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deebeeus · 2 years

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Thursday photo dump of the most incredible homemade guitar I have ever had the chance to borrow and enjoy: @michaelsegui's handmade Bigsby-Caster with chambered body and maple flame top, birdseye maple neck, and handtooled leather pick guard. Body and top: finished and bound by @hooperguitars using wood cut, chambered, and shaped by @tomgibson3783, Neck: by @judgewolfeguitars (using birdseye maple from Tom's family farm) C.A.R. Pickup and armrest by @tksmithguitar Hand-tooled leather pickguard by @natesleather The best news is that it is is super light, resonant, and sounds fantastic, Literally the best "#partscaster" I have ever played. #handmadeguitar #smithequipped #paulbigsby #tksmithguitar #midecenturymodern #midcentury #bigsby #tele #teletuesday #telecaster #guitarphotography #vintageguitar #guitar #guitars #guitarra #electricguitar #guitarre #chitarra

#guitar #guitars #handmadeguitar #luthier #partscaster #paulbigsby #bigsby #tksmith #midcenturymodern #vintageguitar #guitarphotography

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retrofret · 1 year

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Just posted a Bigsby Model Lap Steel Hand Made By P.A. Bigsby in Downey California in 1943! Original black hard shell case. - Read more about it by clicking on the link in our profile. - Despite its unassuming appearance this is one of the most interesting and historically important pieces we have handled, the first musical instrument ever made by Paul "P.A" Bigsby. Bigsby is most remembered now for his namesake vibrato tailpiece, but the former motorcycle builder created the first modern solidbody electric guitar for Merle Travis in 1948, greatly influenced Les Paul and Leo Fender and essentially invented the modern pedal steel. He eschewed mass production, crafting his exceptional instruments one ty a time one at a time in a small backyard shop in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey. - - - - #paulbigsby #paulbigsbyguitars #bigsbyguitar #rareguitar #steelguitar #steelguitarlove #pabigsby #lapsteel #lapsteelguitar (at Retrofret Vintage Guitars) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpA7QCLuUzq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#paulbigsby #paulbigsbyguitars #bigsbyguitar #rareguitar #steelguitar #steelguitarlove #pabigsby #lapsteel #lapsteelguitar

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deebeeus · 1 year

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The beauty of the 'burst

I have never seen a home-made guitar as nice as this one, belonging to @michaelsegui . A true collaborative effort with the body and top made by @tomgibson3783 , finished and bound by @hooperguitars, the neck made by @judgewolfeguitars (using birdseye maple from Tom's family farm), the C.A.R. Pickup and armrest by @tksmithguitar , and hand-tooled leather pickguard by @natesleather.

#handmadeguitar#smithequipped#paulbigsby#tksmithguitar#midecenturymodern#midcentury#bigsby#tele#teletuesday#telecaster#guitarphotography#vintageguitar#guitar#guitars#guitarra#electricguitar#guitarre#chitarra

#bigsby #paulbigsby #midcenturymodern #guitar #guitars #guitarphotography

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deebeeus · 2 years

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A special memory came up in my Facebook feed today: Spotted at @retrofret, Brooklyn, 7 years ago today. An original, made to order, 1951/2 #Bigsby electric #mandolin with original case. Almost as cool as the instrument is the original letter (visible in background) from the gentleman who ordered the instrument direct from #PaulBigsby! The letter reads: October 15, 1951. Mr. Paul Bigsby 8114 E. Phlox St. Downey, California Dear Mr. Bigsby: I have decided to purchase one of your 10 string mandolins. I would like for you to make mine just like the other 3 you have made with one exception. Make the tail piece in such a manner that I might use both the looped-end stings (such as Black Diamond and Gibson) and your kind of string. I prefer the mandolin with two (2) pick-ups. I have written to both A. Geddings (***spelling unclear***) of Long Beach California, and Paul Buskirk of Memphis tennessee (sic) and they are both WELL pleased with your instruments , and I am sure you will make one just as good for me. As per your letter of September 21, I am enclosing a deposit of $100 (*** it might say $200 rather than $100. The type is not clear***), with this letter and when completed, which I hope will be about the first of December, I will pay the balance, as I have just today gone to the bank and borrowed $300 for this purpose. Also in your letter of the 21st, you state that there will be an excise tax of $11.25, which I fully consent to pay. If I have a choice, I prefer a "blonde" mandolin, but that is not an important point and will take mine the way you make them. I would like for you to acknowledge receipt of the order and deposit as soon as possible and approximately when you think you will have completed the 10 string mandolin with the TWO pick-ups. Also if there is any choice concerning various parts of the instruments such as color, designs of (***type not visible***), dots, (***illegible***), etc. Thank you.......... Very truly yours, John J. M(***illegible***) JJM/jjm . . #electricmandolin #guitar #guitars #bigsbyguitar #electricguitar #vintageguitar #guitargear #guitarsofinstagram #guitargear #vintagegear #guitarphotography (at Retrofret Vintage Guitars) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd8E-trOPM2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#bigsby #mandolin #paulbigsby #electricmandolin #guitar #guitars #bigsbyguitar #electricguitar #vintageguitar #guitargear #guitarsofinstagram #vintagegear #guitarphotography

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deebeeus · 2 years

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Throwback to 2018 and one of the best two modern guitars I've ever had the privilege to have in my hands on loan: @tomgibson's @tksmithguitar #Roadmaster prototype. Such a pleasure to play and hear something made by a master luthier. It just feels like quality. . #tksmithroadmaster #guitar #guitars #guitarra #chitarra #guitarre #electricguitar #tone #guitargear #guitarsofinstagram #geartalk #guitargear #vintagegear #guitarsdaily #guitarphotography #tksmithguitar #tksmith #smithequipped #tksmithroadmaster #bigsby #paulbigsby #midcentury #midcenturymodern . PS: the other one was @iamtheosdad's @frank_brothers burgundy mist Arcade 🙂 (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdMWWbXrHwd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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deebeeus · 10 months

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Still the prettiest homemade guitar I have ever had in the house. Borrowed from my mate @michaelsegui and built by him, with the help and skill of many others:

Body and top: Finished and bound by @hooperguitars using wood cut, chambered, and shaped by @tomgibson3783 ,

Neck: By @judgewolfeguitars (using birdseye maple from Tom's family farm)

C.A.R. Pickup and armrest by @tksmithguitar

Hand-tooled leather pickguard by @natesleather

#handmadeguitar#smithequipped#paulbigsby#tksmithguitar#midecenturymodern#midcentury#bigsby#tele#teletuesday#telecaster#guitarphotography#vintageguitar#guitar#guitars#guitarra#electricguitar#guitarre#chitarra

#guitar #guitars #guitarphotography #fender #gibson #vintageguitars #electricguitar #vintagegear #nikon

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deebeeus · 2 years

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And here is the second, but no less spectacular, guitar on loan from the Gibson/Segui Guitar Collective: @michaelsegui's handmade, TK-equipped, Bigsby-esque flame-topped birdseye-necked beauty with handtooled leather pick guard. A lot of work went into this one by multiple craftspeople in two countries, and partially thanks to the pandemic and the closed border between the USA and Canada it was literally years in the making. Inspired by some suggestions from @jarsh_alexander six years ago, the body is super light chambered Engleman spruce with a curly maple top made by @tomgibson3783 , and finished in hand rubbed sunburst and bound by @hooperguitars. The neck is birdseye maple made by @judgewolfeguitars using wood from Tom's family farm in Eastern Canada. The tooled leather pickguard is by @natesleather. Cast Aluminum Replica pickup and #bakelite armrest by @tksmithguitar with True vibrato by @bigsby and super comfy Duane Eddy arm by Duane Eddy arm by @duaneeddyofficial More detail shots of this beauty will follow... #telecaster #paulbigsby #bigsby #bigsbytelecaster #bigsbyvibrato #choppedb5 #bigsbyb5 #tksmith #tksmithguitar #tksmithpickups #tksmithequipped #slotheadscrewsforthetone #leatherpickguard #tele #teletuesday #telecaster #handtooledleather #duaneeddy #duaneeddyarm

#guitar #guitars #bigsby #tksmith #vintageguitars #1950s #style #luthier #homemadeguitar #handmade #handtooledleather #tele #teletuesday #guitarphotography

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deebeeus · 2 years

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Speaking of incredible guitars I have been lucky enough to play/borrow/photograph... This is @tomgibson3783 's @tksmithguitar #Roadmaster. This guitar was actually a pre-production prototype for the now familiar #TKSmith model. this one actually went back to the "factory" to get a new headstock veneer at some point before it was Tom acquired it. If you want to hear this guitar being played (with its original headstock veneer lol), you can search YouTube for either... 1) "SNAMM '17 - TK Smith Guitars RoadMaster Demo" for a @premierguitar video on it, or... 2) "TK Smith Roadster Prototype played by Julian Lage" for a @cartervintageguitars video. The amp is a 1966 #Fender #DeluxeReverb, courtesy of the @chriswstringer8 collection. #amp #vintageamp #amplifier #tubeamp #amps #guitaramp #smithequipped #midecenturymodern #midcentury #tksmithroadmaster #paulbigsby #tksmithguitar #bigsby #boutiqueguitar #guitarphotography #guitar #guitars #guitarra #electricguitar #guitarre #chitarra

#tksmith #roadmaster #guitar #guitars #handmadeguitar #boutiqueguitar #guitarphotography

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deebeeus · 1 year

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Here come the Judge.

@michaelsegui's handmade Bigsby-Caster with chambered body and maple flame top, birdseye maple neck, and hand-tooled leather pick guard.

Body and top: finished and bound by @hooperguitars using wood cut, chambered, and shaped by @tomgibson3783,

Neck: by @judgewolfeguitars (using birdseye maple from Tom's family farm)

C.A.R. Pickup and armrest by @tksmithguitar

Hand-tooled leather pickguard by @natesleather

#handmadeguitar#smithequipped#paulbigsby#tksmithguitar#midecenturymodern#midcentury#bigsby#tele#teletuesday#telecaster#guitarphotography#vintageguitar#guitar#guitars#guitarra#electricguitar#guitarre#chitarra

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deebeeus · 4 years

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Here is a 1968 or 69 #Tele with factory #Bigsby I snapped a few years ago at @thetwelfthfret #Toronto. . There was a time when I was adamantly opposed to a Bigsby on a #Telecaster, but over 5 years of almost non-stop IG messages, emails, and texts back and forth with Bigsby nuts like @michaelsegui and @tomgibson3783 has made me a convert. As long as it is factory original of course! I'm a convert, not a conversion-convert! 😄 . . #paulbigsby #fendertelecaster #fenderfriday #fender #teletuesday #guitar #guitars #guitarra #chitarra #guitarre #electricguitar #vintageguitars #fenderguitars #vintagefender #tone #guitargear #guitarsofinstagram #geartalk #guitargear #vintagegear #guitarsdaily #fendersofinstagram #guitarphotography (at The Twelfth Fret Guitarists' Pro Shop) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCeBkw8BqZE/?igshid=95y90wgd6mdv

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deebeeus · 4 years

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Well I didn't change any strings today as originally planned...I basically watched YouTube and napped all day! 😄 . So, here is a throwback to 2018 and the coolest modern #guitar I have ever been loaned, @tomgibson3783's @tksmithguitar prototype Roadmaster. Yep...the very first #TKSmithRoadmaster...and my buddy Tom snagged it! I can say with conviction that it not only looks great but it's lightweight and sounds incredible. . . #guitars #guitarra #chitarra #guitarre #electricguitar #tone #guitargear #guitarsofinstagram #geartalk #guitargear #vintagegear #guitarsdaily #guitarphotography #tksmithguitar #tksmith #smithequipped #tksmithroadmaster #bigsby #paulbigsby #midcentury #midcenturymodern (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_a1DMTB_Eo/?igshid=hmfs8r8xj6a4

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deebeeus · 4 years

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Here's a groovy one: a luthier-made #Bigsby replica #guitar with birdseye maple top spotted at @thetwelfthfret #Toronto. . Most guitar aficionados are familiar #PaulBigsby's famous and ubiquitous vibrato system - it appears on pretty much every #Gretsch guitar to this day. But how many people know Bigsby also made some of the coolest looking electric guitars ever in the early years? Swipe left for a view of the headstock. Bigsby came out with this headstock in the 1940s. Some would say it was the inspiration for the #Fender #Stratocaster headstock. Some others would say it was outright plagiarized...but that's a controversy for another day! 😄 . . #guitars #guitarra #chitarra #guitarre #electricguitar #bigsbyguitar #guitarreplica #vintageguitar #tone #guitargear #guitarsofinstagram #geartalk #guitargear #vintagegear #guitarsdaily #guitarphotography #gibsonguitars #fenderguitars #vintagegibsons #vintagefenders #gretschguitars #vintagegretsch (at The Twelfth Fret Guitarists' Pro Shop) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8y8aLXh60S/?igshid=uk5zttowim56

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deebeeus · 4 years

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@tksmithguitar prototype #Roadmaster courtesy of @tomgibson3783. . . #guitar #guitars #guitarra #chitarra #guitarre #electricguitar #tone #guitargear #guitarsofinstagram #geartalk #guitargear #vintagegear #guitarsdaily #guitarphotography #tksmithguitar #tksmith #smithequipped #tksmithroadmaster #bigsby #paulbigsby #midcentury #midcenturymodern https://www.instagram.com/p/CALLvW2Bi9Z/?igshid=1iyysh0otjvh6

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deebeeus · 5 years

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And now for something COMPLETELY different! Spotted at @retrofret #Brooklyn on Memorial Day weekend 4 years ago, an impossibly cool original 1951/2 #PaulBigsby 10 string electric #mandolin with original case and correspondence between the purchaser and Bigsby, dated October 1951. Zoom in...you can actually read the letter! Fascinating to read what people did in the days before Internets to get gear recommendations! 😆 #throwback #retrofretvintageguitars #nyc #newyork #electricmandolin #bigsbymandolin #bigsbyguitar #guitar #guitars #guitarra #chitarra #guitarre #electricguitar #vintageguitar #tone #guitargear #guitarsofinstagram #geartalk #guitargear #vintagegear #guitarsdaily #guitarphotography (at Retrofret Vintage Guitars) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx5IIpIB0lS/?igshid=8yuaebkpmgr0

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deebeeus · 5 years

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#TKThursday with @tomgibson3783’s prototype @tksmithguitar #Roadmaster. I can’t tell you what a pleasure it is to play this #guitar. #tksmithguitar #tksmith #smithequipped #tksmithroadmaster #bigsby #paulbigsby #midcentury #midcenturymodern #guitar #guitars #guitarra #chitarra #guitarre #electricguitar #tone #guitargear #guitarsofinstagram #geartalk #guitargear #vintagegear #guitarsdaily #guitarphotography https://www.instagram.com/p/BppxBu_ngVh/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hygyo409av3e

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deebeeus · 6 years

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#TeleTuesday? Pfft. I like to think of it as #TKTuesday. 😀 @tksmithguitar #Roadmaster Prototype, belonging to @tomgibson3783. Thanks for loaning me this #guitar Tom. It’s truly spectacular. If you want to hear this actual guitar, both @premierguitar and @cartervintageguitars have video demos of it up on YouTube. Not one *like* it...THIS very guitar. Just search “TK Smith Roadmaster” and they will be the first two results that pop up. #tksmith #tksmithguitar #tksmithroadmaster #smithequipped #midcentury #midcenturymodern #bigsby #paulbigsby #timeforanewtuesdayhashtag #guitars #guitarra #chitarra #guitarre #electricguitar #tone #guitargear #guitarsofinstagram #geartalk #guitargear #vintagegear #guitarsdaily #guitarphotography https://www.instagram.com/p/BpAowTBloFW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ie7r3vuyhznw

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