J185-4Me Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Well, my wife's Custom Gibson finally arrived yesterday!! Here's the story. So I decided last year to get a Custom Shop guitar for my wife. Her twenty years of teaching music coincided with Bozeman's 20th Anniversary too, so I thought this would be a cool commemorative project. I first spoke to Ren Ferguson and Val Bolitho about it back at the Homecoming, tossed around some ideas, and then plans were finalized during a second visit at the plant later in the summer, where my wife and I sat down with Ren, Val and Don -- being as it would be her guitar! She wanted something that would (1) be unique and that (2) would have good tone and (3) be easy enough for her to play. Having seen some of the work that Val and Ren have done in the past, she and I already had some concepts in mind. One was it would be a smaller-body guitar, with body of maple and ???, and, that it would have some interesting colours. We had seen some of the three-piece back guitars from earlier years and so we headed in that direction, with solid input from Ren, Val and Don. What we ended up ordering was an L-200 EmmyLou "Custom", as that provides a small body, nice tone, good volume, clarity and punch, and, its maple back and sides provide a nice "canvas" to work from in terms of three piece backs, cool colours, etc. So with woods picked in August, and plans for the guitar worked up, we ordered it up through Fuller's Vintage Guitar in Houston, and the plant built it, with most or a lot of the work done by Val and Ren. Tina decided on a quilt maple back with a central, slghtly contrasting flamed maple center-piece, with the colours being sort of a dark royal blue with a contrasting amber center bit. Here's how it turned out. You can see this is the 'old' L-200 body shape, which Ren and I thought would be the more appropriate design. I've always liked the older version tonally better than the newer J-165-ish style. Close-up view: Back: Tina requested a Bridger Mountains inlay at the 12th fret as this is one her favourite sights in the Gallatin Valley/Bozeman area: Headstock back: The amber theme started on the back continues right the way up the neck. Très cool. Headstock front: My wife is pleased that the guitar (1) sounds GREAT!! (2) is very comfortable for her hands to play and (3) was built by the good folks at Gibson's Bozeman plant, many of whom she now knows (we've visited with them for a number of years....) and whom she considers friends. "Christmas", a bit late, but well worth the wait! Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgwoods Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Beautiful, and it will never get lost in a guitar pile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Wow!! It's .... Wow!! I mean, ... Wow!! Val's ... Wow!! -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Very nice. Love the back. Unusual colors for a Gibby, but they look great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjl200 Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 . That is stunning, simply stunning. Now thats a custom shop guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterGibs Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 This is so close to perfection... I admire that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Player Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Very sweet! I love the tone of maple and that back is stunning. Looks like a yellow brick road down the middle of a beautiful blue ocean. I think I am in love. That is what "Custom" is all about. I would love to hear a sound clip of that guitar sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuneitfred Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Fred I'm glad I didn't hurt myself when if fell to the ground. But, I'm good. Wow, I agree that's what custom is all about. The Other Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august_reader Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Wow! A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Thanks for the pix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-50Jeff Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Happy New Year Fred, That is a beautiful guitar... and your wife is one lucky lady!!! Cheers, Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAS44 Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Holy crap. My jaw literally dropped when I saw that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bscha Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 I love the color on the back and sides. Very nice. I'll bet it sounds great too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G McBride Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Very nice Choices. Now that will be one heirloom that everyone will hope is passed down to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 WOW! No other word is appropriate...nothing else is necessary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Nice Choice! The Emmie Lou is a sweet little guitar, and your design/color options make this one to remember!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjl200 Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Is their an official Gibson name for that color Blue? It appears to be very close to Gibson's "Beale Street Blue" . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Congradulations, beautiful one-of-a-kind customs......I like that.....unique.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J185-4Me Posted January 3, 2010 Author Share Posted January 3, 2010 Is their an official Gibson name for that color Blue? It appears to be very close to Gibson's "Beale Street Blue" . Perhaps' date=' it should be called "Bridger-Bolitho" Blue... Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Perhaps' date=' it should be called "Bridger-Bolitho" Blue... [biggrin'] Perfect! Before I saw these photos, I thought her green was best for making that bubble figure look 3D. I'm changing my vote to Bridger-Bolitho Blue. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J185-4Me Posted January 3, 2010 Author Share Posted January 3, 2010 Perfect! Before I saw these photos' date=' I thought her green was best for making that bubble figure look 3D. I'm changing my vote to Bridger-Bolitho Blue. -- Bob R [/quote'] Yeah, it was Tina's choice to go with that blue. I likely would have opted for something more 'traditional', but she had seen some of Val and Ren's previous work, and liked the aesthetics of the blue. Good choices, I'd say: Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilliangirl Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Very sweet! I love the tone of maple and that back is stunning. Looks like a yellow brick road down the middle of a beautiful blue ocean. I think I am in love. That is what "Custom" is all about. I would love to hear a sound clip of that guitar sometime. That's what i thought when I saw it too! It is striking! Very cool! Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J185-4Me Posted January 4, 2010 Author Share Posted January 4, 2010 Fred I'm glad I didn't hurt myself when if fell to the ground. But' date=' I'm good. Wow, I agree that's what custom is all about. The Other Fred[/quote'] Thanks, Other Fred! We agree, that this is "very Custom". For the record, we should acknowledge that the guitar was ordered through Five Star Gibson dealer Fuller's Vintage Guitar. I have dealt with Mike Fuller there for the last ten yars or so, and ordered all my Customs through him. They've been really good -- and fun! -- to work with, so I would heartily endorse them for Custom orders. Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson101 Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 That blue is AWSOME!!! What an interesting look, nice choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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