CF archtops and violins

wierdOne · #1 11-24-2012, 01:10 PM

So... i've been away from the forum for a looooonnnnnggg time... in fact... this is my first post in years..

about 10 years ago I began my quest for a carbon fiber archtop guitar..

besides some rare Rainsong jazz guitars produced in hawaii, i had absolutely no luck in finding one...

for good reason... nobody produced any..

so.. somehow... i got in touch with someone that wanted to make cf instruments... and... well... the dude did it... but... the first guitars were totally unplayable.. but.. they looked REALLY cool... quite a few iterations later, he figured out how to do what he needed to do to produce an acoustic/electric instrument that would fit my needs...

I'm a solo jazz guitar player... so... i need a versatile acoustic instrument that inspires me...

well.. he built a few..

the guy isn't web savvy... and doesn't have any time to devote to making/maintaining a website... i'm helping him make a facebook page, and when he's happy with it.. we'll launch the site..

I, personally, won't profit from this venture... except getting prototype instruments to test out... (big freaking smile)...

so... i'll let you know when it's up and running.

billy

by the way... you have NO IDEA how hard it has been to resist the urge to post on this forum about this... for literally 2 years i've kept it quiet... but.. now... the cat is about to be out of the bag...

Doubleneck · #2 11-24-2012, 01:49 PM

Alistair Hay of Emerald took a commission that produced a arch top. Love to see what your guitar look likes.

http://www.emeraldguitars.com/mainbl...-nylon-string/

wierdOne · #3 11-24-2012, 04:01 PM

ladies and gents...

may i present Martin Lewis String Instruments...

Martin Lewis Facebook Page

wierdOne · #4 11-24-2012, 04:10 PM

from the page:

and the man himself.. Martin Lewis..

this is an exciting day for me... i hope you guys love the work that we've put into everything..

kramster · #5 11-24-2012, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doubleneck

Alistair Hay of Emerald took a commission that produced a arch top. Love to see what your guitar look likes.

http://www.emeraldguitars.com/mainbl...-nylon-string/

I played and videoed Paper Kitten playing that very guitar..super nice

Uncle Pauhana · #6 11-24-2012, 04:48 PM

So beautiful, so graceful, so elegant! Best of luck with your endeavor.

cpeehler7 · #7 11-24-2012, 04:58 PM

That has to be the coolest looking archtop guitar I've ever seen. Carbon Fiber guitars are definitely growing on me a lot more. Hope I get to try one out some time in the near future.

mc1 · #8 11-24-2012, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wierdOne

from the page:

and the man himself.. Martin Lewis..

this is an exciting day for me... i hope you guys love the work that we've put into everything..

looks very professional. i really like the lil' mate guitar. i take it that martin lewis is in australia?

kramster · #9 11-24-2012, 05:20 PM

I want to play, photo, and video them!!

Just sayin'

Doubleneck · #10 11-24-2012, 05:25 PM

Blows by the Rainsong, wow that is pretty cool. Price range?

mc1 · #11 11-24-2012, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doubleneck

Blows by the Rainsong, wow that is pretty cool. Price range?

here are the introductory prices:

https://www.facebook.com/MLSInstumen...type=1&theater

brahmz118 · #12 11-24-2012, 06:07 PM

Wow, these look really promising. Are the fretboards wood? The tailpiece appears to be ebony. Looking forward to soundclips / videos as they become available.

kramster · #13 11-24-2012, 06:21 PM

Is it all Facebook and no website yet??

wierdOne · #14 11-24-2012, 06:35 PM

I'll answer any and all questions in a few hours..

On a gig..

wierdOne · #15 11-24-2012, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpeehler7

That has to be the coolest looking archtop guitar I've ever seen. Carbon Fiber guitars are definitely growing on me a lot more. Hope I get to try one out some time in the near future.

they are super sleek.... and they are pretty freaking fun/inspiring to play.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mc1

looks very professional. i really like the lil' mate guitar. i take it that martin lewis is in australia?

the lil' mate is the guitar i gig with the most... it's like having an orchestra model archtop guitar.... it's super comfortable to play... and sounds great amplified.. but... i'm a guitar directly into an amp kinda guy... so there's no pedals in the signal chain.. not sure how it would sound going through a rat, fuzzface, and dunlop way...

Quote:

Originally Posted by brahmz118

Wow, these look really promising. Are the fretboards wood? The tailpiece appears to be ebony. Looking forward to soundclips / videos as they become available.

well... the fret boards on these guys are carbon fiber with epoxy resin... martin actually makes them look like ebony by molding grain into the top of the fretboard... it's pretty sweet looking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramster

Is it all Facebook and no website yet??

facebook is it for now...