it was very nicely done Harvey, that and the headstock inlay as well.
I'm really glad you dont remember the fire. That can be so traumatic.

All the best

I owned a Zemaitis acoustic many years ago. It was a Maccaferri type guitar. Big chunky neck. It had been made for a musician called Allen Bradley here in UK if I remember correctly. It was a great guitar, though as others have noted, quite rough round the edges. I wrote to Tony Z asking him a couple of questions (no internet then remember) and he wrote me a very full and charming reply. He was clearly a lovely chap. I still have the letter, but not the guitar!
Nick

Great story Nick. He sounds like one of those characters it would be fun to meet. Are there any picutures of him on the internet? Did he have any apprentices that are still making instruments?



Great s

Here he is
 

Tony with his wife.https://photos.smugmug.com/Zemaitis/...4954979E-S.png

And George Harrison playing his guitar.
My understanding is that he made guitars for quite a few notables, including Eric Clapton.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Zemaitis/...AB269F18-S.png

Here he is
 

Tony with his wife.https://photos.smugmug.com/Zemaitis/...4954979E-S.png

And George Harrison playing his guitar.
My understanding is that he made guitars for quite a few notables, including Eric Clapton., Keith Richards, Joe Walsh to name a few.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Zemaitis/...AB269F18-S.png

Beautiful restoration work, bro!
May I send you a guitar that needs a new top? And back? And probably new sides while we're at it...?

SK

I don't think so. Recently there was a series of guitars with his name on made in Korea I think.
I'd love to know what happened to my early one.

Thanks Bro
and sure, I guess just send the neck and a general idea of what you want, flat top, arch top, classical, hurdy gurdy, what ever.

Ah yes, so glad you were not in a fire. I was confusing you momentarily with Howard Klepper.

Very interesting guitars and great stories. Two questions please

How were you able to re-use the rosette? I can see saving a round rosette, but....

Is the bridge all one piece?

Thanks, Ed

I cut the rosette out of the old top after the top was removed. saw first then files. I left the old top wood under the rosette in place for support while cutting it out, then once out and trimmed to its original deminsions fastened the face of the rosette to a plastic caul with double sided tape and thinned the back of the rosette by removing the original top wood. So the rosette was held together by tape and caul. But,before I taped and thinned the rosette, while it was still thick but trimmed exactly, I used it to scribe a line on the new top to mark out where the new cavity it was going. I routed out the cavity just a hair deeper than the thickness of the rosette and filled it with epoxy and set the rosette in. The caul held the face of the rosette level with the surface of the top while the epoxy set, so that very little sanding was necessary to even out the rosette with the top. The old rosette was getting thin, having been leveled once in the original top so this technique kept me from having to make it any thinner.

The bridge is one piece with the exception of the two dots which are bridge pin heads cut off the pins and glued to the top.

Beautifully done on the rosette - thanks

Ed

I love the sound of Zemaitis acoustics, they are unique in appearance, and may come off sounding dry to some, but their midrange tone works in the music that I like. I especially liked to hear Ronnie Lane of The Faces play his.

Man ... I just love the quirky aesthetic to this Zemaitis inspired guitar John!

As a primarily electric player for some 30 years, I'm familiar with his electrics (I'd think most of thegearpage folks would be), did not know he did acoustics.