Campellone Cameo

[Jim Soloway]

Remarkably clean for such a complex build. Just beautiful.

[Archie]

Vinny great to see it finally at its new home.
Hope it brings you lots of joy.
Some nice design choices, certainly looks on par with the Gibson Citation.
I like the thick top. I bet it sounds as good as it looks.

[vinnyv1k]

Vinny great to see it finally at its new home.
Hope it brings you lots of joy.
Some nice design choices, certainly looks on par with the Gibson Citation.
I like the thick top. I bet it sounds as good as it looks.

Yes, I specified a thick top and very tight grain spruce. Mark carved it exactly like I wanted and used a perfect piece of spruce.
I feel no more GAS in my bones.

[Rickco]

Vinny, how does the thick top effect acoustic volume/tone? Everyones taste in tone is different, does increased top thickness give it a warmer L5 sound?
very curious about this as I dont have the oportunity to try gits of this caliber not to mention side by side but I know you do. Could it support rhythm in a big band scenario without amplification or solo chord melody in a small venue. Im not sure I could stop staring at it long enough to play it! I ask because its doubtfull I will have a guitar made at this point (GAS is always in the background) but if I did I wouldnt know what specs to request. I was going to ask this in "the builders bench" but since you just got probably the nicest box most will ever see much less play and have gits to compare to, you have a unique view. Glad you shared...gave us all something to dream about.

[vinnyv1k]

Yes - a thicker top will give a thicker tone. Also, a tight grain will give a faster response. Both will give a less airy tone and lessen the acoustic volume unplugged. A thick top with tight grain also will give a tighter bass and of course way less feedback.

My Special also has a thick top but has a wide grain on the spruce. It sounds airier. My V1K2 Custom has a thinner top with tighter grain. So, my 3 Campellone's all have the same build specs but sound different unplugged mostly because of the tops IMO.

Mark doesn't brace his guitars heavily like an L-5 so they are naturally brighter than a Gibson is.

A thin top Campellone would probably be too bright for me, so I have always asked for a thicker top from Mark.

Also, his guitars really come alive after a couple years. At home you definitely don't need an amp.

[Rickco]

Ahhhh, Thankyou your one of the few that could speak to that. Great answer, exactly what I was after. I had no idea the spruce grain had that effect and I wanted the top answer from an "apples to apples" point of view. Congrats again for your new masterpiece.

[Piedaddy]

That is a knockout!!

[Strbender]

Just stunning. Mark made you a piece of fine art. I know it will sing like an angel in your hands.

[Jabberwocky]

That's a lot of cherry syrup and abalone bling bling! You need to do another one in Antique Natural. Being a castrato is so worth it...

That's a stunner, Vinny. Make her sing.

[Gregc57]

Vin & Mark:
THIS is now my favorite. Stunning! Vin, when you’re done with it, leave it to the Smithsonian, where it belongs. That’s just a “pinnacle” piece. I think I need a poster to hang. Mark, Mark, Mark, ….
…….. ok, I’m speechless. I’ll just go back and oogle it some more.

[WholeTone]

Vinny,

If you own a Campellone with and without a floater, could you describe the differences in sound to you?

Thanks!!!

[vinnyv1k]

Vinny,

If you own a Campellone with and without a floater, could you describe the differences in sound to you?

Thanks!!!

Actually, not a huge difference. Of course the humbucker is louder amplified with more sustain and deeper lows.
Unplugged the floater is maybe a tad louder but not by much.

Being a Gibson guy I am used to knobs on the top vs the Schatten setup though it works very well it doesn't seem super durable.
I can't stand knobs on a pickguard though. Always in my way so the Schatten setup had to be. Looks simple to replace if they fail.

I like them both but not a night and day difference to my ears. If I had to choose one, it would be a Campellone with a humbucker but it doesn't make sense to have 3 Campellone's all built the same. I like them both very much.

Mark knows me well, so he built my Cameo so if I ever change my mind, it would be an easy conversion but I'm happy.

[Stringswinger]

Vinny,

If you own a Campellone with and without a floater, could you describe the differences in sound to you?

Thanks!!!

I bought one of Vinny's Campellones (V1K Custom) and it has a built in humbucker. It is first and foremost an acoustic guitar and is every bit as loud as your average flattop acoustic. I doubt the volume difference would be that great had it been made with a floater. It sounds great acoustically and really shines plugged it, nailing the warm Wes Montgomery tone we hear on the Verve records.

Wes Montgomery's single pickup L-5 guitars were essentially Gibson L-5Cs with a single pickup and two controls cut into the tops. The Gibson Wes Montgomery model is a different guitar. That guitar is essentially an L-5CES with one less pickup, one less brace and three less controls. It is first and foremost an electric guitar (though it has a whiff of the L-5C acoustic sound baked in).

I should also add for all of those reading this post, that buying a guitar from Vinny is a smart thing to do. Vinny hand picks amazing archtop guitars and when he lets them go to fellow forum members, he does so at an almost wholesale price. So you get a great guitar for a great price. If you see him advertise a guitar on our For Sale section, pull the trigger quickly. You will be glad you did.

[vinnyv1k]

Thanks buddy

[Gitpicker]

I bought one of Vinny's Campellones (V1K Custom) and it has a built in humbucker. It is first and foremost an acoustic guitar and is every bit as loud as your average flattop acoustic. I doubt the volume difference would be that great had it been made with a floater. It sounds great acoustically and really shines plugged it, nailing the warm Wes Montgomery tone we hear on the Verve records.

Wes Montgomery's single pickup L-5 guitars were essentially Gibson L-5Cs with a single pickup and two controls cut into the tops. The Gibson Wes Montgomery model is a different guitar. That guitar is essentially an L-5CES with one less pickup, one less brace and three less controls. It is first and foremost an electric guitar (though it has a whiff of the L-5C acoustic sound baked in).

I should also add for all of those reading this post, that buying a guitar from Vinny is a smart thing to do. Vinny hand picks amazing archtop guitars and when he lets them go to fellow forum members, he does so at an almost wholesale price. So you get a great guitar for a great price. If you see him advertise a guitar on our For Sale section, pull the trigger quickly. You will be glad you did.

I second Mark's words. Having purchased from Vinny before as well, you won't find a more honest seller, and his guitars are always kept in mint condition. If anything it will likely arrive better than his description.

[skykomishone]

Ditto! I'm a charter member of the fan club!

[vinnyv1k]

WOW - getting a lot of love. Thank you my friends

Hmmm - might be a good time to start downsizing.

[Bluedawg]

I bought one of Vinny's Campellones (V1K Custom) and it has a built in humbucker. It is first and foremost an acoustic guitar and is every bit as loud as your average flattop acoustic. I doubt the volume difference would be that great had it been made with a floater. It sounds great acoustically and really shines plugged it, nailing the warm Wes Montgomery tone we hear on the Verve records.

Wes Montgomery's single pickup L-5 guitars were essentially Gibson L-5Cs with a single pickup and two controls cut into the tops. The Gibson Wes Montgomery model is a different guitar. That guitar is essentially an L-5CES with one less pickup, one less brace and three less controls. It is first and foremost an electric guitar (though it has a whiff of the L-5C acoustic sound baked in).

I should also add for all of those reading this post, that buying a guitar from Vinny is a smart thing to do. Vinny hand picks amazing archtop guitars and when he lets them go to fellow forum members, he does so at an almost wholesale price. So you get a great guitar for a great price. If you see him advertise a guitar on our For Sale section, pull the trigger quickly. You will be glad you did.

Your discussion of L5C vs L5CES reminds me of an alleged L5C that was on the market locally a few years ago during the glory days of Gibson's Crimson series archtops.

Rainbow guitars had at least one new L5C with a floating pickup and one without. They may have had two of each, but it's been while.

I wanted to buy the L5C with the floating pup, but I already had a Le Grand and couldn't bring myself to spend the dough on something so close to a guitar I already had.

The L5C with no pickup was interesting. Wes Montgomery's L5 may have been an L5C with a pickup, but this alleged L5C seemed more like an L5CES without any pickups. Maybe it needed a few months or years of playing to open up.

[Don6200]

Your Cameo is gorgeous!

Mark built one for me quite a while ago. It is the first cognac finished one he did. It is posted in the gallery.

Love it!

Don

[Marty Grass]

Yes, I specified a thick top and very tight grain spruce. Mark carved it exactly like I wanted and used a perfect piece of spruce.
I feel no more GAS in my bones.

So you're cured of GAS or just in temporary remission?

[vinnyv1k]

So you're cured of GAS or just in temporary remission?

I haven’t been trolling guitar sites on the internet so that’s a good sign

[Marty Grass]

I haven’t been trolling guitar sites on the internet so that’s a good sign

Check back in a month!

[Doug B]

So you're cured of GAS or just in temporary remission?

The Swifties did a memory wipe of Vinnie's memory re: GAS. Didn't work though-it only lasted 5 minutes.


Doug B