ott fancy furniture guitars, c/d, s/d etc

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I went to wh smiths on the way home last night to pick up "Sound on Sound", but it wasn't out yet, so I picked up "Guitarist" instead. They had a review of this:

http://www.melanconguitars.com/custom_artist_t.shtml

In it, except it was an even fancier version - koa fronted, gold-plated hardware, little gold-lined koa onlays on the neck, knobs w/koa inlays, koa picup covers, other stuff I forget now. I must admit, although it was undoubtedly OTT, it did look absolutely beautiful.

I guess this is a rare example for me - I've seen plenty of pics/reviews of similar instruments - nathan sheppards, PRSs with OTT inlays etc etc etc, and a lot of them look horribly gaudy and tasteless to me. Off the top of my head, the only other decorative-art type guitar I like the looks of is that trussart telecaster made of steel plate & mesh.

The criticisms of such instruments - you'd be almost scared to play them at home, let alone take them out and do a gig w/them, for phear of scratching the lovely finish, and that very litte/none of it does anything for the tone of the instrument, and that it all adds ridiculously to the price are totally valid, I think. Yet at the same time, if I had the $$££ (which I haven't) I could really fancy owning that Melancon.

What is IMMs opinion of such instruments (by which I mean exotic grain/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ grade woods, spalted maple tops fancier-than-fancy hardware, not "art guitars" or novelty shapes/paint finishes)? also, please link to the most ridiculously ott examples you've enocuntered.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 22 September 2006 10:24 (nineteen years ago)

I generally dislike really OTT things (not just instruments); but beyond a taste issue, I don't like them because as you said, it would be difficult for me to gig/practice with them without being far too pre-occupied about breaking/scratching/breathing on them.

― steal compass, drive north, disappear (tissp), Friday, 22 September 2006 10:38 (nineteen years ago)

They're not very rock'n'roll, are they?

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Friday, 22 September 2006 18:33 (nineteen years ago)

No! Not at all. It's weird that the Telecaster shape seems to be a commonly chosen one in this type of guitar, given the Tele's image as a back-to-basics tough working/gigging instrument.

I suppose the steelcaster plays up on that a bit:

http://www.jamestrussart.com/Newsite/Steelcaster-photos/Steelcaster_H.htm

with it's mad industrialistic image.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Saturday, 23 September 2006 09:29 (nineteen years ago)

I do love the Trussart stuff.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Saturday, 23 September 2006 18:01 (nineteen years ago)

Those Greco Japan built guitars based on Zemetais' designs are really sharp with all of the metal inlay work.

A friend of mine got a Korean knock off of one of the Zemetais that looks pretty good, it was a flame top model and not one of the ingraved ones. At the same guitar show he got an Agile with a spalted maple top that also looked really cool and much more custom than their price tag.

I love the flame top USA Hamer Standards. Those things have flame top better than those crazy expensive Gibson Les Pauls and some of them are 1 piece mahogany bodys.

http://www.willcuttguitars.com/images/554190-1.jpg

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Sunday, 24 September 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.ruokangas.com/

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Sunday, 24 September 2006 20:17 (nineteen years ago)

my complaint is it's total form over function.
I don't like paying for things I won't use.

I'm glad someone else refers to them as 'furniture guitars.'
I refer to curly woods as 'furniture wood.'

The aesthetics i'd pay or would be personal custom ones,(and then I wouldn't pay over 2.4k usd), art-deco, or ones that I enjoy with irony.
I got an ibanez Univers VS a $400 less RG6720 because I thought it looked funny. Like haha funny.
I now appreciate the symbolism a bit more, but it's still gaudy.

Those shell-topped Xavier guitars(I'm never touching the ones they copy, insane prices) look neat to me. Why? They look like the floor in the bathroom of an art-deco hotel. that's two out of three!!!

― The GZeus (The GZeus), Sunday, 24 September 2006 23:57 (nineteen years ago)

I think Xavier is the brand of that Zematais knockoff my friend got. It is a pretty neat guitar and quite light, as the body is not as thick as a Les Paul.

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 02:55 (nineteen years ago)

I think Xavier is the brand of that Zematais knockoff my friend got.

Yup (though it's Xaviere...). Courtesy of guitarfetish.com, the groovy reasonably-priced pickup people. Great idea, actually. The world has more than enough LP-alikes, and not nearly enough SHELLTOPS... which is why they give you four, yes four, to choose from!

http://site.guitarfetish.com/1050_A.jpg http://site.guitarfetish.com/1250_A.jpg

http://site.guitarfetish.com/1200_A.jpg http://site.guitarfetish.com/1000_A.jpg

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 04:11 (nineteen years ago)

Fancy toilet/lobby guitar!

― The GZeus (The GZeus), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 12:32 (nineteen years ago)

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