| Author | Message | ||
| hardcoremike
New Username: hardcoremike Post Number: 1 Registered: 11-2005 |
My name is Mike Coffel. (Mica, tell your dad my dad WAS Charlie Coffel... he died in 98).... My dad taught Machine Shop at the SRJC for 28 years and one of his students back in the day was a guy named Ron Wickersham. He took a few courses and over the years my dad did him some favors etc etc... in 1985, after getting out of the Air Force, I was invited to a xmas party with my folks at the Wickersham household. I was even sent down to the mall to pick up this little girl named Mica and bring her back to the house. I think she was scared of me! A few days later, I got to go down to Alembic with pops to check out how they made their guitars and basses. At the end of the tour, there was like a finishing room with lots of really neat stuff being prepped to go out the door. There was a certain rack of guitars and basses that were not designated for any one person in particular and I was surprised to find out that it had been arranged for me to choose one! Any one I wanted... just pick it. Well... being an aspiring guitarist, there was an Exploiter guitar sitting there that some hardware had been removed from but it was one of only two guitars sitting there so I expressed that it would be the one for me if I had a choice. Apparently it was a NAMM show guitar and when it came back from NAMM, the hardware etc was robbed to build some other guitar. Xmas was a few weeks later and my dad whipped it out on me! I guess Ron felt he owed my dad some favors so VOILA! There it was... Thats my story and I am sticking to it! LOL It's Zebrawood top with Flame Koa Maple neck and Mahogony back and YES, I still own it. Ser#86E3890 | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 886 Registered: 11-2003 |
Great story Mike. I don't suppose you have photos of your guitar you would like to share? My fondness for Zebrawood is common knowledge. Plus it's always good to hear from the guitarists out there. We can get bottom heavy sometimes. Granted the bass is the most important instrument. Even Mica is a bassist!  Sam | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2578 Registered: 5-2002 |
Great story Mike! Welcome to the group! | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 764 Registered: 7-2004 |
But Susan (the boss) plays guitar! LOL Bill, the guitar one | ||
| hardcoremike
New Username: hardcoremike Post Number: 2 Registered: 11-2005 |
THANKS everyone! I'll get a couple pics up soon. I've only gigged this guitar a few times in the last 10 years but I did play it out often in SUNDAY AT ED's (Local Santa Rosa cover band) so recent pictures are not to be found on my computer.... STAY TUNED! | ||
| richbass939
Senior Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 470 Registered: 11-2004 |
Very cool story and welcome to the club. Rich | ||
| hardcoremike
New Username: hardcoremike Post Number: 3 Registered: 11-2005 |
I got some pics tonight... so... when I first got my Exploiter I wasn't filled in properly on the pickups and electronics. I had no idea that the gain could be adjusted cause I never even thought to look INSIDE the guitar. (Hey I was young, ok!) I got filled in by Michael when I picked it up AFTER the conversion when I noticed that the internals didn't look like the 'normal' stuff I was used to! I was into Seymour Duncan's at the time so I had Michael Dolan (who has done all my work for the past 20 years) swap out the pick ups but fear not, I have the original pickups etc stashed and SOME DAY when I get a wild hair, I will be putting it back stock. ANYWAY... I love this particular Zebra top. I actually had another Exploiter for a short time that I had found on eBay. It was a Maple top with a Kahler. I do have some guitars with Floyds and the Kahler did not suit me. I sold that guitar and was looking at a THIRD exploiter that was Maple with a blue 'tint' but never worked out a deal with the seller in time and he let it got to someone else....  | ||
| hardcoremike
New Username: hardcoremike Post Number: 4 Registered: 11-2005 |
The back....  | ||
| hardcoremike
New Username: hardcoremike Post Number: 5 Registered: 11-2005 |
I love the laminations and attention to detail. It sure gets comments whenever I bring it out...  | ||
| hardcoremike
New Username: hardcoremike Post Number: 6 Registered: 11-2005 |
I have the original knobs too!  | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1252 Registered: 9-2003 |
That sure is sweet, Mike! Sure you don't wanna sell it? LOL! I know, ask a stupid question...yadda, yadda, LOL! I almost had a conniption when I saw the non-stock pick-ups, but then I saw your recount of the swap-out. Thank God you were savvy enough to save the original electronics as this is an extremely nice, rare piece. D*mn, just imagine a guitar like this, but set-up like a JAE Spyder bass, with the spider web inlays, 6 individual tailpieces, flame top, etc! Makes me drool just thinkin' about it! Cheers, Kevin | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2582 Registered: 5-2002 |
The grain alignment looks great with that body shape! | ||
| mpisanek
Member Username: mpisanek Post Number: 100 Registered: 1-2005 |
It's amazing what looks really great, isn't it? I never in a million years would have picked zebrawood for an exploiter body shape! Another amazing instrument, and another amazing story!!! | ||
| hardcoremike
New Username: hardcoremike Post Number: 7 Registered: 11-2005 |
Thanks.... it's really a very special guitar. The story behind it etc makes it PRICELESS to me and I would NEVER part with it. My dad was the coolest guy EVER and his memory lives on with stuff like this. We lost him unexpectedly to respiratory failure one day. No warning. Never smoked or drank. He developed respiratory problems (we assume) from working in various machine shops over the years. Ron was only a handful of guys who realized the potential of CNC technology as it pertained to guitar making way back then. Hartley Peavey was another. I remember his methods being TOP SECRET back then. | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1254 Registered: 9-2003 |
Mike, Sorry about your Dad...sounds like a great guy. I was, of course, joking about the guitar. I assumed you would have to be nuts to part with it. Cheers, Kevin | ||
| hardcoremike
New Username: hardcoremike Post Number: 8 Registered: 11-2005 |
Thanks, Kevin and yeah, I knew you were joking! Dad was a very generous person who gave of himself and his time to help many of his students. He was a genius (literally) and I never met a better Tool Die Maker or Machinist... EVER! If I am not mistaken, one of his students founded Mesa Boogie as well. I believe I have the prototype handle strap holders for one of their first amps in my shop. He was involved in making the first die for these so they could make them in-house rather than farm them out. | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1261 Registered: 9-2003 |
T&D machinists never seem to get the credit they're due. It's considered a "blue collar" job, so there's no glamour involved. What most people don't understand about that particular avocation specifically, and other skilled labor jobs in general, is that some of the most brilliant people you'll ever meet are in that profession. Because they don't wear a suit and tie and have initials after their names and credentials framed on the wall, they are dismissed as working class. As a former pro HD truck and car mechanic, now turned degreed Electrical Engineer (Construction Management), I've seen the bias and discrimination first hand. In my line, I've actually found the more credentials an individual has, they more incompetent they tend to be, LOL! I'll stick with the tradesmen who work for and with me. The good ones are brilliant, and give an honest days work for an honest days pay (my IBEW journeymen electricians get paid a bunch more than me an hour as well!). | ||
| hardcoremike
New Username: hardcoremike Post Number: 9 Registered: 11-2005 |
It's funny, isn't it! Dad had a masters and was listed as Professor C Coffel in the phone book. He worked for FORD in Dearborn and hauled us all out to California in the late 60's to teach at the local JC. Despite that, he often said, those who can not do, teach! LOL Every summer he would haul us back to Michigan and Alabama in a motorhome so we could experience our roots while he worked for Ford or GM etc for those three months we all had off. He would make as much in those three months as he did all year teaching but he loved to teach. He would hang his pay stubs on the wall at school and show the students how much dough they could make if they stuck with it. As a tooling and die inspector, he made some serious cash and would often work overtime because he liked it so much and TRIPLE time on Sundays from FORD was HUGE cash, even back then. He had just fully retired out here to Lake Martin, Alabama and had a milling machine delivered to his litle shop here so he could mess with his hobbies. (65 Honda Scramblers, vintage Mustangs and Sunbeam Tigers).... he died three weeks later. Life isn't fair sometimes but his dying is what brought me here. Mom was left with 5 acres and a couple homes, a shop, a barn etc so I figured why not come out and make a go of it... www.LakeshorePerformance.com It sure beat packing it all up and putting her in a condo somewhere... Dad saves me each and everyday with some cool tooling he had been saving for that right moment and I think of him each and every day. OK... you Alembic owners are pretty cool! LOL | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 888 Registered: 11-2003 |
Beautiful guitar Mike. I like your Pantera on the website also. I was watching Kill Bill #2 last night and spotted a Mangusta in the background on one of the scenes. I respect the way you honor your dad and take care of your mom. I admire and envy close families like yours and the Wickershams. Sam | ||
| hardcoremike
New Username: hardcoremike Post Number: 10 Registered: 11-2005 |
I got a little carried away with the Pantera. It was featured on Speedvision Classics (#18 I think) and I won trophy's in Monterey etc... very well known car in the Pantera world. (I rebuilt every nut and bolt and finshed it in 1996 at a very high cost.) I know the owner of the Goose in Kill Bill. Dad saved me a few times with the Pantera as well! Thanks to him I repaired my halfshafts for $11.50 when replacing them would have been $1200+ ! I sold the car last year at a huge loss to an eccentric Italian guy here in Alabama. | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 1263 Registered: 9-2003 |
Nice website Mike! I see you are a bike nut. Me too...twenty years in the saddle and now (in my "free time")I'm an MSF-Certified RiderCoach and am NJ State licensed by the NJMVC as an examiner (that means I'm a certed, lcensed motorcycle instructor and I officiate motorcycle licensure on behalf of the State). I wrenched professionally for five years, but I've had my hands under the hood since age 16. Once I retire from my real job, I hope to do something more with bikes, whether that entails building customs or motorcycle safety schools (or both) remains to be seen. Kudos! Always follow your dreams. Cheers, Kevin | ||
| hardcoremike
Junior Username: hardcoremike Post Number: 11 Registered: 11-2005 |
Well golly gee whiz... how many tangents can this thread go off on!? (This is off my bands site...) http://www.gearrocks.net/html/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=376 |
