New weissenborn

[growler]

HI Everyone .
Here is a good news story , after getting a cheap entry level Weissenborn and playing it for just under a year , I put in an order for this today

It is being made for me by the Italian Luthier Ermanno Pasqualato, by using a european luthier I have got out the expensive worldwide shipping costs and extortionate duty you have to pay. The duty and shipping costs I paid on my first Weissenborn from the states was exactly half the cost of guitar.
I have got to wait 2 months for it to be made , the guy was prepared to start it and hold it for me until I got the money together to pay for it.
I would like to thank a couple of forum members who I e-mailed for advice and they kindly replied. And all the help I was given by Tom Doughty,what a genuine guy he is, he even gave me his telephone number to give him a ring rather than e-mail him and have a chat about it.
It was Tom's decision that finally made me go for the Koa, as opposed to Spruce/ Rose wood or Mahogany.
The hardest part of the whole process was telling the Wife , this will be guitar number 10, I really quite expected her to hit the roof , so this morning I brought her a cup of tea in bed and broke the news ....... she just laughed when I finished telling her ,....." I don't mind as long as you get that guttering fixed before the winter"


Kind regards

Growler

[DaveRed]

I bought myself a Lightning earlier this year after my wife said to me out of the blue "Why don't you buy yourself a new guitar?" (I already had 6).
And I didn't even have to fix the guttering

[Michael Messer]

Hi Growler,

I don't know the maker, but the guitar in the photo looks beautiful.

Koa is definitely the best wood for acoustic Hawaiian guitars. Mahogany is a close contender, but koa is more attractive and does have a very sweet tone.

I look forward to hearing it.

Shine On
Michael.

[daddyslide]

Dear Growler,

I know him. He is from Italy.
what have you payed for the Weissie?

Yes, Koa is great.
A german luther called Andreas Cuntz made the Koa Weissie for Martin Harley ( I think, some of you know him ).

Fantastic instruments with the combination of Weissie and Koa..

[growler]

HI Daddyslide
Initially I was after a Goldtone Style 4 made out of Australian Blackwood, I am not sure if this Weissenborn is factory made or not, I contacted Goldtone to find out , but in their reply the question I asked was was not answered.
But the amazing thing is what I am having ' hand made for me ............. is in fact cheaper than the Goldtone Style 4

Been looking at your metal tone bars, when the new weiss arrives I might give you a call


Regards

Growler

[Deleted]

Hello Growler,
Just joined the forum, did you in meantime get your ermanno type 1?
after considering Goldtone, Imperial, San Diego(spanish build) and the likes I found the website of this Italian builder, looked and sounded good, the baritone for 850 eu tickled my fancy (but budget:-(
The type 1 goes for 630eur ain't it?
regards, Len

[growler]

HI lena
Yes I have my new weissenborn for about 2 weeks now....... It turned out he was just finishing a beautiful Style 4 which when I started my search was the one i was originally after. He had not started making mine when I enquired about if the style 4 was in fact for sale, and lo and behold he let me buy it.
I am so pleased with it , it is the first hand made instrument I have owned, The only problem I have with it at the moment is a severe case of Tendonitus in my right upper arm caused by playing it too much.
The Italian builder you mentioned does sound like the guy who made mine......amazing his prices
Here are some recent photos of it



Regards

Growler

[Deleted]

Hello Growler,
It does look a beauty! any chance of recording some sounds?
no pain, no gain:-)
I'll seriously have a look at my finances..
keep you posted
regards, Len

[growler]

HI Len
I will hope to be posting something soon as my wife is hinting that she might get me that new Zoom video recorder for my birthday in January.
The guy who built my weissenborn seemed so reasonable about getting paid for his work ,as I should imagine most builders are, Saying he would build it, which would take him about 2 months, if I did not have the money ready when he had finished it, he was willing to hold it for me.

Kind regards

Growler

[Michael Messer]

The new Hawaiian guitar looks lovely Growler. ;D

Enjoy!

Shine On
Michael

[Deleted]

An unsolicited +1 for Ermanno Pasqualato, and here's why...

Not long venturing into all things slide (largely encouraged classes with folks like Michael), I was smitten with the inevitable Guitar Acquisition Syndrome and I hankered for a Weissenborn.

I struggled with the lack of makers and price points; the few boutique builders around are very expensive (of course, rightly so) especially when you factor in taxes. The cheaper ones are rarely Koa.

I found Ermanno through this forum and encouraged by good reviews I contacted him. There was a 3 month wait once we had agreed the spec and then he began building (on Christmas day 2011!). I received the finished article a week or so ago.

Ermanno was extremely helpful at every stage (his english is very good). His prices are very reasonable when you consider the quality of the work and the guitar you get is exactly as you want it.

My spec was AA solid Koa, style 2 but with maple binding as opposed to black. The soundhole was to have 3 simple maple rings. Ermanno builds with traditional hide glue and finshes with shellac.

The result is absolutely stunning, but understated too.

It is pretty loud already (but I guess it will open up even more over the next months), and sooo sweet. My next move is to change to Newtone Alohas as per advice elsewhere on the forum.

I cannot recommend this luthier highly enough because of my good experience as a customer.

Check him out www.lapsteelguitar.net/

Attachments:

[Michael Messer]

Hi Jooster,

Welcome to our forum. We are always happy to welcome another slide player into the fold.

I can see that you are very happy with your new Hermann Hawaiian guitar, rightfully so, Ermanno's work looks beautiful. I have not seen one in the flesh yet, but I can tell that his work is first class.

It is great to read your comments about Ermanno and his Hawaiian guitar building skills and I know you are enthusiastic and only trying to spread the word about him, but we don't really need to read it twice! Members and visitors to this forum are serious about slide guitar and guitars, and will find your post and read it, so there is no need to post the same thing twice.

You will find the Aloha strings particularly good if you want to tune to high bass tunings like GBDGBD & FACFAC. I designed them with Newtone so that Dobro players could play reproduction and original Weissenborn, Kona, and other fragile wood-bodied Hawaiian guitars in the tuning they are familiar with, rather than a low bass tuning like DGDGBD. The cores of the bass strings are very light and enable them to be tuned high without putting extra pressure and tension on the guitar.

Keep in touch,

Shine On
Michael

[Deleted]

Thanks Michael, I'll enjoy trying the other tunings...

Apologies for the 2nd post, I had been divided as where best to place it. One is now removed.

[Michael Messer]

No need to apologise, but thank you for removing the other post.

I am sure you will have many years of enjoyment playing music with your new Hawaiian guitar. If you are able to film or record yourself paying, we would love to hear both you and your new guitar.

Shine On
Michael