Well if this ain't the most beautiful guitar I've seen in a long time!

[fantasticsound]

I was searching for straplock pics for the Badlife's thread when I came across a pic of another Neal Moser guitar. Damn he's a great luthier!

 

This one, however, is THE one that blew me away! http://www.iamviet.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_pop_eyes.gifhttp://img486.imageshack.us/img486/6389/jawdrop7rg.gif

 

(Click on the pic to see other pics of this masterpiece and peruse the website.)

 

http://www.nealmoser.com/images/17%20MV%20sig%20model.jpg

 

I love how he kept the vertical surfaces of the carved face a near natural finish while the rest is that amazing, 3D looking transparent blue! http://img61.photobucket.com/albums/v185/MemoryLane/bolt.gif

[Braxat]

oh wow... wow owo wowo wowowowoowowowoooooow

[Guitar Geezer]

It's almost like a Giger (?) drawing

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/geezer123/ESCHER.jpg

[Warthog]

Originally posted by Guitar Geezer:

It's almost like a Giger (?) drawing

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/geezer123/ESCHER.jpg

Escher...and that's one nice-looking guit!

[fantasticsound]

...And yes, that thought (Escher) had occurred to me, as well.

[GuitarWolf]

A textbook case of having nice wood and a nice paint/binding job wasted on a horrible body shape...

[fantasticsound]

Oh, GuitarWolf. I couldn't disagree more. I love this body. I can do without most of his body shapes, which are interesting takes on the metal guitar genre, but this one is gorgeous, IMO. Did you look at any of the other pics. The ones of the owner with his instrument on show a neat mix of tradition and innovation.

 

But if you don't like it, you don't like it. I was not a fan of Teles from their looks for many years.

[miroslav]

Looks like something Prince might enjoy.

 

The craftsmanship is quite nice...but I'm not that wild about the overall design/style.

It's just a tad too esoteric for my tastes...

[fantasticsound]

This isn't a dig on either of you, Miro and GuitarWolf, but I've heard someone, maybe Bill talk about certain guitar companies endlessly re-hashing the past and I think your attitudes show why they do.

 

At best, radical designs are appreciated by a small niche of the niche that is musical instrument sales, so why build axes like the Moser unless you're a custom luthier who builds few instruments and can basically hand pick his clients by charging a high, if still reasonable for the work, price for his wares.

 

Anyone trying to reach the mass market hasn't a chance because most of us don't appreciate radical designs as anything but an oddity. I think the success of the Parker Fly is a special case. Relatively conservative in basic design, but completely radical in the details and engineering. Steinberger, despite a decent run, didn't fare so well and is nothing like the company Ned started 30 some-odd years ago.

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but as a group I think we're a very conservative lot and the industry is immitating our desires, not the other way around.

 

Sorry about the slightly OT rant. The paradox of this tradition/innovation aspect of guitar manufacturing is interesting, IMO, to ponder.

[GuitarWolf]

Theres nothing wrong with attempting a radical designs. The really, really tough part is coming up with a design that the majority of the market will love and embrace. The SG, flying V, Wolfgang and Parker Fly are just a few examples of radical shapes that worked for people on the mass market level. By criticizing his design I'm not criticizing all radical designs that will follow, I'm just merely illustrating that when working in the realm of "body innovation" the results are quite drastically more MISS than HIT.

[Bluesape]

It looks cool to my eye, but I'm wondering if injudicious picking hand strokes wouldn't get hung up on the raised surface below the strings.

[GuitarWolf]

Originally posted by Bluesape:

It looks cool to my eye, but I'm wondering if injudicious picking hand strokes wouldn't get hung up on the raised surface below the strings.

Wow, you must have a really large picking arc, my strum hardly leaves the strings.

[BadLife]

I think it's a nice piece of art, not sure I want to have it myself. Now if it was red instead of blue.

[MadStrum]

It looks a tad complicated and artish for my taste. I saw a Taylor T5 in the local guitar store. That guitar was the most beautiful one I've seen in a long time It looked so much better in person, I just stood there and stared. Then I saw the price tag.

 

Pier.

[miroslav]

Originally posted by fantasticsound:

This isn't a dig on either of you, Miro and GuitarWolf, but I've heard someone, maybe Bill talk about certain guitar companies endlessly re-hashing the past and I think your attitudes show why they do.

 

......

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but as a group I think we're a very conservative lot and the industry is immitating our desires, not the other way around.

Sorry Neil, but I think you are wrong in your deduction about my tastes in guitar fashion.

 

I happen to have a rather good background in visual arts as well as audio, so Im not just dismissing this particular design you like, out-of-hand.

It's not that I only like the same old sunburst LP style of axe and nothing else...

...but I also think that new designs DONT have to be radical in order to deviate from the traditional ones.

 

Heck...I have an Epi Thunderbird, which has quite an unusual body when compared to "standard" guitars...

but the one you pictured here as "one of the most beautiful guitars"...just doesn't do much for me.

I'm generally not fond of anything that's too "swirly"...that's why it reminded me of a "Prince" guitar, none which I ever cared for.

 

I do like the finish on the guitar...and I can see that there is some exceptional craftsmanship there...but overall, it just comes off as an determined attempt to only be different by just taking a basic guitar body...and simply distorting it's shape into a big swirl w/an extreme horn".

Not very interesting to me.

Also...from a design perspective...I don't feel that the machine head fits the body design...it looks almost like an afterthought, and it's also a pretty close cop of a known brand.

 

I think a lot can be done with finishes and bodies to step away from the standard "sunburst LP"...without having to do a radical chop just to be different.

As an example, the Reverend guitars come to mind. They are not "sunburst LP" nock-off...but yet, they look cool...they look like a guitar...sexy, yet gutsy...and NOT just a stab at avant-garde designwhich IMOis what the one here is.

 

Butbeauty is in the eye of the beholderso, grab one for yourself if you think it is the most beautiful guitar you seen in a long time!

HeckI wouldif I felt that strongly enough about it.

 

You can go to some music stores where they offer many "unusual" guitars...and guess what...

...people look at them and say, "Check it out, cool!"...then they go and buy a Tele, or LP!

 

So while you may like something...that doesn't make the rest of the guitar buying public any less appreciative of nice looking guitars.

Maybe...just maybe...there ARE only a few "near perfect" guitar designs, that most people love...

...and the majority of others that deviate too far...well, their just novelty, and nothing more.

[Bluesape]

Originally posted by GuitarWolf:

Originally posted by Bluesape:

It looks cool to my eye, but I'm wondering if injudicious picking hand strokes wouldn't get hung up on the raised surface below the strings.

Wow, you must have a really large picking arc, my strum hardly leaves the strings.

Nope, not me - but some folks do. Maybe it looks more in the way from the pic than it really is.

[Dr. Ellwood]

I really do appreciate the craftsmanship in that instument but I just don't like it. I like some elements in it but the total design I just can't appreciate. I guess I'm a traditionalist.

[GuitarWolf]

Originally posted by MadStrum:

It looks a tad complicated and artish for my taste. I saw a Taylor T5 in the local guitar store. That guitar was the most beautiful one I've seen in a long time It looked so much better in person, I just stood there and stared. Then I saw the price tag.

 

Pier.

Was it the version made out of Koa? If it was then I certainly agree with you.

[Bejeeber]

http://www.nealmoser.com/images/16%20MV%20sig%20model.jpg

 

I'd agree that the body on that guitar is a genuine beauty.

 

I haven't seen a lot of Moser guitars, but I'd say that's easily the nicest I've seen so far.

 

Not really into pointy guitars though, so the headstock shape isn't quite my cup of tea.

 

http://www.nealmoser.com/images/7%20MV%20sig%20model.jpg

 

I'm afraid these Mosers below I'd have to rate pretty darn low in the looks dept.:

 

http://www.mosercustomshop.com/shred/Images/templar/templar_group.jpg

[GuitarWolf]

Arnt the first tow B.C. Ritch knock- offs?

[Kramer Ferrington III.]

Originally posted by fantasticsound:

Oh, GuitarWolf. I couldn't disagree more. I love this body. I can do without most of his body shapes, which are interesting takes on the metal guitar genre, but this one is gorgeous, IMO.

Actually, this one looks rather retro to me.

 

Yeah, retro. It reminds me of some 50s coffee tables, the rounded ones that looked a bit like an artist's palette.

 

Very nice guitar indeed, wish I could afford something like that.

[MadStrum]

Yeah it was the koa... sweet sweet looks..

 

Pier.

 

Originally posted by GuitarWolf:

Originally posted by MadStrum:

It looks a tad complicated and artish for my taste. I saw a Taylor T5 in the local guitar store. That guitar was the most beautiful one I've seen in a long time It looked so much better in person, I just stood there and stared. Then I saw the price tag.

 

Pier.

Was it the version made out of Koa? If it was then I certainly agree with you.

[Dave da Dude]

ARRRrrrrrgggghhh

 

I had finally completely gotten rid of my GAS, and then this happens!!

fantasticsound, how COULD you do this to me!??

 

I went to his site, mistake #1. I started looking at the various models, mistake #2.

 

And now it's too late to recover. It's not my 'perfect' guitar, but the Phoenix 10 (10 strings, my last name is Phoenix) .... arrrgghhhh.

 

Oh ... yeah ... pictures ...

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/DsBucket/Guitars/Phoenix10_01.jpghttp://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/DsBucket/Guitars/Phoenix10_03.jpghttp://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/DsBucket/Guitars/Phoenix10_05.jpghttp://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/DsBucket/Guitars/Phoenix10_11.jpg

 

It's the detail work that I love, and he shows lots of it in his great macro shots. Gotta' go ...

[picker]

I don't much like the split-level top, myself. It's an interesting idea, what with the strings terminating in it and all. But it just begs to knock some skin of off some knuckles during some wild funk-strumming, and I'll bet the whole thing is heavy as lead. As for his other guitars, they do seem to be rather blatent copies of BC Rich, but then nobody gets too worked up over clones of strats, Vs, Les Pauls, etc. His woodwork does look nice.

[miroslav]

A slight segue...

 

Any of you guys ever take an existing guitar...and then add design elements to it?

 

I'm mostly curious about adding some basic abalone/mother-of-pearl inlay as fret markers to a neck that has none.

 

Not sure if this is a semi-easy DIY or not...?

[the stranger]

Originally posted by GuitarWolf:

Arnt the first tow B.C. Ritch knock- offs?

It looks like they all have a BC RICH influence. I have to say I love the look of this guy's stuff.

And the Pheonix 10 is totally badass. I always wanted a 10 string Bich.

As for the original guitar Neil posted, I do like the look of it. I think he should do one that's the exact opposite. The raised and lowered parts would be switched. I think it would be a bit more ergonomic.

 

But I love the way the strings feed through the raised section. I think it would be a little cooler if the controls were on the raised area.

[Guitar55]

It's different, but it doesn't appeal to me. I also think the raised section would interfere with getting at the controls. To each his own.

[GuitarWolf]

Originally posted by the stranger:

I always wanted a 10 string Bich.

 

Woah, Woaah! Leave your sexual preferences at the door man, geez!

[fantasticsound]

Like I said, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

 

I find it mildly amusing you'd mention Reverend guitars, Miro. Consider the comparisons of the basic body shapes...

 

http://www.taranaki-guitars.de/cnt/pb-pic/565.jpghttp://www.nealmoser.com/images/3%20MV%20sig%20model.jpg

 

The Moser kinda resembles a melted Reverend or a Fender Jaguar, eh?

 

I find the Reverends to be an interesting variant of those old Fenders. Never had the opportunity to play one, though.

 

And no, I don't have multiple thousands of dollars to drop on this Moser.

 

Sorry about the GAS, Dave!

[Dr. Ellwood]

Neil, If you get a chance to play a Reverend I think you would really like it! They are local here, so lots of guys here own them, so I have played them and been out to the shop too, very nice people!