When the guy who builds a guitar doesn't play guitars

axisus

Offset

Yep.  Good luck with those knobs.  Wouldn't put a guitar on those hangers either.

ICBM

Leo Fender did quite well though…

tanihhiavlt

Adolph Rickenbacker didn't do too badly...

Loobs

ICBM said:

Leo Fender did quite well though…

came here to post this

WezV

ICBM said:

Leo Fender did quite well though…

exactly this.

I've spent more time building than playing them over the last 20 years.

Jonathangus

If you got the knobs just a tiny bit closer, you could turn one up and one down at the same time...

guitars4you

ICBM said:

Leo Fender did quite well though…

tanihhiavlt said:

Adolph Rickenbacker didn't do too badly...

beat me to it

and Jim Marshall was a drummer - Not even an amp designer

DrumBob

Of course, the control knobs are ridiculous. Leo Fender was very proactive in getting feedback from guitar players, knowing full well he needed their input. I guess the builder of the guitar pictured didn't bother. 

Philly_Q

I would guess most guitar builders play a bit, because that's what got them interested in the first place, but I suspect few are monster players.  But I'm sure there are exceptions, both non-players and virtuosos.

tanihhiavlt

I wonder if the volume and tone for one pickup are vertically aligned... then you'd dial in volume with your thumb and tone with your little finger.. no need to move your hand.

I'm not saying I like it, but given the number of electric guitar innovations in the last 60 years aren't considerable... I'd rather someone took a gamble and made the "crazy" so curious people can try it with their hands,

Leave it to the marketing departments to make a mock-up and invite us all to  and decided for all the other spectators that it's a bad idea. 

ICBM

I did wonder if they were like that on purpose so you can roll both volumes or tones (assuming a Gibson layout) at the same time with the side of your hand, thus curing the main annoyance I have with any four-control guitar - the inability to quickly turn the whole guitar up or down with one movement - but I suspect the degree of accuracy between both knobs wouldn't be good enough for it to work well in practice. There still isn't enough space between the volumes and tones either.

SPECTRUM001

Looks like Chumlee bought it in for Pawn Stars - direct from C-3PO

Bridgehouse

ICBM said:

I did wonder if they were like that on purpose so you can roll both volumes or tones (assuming a Gibson layout) at the same time with the side of your hand, thus curing the main annoyance I have with any four-control guitar - the inability to quickly turn the whole guitar up or down with one movement - but I suspect the degree of accuracy between both knobs wouldn't be good enough for it to work well in practice. There still isn't enough space between the volumes and tones either.

I reckon an elastic band between each pair would do the trick…

skunkwerx

The Limited Edition badge is not central at all.. too far to the right.. that would really set me off  

Funkfingers

skunkwerx said:

The Limited Edition badge is not central at all.. too far to the right.. that would really set me off  

I suspect that it is probably hiding the gap between the Tele heel and a Strat pocket.

If I correct about this, the intonation could be way out.

rossi

My friend makes lutes ,so could be considered a luthier proper .His last one sold for a couple of grand but he ony plays bass guitar .He said his customers knew if they were any good.

JayGee

I can kind of see a danger in the opposite case, where a luthier plays guitar, rightly or wrongly fancies themselves as being Pretty Damned Good, expects everyone to do things the way they do and filters everything through their own perception of how a guitar should work resulting in clever things which work for them but are an utter nightmare for anyone else…

Regarding the guitar in the picture, I wonder if that control placement is the result of trying to fit four small pots into a cavity meant for two large ones…

Dominic

The 2 best Luthiers I know don't play but they are also violin and cello makers and don't play those either

prowla

Has anybody mentioned Leo Fender and Adolph Rickenbacker yet?

(only kidding!) :-)

bencowling81

It does say limited edition on the guitar, which is good news