Progress Pic from Lee at GMW - Chubtone Will be Proud!

[Anonymous]

I just got these progress pics from Lee at GMW. Now, mind you, I ordered this guitar on 8/7/2012. This guy is a MADMAN... It's gonna be a reverse color version of Randy Rhodes' iconic V - white w/black polka dots. Judging by the progress, I should have it soon. This is how you run a custom guitar business, people! Anyway, enjoy:

Should go nicely with my other replica (this one, I built myself from parts

Steve

 

[Gainzilla]

Damn Steve, I spoke to Lee about 2 weeks ago and I was just thinking how I havent seen any GMW posts in a really long time. My GMW's are hands down the best money that I have ever spent on gear and I have a build in mind big time...

Very cool!!!

Kage

 

[mrkmas]

Im liking that V replica. Keep us posted on it

 

[yngzaklynch]

Floyd Rose!!?? Cheater! Just kidding. It'll be great I'm sure.

Jim

 

[daver101]

Where TF did all the strat head GMW's go?

 

[Digital Jams]

Where TF did all the strat head GMW's go?

You and that madman from NY sold them

The good old days! I got my solid maple "Lynch" strathead for HALF of what ESP was selling them for and it was built to my specs. I also have the famous "Cloudnine" guitar where he wanted an EVH clone and I bought the build for hundreds off with hockey stick headstock. Damn good reason Fender went after Lee regarding the strathead.

Looks great Steve, ordered in August to that Lee is flying! Hopefully the paint guy can do the rest soon. Dan L?

 

[Anonymous]

Im liking that V replica. Keep us posted on it

Will do!

Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Dan L?

Yup, Dan Lawrence does these for Lee...

Steve

 

[Shawn Lutz]

Lee builds good stuff.....that should be a better than a Sandavol

I wish he'd sell just bodies as I still can't get into his new headstocks.

 

[jmgman69]

That is badass Steve!!!!!!!

 

[gibson5413]

Congrats Steve! Looks great.

I also have the famous "Cloudnine" guitar where he wanted an EVH clone and I bought the build for hundreds off with hockey stick headstock.

I forgot all about Cloudnine. Whatever happened to that dude? A lot of guys that used to be around that never post anymore like DerekB and DannyM.

 

[Chubtone]

This is how you run a custom guitar business, people! Anyway, enjoy: Steve

Lee must have been sitting there waiting for the phone to ring so he could start building something.

So you have Lee building and DL that is going to paint it I assume? That's two guys. Their workforce is roughly 1/8 of the Charvel/Jackson/EVH custom shop. The custom shop has almost 700 guitar builds on order. So, if Lee had 1/8 that amount of guitars on order (88) he probably wouldn't be quite so far along on yours?

Of course if he quotes you an accurate build time on yours, he is a big step ahead of C/J/EVH custom shop. We should post a link to this thread to Bionic Mike and say, "this is what happens when people want to give you money and you are too slow to be able to take it".

Regardless, I can't wait to see this thing when it's done! Your EVH replica is killer.

 

[Anonymous]

Lee must have been sitting there waiting for the phone to ring so he could start building something.

I dunno, but this amount of progress in that short amount of time is amazing to me...

So you have Lee building and DL that is going to paint it I assume? That's two guys. Their workforce is roughly 1/8 of the Charvel/Jackson/EVH custom shop. The custom shop has almost 700 guitar builds on order. So, if Lee had 1/8 that amount of guitars on order (88) he probably wouldn't be quite so far along on yours?

Well... first of all, this post wasn't meant as an indictment of the Charvel Custom Shop. I was just excited about how much progress he made. I still won't have the guitar for another 2-3 months because the paint takes awhile to cure. But... if we are going there, allow me to retort. I certainly get your point, but Lee seems to have the right workforce for the amount of guitars he is making to give accurate quotes and get the guitars done with a reasonable waiting time, regardless of the number. The Charvel Custom Shop should train more people if they can't do the same.

Of course if he quotes you an accurate build time on yours, he is a big step ahead of C/J/EVH custom shop. We should post a link to this thread to Bionic Mike and say, "this is what happens when people want to give you money and you are too slow to be able to take it".

For sure. Quoting an 8 months wait and then having no end in sight at month 17 is ridiculous. They should give more accurate quotes - that is my real complaint. If they'd have told me two years when I ordered, I wouldn't have even mentioned my wait to anyone at this point. Set people's expectations properly and there would be no complaints (at least from reasonable people).

Bionic Mike has been cool - he has been trying to help me and has given me a couple of updates. Looks like they'll prepare my guitar so it doesn't have a gloss finish. Just a white base coat so it is ready for Dan to paint. Of course, I still don't have one thing at this point - a completion date from Charvel. Mike said he would let me know when he has an accurate date... nothing yet...

Regardless, I can't wait to see this thing when it's done! Your EVH replica is killer.

Thanks, and me too!

Steve

 

[rupe]

Very cool...Lee does great work (but you already know that).

 

[Anonymous]

Lee builds good stuff.....that should be a better than a Sandavol

Yeah, I looked into both options a bit and decided on Lee because he is happy to build it with a Floyd... didn't see that as an option with Sandoval...

Steve

 

[jmgman69]

Instead of the polka dots,you need cherries Steve

 

[JackTripper]

Guitar looks great so far. Lee builds top notch stuff for half the price of most custom shops. Great guy to deal with too.

 

[JackTripper]

he is a big step ahead of C/J/EVH custom shop..

This is definitely true. Lee basically did all the market research for the Fender/Charvel CS, by proving from the late 90s to 2004 that there was in fact a market for old style type Charvels. The irony is, it was Fender that almost put him out of business when they slapped him with a cease and desist order. And of course, they took one of his best "sub contractors".

 

[Chubtone]

Well... first of all, this post wasn't meant as an indictment of the Charvel Custom Shop. Steve

No, I didn't take it as such. I was just trying to make a little comparison. I'm not thrilled with the Charvel Custom Shop wait times myself. In my opinion, they make the best feeling and consistently great sounding guitars around. But they have to get the quote times accurate. Maybe their price should be based on completing it with the wait time they quoted which is what helped them sell it. If it goes twice as long, maybe it should cost half as much?

Maybe after your next company gets bought out, Henning Amplification can go in and do a hostile take over of the Custom Shop? We'll move them to Bob Savage's garage!

 

[Chubtone]

he is a big step ahead of C/J/EVH custom shop..

This is definitely true. Lee basically did all the market research for the Fender/Charvel CS, by proving from the late 90s to 2004 that there was in fact a market for old style type Charvels. The irony is, it was Fender that almost put him out of business when they slapped him with a cease and desist order. And of course, they took one of his best "sub contractors".

Let's make sure everyone understands the small section of my quoted post above is ONLY in reference to him building within his quoted time frame and I don't even know if he does that. It was hypothetical. I don't think anyone builds guitars that are Charvel/Jackson Custom Shop level when it comes to feel and vibe. This is of course subjective, and I would stand toe to toe with someone saying Suhr, Anderson, ESP, Gibson, Bernie JR etc are better. I wouldn't think they were wrong or try and change them to my way of thinking, but I know for my hands, my eyes and my ears, what Grover Jackson created starting in 1978 is as good as it gets and I honestly believe it continues to this day. Even when no one is looking, I reach past my 1984 and my 1980 Charvels and I pick up my 2011 custom shop. It is my favorite guitar I have ever owned.