Pederson Custom Guitars EVA UM

[theEdwinson]

Hey, Kevin, ever since I saw your EVA UM at the Memphis show, I've been haunted by the look of it, and the sound, that I discovered was so good, it knocked me back on my heels. That guitar was a total bell-ringer- it was like discovering a sunken galleon on a tropical coral reef, with a billion-worth of gold ducats in great wooden casks. The lost treasure of El Dorado!
And ever since then, I've thought about that guitar often, like yeah, THAT one- the new benchmark that kind of settles every last bit of the question, "what makes a great guitar, great".

My heart kind of sank when I first heard that this guitar had sold- because I had this little fantasy that I would win the lottery and buy this guitar from you. Or, I would sell two of my guitars and buy it! But it got away from me!
But then I thought, GOOD for the person who now owns it! It's a really special instrument, and it will make some history in the world.
I'm glad you are making more of these EVA UMs, Kevin. This one is a truly inspiring creation. Probably my favorite of all modern guitar designs.
Applause, Respect!
Steve

[KevinLPederson]

Originally Posted by theEdwinson

Hey, Kevin, ever since I saw your EVA UM at the Memphis show, I've been haunted by the look of it, and the sound, that I discovered was so good, it knocked me back on my heels. That guitar was a total bell-ringer- it was like discovering a sunken galleon on a tropical coral reef, with a billion-worth of gold ducats in great wooden casks. The lost treasure of El Dorado!
And ever since then, I've thought about that guitar often, like yeah, THAT one- the new benchmark that kind of settles every last bit of the question, "what makes a great guitar, great".

My heart kind of sank when I first heard that this guitar had sold- because I had this little fantasy that I would win the lottery and buy this guitar from you. Or, I would sell two of my guitars and buy it! But it got away from me!
But then I thought, GOOD for the person who now owns it! It's a really special instrument, and it will make some history in the world.
I'm glad you are making more of these EVA UMs, Kevin. This one is a truly inspiring creation. Probably my favorite of all modern guitar designs.
Applause, Respect!
Steve

Thanks Steve, I appreciate all the nice things you say. I'm honored to hear that.

I've often asked myself that too: "What makes a great guitar great?". I'm not sure I have the answer but I have some thoughts about it. I think its important, as much as you can, to set out to conceive your own ideas. In some way you have to set yourself apart. This is extremely hard to do amongst the golden age of luthiery talent of today. Just try to be yourself. And I believe you are doing that.

I gain inspiration from others too, but I actually ask myself how can I go about this and not have someone say "you ripped this person off etc". I want the change to be enough that it's not the same. These are generalities, but they are how I think about this stuff.

There are many other factors involved to making this happen...but one still has to have a great product, vision and marketing strategy. Some have advantages that the rest of us don't have. Mostly from a marketing standpoint. However, we still need to maintain focus and have a winning strategy. We ALL still have to have a successful product to win over the customers.

Hope your day is great!.

Kevin.

[KevinLPederson]

Here is a Bear Claw top that is going to go on a Black Burst EVA UM. This one will really have some great figure in it.





I enhanced the first pic to expose some of the figuring. The other angles just show the intensity of the 'claw' and are just natural light.

This will be an excellent piece.

Kevin.

[theEdwinson]

Originally Posted by KevinLPederson

Thanks Steve, I appreciate all the nice things you say. I'm honored to hear that.

I've often asked myself that too: "What makes a great guitar great?". I'm not sure I have the answer but I have some thoughts about it. I think its important, as much as you can, to set out to conceive your own ideas. In some way you have to set yourself apart. This is extremely hard to do amongst the golden age of luthiery talent of today. Just try to be yourself. And I believe you are doing that.

I gain inspiration from others too, but I actually ask myself how can I go about this and not have someone say "you ripped this person off etc". I want the change to be enough that it's not the same. These are generalities, but they are how I think about this stuff.

There are many other factors involved to making this happen...but one still has to have a great product, vision and marketing strategy. Some have advantages that the rest of us don't have. Mostly from a marketing standpoint. However, we still need to maintain focus and have a winning strategy. We ALL still have to have a successful product to win over the customers.

Hope your day is great!.

Kevin.

You make some great points, Kevin. Particularly from the standpoint of the ways that the world of custom, high-end guitars (and people who build them) are evolving. It's a totally different world than it was fifteen years ago!

I went to the Healdsburg 1999 Festival, as a spectator. I had not yet built my first guitar- that festival was the single event that changed my life forever, and set me on this path. And one thing I noticed at that show was, every other guitar was a copy of a classic Martin or Gibson design! They were EVERYWHERE- and the orthodoxy of both the luthier community and the players who supported them ONLY seemed to want to slavishly copy those tried-and-true designs.

There were a few brave, intrepid, and totally original new designer/builders there- Michi Madsuda and Steve Klein spring to mind- but they were by far the exception rather than the rule. And their work was regarded as exotic curiosity rather than mainstream.

But man, has that changed over the years! At every post-2000 Healdsburg I attended (now as an exhibitor) I noticed that the Martin-style Dreadnaught copy was dwindling to fewer and fewer examples on display every year. Sure, Martin, Gibson, and even Taylor were still cranking out millions of Dreadnaught guitars, but the custom builders were finally taking some audacious chances, and EVOLVING the acoustic guitar into new (and I think, often, BETTER) forms.

It got to the point where, at the final Healdsburg 2013, and now the Memphis show, it appears that the the ubiquitous, world-dominating Dreadnaught has been becoming something of a relic of the past! Of course, we will always have wonderful examples of these 20th-century classics to enjoy, but now that we are firmly ensconced in a new millennium, INNOVATION is finally being accepted, and celebrated. No doubt, the finest guitars in History are being made right now, and it's people like you who are showing us what is possible, when you combine the best of artistic vision, engineering genius, and deep craft wisdom into this endeavor.

Kevin, you are at the vanguard of that new movement, bringing thoroughly modern, beautiful, inspiring instruments into play. Not to mention, your super-human feats of artistry and woodworking skill. So again, applause to you for finding your way, and having the courage and vision to be a true ORIGINAL in this world of cookie-cutter sameness... Your work is truly inspirational to me, as I have striven determinedly since guitar number one to take the best of tradition, and merge it with innovative new ideas of guitar architecture and engineering. My mission is to build 21st-Century guitars- and I'm very glad to have Master Luthiers like you, lighting the way...

[KevinLPederson]

Originally Posted by theEdwinson

You make some great points, Kevin. Particularly from the standpoint of the ways that the world of custom, high-end guitars (and people who build them) are evolving. It's a totally different world than it was fifteen years ago!

I went to the Healdsburg 1999 Festival, as a spectator. I had not yet built my first guitar- that festival was the single event that changed my life forever, and set me on this path. And one thing I noticed at that show was, every other guitar was a copy of a classic Martin or Gibson design! They were EVERYWHERE- and the orthodoxy of both the luthier community and the players who supported them ONLY seemed to want to slavishly copy those tried-and-true designs.

There were a few brave, intrepid, and totally original new designer/builders there- Michi Madsuda and Steve Klein spring to mind- but they were by far the exception rather than the rule. And their work was regarded as exotic curiosity rather than mainstream.

But man, has that changed over the years! At every post-2000 Healdsburg I attended (now as an exhibitor) I noticed that the Martin-style Dreadnaught copy was dwindling to fewer and fewer examples on display every year. Sure, Martin, Gibson, and even Taylor were still cranking out millions of Dreadnaught guitars, but the custom builders were finally taking some audacious chances, and EVOLVING the acoustic guitar into new (and I think, often, BETTER) forms.

It got to the point where, at the final Healdsburg 2013, and now the Memphis show, it appears that the the ubiquitous, world-dominating Dreadnaught has been becoming something of a relic of the past! Of course, we will always have wonderful examples of these 20th-century classics to enjoy, but now that we are firmly ensconced in a new millennium, INNOVATION is finally being accepted, and celebrated. No doubt, the finest guitars in History are being made right now, and it's people like you who are showing us what is possible, when you combine the best of artistic vision, engineering genius, and deep craft wisdom into this endeavor.

Kevin, you are at the vanguard of that new movement, bringing thoroughly modern, beautiful, inspiring instruments into play. Not to mention, your super-human feats of artistry and woodworking skill. So again, applause to you for finding your way, and having the courage and vision to be a true ORIGINAL in this world of cookie-cutter sameness... Your work is truly inspirational to me, as I have striven determinedly since guitar number one to take the best of tradition, and merge it with innovative new ideas of guitar architecture and engineering. My mission is to build 21st-Century guitars- and I'm very glad to have Master Luthiers like you, lighting the way...

Steve - thank you! Very kind words. Very well thought out post - again, honored! I had some of the same thoughts about recreating a dreadnaught guitar. My thoughts were Martin already has it down, does it better and can do it cheaper. It just wasn't something I felt I could move forward with. Innovate on a Dreadnaught? (maybe a challenge for another time in the future ). So I just chose to go down another path with different shapes/concepts etc. I think each builder needs something that can potentially set them apart - to get that "break out" notice. There is more to it than that, though. I wouldn't be happy trying to make martin style stuff. My desire is to be as forefront as humanly possible in this market of already greatly skilled builders - and just put something out that succeeds. I think my EVA UM is going to help me get some notice. This last one sounded great all around, and I've kept the measurements/weights I've needed to make the rest sound that way too. The handful of others I've made sounded pretty on target also. I think the Translucent Black Burst finish could be a game changer. People responded very well to it. Many builders came over and asked "what are you doing?" after they strummed it. Its just a great chance to have a break out guitar that has something itself to say .

So, thanks again, Steve, for your thoughts. I always enjoy your builds and what you have to say. Keep striving. For most, it never comes easy.

Have a great day, brother!

Kevin.

[mikealpine]

Kevin, love your work! I'm not as eloquent as Steve, but I echo his sentiments.

Will you be at Woodstock this year?

[theEdwinson]

Thanks, Kevin. I will be watching this thread- I'm very excited to see how these projects develop. I think the EVA UM is just a total knockout!

By the way, speaking of opinions, if I may, I'd like to add a clarification to my previous comments. It was rightfully brought to my attention by another AGF contributor yesterday that my wording was a bit insensitive, regarding traditional guitars and traditionally-oriented builders. It seems that my enthusiasm for Kevin's very modern and creative design work could be misconstrued as disrespectful to the more traditional approaches to lutherie.

I certainly did not mean to offend anyone (or any guitar) of a more traditional nature. Nothing could be further from the truth; and I want to state publicly that I have the deepest respect and admiration for tradition, and for the people who design and craft guitars of a traditional nature. Without them, none of us could do what we are doing today. Everything you see on this Forum, and the whole world of the guitar, was born from the rich wellspring of the traditional arts.

Before I began building guitars, I owned a number of (mostly Alvarez Yairi) dreadnaughts, which I dearly loved. These guitars were the principle joy of my life! Really, I meant no disrespect to these, or any other. I guess I was just bubbling over with enthusiasm for Kevin's work, and maybe came across as denigrating to other schools of endeavor in this work. I was reminded of this privately yesterday- so may I offer my apology, and state for the record that I have only the deepest admiration and respect for EVERYONE in this Craft, and for the guitars they build. In my opinion, ALL guitars are good, and the very IDEA of the guitar is a testament to the artistic nature of our species. No exclusions!
There is room enough for all of us in this world, and I think the tremendous diversity of luthiers and guitars we have available today is a gift to us all, and should be gladly celebrated.
Thank you Kevin, for what you are doing. And thanks to everyone else too. I am proud and honored to be a member of this community.

By the way, Kevin- just curious- is the "UM" in your model designation an acronym for "Ultra-Modern"?

[KevinLPederson]

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Kevin, love your work! I'm not as eloquent as Steve, but I echo his sentiments.

Will you be at Woodstock this year?

Hey Mike - Glad you enjoy the threads too! No, I didn't get an invite to woodstock this year.

BUT... I am going to be at the Arlington Guitar Show in TX for a guitar delivery. Its a great show and I've sold guitars there before so I'm more than stoked to go!!! I have a few repeat customers from there and maybe I'll come back with a little get-together story or something.

I will have a few nice guitars with me for that trip. Looking forward to TX in October.

Kevin.

[KevinLPederson]

Originally Posted by theEdwinson

Thanks, Kevin. I will be watching this thread- I'm very excited to see how these projects develop. I think the EVA UM is just a total knockout!

By the way, speaking of opinions, if I may, I'd like to add a clarification to my previous comments. It was rightfully brought to my attention by another AGF contributor yesterday that my wording was a bit insensitive, regarding traditional guitars and traditionally-oriented builders. It seems that my enthusiasm for Kevin's very modern and creative design work could be misconstrued as disrespectful to the more traditional approaches to lutherie.

I certainly did not mean to offend anyone (or any guitar) of a more traditional nature. Nothing could be further from the truth; and I want to state publicly that I have the deepest respect and admiration for tradition, and for the people who design and craft guitars of a traditional nature. Without them, none of us could do what we are doing today. Everything you see on this Forum, and the whole world of the guitar, was born from the rich wellspring of the traditional arts.

Before I began building guitars, I owned a number of (mostly Alvarez Yairi) dreadnaughts, which I dearly loved. These guitars were the principle joy of my life! Really, I meant no disrespect to these, or any other. I guess I was just bubbling over with enthusiasm for Kevin's work, and maybe came across as denigrating to other schools of endeavor in this work. I was reminded of this privately yesterday- so may I offer my apology, and state for the record that I have only the deepest admiration and respect for EVERYONE in this Craft, and for the guitars they build. In my opinion, ALL guitars are good, and the very IDEA of the guitar is a testament to the artistic nature of our species. No exclusions!
There is room enough for all of us in this world, and I think the tremendous diversity of luthiers and guitars we have available today is a gift to us all, and should be gladly celebrated.
Thank you Kevin, for what you are doing. And thanks to everyone else too. I am proud and honored to be a member of this community.

By the way, Kevin- just curious- is the "UM" in your model designation an acronym for "Ultra-Modern"?

Thanks Steve, I think this guitar is a knock-out too. I'm even planning a rosette option for this very next one. Its an odd-size hole and offset, so it will be challenging, but I'm down for the struggle .

Yes, it does.

Thanks for the clarification, Steve, but I was already on-board with what you were saying. I don't think they are mutually exclusive. I have a traditional guitar in my SJ...and other styles. I'm a custom builder - certainly can do those styles. But I favor innovation. Without innovation we wouldn't have reached the moon. Without innovation we wouldn't be chatting on this forum. So there is room for all. Post away. On my thread, as long as you are talking about my guitars and not being disrespectful to anyone - and you were not; you can talk all the modern progressive stuff you want.

If the guitar has a 'more-than pleasing tone', "innovation" alone, shouldn't steer someone away from that purchase.

We've also had some postings and threads about luthiers 'Signature Sound'. I think this EVA UM is a step in that direction for me. I think a combination of things can work to make this guitar a success for me. I'm willing to let it speak for itself.

Hope you all have a great evening!

Kevin.

[mikealpine]

Sorry you won't be at Woodstock!! But glad you've got great stuff on the horizon. Happy to be watching your builds come to life!

[KevinLPederson]

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Sorry you won't be at Woodstock!! But glad you've got great stuff on the horizon. Happy to be watching your builds come to life!

mikealpine - The Texas show will be very good. I'm actually very stoked. At this point, its a very good direction for me!

I'm going to upload a video from Memphis of my demo slot with the EVA UM guitar tomorrow...if I can get it off my daughters phone. Might not be superior quality, (she said it was good she's 15 so....??? we'll see), but it will be something. Tim Farrell played it. Had a couple good pieces and he played very well. If its not good quality I'll skip it.

Thanks.

Kevin.

[KevinLPederson]

Working on the cut away area. And head block.





Neck accents.



Back reinforcement strip. I used macassar ebony for this. Looks cool in the walnut.



Strip going in...in the bag.



Kevin.

[KevinLPederson]

This is a glimpse of how the inside will look. I just love this shape.



I'll brace this back on Monday (its just sitting in there for the pic). I deflection tested this back today, which is putting a known weight on it and thinning it out and measuring this deflection. When it deflects into the range for this guitar its "tuned". The reason for this procedure is to "tune" the guitar so that I can have fairly repeatable results. Next guitar, no matter what species of wood, no matter the densities of the woods, I can deflect them to this same known tension and have fairly repeatable results.

This guitar is going to Arlington with me unless it sells first, it will have a highly detailed engraved Leopard on it. I'm really excited for this.

Beautiful day in Iowa. Hope your day was great too!

Kevin.

[KevinLPederson]

Here are some snap shots of this EVA UM.

I love this Black Translucent Bear Claw Top.



Walnut is as good as any wood I've used in look and sound.



Ovangkol/maple/ovangkol neck with accents. This is a great layout for the EVA UM. Usually there is curl in this shedua. Also, this neck is so stiff with these laminations...probably don't even need CF rods. Some people place this tonally between maple and rosewood. It adds clarity I think.




This angle really brings out the contrast in the bearclaw, and shows the bevel transition. Really nice figure in the top. I've always enjoyed enhancing the figure on these type of tops.




Hope you enjoy the pics.

Kevin.

[FahroutUkes]

WOWZA that's a good looking guitar!!!

Originally Posted by KevinLPederson

Here are some snap shots of this EVA UM.

I love this Black Translucent Bear Claw Top.



Walnut is as good as any wood I've used in look and sound.



Ovangkol/maple/ovangkol neck with accents. This is a great layout for the EVA UM. Usually there is curl in this shedua. Also, this neck is so stiff with these laminations...probably don't even need CF rods. Some people place this tonally between maple and rosewood. It adds clarity I think.




This angle really brings out the contrast in the bearclaw, and shows the bevel transition. Really nice figure in the top. I've always enjoyed enhancing the figure on these type of tops.




Hope you enjoy the pics.

Kevin.