michael stevens neo classic prototype. dotmarker meets burst!!!

[ppgf]

recently had the opportunity to acquire the proto for the stevens neo classic.
exceptional instrument by a legendary builder.

double white tom holmes (450 neck/455 bridge)
royalite binding
carved eastern red maple top
honduras mahogany back and neck
brazilian rosewood fingerboard

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

That friend is beautiful.

Must confess to having zero knowledge of this builder, the shame is all mine.

Dripping in quality...superb.

Heartiest congratulations. :salude

 

[Cogswell]

Beautiful lines.

 

[ppgf]

thanks for the good word. michael was tapped to open the fender custom shop.

his knowledge of "50's explorers and v and his reproductions are legendary.

That friend is beautiful.

Must confess to having zero knowledge of this builder, the shame is all mine.

Dripping in quality...superb.

Heartiest congratulations. :salude

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

Thanks Matte, the education never ends...:salude

 

[Mark Kane]

Great score Matte!!:salude

 

[ppgf]

​thanks for expressing your curiosity. :nocd

Thanks Matte, the education never ends...:salude

 

[ppgf]

sympathetic jury!!!!

it's basically an lj in 335 clothing. michael and i started kicking the concept around in 2005-2006.

the flat back enables contouring for better upper fret access and comfort.

Great score Matte!!:salude

 

[57gold]

Very sweet and historic!

First heard about Michael Stephens from Bill Collings, who at the time said he didn't know if he would ever build electrics. He directed me to Stephens as a master of the art form.

With JG's, Bartlett and a couple of Collings electrics on hand...last on the list is Stevens. Thought about the golden one that he recently posted for sale, but it had a pickguard mounted V control and a tremolo, neither of which have utility to me as a player of an ES meets LP style instrument...have enough trouble not hitting the V control on Strats. Some other lucky dog picked it up.

 

[Mark Kane]

sympathetic jury!!!!

it's basically an lj in 335 clothing. michael and i started kicking the concept around in 2005-2006.

the flat back enables contouring for better upper fret access and comfort.

Sympathetic is the word. I just picked up another early custom shop LJ from Jim:salude. Michaels guitars just amaze me.

 

[ppgf]

michael and johan are the dons in my world. here's the first guitar that michael ever built for me, back in the mid "90s.

Very sweet and historic!

First heard about Michael Stephens from Bill Collings, who at the time said he didn't know if he would ever build electrics. He directed me to Stephens as a master of the art form.

With JG's, Bartlett and a couple of Collings electrics on hand...last on the list is Stevens. Thought about the golden one that he recently posted for sale, but it had a pickguard mounted V control and a tremolo, neither of which have utility to me as a player of an ES meets LP style instrument...have enough trouble not hitting the V control on Strats. Some other lucky dog picked it up.

 

[Mark Kane]

Very sweet and historic!

First heard about Michael Stephens from Bill Collings, who at the time said he didn't know if he would ever build electrics. He directed me to Stephens as a master of the art form.

With JG's, Bartlett and a couple of Collings electrics on hand...last on the list is Stevens. Thought about the golden one that he recently posted for sale, but it had a pickguard mounted V control and a tremolo, neither of which have utility to me as a player of an ES meets LP style instrument...have enough trouble not hitting the V control on Strats. Some other lucky dog picked it up.

That Classic with the guard mounted volume control is still on the market, Jim at PrimeGuitars has it now for sale. The first time I was made aware of Steven's guitars was from a red, curly maple top LJ Matte posted for sale somewhere years ago. I was totally enamored instantly and it's only gotten worse over the years as I've owned and played them. MS builds one hell of a guitar.

 

[57gold]

That Classic with the guard mounted volume control is still on the market, Jim at PrimeGuitars has it now for sale. The first time I was made aware of Steven's guitars was from a red, curly maple top LJ Matte posted for sale somewhere years ago. I was totally enamored instantly and it's only gotten worse over the years as I've owned and played them. MS builds one hell of a guitar.

On PrimeG's site, there is a 1999 pretty gold one with tremolo. The new one with V control on the guard is not posted.

Jim playing it a bit before selling?

 

[Mark Kane]

You're right, I misspoke. I get all wiggly looking at these things :spabout

 

[abalonevintage]

Michael Stevens refretted and shot a '52 Tele neck for me in 1990....one of the last repair orders he took.

Maybe the single best and most accurate work anyone ever did for me.

 

[Dave P]

The neck-less Explorer sure looks like the one Dave Rogers has. The grain by the knobs matches up.

http://davesguitar.com/dgs_collection/explorer-59/#

 

[Cody]

The neck-less Explorer sure looks like the one Dave Rogers has. The grain by the knobs matches up.

http://davesguitar.com/dgs_collection/explorer-59/#

Yes, it would make sense. Can't be too many renecked-by-Stevens Explorers out there.

I still have the Gruhn's price list/booklet somewhere from when it was for sale - by then it had the new neck, of course.

 

[sws1]

The neck-less Explorer sure looks like the one Dave Rogers has. The grain by the knobs matches up.

http://davesguitar.com/dgs_collection/explorer-59/#

Great eye. Wow.

I suppose it was known that Dave's was renecked...that's why you thought of his?

 

[ppgf]

​did dave get it from jimmy wallace? is there are chunk of wood missing at the point of the cutaway?

The neck-less Explorer sure looks like the one Dave Rogers has. The grain by the knobs matches up.

http://davesguitar.com/dgs_collection/explorer-59/#

 

[Dave P]

​did dave get it from jimmy wallace? is there are chunk of wood missing at the point of the cutaway?

Not sure where Dave got it from, but he did tell me that Mike re-necked it. I can't recall if there was a chunk missing, but it would be easy to tell in hand.