Post by Kevin on Oct 28, 2008 13:08:15 GMT
From: MSN NicknameRayL7345 (Original Message) Sent: 24/10/2007 11:37
Charlie
Nice idea for a new forum, and here's a guitar idea that hasn't (as far as I know) ever been done before. My Sherman guitars use a special body shape that allows them to fit together to make twin-neck instruments. At the same time they can be played as individual instruments.
With a conventional twin-neck your choice as to which necks you have and which way they are fitted is fixed. Up till now the only exception was the Shergold 'splittable' that Jack Golder and Norman Houlder made for Mike Rutherford. Even then the choice of whether (say) a 12-string neck was an upper or a lower was fixed.
My Shermans (which include SHERgold and hayMAN parts, hence the name) allow the guitars to be played as twin-necks any way you like. So far there are two prototypes, a six-string guitar and a four-string bass, but more are being built, including a 12-string guitar, a 12-string bass, a mandolin and another six-string. A Sherman twin-neck can be split and a different twin-neck formed actually between numbers during a gig.
The 'Sherman 6+4' pic shows the two prototypes together as a twin-neck.
The 'Besame' pic is of me playing the Sherman on it's first outing at the Shadow Music South-East club a few weeks ago. As part of The Secrets I played 'Besame Mucho' on the twin and then split off the bass and played the rest of the gig on the six-string. Jim Nugent has asked me to bring the Shermans back for another demonstration and this will happen in the New Year, by which time I hope to have added the 12-string to the range.
Ray Liffen
Sherman 6+4.jpg Besame2crop.JPG
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From: Charlie Hall Sent: 24/10/2007 11:40
Hi Ray,
This is just the kind of material that I hoped would make it to this site.
I wish you luck with your products.
Regards,
Charlie
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From: MSN Nickname_Bill3 Sent: 24/10/2007 13:06
Hi,
Amazing guitar(s)! Do you have plans to produce a selection of necks with different characteristics? It probably isn't the same kind of idea but for example, I do not find the standard electric guitar neck and fingerboard at all comfortable, they are far too thin/narrow. OK, I wouldn't need to swap midway through playing but it would be nice to have an initial choice.
Bill
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From: MSN Nicknamealainlafrance Sent: 24/10/2007 15:21
Hi Ray,
You are not the first one indeed.
In 1961 GRETSCH released a disassemble, collapsible, interchangeable, portable guitar called 'BIKINI'. They can be seen in Jay Scott 'The Guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company' book p. 220/221.
They are extremely rare....
Alain
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From: MSN NicknameRayL7345 Sent: 25/10/2007 06:41
Bill
The first guitars are being produced for my own use, but if there was sufficient interest I could be looking at manufacture. The body shape allows a wide range of necks to be used (anything from a thin mandolin neck to a wide six-string bass.
Alain
I've seen a picture of the Bikini, but surely the point there was that it was portable (folding neck, etc, ) rather than that it was meant to be combined with a second instrument to make a twin-neck? My Shermans aren't collapsible - they are solid guitars with a special body shape.
Ray
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From: MSN Nickname_Bill3 Sent: 25/10/2007 07:29
Hi Ray,
I appreciate that it may not be something that you need but what are the guitars like to play sitting down (both individually and together)? Even if playing one of them on its own meant it was a bit low (as my Burns Brian May is) I can see that the design allows for a bottom piece to be fitted. It looks to me like it is a very versatile design. Very interesting.
Bill
Charlie
Nice idea for a new forum, and here's a guitar idea that hasn't (as far as I know) ever been done before. My Sherman guitars use a special body shape that allows them to fit together to make twin-neck instruments. At the same time they can be played as individual instruments.
With a conventional twin-neck your choice as to which necks you have and which way they are fitted is fixed. Up till now the only exception was the Shergold 'splittable' that Jack Golder and Norman Houlder made for Mike Rutherford. Even then the choice of whether (say) a 12-string neck was an upper or a lower was fixed.
My Shermans (which include SHERgold and hayMAN parts, hence the name) allow the guitars to be played as twin-necks any way you like. So far there are two prototypes, a six-string guitar and a four-string bass, but more are being built, including a 12-string guitar, a 12-string bass, a mandolin and another six-string. A Sherman twin-neck can be split and a different twin-neck formed actually between numbers during a gig.
The 'Sherman 6+4' pic shows the two prototypes together as a twin-neck.
The 'Besame' pic is of me playing the Sherman on it's first outing at the Shadow Music South-East club a few weeks ago. As part of The Secrets I played 'Besame Mucho' on the twin and then split off the bass and played the rest of the gig on the six-string. Jim Nugent has asked me to bring the Shermans back for another demonstration and this will happen in the New Year, by which time I hope to have added the 12-string to the range.
Ray Liffen
Sherman 6+4.jpg Besame2crop.JPG
First Previous 2-6 of 6 Next Last Delete Replies
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 2 of 6 in Discussion
From: Charlie Hall Sent: 24/10/2007 11:40
Hi Ray,
This is just the kind of material that I hoped would make it to this site.
I wish you luck with your products.
Regards,
Charlie
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 3 of 6 in Discussion
From: MSN Nickname_Bill3 Sent: 24/10/2007 13:06
Hi,
Amazing guitar(s)! Do you have plans to produce a selection of necks with different characteristics? It probably isn't the same kind of idea but for example, I do not find the standard electric guitar neck and fingerboard at all comfortable, they are far too thin/narrow. OK, I wouldn't need to swap midway through playing but it would be nice to have an initial choice.
Bill
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 4 of 6 in Discussion
From: MSN Nicknamealainlafrance Sent: 24/10/2007 15:21
Hi Ray,
You are not the first one indeed.
In 1961 GRETSCH released a disassemble, collapsible, interchangeable, portable guitar called 'BIKINI'. They can be seen in Jay Scott 'The Guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company' book p. 220/221.
They are extremely rare....
Alain
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 5 of 6 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameRayL7345 Sent: 25/10/2007 06:41
Bill
The first guitars are being produced for my own use, but if there was sufficient interest I could be looking at manufacture. The body shape allows a wide range of necks to be used (anything from a thin mandolin neck to a wide six-string bass.
Alain
I've seen a picture of the Bikini, but surely the point there was that it was portable (folding neck, etc, ) rather than that it was meant to be combined with a second instrument to make a twin-neck? My Shermans aren't collapsible - they are solid guitars with a special body shape.
Ray
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 6 of 6 in Discussion
From: MSN Nickname_Bill3 Sent: 25/10/2007 07:29
Hi Ray,
I appreciate that it may not be something that you need but what are the guitars like to play sitting down (both individually and together)? Even if playing one of them on its own meant it was a bit low (as my Burns Brian May is) I can see that the design allows for a bottom piece to be fitted. It looks to me like it is a very versatile design. Very interesting.
Bill