Well the Kurt Cobain Martin D18-E thread had me think about how people look at Martin's Forays into making electrics as they are best known for making acoustic guitars, for a good reason I might add. But there was a time that they at least TRIED to go electric.
Not too hard to see what Market they were aming for with their archtop series, Gretsch and Guild were making similar guitars and they were acoustic makers gone electric. But these Martins failing came largely from the way they looked. They're not exactly graceful.
As for solid bodies...
The EM series was so much of its time, they fit right in with what BC Rich and Kramer were doing at the time. Still you can pick one up for not that much money and have a cool, very practical instrument made by Martin.
Alembic is a company known for their basses which come with pre-amps and EQ filters and everything but the kitchen sink construction. But that they also make guitars is something not many people are aware of.
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The Number one reason being that there are no big name players who have adopted them.
So why not, what's the problem?
Well us guitarists, like our stuff basic, the less on a guitar, the better and we couldn't care less about that elaborate EQ system with Pre-amps. Plus the fact that that layered "Hippie Sandwich" construction of an Alembic kills the natural acoustic sound, resulting in an icey, metallic sound.
Still, Alembic does continue to make Guitars, catering for the kind of player who wants something completely different.
From one company known for their basses to another
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When Stuart Spector got a name for making the most ergonomically designed instruments, it was figured that that concept would work well on guitars too.
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But guitarists disagreed, the instruments looked so "Bass" that they were ignored.
Again though, they were such typical instruments of their era. Again, there were no well known, big name guitarists who picked them up, which led to their failure.
Spector tried again in the 2000's but the result was the same.
Not too hard to see what Market they were aming for with their archtop series, Gretsch and Guild were making similar guitars and they were acoustic makers gone electric. But these Martins failing came largely from the way they looked. They're not exactly graceful.
As for solid bodies...
The EM series was so much of its time, they fit right in with what BC Rich and Kramer were doing at the time. Still you can pick one up for not that much money and have a cool, very practical instrument made by Martin.
Alembic is a company known for their basses which come with pre-amps and EQ filters and everything but the kitchen sink construction. But that they also make guitars is something not many people are aware of.
(image removed)
The Number one reason being that there are no big name players who have adopted them.
So why not, what's the problem?
Well us guitarists, like our stuff basic, the less on a guitar, the better and we couldn't care less about that elaborate EQ system with Pre-amps. Plus the fact that that layered "Hippie Sandwich" construction of an Alembic kills the natural acoustic sound, resulting in an icey, metallic sound.
Still, Alembic does continue to make Guitars, catering for the kind of player who wants something completely different.
From one company known for their basses to another
image removed
When Stuart Spector got a name for making the most ergonomically designed instruments, it was figured that that concept would work well on guitars too.
image removed
But guitarists disagreed, the instruments looked so "Bass" that they were ignored.
Again though, they were such typical instruments of their era. Again, there were no well known, big name guitarists who picked them up, which led to their failure.
Spector tried again in the 2000's but the result was the same.
