did the deeds or when), but there are some well known instruments of his that were either made with or were later modified to have these features, e.g. this 1730 bass:
and this Strad cello:
This is a Kolstein Busetto:
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Yes, and without the creepy culture vulture vibe this gives off. Some of us remember Tim Lerch’s archtop Tele, which might have sold for ~$3800. That was an elegant interpretation. One can get a Marchione, a Holst, a Forshage etc etc. for prices that respect the luthier’s standards, but don’t give off even the slightest whiff of snoot, like this thing. Originally Posted by Doug B
Professional string players may be used to investing $20-250K in rebuilt 19th C instruments with wood that sings, and in a few more centuries more of our archtops and slab guitars will enter that $trato$phere, but what goes through my head looking at this opportunity is “It ain’t me babe, no no no!”
I know it’s unfair, but: My violist wife Linn and I just talked about potential marks for this limited edition, and settled on plastic surgeons and oral surgeons tired of those 8-9lb PRS wood-museum 10-tops.
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He didn't even get the 'f' holes in the right place - the notches in the 'f's are supposed to be even with the bridge.
Hmmmm.... wonder who's been snooping in my shop? I guess I could add a tailpiece and another pickup. BTW, this one is completely hollow with only a small block under the bridge and, guess what? It sounds like a Tele.
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If that had 7 strings, I'd be first in line for it! My Tele 7 was designed by Chris Forshage and made in a CNC shop in China. It's in the same genre but far from the same league. That's one gorgeous guitar, Skip! Originally Posted by Skip Ellis
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I just have one thought--what the F-hole were they thinking??
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Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
Reminds me of a certain top ex-government official who spray painted all his furniture with gold paint to "impress " visitors.
Louis XIV you ain't, Buster!!!
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Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
I could see if this was a fancy one off for NAMM.
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Everyone seems to realize this is a marketing thing for Fender. I don’t think anyone who is a serious player would ever go near this thing. But they sure got a lot of press and chatter for their efforts, even if it’s negative,LOL!
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My gut says the same thing, especially at the price. But to be honest, I’ve eaten those words more than once. I even ended up buying one overpriced guitar (although nowhere near as overpriced as this one) that I made fun of on multiple occasions because it was so good when I finally played it. Originally Posted by jads57
When Fender brought out the relic series in ‘95 or so, I was brutal in my criticism of the guitars and the people who bought them. The manager of a well known local shop, who was a friend and a fabulous guitarist, called to let me know that they’d gotten their first relic strat and he thought I’d want to try it because it was such a great instrument. I don’t remember what it cost, but I could have bought a new strat, a bag of steel wool, and a bottle of oven cleaner for less than half and made my own relic.
Long story short, he held on to it until I could get there…….and it was one of the best guitars I’d ever played. It felt and sounded amazing, and I bought it on the spot. Even with my huge discount, it was one expensive strat back then. So while I also believe that no one in his right mind would pay 30 large for that Strad Tele, I can believe that it might be a wonderful guitar worth a stiff premium to someone with the desire, the appreciation, and the money. It ain’t me, babe - but it’s not out of the realm of possibility for somebody.
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So while Fender still makes a few nice Teles and Strats still.The majority of them are quite overpriced and or generic feeling guitars imo.
Ive had way better luck putting Partscaster Teles and Strats over the years. You really are paying for a brand identity which isn’t even Fender, Gibson etc. any longer anyways,lol!
But if you have the $$$$$ and can swing it ,more power to you.
All I know is a bar gig still only pays $100 if you’re really lucky!
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Thread needs a picture of the perp..
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My guitar too has a bearclaw spruce top from the Foresta dei violini where Stradivari got his wood from, top grade Bosnian mapple back and sides, ebony etc, violin-style binding and hand-applied varnish (without the pathetic relicing though). Yes, it has f-holes too. Talk about "Violin master". And it was carefully built by master luthier Nico Moffa.
Most expensive guitar I ever bought. About 1/4 what Fender want for that bolt-on, lol.
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And coz it’s a Custom Shop, you get to also pay for discreet relic touches. Looks like some gouges were created with antique dental picks. No auto-body sanders or drunk rasp files here, as with the CS relic Strats and Teles!
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Nope.
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I quite like this guitar. Not $30,000 like but if it was $3,000, I might consider it.
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Will there be Chinese knockoffs?
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Are you with me, Mr. Wu? Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
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I think that every time I see his name mentioned here. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
Are you crazy are you goofier
Or just an ordinary luthier
Last edited by BigDaddyLoveHandles; 10-22-2021 at 11:51 AM.
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Interesting choice of pickups: TV Jones Thunderblades, which are bass pickups. Anyone ever tried them in a guitar?
Thunder'''Blade Bass Pickups | TV Jones
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hmm
I watched the marketing video that Fender put out to accompany the guitars launch and was left feeling perplexed that Fender would compare themselves to the greatest, most prized instrument maker in history.
The indignation that should be rightfully felt towards Fender for this offensive narcissism, is a waste fo time.
It's a marketing exercise and a very good one at that. Take that Gibson, with your historic Archtops.
The link between Stradivarius and Fender has now been made.Last edited by Archie; 10-22-2021 at 02:37 PM.
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I’ve put a few bass pickups in 7 string guitars because they’re about the same size as 7 humbuckers. But they were all active, largely because I never came across a good passive bass pup both big enough for a 7 and cheap enough for a tightwad. Originally Posted by Drifter
When I first built my single pup 7 string FrankenPaul (neck only), I had an EMG bass pup that I’d picked up on “final clearance” just to play with it. It was surprisingly fine, with smooth mellow tone and fairly wide response to the tone pot. When an EMG 7 string popped up on sale (but, sadly, not clearance ) years later, I bought it and switched the two back and forth to compare them. Any difference was truly minimal.
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Weird flex, I guess. Might look nice next to those game of thrones fender
If you really wanted, you could ask hofner for a real archtop, made by people who actually know how to do that, and how to make violins and how to make guitars that look like violins and so on, for a fraction of the price.
Or if you were a clever sort, you'd walk past the fender custom shop and stop at the gretsch custom shop in the same building and have a real archtop made by a guy who not only knows who to do that, but who might be one of the few people extant with a building/training pedigree that you could even begin to compare to Stradivarius in Stephen Stern (who studied under d'aquisto and benedetto). Again, for less than a third of the price. Which isn't nothing, but come on.
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