Has Anybody Seen This??? Fender Violinmaster

[Mossman]

I think this is wicked cool! Though I really want to throw shade on it for being unobtainium (only to be seen in a display case in some lawyer's office somewhere), and for having a tenuous connection to Stradivari, but it looks fantastic! It doesn't sound like a Tele, but it sounds interesting (from what I could glean through the narration). Very woody sounding.

But, a bolt-on neck? Really?? How in the world was a set neck NOT the obvious choice for this?? And there's no way I would have put inlays in that fretboard. Though I wouldn't go so far as to say it shouldn't have frets either. A fretless guitar is almost useless in my opinion.

Oh, and the name is lame... But at least they didn't make a Strat and called it the "SRATivarious".

[rrobbone]

I have had four requests to copy this build through Reverb. I quoted each of them exactly half of what Fender is charging.

No replies as of yet.

[Mossman]

I have had four requests to copy this build through Reverb. I quoted each of them exactly half of what Fender is charging.

No replies as of yet.

Aw man, you mean you can't do this for like, 300 bucks?!?!

I wonder how many orders for this have been placed on Ali Express?

[BatUtilityBelt]

I'm torn - it's a nice look, but I think it's pretty much all gimmick. Not really a carve-top, but carefully stained to look like one. Surprised the demo didn't use an e-bow.

[Mossman]

I'm torn - it's a nice look, but I think it's pretty much all gimmick. Not really a carve-top, but carefully stained to look like one. Surprised the demo didn't use an e-bow.

I had to go back and watch the video again to be sure, but there is an arch to the top. It's a shallow arch, but it's there, and there is a carved ridge (sorry, I don't know what that's called) around the edge. For the price, I don't doubt these guitars are hand-crafted. But yeah, it's still a gimmick. Just like every other "limited edition" guitar that's ever been conceived.

I still like it, though.

[BatUtilityBelt]

I'm torn - it's a nice look, but I think it's pretty much all gimmick. Not really a carve-top, but carefully stained to look like one. Surprised the demo didn't use an e-bow.

I had to go back and watch the video again to be sure, but there is an arch to the top. It's a shallow arch, but it's there, and there is a carved ridge (sorry, I don't know what that's called) around the edge. For the price, I don't doubt these guitars are hand-crafted. But yeah, it's still a gimmick. Just like every other "limited edition" guitar that's ever been conceived.

I still like it, though.

I saw that they did do a tiny bit of carve - I'd call it more of a groove than a carve though. I think a carve that's just at the edge of the body is called a "German carve", but I've never seen a German carve that was anywhere near that shallow. I have always wondered why I have never seen a real carve-top tele, but I suspect it would have to have very narrow edges and/or be a set neck. Don't get me wrong, I like the look, but making it "violinish", I think they only got half-way as far as they could have.

[Mossman]

I saw that they did do a tiny bit of carve - I'd call it more of a groove than a carve though. I think a carve that's just at the edge of the body is called a "German carve", but I've never seen a German carve that was anywhere near that shallow. I have always wondered why I have never seen a real carve-top tele, but I suspect it would have to have very narrow edges and/or be a set neck. Don't get me wrong, I like the look, but making it "violinish", I think they only got half-way as far as they could have.

This is a German carve. Maybe @rrobbone knows what that violin carve is called.



I think the Violinmaster should have had a set neck, with no fret markers (and be called anything besides "the Violinmaster"). Other than that, I don't see what more you can do within the dimensions of a Telecaster. I'm not too upset about the shallow carve. In order to have a more pronounced carve, they would have to angle the neck, and increase the body depth. Then it wouldn't be a Tele anymore. It would be a Jazz box.

[archetype]

I'm waiting for the Squier Classic Vibe version.

[ID10t]

I'm waiting for the Squier Classic Vibe version.

Perhaps a Squier Classical Vibe?

[golem]

If spending 30K on a guitar was nothing to me I'd be getting something like a Ken Parker Archtop that is actually made to the quality if high end violins and not that monstrosity:

[golem]

I should add, Eastman actually makes violins. I'd love to see their take on something like that in the under $3K range.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Or get one of these at Walmart as a mod platform.

[Jaymo]

I saw that they did do a tiny bit of carve - I'd call it more of a groove than a carve though. I think a carve that's just at the edge of the body is called a "German carve", but I've never seen a German carve that was anywhere near that shallow. I have always wondered why I have never seen a real carve-top tele, but I suspect it would have to have very narrow edges and/or be a set neck. Don't get me wrong, I like the look, but making it "violinish", I think they only got half-way as far as they could have.

This is a German carve. Maybe @rrobbone knows what that violin carve is called.



I think the Violinmaster should have had a set neck, with no fret markers (and be called anything besides "the Violinmaster"). Other than that, I don't see what more you can do within the dimensions of a Telecaster. I'm not too upset about the shallow carve. In order to have a more pronounced carve, they would have to angle the neck, and increase the body depth. Then it wouldn't be a Tele anymore. It would be a Jazz box.

I thought that was a Rondo carve.

[mickey]

The Fender Stradocaster?

[Partscaster]

I do own a Hallmark Stradette
one of the nicest tremolos I've tried, with smooth, med-light tension, and good range.