| Author | Message | ||
| johnqsmith
New Username: johnqsmith Post Number: 1 Registered: 4-2015 |
Hello all! My name is John, and I am in need of some assistance. I have a custom guitar that has been rumored to have been built by Doug Irwin and Allan Thompson, but I have yet to be able to confirm it. I was hoping that the folks on here might be able to share some of the knowledge they have and give me some feedback on my rig. Is this the best place to find out info on my guitar? Does anyone have any suggestions on who I should contact for more help in finding out about the history of my rig? I was told it was built while Irwin was working at Alembic, so, I figured this forum would be a good place to start my investigation  Again, any and ALL comments, ideas, suggestions are welcomed! Here is a link to an image hosting site with some pictures of my baby! http://m.imgur.com/eyPMatT,zKMaqzD,lpOJial,4SdQjY6,izhUEQC,ed5sYwq,z5K5ywX,QTYfNS1,fiqlZUH,1yeKvzL,2Iqpcuk,C6c8I8x,JCA9W21,CfhPH3s,eO9UrLa,LEkSaC7,D2Cjmww# Thanks in advance! John (John.Q.Smithson@Gmail.Com) | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1588 Registered: 6-2002 |
Wow ! Welcome John. I'm sure you'll be able to find some good info here.I can't add much but a big thanks for taking such nice pictures elwood | ||
| johnqsmith
New Username: johnqsmith Post Number: 2 Registered: 4-2015 |
I'm more than happy to share these photos - Thank you for the compliment elwood! | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 1677 Registered: 11-2004 |
That is some serious inlay work... sure looks like an early Alembic style bridge and the influences look pretty clear, but I don't have any answers for you on it's origins. If the work was completed while Irwin was at Alembic, perhaps Susan or Ron will remember, because I'm guessing there are some significant shop hours put into those inlays. That seems like the kind of 'after hours' build that would have been around for the better part of year in order to get all that inlay work and the body lams done. There are some guitar guys on here who will have some more educated opinions... they'll weigh in on this before long, I suspect. Either way- it's a cool guitar. Love the zebra-sus inlay and the dragon/Lion thingie on the headstock! haha!! | ||
| fc_spoiler
Senior Member Username: fc_spoiler Post Number: 1658 Registered: 5-2006 |
Sorry, I took the liberty to resize and post some... Awesome guitar! For pictures of the back follow the link, I see no problem but for some it might be a bit too explicit. :-) (Naked lady, it's art and beautiful so nothing really shocking)        | ||
| johnqsmith
New Username: johnqsmith Post Number: 3 Registered: 4-2015 |
No worries about resizing or anything at all! I wasn't exactly sure how to do it so that's why I just used the link. Again, thank you to everyone for the comments and all. | ||
| pauldo
Senior Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 1476 Registered: 6-2006 |
Holy ornamentation Batman! How does she sound and play? Pictures of the electronics cavity may help reveal more info about it. If any instrument was in need of some Alembic Magic mojo electronics that would be the one. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6024 Registered: 7-2004 |
There was an Allan Thompson guitar about three years ago on eBay that had the same nude girl on zebra inlay and was discussed here. (This might even be the same guitar). And I know I've seen that inlay somewhere else too, perhaps one of those Antonio Tsai instruments on eBay with all the inlay. While some of the guitar seems Alembic-like, especially the bridge and tailpiece, I'm just not feeling Doug Irwin from this one. Bill, tgo | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 979 Registered: 12-2003 |
I saw this over on the GD Forum and mentioned that I thought this guitar had been discussed here awhile back. Bill TGO might remember. | ||
| gtrguy
Senior Member Username: gtrguy Post Number: 862 Registered: 9-2004 |
Certain things remind me of an Oasis I had a while back but it was not that fancy. | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1589 Registered: 6-2002 |
It has Gary Cooper's stylings, I was thinking the same. | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 980 Registered: 12-2003 |
Bill...amazing. Your post uploaded just before mine. I knew you'd remember this one. You seem to have a special place in your brain for these unique guitars. | ||
| johnqsmith
New Username: johnqsmith Post Number: 4 Registered: 4-2015 |
I posted it on the GD forum too ;) Im trying to find as much info as possible. I appreciate this guys, any ideas or names of possible creators is great. I can say it certainly is different. | ||
| johnqsmith
New Username: johnqsmith Post Number: 5 Registered: 4-2015 |
well, unless there is a copy of this out there, i can say for 100% certainty this guitar was not on eBay within the last three years, and unless someone else has photos of this, it wasn't posted on here. I have had this for a long time now, and these are basically the only pictures I've posted. If someone else posted pictures of this on here, I would be extremely eager to see them! If there is a link to them I would be stoked to have it. | ||
| pace
Senior Member Username: pace Post Number: 1121 Registered: 4-2004 |
Welcome to the forum, John! hmmm.... I remember this guitar (or its doppleganger) linked on this site, but it may have been more than 3 years ago~ time sure flies! I'd definitely place your guitar in the Thompson/Dolan/Cooper era of Alembic employees if it was shop night, or independent/home commission. My only question would be whether Larry Robinson did any of the inlay work.... | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 2200 Registered: 2-2005 |
The back inlay looks familiar or at least its style is. I recall seeing a woman with a similar headdress on an instrument a few, maybe more, years ago. Looking around the site I see what appears to be this instrument or one like it in several threads. It seems to pop up every couple of years with the latest being from 2012. Unfortunately there are no pictures left in any of the links to confirm it is the same guitar but some specifically mention the nude lady on the zebra. In those threads it is always referred to as an Allan Thompson guitar which is what I suspect the ebay auctions called it. The one thing that led some people to believe it isn't an Allan Thompson is the amount of neck inlays but other things like the back inlay would fit his style. Nothing definitive was ever decided just folks gut feelings. I suspect this will be one of those where the provenance is never known unless the builder steps forward. Keith | ||
| johnqsmith
New Username: johnqsmith Post Number: 6 Registered: 4-2015 |
Keith, pace, thank you for the comments and info! I greatly appreciate it. This piece was supposedly a Thompson Irwin collaboration, so hearing it could possibly be a Thompson is good news! I was also told recently that Doug Irwin had a "mark" he placed on his works, usually in the electronics cavity. Is that true? | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 4087 Registered: 5-2009 |
Hello John. I met Mr. Irwin back when he was building in his own shop in the 1970's. I went up there a few times while he did some custom work for me and I has able to hang out a little as well . I even got to see some work that he was doing for Jerry Garcia at the time . He even once lent me an "Irwin built Bass" with option to purchase . I took this Bass's to play at a gig to try out. I am currently still in contact with a Bass player who still owns two Bass's that Mr. Irwin built for him . I recently played both of these during a visit . I just called this fellow and asked him directly for you regarding a " mark in the electronics cavity as an indication of being "Irwin ". The reply to the answer was "No". | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1594 Registered: 6-2002 |
Do you have any pics of the open cavity ? | ||
| johnqsmith
New Username: johnqsmith Post Number: 7 Registered: 4-2015 |
Sonicus, thank you for the info. This forum has been an enormous help. I can't thank you all enough. Elwood, That is basically the only part of the guitar that I didn't photograph/take video of. I thought about doing that, but I didn't have any tools with me when I got the photos done. (I had a friend help me with the photos - he posted the photos online for me too and just sent me the link address, I'm not exactly the most tech savvy guy out there.) I'm starting to think I need to get that one last area photographed/video recorded. | ||
| johnqsmith
New Username: johnqsmith Post Number: 8 Registered: 4-2015 |
Sonicus, thank you for the info. This forum has been an enormous help. I can't thank you all enough. Elwood, That is basically the only part of the guitar that I didn't photograph/take video of. I thought about doing that, but I didn't have any tools with me when I got the photos done. (I had a friend help me with the photos - he posted the photos online for me too and just sent me the link address, I'm not exactly the most tech savvy guy out there.) I'm starting to think I need to get that one last area photographed/video recorded. | ||
| samsamaha
Junior Username: samsamaha Post Number: 19 Registered: 4-2015 |
wow, that is some serious inlay work.. is that done in house? or taken to a specialist? |
