Up for sale is one of the most remarkable guitars I have ever played, and I’ve owned most of the Gibson and Epiphone models. It is a one-of-a-kind and was built by the great Brian Dean when he had his shop in Montreal. Brian made it after a design from Stephen Owsley Smith, another highly respected builder with a true cult following. Brian Dean is best known for his mandolin making, but he has ventured into other realms, as this guitar shows. (I have also owned two mandolins and a cittern that Brian built.) The same skill, ingenuity, taste and magic tonality that his mandolins show, are all demonstrated in this instrument.
This is not your average, everyday archtop guitar. As you can see, it has a round sound hole, and a wonderfully complex carve to both the top and the back. The sound is also unlike any other archtop I have owned, but it is perhaps closest to a round-hole 1934 Martin C-2 that I had a number of years back. It is almost like a combination of the best qualities of an archtop and a flattop. It features an unusual modified X-brace pattern, yet it has almost all of the “bark” or “chop” of a typical Gibson L-5, but with much more sustain.
Guitars Archtop Electric & Acoustic - Brian Dean Guitars title=Brian Dean No. 33 > Guitars Archtop Electric & Acoustic style=width:100%;text-align:center; onerror=this.onerror=null;this.src='https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRpxJNo9MwkPY8ENXuTo6vIKosYZuit8l03Auef60RIbtdLS63ZMIBrwgvorpKN7xGwsjY&usqp=CAU'; />
Shortly after I got it, I took it to my setup guys at Mike Lull’s Guitarworks in Bellevue, WA, where I had a full fret leveling and crowning done using their Plek machine, and it plays like butter.
File:gretsch G6136slbp Brian Setzer Black Phoenix
A few weeks later, the original short trapeze tailpiece broke, so I installed an Allen cast-bronze tailpiece on it. This enhanced the treble response and sustain, which was the direction I wanted to go. I then had a Stefan Sobell-style bridge made and fitted (also by Mike Lull’s Guitarworks), with full contact, short footprint and a bone saddle. This further enhanced the attack, note separation and “shimmer” of the sound.
A few years later, a friend bought it from me, and then later sold it on to another friend of mine, who was looking to get a more “classic” archtop sound out of it. To that end, he had a Benedetto full-sized ebony tailpiece fitted and the original adjustable bridge put back on, along with ground-wound d’Addario “Flat-Top” bronze strings, and that took it much more firmly into that traditional archtop spectrum, sounding very much like a 1940s Epiphone Deluxe I once had. Good bark, but still lots of detail.
With the bone saddle and bronze tailpiece, it sounds more like a flat top, but the single notes do have more girth to them than on most flat tops. Changing the bridge or the tailpiece with the others included takes it closer to the more traditional arch top dynamic and sound, with less shimmer and sustain, but more punch to single notes, which decay faster.
Brian Dean Moore Band @ Kempton Fair
Putting both the ebony adjustable saddle and ebony tailpiece on takes it pretty firmly into the arch top range, but with a bit less midrange and a bit more treble and bass response. Think of the 1934 Martin C-1 and C-2 guitars with round sound holes, if you've ever played one of those.
Using the ebony adjustable bridge and the ebony floating tailpiece along with semi-flats or flat-wound strings brings in all of the midrange bark that one would expect from a standard f-hole arch top, but with more bass response and thump to both chords and single notes.
I am showing photos of both ends of the spectrum, in terms of setup: with the adjustable bridge and Benedetto tailpiece and also with the bone-saddle fixed bridge and Allen tailpiece. At the moment, it has the bone-saddle bridge, the Benedetto tailpiece, and d’Addario round-wound phosphor bronze 12-53 strings, and it is a lovely mixture of those two voices. You will get both bridges and both tailpieces, so you can voice it however you want. (Mind you, with the second endpin that was installed to accommodate the Benedetto tailpiece’s short gut, if you want to put the Allen tailpiece back on, you will need to plug the second endpin hole.)
Guitars Signed By Dave Grohl, Nile Rodgers, Brian Johnson, John Paul Jones, Krist Novoselic And More To Be Auctioned In Honor Of Taylor Hawkins
It is in what I would call “Excellent” to “Near Mint” condition. Over the years, it had acquired a few little indentations in the top finish, none of which make their way through the finish, but do indent the wood. It is what is typically called “worming”. The Benedetto tailpiece sits so close to the top that the ball ends of the strings also create some minor “worming” where the touch the top, but again, it’s not into bare wood, and could likely be steamed out by any luthier who is familiar with this technique.
As you can tell from the photos, this is not only a fantastic musical instrument, but it is also a true work of art. It is not fancy, but it is luscious, truly luscious.
The 17 ½” lower bout is large, but the overall depth at the side is just a hair under 3”, so it is much more comfortable to play that you would initially think. I am 5’ 10”, and I have no trouble playing it sitting in a chair.
Innerviews: Robert Dean
It has its originally-installed McIntyre Feather pickup and a ¼” jack on the lower bout side. It works well and sounds surprisingly good. If I were to play it live, I would likely add a Sunrise sound hole pickup and mix that with the McIntyre.
The neck, back and sides are all amazingly rich-looking Cuban Mahogany, which is, to my ear, one of the world’s finest tone woods. The fingerboard and bridges are African Ebony. The top is some form of very tightly grained Spruce, though I am not sure which variety. The headstock has both a top overlay and a back overly of Cuban Mahogany. This provides remarkable strength and resistance to breaking. The nut is an Ebony/Mother of Pearl sandwich, and saddle one the fixed bridge is bone. The entire body is bound in what appears to be Honduran Rosewood. The tuning machines are Waverly with Ebony buttons.
The finish is remarkably thin, which is part of what gives this instrument its complex sound. In my opinion, way too many archtop guitars are weighed down with thick, heavy finishes, which dampen the wood’s ability to resonate properly. Brian left the wood on the back of the neck almost bare (though it is sealed against sweat damage), to give a smoother feel to the hand. This is common practice among violin and mandolin builders.
Jimi Hendrix Flying V Guitar Art Print Von Brian Methe
Overall length is 41 ¾”. The body is 17 1/2 at the lower bout, 9 ¾” at the waist, and 12 ½” at the upper bout. The scale length is 25 1/2, neck width at the nut is a comfortable 1 3/4”. Action at the 12th fret is an easy 5/64 on all the strings. The neck is straight as can be with less than 1/64 relief. The truss rod has lots of room to move in either direction, should you want to put heavier or lighter strings on it. There are no high frets, buzzes, dips or twists. The instrument is in absolutely perfect playing condition.
The case is the original one it came with, which was custom-made for this instrument by Brian himself. It looks a bit “hippy”, but it provides ample protection for carrying around to gigs. If I were to tour with this instrument, I would certainly have a Calton or Hoffee case made for it.
It will be packed in an oversized extra-strong box, with ample padding between the case and the carton. I have a lot of experience packing stringed instruments, having shipped roughly 1000 instruments over the past 40 years, to dozens of countries around the world.
Brian N Dean, Luthier
The instrument comes with a 48-hour approval period. If, within the 48-hour period, you decide that the instrument is not for you, simply return it to me in the same condition as I sent it out, with full insurance, and I will refund your purchase price, minus 10% restocking fee and shipping to you. Buyer pays return shipping and insurance.
TERMS, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: Buyer pays selling price plus shipping and insurance. I typically ship with USPS or FedEx, though other arrangements can be made at the buyer's request. No fee is charged for packing or handling. I will gladly ship anywhere in the world, but beware, international shipping charges can be steep, and the buyer is responsible for all duties, taxes, VAT, brokerage and storage fees on their end. Check my feedback. I'm 100% for real. Please contact me with any questions.
PLEASE NOTE IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICA: Please send us your address for a proper shipping quote. We get special deals from DHL which are MUCH less expensive than UPS or FedEx.
Brian May Guitar 3d Model In Guitar 3dexport
Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care.learn more
We understand the importance of online privacy and are committed to complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. To reflect our commitment, we updated our terms and conditions.
0 Response to "Brian Dean Guitars"
Posting Komentar