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The history of Cosmosound, Silversound, Goldsound effects – Sandro Marchetti’s interview (first part)

By C2VVintage Italian Amplifiers, Vintage Italian Effects, Vintage Italian Pedals, Historical Figures, Sandro MarchettiNo Comments

”The 60s and 70s, as we all know, were a period of enormous creative ferment for the Italian peninsula and especially for the Marche region, where the large numbers of the creative and manufacturing sectors of the musical instrument industry were located.
Lorenzo

Sandro Marchetti

And it was thanks to the ingenuity and creativity of people like Oliviero Pigini and Remo Serrangeli (Eko guitars department), Terzino Ilari (EME and Eko electronic department), Aldo Paci and Giuseppe Censori (Eko electronics department), Carlo Lucarelli (Farfisa, who he left in 1976 to open Siel), Giovanni Livieri (CRB), Bravi and Jura (Crumar synth), Orsetti and Pannelli (Crumar organs), Elio Zamorato (Farfisa, Elka), Alfredo Gioielli (founder of Pari and Milton), Marcello Colò (test driver and creative for CRB, Elka, Gem – Generalmusic, Ketron), Sandro Marchetti (EME, EF-EL, Logan) that the Marche instruments that invaded the market were created, leaving a mark that is still indelible today.

Behind what are, together with the Jen, the most famous pedals of Italian production, lies the mind of Sandro Marchetti, a multifaceted electronic technician and mechanic from the Marche region. Fortunately, we were able to contact Sandro to ask him to reveal the secrets of these still mysterious effect pedals and he, with great kindness and availability, accepted and finally here is the whole story of the creation of these mythical effects:

C2V: “Sandro, how did your adventure in the field of musical instruments begin?”

SM: “Well, I started in 1960 with the MET (Micro Electro Technique) of Carlo Baldoni (MET, Logan, GIS, EF-EL) as a designer of direct current electric motors with 6 pole expansions that were to be used for tape recorders, which were the devices that were “in fashion” at the time. These engines were given to Phonola but in the meantime the market had changed and the Fonovaligie (portable turntables) started to spread, so I was forced to design a 3 expansions motor suitable for the Phonola cases, for which I also patented an arm with counterweights. ”

C2V: “Well, the classic turntables we grew up with!”

SM: “Yes, and the suitcases initially had a problem, the needle had an arm that pressed it too hard on the record and after the first listen the record had to be thrown away. So I was forced to invent this counterweight system to reduce the arm pressure and it worked very well. Following the drop in requests for record players, that of musical instruments came out and, in addition to the mechanical and guitar electronic parts for companies such as Eko, Melody, Welson (ed. among which the beautiful conical nut stud that blocks the jack inputs that we find also in most of the Italian musical products of the time), I created volume pedals for most of the organ producers in the area (Crumar, Elgam, Logan, Moreschi, etc.) and from there I started the design and construction of various effect pedals inspired by those on the market at the time but also boxes to be inserted directly into the guitar input, including preamps, bass and treble boosters and other effects.”

jen pe403 treble bass booster 1 tonehome cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

eur treble bass booster 3 tonehome cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

eur treble bass booster 4 tonehome cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

eur treble bass booster 6 tonehome cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

eur repeat percussion 4 tonehome cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

eur repeat percussion 5 tonehome cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

jen pe403 treble bass booster 4 tonehome cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

C2V: “And here we are at the pedals …”

SM: “Yes, one of the very first was the wah with distortion, which was the most popular, and the various distortions. Then we did the Phasing, which was unique compared to the others as to create the phase shift of the sound we used FET transistors (field-effect transistors) which were all selected, (The other producers did not do this and consequently the rotation of their effects wasn’t good). Instead, we, using the selected FETs, had obtained a perfect modulation. Later we saw that by inputting the output signal into the phasing input, it resulted in an active filter that produced an effect similar to a synthesizer and we called it Super Phasing. Although the names were Cosmosound, Silversound and Goldsound, the pedals had the same circuits but the aesthetics and the name were varied according to the requests of the various countries’ distributors.”

super phasing cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

phasing cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

wha cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

silverwha cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

cosmosound cse3 wha dist cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

cosmosound distortionwhauwhau 001 cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

silversound distwha se20 1 cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

distortionwhauwhaurepeat 3 cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

gun distortion volume cosmosound marchetti classic2vintage

(The interview continues in the second part)

9 March 2019

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Epiphone – Gibson Spirit

By C2VVintage USA GuitarsNo Comments

..

”With the coming of the 80s, Gibson had to try every way to arise from a very poor decade, in which it had considerably lost its appeal and market in favor of the now well-known high-quality copies manufactured in the rising sun. The man of providence was the now-famous Tim Shaw, who had to collect a heavy inheritance, with all the problems that derived from it and, to be honest, he did an outstanding job bringing the quality back to good old times, presenting excellent ideas like the excellent reissue of the 1959 PAF humbuckers.So The Spirit was born.
Lorenzo

mia head epi spirit2 gibson classic2vintage mask

The Spirit was a guitar based on the Les Paul Double Cut Junior and Special and was initially manufactured between 1982 and 1983 in the historic Kalamazoo plant under the Epiphone brand and then moved to Nashville and been then marketed as Gibson until 1986, year in which its production has been stopped.

However, due to poor sales, some of the Epiphone-branded instruments were also rebranded to Gibson and for this reason a slight trace of the original branding can still be glimpsed, under the Gibson lettering, in those guitars.

body spirit1 epiphone gibson classic2vintage

The biggest difference, compared to the models from which it was inspired, is the insertion of the neck at the twentieth fret instead of the twenty-second fret as on the DC Junior and Special.

All Spirits have been very simply built to be “stage” guitars, with a flat top, glued neck with dot markers and one (Spirit I) or two humbuckers (Spirit II), reissues of the 1959 Gibson (later nicknamed Tim Shaw Humbuckers).

The Epiphone truss rod cover bears the wording “Spirit Made By Gibson” while in Gibson branded instruments we find only “Spirit”. The tuners are the typical Kluson Tulip but in some cases you can find Schallers or Grovers.

The bridges are almost exclusively Schaller 455, a combination of individually adjustable saddles and a wraparound bridge.

The woods differ, ranging from the poplar body and maple neck of the early models to the alder and mahogany of the following productions, some with a flamed or tiger maple top and a sunburst or transparent finish while others have a solid nitro paint finish.

The main difference between the Spirit I and the II are the number of pickups, the color (being more often plain in the I and suburst more common in the II, even if in the images above we also have the typical exception that confirms the rule) the number of controls and the pickguard, almost always present on the Spirit I and definitely absent in the II (one it has probably been added to the black Spirit II in the images, perhaps being a prototype). While the Model I is inspired by a Junior and therefore consists of only one volume and one tone, the Spirit II has a volume for each pickup, a shared tone control and a classic Gibson selector.

miacaseepispiriti2 gibson classic2vintage

“Spirit XPL”

A peculiar kind of Spirit, the XPL, was produced from 1985 to 1986 with an Explorer inspired headstock and a Kahler Flyer tremolo, as an obvious intention to get Gibson into the metal rock Super Strat market. This model of Spirit is very hard to find and even harder is the SR-71 version, with a bolt on neck and a Floyd Rose bridge, an humbucker-single-single configuration and a definitely more strat style shape.

Quite rare instrument, has Chris Hayes of Huey Lewis & The News among his admirers, who owned and played some of them at least until the early 90s (I remember him playing extensively an XPL on the Italian leg of the Small World Tour), the Spirit is actually a great guitar with great sounds, very light and extremely versatile, with the Shaw pickups that never feel you the need of single coils, as they are extremely clean and dynamic, in good memory of the original PAFs.

In conclusion, this is the classic vintage instrument that is still “dormant” but which, thanks also to the reborn love for the Les Paul Double Cut, is already proving to be an excellent investment that will be further evaluated in the very near future.

body spirit1 epiphone gibson classic2vintage 1

bodysxspirit1 epiphone gibson classic2vintage 1

bodyback spirit1 epiphone gibson classic2vintage 1

Some Spirit demoes

9 February 2019

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Ibanez MC 5000

By C2VJapan Vintage Guitars, Japan Vintage Guitars, Japan Vintage Guitars, Japan Vintage GuitarsNo Comments

”If with the Artist 5000 series we are faced with models released in low number editions, with the Musician 5000 we even enter the mysterious field of unique historical models, built in very few copies, each different from the other. In the specific case of this Musician 5000, 3 are known but a fourth has also come out in Germany, purchased from new in 1983 at a shop in Berlin, which makes the mystery even denser: how many are the existing MC 5000 in the world?
Lorenzo

In the second half of the ’70s the Hoshino Gakki, owner of the Ibanez brand, began production of original instruments such as the Artist, the Iceman and the Musician, which was released on the market in 1977.

As often happened in the Japanese production, there were multiple versions of a specific model and the top-ends were usually particularly elaborate, built with selected exotic woods of rare beauty and rich in extremely complex inlays.

zebrahead mc5000 ibanez classic2vintage corr

On the keyboards there were trees of life and on some bodies there were leaves, inflorescences and various ornaments, as well as on the richly adorned headstocks.

With the MC 5000 we are probably in front of the highest peaks of Japanese art: a palette literally covered with mother-of-pearl leaves, a triple nut in wood/bone/brass and a very special tree of life that runs along a mahogany board set in the center of the ebony fretboard. Inside the strip are placed the dot markers and in the 21st key was placed a further inlay, a plate with the inscription “Limited Edition” in italics. The bodies are made of sublime woods, among them Koa and Zebra Wood and the vertiginous neck-thru is the quintessence of perfection.

head inlays mc5000 ibanez classic2vintage

The story goes that the MC 5000 was designed specifically for Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead but that he did not like it because it was too heavy to be played live. At the time Bob Weir, the other guitarist of the band, owned an autograph instrument of Ibanez production and Hoshino Gakki, in collaboration with Weir himself and Jeff Hasselberger, decided to create a particular model of Musician with a special electronic part to give to Garcia.

Bob Weir with the Ibanez model that bears his name

The famous three guitars were made, which were presented at the NAMM in Atlanta in 1978 and following the refusal of Garcia the three took different paths: one it’s in the private Ibanez collection, another is in possession of the collector Orval Engling (known also like Mr. Ibanez) and the other should be part of a not-well-known American collection. But this is only the “Myth”, in truth it is not known the exact number of copies been made.

In May 2012 a copy, visible in the images below and certified by Bob Weir as the one that belonged to Garcia, was auctioned in San Francisco. However, it is not known for certain whether it really belonged to Garcia or not.

sfrancisco14 mc5000 ibanez classic2vintage

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sfrancisco15 mc5000 ibanez classic2vintage

Update

From a recent comments share between Orval Engling and Jeff Hasselberger on a Facebook group, we learned that the MC 5000 were manufactured in two runs, 1977 and 1980 (apparently recognizable by the cloud-shaped tailpiece which, in the first run is recessed in the body and in the second it is placed on top).

In addition to this, Hasselberger provided some interesting details on the instrument made for Garcia:

“We made a guitar for Jerry. He played it in a couple of gigs. He liked it, but not enough. The key test to recognize a genuine Ibanez Garcia would be the presence of a” Garcia Effects Loop. “Jerry had noticed (correctly) that the pedals responded differently to different input levels.Jerry was in his auto-wah period at the time and it was a very noticeable trait of that particular setup.

His solution was to have an “effects loop” built into his guitars. The signal went directly from the pickup switch to his pedals and then back into the guitar via a stereo cable. Upon its return, the signal then went to the volume, tone, and other onboard circuitry, then came out via a standard cable.

I’m sure we made a guitar. I’m not quite sure we’ve done two. What I remember is that it was basically a standard custom Musician MC 5000 with the effects circuit. Bottom line, if it doesn’t have the loop, it’s not a Jerry Special. ”

We also discover a 1980 MC 5000 that is in the collection of Joe Deferm, who, very kindly, gave us a nice photo gallery of his rare and precious instrument and briefly told us the story of his MC 5000:

“As I was told by the guy I bought the guitar from, it was exhibited at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt in the late 1970s. A Belgian guitar shop called JnR took it to Belgium where it was sold to the guitarist of a band called The Sunrock. 15 years later I started playing with this band and bought the guitar.

It must have been around 1999 and I’ve had it ever since. But only years later I discovered the whole story of Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia and it took me years to solve all the puzzles of the story but I still haven’t been able to find a picture of Jerry playing one of the 3/4 known examples. .. ”

How many more MC 5000s will there be? The mystery deepens …

How many others will exist? The mystery thickens …

Joe’s MC 5000

We also discover a 1980 MC 5000 that is in the collection of Joe Deferm, who, very kindly, gave us a nice photo gallery of his rare and precious instrument and briefly told us the story of his MC 5000:

“As I was told by the guy I bought the guitar from, it was exhibited at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt in the late 1970s. A Belgian guitar shop called JnR took it to Belgium where it was sold to the guitarist of a band called The Sunrock. 15 years later I started playing with this band and bought the guitar.

It must have been around 1999 and I’ve had it ever since. But only years later I discovered the whole story of Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia and it took me years to solve all the puzzles of the story but I still haven’t been able to find a picture of Jerry playing one of the 3/4 known examples. .. ”

How many more MC 5000s will there be? The mystery deepens …

Joe’s splendid Mc5000

24 December 2018

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bodybackdx2_westone_rainbow_classic2vintage

Westone Rainbow I (third version)

By C2VUncategorizedNo Comments

”The Westone brand is inextricably linked to the famous Matsumoku factory, a name that in the imagination of Japanese vintage enthusiasts is a bit like the Japanese Kalamazoo.
Lorenzo

Westone, we said, was probably the high-level proposal par excellence of Matsumoku production, a brand reserved for the production of high-end and equally high-quality instruments.

frontmanico westone rainbow classic2vintage

Produced from 1983 to 1986, the Rainbow I third version is a high-class semi-hollow, with a central block made of a mahogany / maple / mahogany sandwich, which gives both softness of sound and sustain, giving it a round voice with a great attack. The body is made of Canadian maple laminate, the 3-piece maple neck with rosewood fingerboard is exceptionally comfortable and has absolute playability: chords and phrases come out relaxed and precise, with the utmost joy of the hand. The bridge and the beautiful tailpiece are made of solid steel.

neckback westone rainbow classic2vintage

Particular attention has been paid to the electronics: the classic 4 potentiometers, individual volumes and tones for each pickup, are enclosed in steel cans that prevent dust from entering and shield the circuit from interference: in addition to being a very quiet instrument, it is absent the typical problem of oxidation and rustling given by the deposition of dust inside the potentiometers.

neckfront westone rainbow classic2vintage

The pickups are the excellent MMK75 in alnico II (in the brochure are called Super Twin 750), a classic of the top models made in Matsumoku, which enthusiasts know well as they are among the best reproductions of Gibson PAFs and, as such, very sensitive to the tones of the wood and the dynamics of the touch, with a beautiful and typical round and mellow voice.

Instrument that excels in clean and saturation, it exalts itself in the territories of fusion and jazz and is still perfectly at ease in blues, funky as in rock, thanks also to the perfect construction of the central block and especially to the high playability of the neck, to the well-kept and perfectly shielded electronics and to the splendid and versatile pickups. An all-round professional instrument with a personality and a voice all of its own and which makes versatility its pride.

Specifications:

Version 3 (1983-85?)

As shown in the 1983 catalog – same as version 2, except for – Different shape on the f holes.

The body is laminated maple, 3 ply Maple neck, centre block is Maple/Mahogany/Maple (NDR: there is an error, actually it is mahogany / maple / mahogany

).

Rosewood fingerboard, 24.75 inch scale 22 frets.

Long travel bridge (All steel), Swiftlok tailpiece (More ornate than the early model).

2 covered Super Twin 750 (MMK 75) pickups, 2 volume and 2 tone controls (All pots shielded in individual steel cans).

Available in Antique Walnut and Antique Maroon.

bodybackbase westone rainbow classic2vintage

Two demo video of the Westone Rainbow I

17 November 2018

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Orville By Gibson LPSR – 1994 Catalogue Model

By C2VUncategorizedNo Comments

”The “Orville by Gibson” guitars were produced in Japan from 1988 to 1998 and were in effect Gibson guitars marketed for the Japanese domestic market. Production was handled by Yamano Gakki and the instruments were built at the Fuji-Gen Gakki and Terada factories. Conceived to be high-quality guitars, they combined renowned Japanese lutherie with original Gibson electronics.
Lorenzo

head2 lpsr orville by gibson classic2vintage

Orville by Gibson 1994 Les Paul Standard Rosewood from 1994, known as Catalog Model or also Exhibition Model.

totale lpsr orville by gibson classic2vintage

These guitars were made in the Fujigen plant to appear on the cover of the 1994 edition of the Orville by Gibson catalog and were built in a very limited number.

Guitars so rare that you could practically not find news even on the Japanese web, 2 models were created with 2 different tops: walnut and rosewood, like the example presented here and, as far as it is possible to understand, each piece differs from the others in some details.

totaleold lpsr orville by gibson classic2vintage

The rumors speak of woods (first choice) supplied directly by the American parent company together with the ’57 Classic pickups: the quality of the materials and construction is visible and the mahogany here expresses it in all its bright splendor.

bodyold lpsr orville by gibson classic2vintage

For a long time, I thought that the ebony portion of the binding on the tip of the lower horn was a repair due to a breakage of the binding itself which is instead made of maple, then seeing that it is also present in the few photos available of other examples of that series I realized that it is just a desired effect. Not that I had any doubts about the now acclaimed expertise of the Japanese luthiers, but it is actually a very unusual habit.

bodyold2 lpsr orville by gibson classic2vintage

Let’s have a look at the specifications:

Orville by Gibson LPS-R Limited Edition

Made in Japan 1994

Mahogany body.

Carved Maple top with Rosewood veneer.

One-piece Mahogany set neck.

Rosewood Fingerboard.

Maple binding. 22f. Trapezoid inlays in natural MOP.

Gibson pickups PAF Patent Sticker

Inked serial number

Oil Finish

Full original.

Carved Ebony lower bout.

Rosewood veneer headstock.

Brass truss rod cover.

totale2 lpsr orville by gibson classic2vintage

It is really difficult to fully convey the beauty of the woods and colors in photography, especially the charm of the natural mother-of-pearl of the frets, whose creamy hue beautifully matches the warm tones of mahogany and rosewood. The oil finish gives the whole softness to the touch and that sensual honeyness typical of vintage instruments: it is certainly an instrument that does not go unnoticed and that we often find ourselves admiring enchanted in sacred adoration.

heel lpsr orville by gibson classic2vintage corr

heelback lpsr orville by gibson classic2vintage

headback lpsr orville by gibson classic2vintage gold

bodyback lpsr orville by gibson classic2vintage

26 October 2018

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Greco 950 “The Shrike”

By C2VUncategorizedNo Comments

”This surprising instrument is a bit like the symbol of our belief, of our continuous research, of our continuous penetration into the art of Luthiery of the second half of the twentieth century and never fails to fascinate even today, nourishing groups of admirers who observe it in absorbed contemplation, just like with a great meditation wine or a good warming cognac.
Lorenzo

headred shrike 950 greco classic2vintage

In fact, its shapes capture the eye as well as its colors warm the heart: it is a unique instrument.

The nickname Shrike (in English is a way to call a certain kind of birds) comes from the particular shape of his V shape pick-ups that have had great appeal on the collective imagination, so much that Tim Shaw, the legendary project designer who was in charge of the rebirth of Gibson at the end of the 70s, designed a boomerang shape version of them that he applied to V2, a very special version of Flying V that saw the light at the end of the decade.

totalered shrike 950 greco classic2vintage

The 950 pickups were particulars also in the internal design, each one was composed of two sets of 3 coils each and it was possible to split them in half V to combine each one with the other (ie the top half V of the pickup at the neck could be combined with the lower half V of that at the bridge). They were innovative pickups with a unique sound but unluckily even delicate almost everyone had to be rewound across the years.

pickups shrike 950 greco classic2vintage

The remaining of the electronic part of the 950 Shrike is composed of the volume potentiometer and in the 4 selectors to select the various combinations of the pickups’ coils.

The Greco 950 was built in the old Teisco factory in Nagano, Japan. From 1967 to 1969, the factory kept on producing instruments, even if the contract with Teisco was closed in 1966. Then the factory was renamed Teisco Gen Gakki and started to produce instruments under various brands like Greco, Idol and others, acquiring a reputation among American importers in the late 60s thanks to their high-quality levels and competitive prices.

The 950, that is practically impossible to find in Europe and for this reason has become a collector’s holy grail, also reveals herself a very versatile instrument, going from funky, to soft jazz to rock blues, giving joy to the ears beyond the eyes.

The tobacco sunburst, is probably the best known and beloved version of the 950 Shrike: even here the presence of the zero key denotes the typical Japanese sympathy for Italian productions, while the neck and the headstock wink at the American Rickenbacker, the diamond-shaped holes are those of Trini Lopez Gibson and the double-cutaway has the flavor of a mix between Gibson SG and British Burns.

There were basses too…but this is another story…

shrikebass shrike 950 greco classic2vintage

Greco “The Shrike” Bass

bodygreen shrike 950 greco classic2vintage

controls shrike 950 greco classic2vintage

tiracorde shrike 950 greco classic2vintage

logocase shrike 950 greco classic2vintage

gibson flyingv2 shrike 950 greco classic2vintage mask curve

Gibson Flying V2 by Tim Shaw

The Greco 950 owned by “Drowning In Guitars” tested by Mike Dugan

28 September 2018

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Godwin “The Organ”

By C2VOrgan Guitars, Vintage Italian Guitars, Vintage Italian SynthesizersNo Comments

”At one point the magicals technological madness of the 60s gave birth to his 'monster child': after Bob Murrell had presented his first experiments and Vox had thought to transfer the sound module of his Continental organ inside the body of a Phantom guitar VI, others were the examples that followed and among the various we cannot fail to mention the probably most fascinating and technically successful project, the Godwin The Organ. Of uncertain year of birth, someone assigns it to the mid-70s and some others at the beginning, surely the instrument produced for Godwin/Sisme is the most fascinating of the family of guitars that reproduce organ sounds.
Lorenzo

Real forerunner of the synth guitar, The Organ sees the Italian genius push to its maximum: each fret of the neck, divided into 6 segments, had electrical connections so that when they came into contact with the string you obtain the same effect as pushing a key on an organ, the electrical contact closes and the note sounds perfect and without the possibility of error. In this the Godwin has no rivals: no latency or flicker due to a bad tracking (tracing the note), defect present in almost every one of the first guitar synth and often also in the current ones. This places her as a true forerunner of synth guitars.

In addition to the electronic organ sound, The Organ is also a “normal” electric guitar, equipped with a pair of pickups that recall the lipstick style, with adjustable balance and volume. The electronics are housed inside the instrument, in a compartment on the back and below the pickguard that houses the various controls (19 switches and 13 potentiometers on the top model and 16 switches and 4 pots on the “budget” model), while the complex electronic system is powered by a special power pack enclosed in a box in which a volume pedal is also inserted. Basically, the rotary switches take the function of the drawbars and each “drawbar” can be switched on or off, the musician can thus add or subtract the desired “instruments” and adjust the tremolo speed via onboard controls.

circuit theorgan goodwin classic2vintage mask

The aesthetics of this instrument speaks for itself and you can immediately notice that was designed for the US market (as often happened with the instruments of the Godwin brand): a particular and modern version of the double Florentine cutaway enriches the sinuous forms of this hollow body, entirely built in maple with a splendid S-shaped hole and five other sound-holes of various lengths, and with silver retina too, adorn the top. The comfortable 3-piece fat neck, also in maple, is secured to the body by a 4-screw plate with shoulder-strap pin, serial number and the words “Made in Italy” engraved.

heel theorgan goodwin classic2vintage mask

output theorgan goodwin classic2vintage mask

The black dot microdots are on the side, on the binding that runs at the edges of the keyboard, while the beautiful and modern stylized headstock, bearing the beautiful logo Godwin Organ, is equipped with the excellent Grover Rotomatic mechanics. The rosewood fingerboard has 21 keys divided into 6 segments for the same number of individual electrical contacts. The bridge is typically height adjustable, with 6 saddles that can also be individually adjusted and has a hand rest cover, while the pleasant trapezoidal cord with the G of the logo is anchored with 3 screws.

frets theorgan goodwin classic2vintage mask

tiracorde theorgan goodwin classic2vintage

The shape of the Organ has a personality that stands out and every detail is very well balanced: we find ourselves in front of an aesthetic of great charm and it is a pity has not been marketed as a hollow body electric guitar in its own right because surely it would have received its personal fame.

totalecase theorgan goodwin classic2vintage

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The most famous endorser of this instrument was Peter Van Wood, who was evidently so enthusiastic that he even dedicated an album titled “Van Wood and His Magic Guitar Organ”, making himself portrayed on the cover with The Organ on display.

van wood theorgan goodwin classic2vintage mask

Unfortunately, you cannot find many video files, except for these few which do not give a good idea of the functioning and sound of the instrument (in the latter the guitar no longer even has the electronic section of the organ). In the first, however, it is possible to see the fragment of a television live performance by Van Wood with his organ guitar.

Van Wood with the Organ.

6 September 2018

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Coletti G 61 C, Art Decò Masterpiece

By C2VCzech Vintage GuitarsNo Comments

”Da grandi appassionati di Art Nouveau quali siamo, non potevamo non dedicare un canto d’amore alle bellissime chitarre Coletti.
Lorenzo

palettacima coletti g61ccl classic2vintage

Martin Coletti was one of the companies present in the Schönbach area, a small village in the Czech Republic which is now called Luby and is located a few kilometers from its German counterpart, Markneukirchen (among other things, the birthplace of the famous CF Martin).

frontetotale coletti g61ccl classic2vintage

Many Germans lived and worked in the Schönbach area, producing high-quality instruments and, in the 1930s, that was the main center of Central European guitar production: their brands (including Radiotone, Ridgmount, Avalon and Martin Coletti but also Franz Mettal, Anton Bräuer, Cremona, Taco, Mestan, Primus, Albo and who knows how many others) were distributed by the Anglo-Saxon Dallas.

frontesinistro coletti g61ccl classic2vintage

retrototale coletti g61ccl classic2vintage

retrosinistro coletti g61ccl classic2vintage

After the end of the war, the Germans were lead to the exit door and the Czechs changed the name of the city, resurrected the instrument manufacturers and began the production of cheap instruments, made with low quality materials and scarce attention to sound and playability. But this is another story and of little concern to us because now we will focus on the splendid Coletti, built to proudly rival the “pompous” American sisters.

retropaletta coletti g61ccl classic2vintage maskcurve2

The G61C model Coletti featured in these images are hand-carved from Spruce and Maple while the necks are made of European Beech with mother-of-pearl block inlays. Frets and bridges are modeled in Ebony and the finish is the classic nitrocellulose, which over time only adds charm to our beloved vintage instruments. The beautiful wood inlays of the headstock, the beautiful 3-in-line nickel-plated tuners and the classy celluloid pickguards with a “C” overhead, complete the charm of these splendid jazz ladies. And when we arrive here, we sit in religious silence to admire these wonders, letting the images speak.