Official Luthiers Forum!

Several years ago I ran across examples of a builder that had done some incredible marketry on his guitars. I'm remembering a back that had been inlaid to appear as if there was a zipper that had been partially opened and peeled back to show the internal bracing etc. of the guitar, all created by marquetry into the back wood. There were several other examples, but anyone who saw them will probably instantly remember them, they were so remarkable.

My question is does anyone remember who it was that made these guitars? I can't remember his name to save my soul, and can't come up with his name or examples of his work with any of the Google searches I can think of.

If any of you have younger neuronal synapses than I do, I'd sure appreciate your help.

http://www.petrosguitars.com/
he has nice stuff

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

This might be the one:



Howard Klepper
http://www.theacousticmusicco.co.uk/ind ... itars.html
http://www.klepperguitars.com/gallery.html

Looking at his website though, his other guitars don't look as ornate as you describe.

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https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

Grit Laskin?

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http://www.booneguitars.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen-Boone-guitar-builder/488208541257210

Tracy Cox?
http://www.tracycoxguitars.com/

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Perhaps Ervin?
http://www.esomogyi.com/guitars/andamento1.jpg

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Tom Barton

Thanks for mining your memory banks, but it's not any of those guys.

I'm not aware of Petro's having done anything like this. Howard's Dovetail Madness blew me away, but I don't think he's done something along these lines either. Grit's inlay is unique but I think he mostly sticks to pearl, fretboards and pegheads. Wasn't as aware of Tracy Cox's work, which I see is pretty impressive as well. I know it wasn't Ervin's work, which by the way is even more impressive in person than even the best photos. I saw his Andamento at Healdsburg a few years ago and the craftwork and detail, as well as the refinement of the inlay design of that guitar were just remarkable.

This would have been about 7 or 8 years ago, and it was photorealistic marquetry, where it looked like you were actually looking at the inside of the guitar when you looked at the marquetry. I'm remembering an acoustic back that looked like it was partially unzipped, and I believe another acoustic that the upper base side bout looked like it had been peeled back, again revealing the inside of the guitar.

I sure hope it rings a bell with someone here, as I was hoping to study it more closely for a piece of furniture I'm working on on the side.

You've got me bugged now. I remember the guitar, but not the inlayer.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

you also got me now...I know this zipper guitar....f...k....will keep my brain bussy today...

I think I do remember seeing that guitar, but I don't think it was by any of the "usual suspects". It seems somewhat like Michihiro Matsuda's style, but I don't think it was him either. Hmm.

You may well be thinking of the late Phil Petillo, he used to do marquetry on his guitars.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Petillo


nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com

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nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

I don't remember ever seeing pics of the guitar in question, but it sounds like the sort of thing that James MacDonald could have executed, he has done some remarkably imaginative guitar marquetry.

Nigel,
I think you hit the nail on the head!

I contacted David Petillo, Phil's son, and he thought he remembered Phil doing that guitar. He thought it might have been in some magazine, which is where I probably saw it. Now, if I can just find where, I'm set.

Thanks,
Randy

I seem to recall reading about him in an old copy of the excellent (and long gone) Frets magazine. We had a shelf of them in the workshop of my old boss Stefan, and I spent many a lunchtime reading through them.

Perhaps someone has a copy and and scan it in?

That was in the days when I seemed to know the names at least of most the makers around....there weren't quite so many in the 80's!


nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/#/book/4568936095

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http://www.theluthierblog.com