Info on a bitsocaster required - built by Michael Bowes

guitars4you

just acquired a relic bitsocaster by a guy called Michael Bowes  - believe he does or did work at Simms Custom Guitars - anyone shed any light on them/him

In due course I will take it to part to see what all the bits are - not sure if it is assembled from say WD/Warmouth etc or built from the ground up

jimmyguitar

I had a guitar built by him, might be my old one! Is it a fiesta red strat? He had a site called operation strat and built relic strats to spec a bit like bravewood but using parts and materials from his 'day job' at Simms. My one had a braz board and quarter sawn maple neck with 2 piece alder body. Lovely guitar but swapped it for a 64 jaguar.

jimmyguitar

Ps he tended to use fatboy plastics and amafitano pickups

guitars4you

jimmyguitar said:

I had a guitar built by him, might be my old one! Is it a fiesta red strat? He had a site called operation strat and built relic strats to spec a bit like bravewood but using parts and materials from his 'day job' at Simms. My one had a braz board and quarter sawn maple neck with 2 piece alder body. Lovely guitar but swapped it for a 64 jaguar.

that is right - operationStrat label inside p/up cavity and yes Amalfitano p/ups

this is a 50's based in 'baby pink'  built in 2008 according to his certificate

guitars4you

can you recall cost of buying your guitar @jimmyguitar and indeed what price you sold it for

jimmyguitar

guitars4you said:

can you recall cost of buying your guitar @jimmyguitar and indeed what price you sold it for

I believe it was around £1300 ordered new and part ex'd it with a Watkins Dominator for the jag.

guitars4you

jimmyguitar said:

guitars4you said:

can you recall cost of buying your guitar @jimmyguitar and indeed what price you sold it for

I believe it was around £1300 ordered new and part ex'd it with a Watkins Dominator for the jag.

thanks - that ties in with a valuation on what the previous owner paid - looks like his web site is currently down - thanks for info

andrewaward

Over the years I've sold Mike (Bowes) quite a few vintage items (60s Tele body, 60s Jazzmaster body, 60s Jazzmaster pickguard amongst other stuff)........Not sure if he used any in his builds . His relic refin work looked really good when his website was up.

guitars4you

andrewaward said:

Over the years I've sold Mike (Bowes) quite a few vintage items (60s Tele body, 60s Jazzmaster body, 60s Jazzmaster pickguard amongst other stuff)........Not sure if he used any in his builds . His relic refin work looked really good when his website was up.

no markings on the body or neck, be it WD or whatever, so unsure if he starts of with wood blanks or buys and assembles from components - thanks anyway

sawyer

Like to see a picture?:)

guitars4you

sawyer said:

Like to see a picture?:)

maybe a day or so before I sort out spec and what I'm doing with it - however pm me your mobile number and I can send you a quick pic via my mobile if that is okay

MikeBowes

Hi there.. Mike Bowes here! This sounds like the very first guitar I made for somebody other than myself. Would be great to see some pictures of it after all these years. If you get a chance, please email me some pics to mikebowesphoto@gmail.com

Let me know if you need any info on this guitar.

Thanks!

Strat54

This isn't going to go the way of the Terry thread is it??

guitars4you

MikeBowes said:

Hi there.. Mike Bowes here! This sounds like the very first guitar I made for somebody other than myself. Would be great to see some pictures of it after all these years. If you get a chance, please email me some pics to mikebowesphoto@gmail.com

Let me know if you need any info on this guitar.

Thanks!

I think it is now sold Mike but thanks for contacting me - It is a 50's style with maple neck/board - with an aged shell pink finish and an A4 certificate from you - At home now so don't have ser no to hand etc - But thanks for getting in touch - will update you if I need more

Two questions - did you build from raw wood upwards ? - or by pre-cut body/necks etc and assemble as such, if the latter then can you remember from who do you by body/necks - also the bridge /trem assembly with pat pend saddles - is this from Fatboy Guitar parts ?

guitars4you

Strat54 said:

This isn't going to go the way of the Terry thread is it??

No not all - although any 'bitsocaster' does ask questions - think many blogs have been posted about such issues etc on FB in the past

MikeBowes

Ok, is there any way you could get some pictures from the new owner or I can contact them? If not then no problem. 

Anyway, this was the very first one I built, for a chap that saw my passion for vintage strats and had seen my own projects and finishes. After telling him I didn't build guitars to order and only built for myself, he came back and begged me to make one for him.. so I did!! 

This one was the very first build, and the customer wanted to keep the cost down so opted for a WD Hosco Body and neck, out of their Japanese factory, very high quality.

I believe the tremolo system was made by Gotoh and the saddles were from Crazy Parts in Germany, and plastics from Fatboy Guitars.

Every guitar I made after this were hand made from a lump of wood that I selected and routed out on CNC from original templates and hand finished by myself, same for the necks. That meant I was able to offer period correct contouring, neck and body shapes, dot spacing, fingerboard spec etc. Even the pick guards were cut on CNC from original templates and sent to Mark foley for ageing.


I only ever made around 10 instruments over the 2.5 years I had Operationstrat, but unfortunately a career change and being on tour a lot meant I was no longer able to keep building to realistic time scales so decided to stop altogether.

I am looking however to get back to it at some point so watch this space! Am very happy to hear my instruments are still out there and being used.

Thanks
Mike