2017 catalog

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18 THE FRANK VIGNOLA + R Y A N THORELL SIGNATURE FV680CE-SB SERIES By now, jazz guitarist Frank Vignola’s resume reads like a Hall of Fame plaque. There are the gigs at major venues around the world; the collaborations with everyone from Wynton Marsalis to Ringo Starr to Madonna; the countless books and NPR appearances. It should go without saying, then, that luthiers have long chased his endorsement of their instruments — and that the 51-year-old master has felt no great urgency to give it. “I wasn’t interested unless I truly believed in the guitar,” Vignola now recalls of a process that played out multiple times over the years. Top: Back/Sides: Neck: Fingerboard: Nut: Bridge/Saddle: Binding: Scale Length: Neck Pickup: Bridge Pickup: Finish: Case: Available Finishes: Solid Hand Carved Spruce Hand Carved Mahogany Mahogany Ebony Bone Ebony Compensated 2-3/32” Spacing Ivroid 4 ply top and back 25.4” Kent Armstrong N/A Nitrocellulose Lacquer Hardshell Case Sunburst That’s when Ryan Thorell stepped in. The revered Utah-based luthier had a “wild concept” — a hybrid design that would accommodate the virtuoso’s distinct mix of gypsy and archtop playing styles. “I wanted to approach the gypsy sound from a very Americana perspective, from a carved-top guitar perspective,” Thorell explains. “I wanted the drive of a gypsy guitar to come from
19 an instrument that was fresh but carried an original Appalachian and old-world feel.” The undertaking was ambitious and, in Thorell’s view, “terrifying,” but it turned out to be a “magical collision of intent and opportunity.” The moment he received the instrument, Vignola says, “I absolutely fell in love with it. I immediately called Ryan and told him I wanted to endorse this guitar.” And after Vignola had wowed with it on the road for more than 1000 shows, it was Eastman’s turn to step in, offering to bring Thorell’s singular creation to a wider community of players. Of course, the primary consideration was doing it right. And just as Thorell had separated himself from the pack, so too had Eastman — to the point where neither guitar-player nor guitar-maker had to be asked twice. “I’ve been such a fan of how Eastman has conducted itself and the ideals it adheres to,” Thorell says, referring to Eastman’s hands-on and nuance-sensitive approach, to its emphasis on quality materials and the personal touch. The guitar’s very creation, after all, had personal roots. Thorell was 15 when he first saw — and was knocked out by — Vignola’s playing in Salt Lake City, and the two met about a year later, when Vignola ran the jazz department at Arizona State University. (“He used to fly in to take lessons with me,” Vignola recalls.) Later, Vignola became smitten with a cedar guitar that Thorell had made for another client. By the time Thorell was ready to embark on the bold new venture, “I had had Frank’s sound and his unique approach as a guiding inspiration for years.” The resulting chemistry was so “electric and immediate” that the two didn’t even require much direct contact. “When it’s great,” Thorell says, “both the player and the maker are on the same intuitive page.” In turn, Thorell notes that his relationship with Eastman has evolved out of a similar foundation of trust and respect: “I think Eastman is truly unique in the world of lutherie, in the combination of its reach and its commitment to what I love about the art of guitar-making.” Vignola, meanwhile, is now happy to extend his endorsement of Thorell beyond the signature guitar. “I truly believe Ryan is next in line to the masters like D’Angelico, D’Aquisto, and Benedetto,” he says. “He is a true genius.” Moral of the story: When it comes to crafting magic, it always helps to bring the passion. Conversation with Vignola & Thorell FRANK VIGNOLA ON THE ROOTS OF JAZZ: Jazz and blues are the two art forms that America has, and we should be proud of this. We should teach this in schools. We should also make our kids aware of the great era of music from the 1920’s and 1930’s. This was a special time in history for music, and it’s America’s music. …AND ON JAZZ TODAY: Jazz unfortunately has gotten a bad reputation due to musicians caring more about their solos than the audience… It’s unfortunate that the music called “jazz” has gotten so far away from the originator, Louis Armstrong. I believe jazz is so much about the repertoire. The songs of this time period are what jazz musicians of the time were interested in, not a mode. It was about playing songs and communicating with other musicians and especially the audiences. The audience is who these great musicians were playing for, not themselves. THORELL ON THE NITTY- GRITTY OF THE FRANK VIGNOLA SIGNATURE SERIES: It’s a carved-top instrument based on an entirely different z-axis structure. The top loading is more akin to a low-load flattop, which allows for very light carving. The bracing brings a simple transverse mode into the tone of an archtop as well, which yields a gypsy-style bark, yet pillowed with all of this warmth and drive of a traditional archtop build. …AND ON THE ROLE OF THE LUTHIER: A great luthier is a vessel for the musician, in my opinion. It is a craft first and an art second. I believe the best guitars are natural extension of the players, not lutherie art pieces in contrast to the musician performing on them. Secondly, I believe truly great luthiers have vision to create something that predicts — an instrument that speaks for music to come.
Page 1 and 2: GUITARS & MANDOLINS 2017
Page 3 and 4: AN EXPANDING WORLD OF SOUND 2017 CA
Page 5 and 6: 3
Page 7 and 8: 5 THINLINE ARCHTOP ARCHTOP T59/v T5
Page 9 and 10: 7 MANDOLIN MANDOLIN MANDOLIN MD815/
Page 11 and 12: 9 T386 T486-RB Top: Maple Laminate
Page 13 and 14: 11 T486-SB T486B Top: Maple Laminat
Page 15 and 16: 13 FEATURED MUSICIAN New Directions
Page 17 and 18: 15
Page 19: 17
Page 23 and 24: 21 AR580CE-BLU Top: Back/Sides: Nec
Page 25 and 26: 23 “I don’t know how they do it
Page 27 and 28: 25 JOHN PISANO SIGNATURE SERIES Whe
Page 29 and 30: 27 E20D E20SS Top: Adirondack Top:
Page 31 and 32: 29 Trey Hensley Hensley plays the E
Page 33 and 34: 31 E10OO-M E6 OM E8D Top: Mahogany
Page 35 and 36: 33 Sapele Series Sapele Series Sape
Page 37 and 38: 35 The Common Linnets Ilse plays th
Page 39 and 40: 37 CL20C CL30S CL40S Top: AAA Tight
Page 41 and 42: Nels Cline of the band Wilco Cline
Page 43 and 44: 41 MD505 MD514-CS MD615 Top: Carved
Page 45 and 46: 43 FEATURED MUSICIAN Band from left
Page 47 and 48: 45 MDA815-SB Top: Back/Sides: Neck:
Page 49 and 50: 47 2017 PRODUCTION MODELS (US & CAN
Page 52: 2158 Pomona Blvd, Pomona, CA 91768

2017 catalog

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