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Akron craftsman creates instrument for rocker Steve Miller
By Paula Schleis
Beacon Journal business writer
Published on Sunday, Nov 08, 2009
Mosconi has been reconstructing and refinishing vintage guitars for 15 years in his Akron home-based workshop, so he already was intimately familiar with every part and process, although he had never built an electric guitar from scratch before.
Two years later, the three men are busy marketing their handcrafted Tremcaster, a $2,295 instrument hailed as a ''modern beauty for classic players'' in a Vintage Guitar review.
The article landed the trio their first big fish. A guitar is nearly complete and ready to be sent to rocker Steve Miller (of the Steve Miller Band), who wanted to break the instrument in before his current tour ends Nov. 18, said Bob Gelley, one of Mosconi's partners.
It will mark the eighth Tremcaster Mosconi has made, using a process that takes six to eight weeks — ''if I really work at it.''
The guitar is aimed at ''middle-aged'' musicians, Gelley said.
''We can't be all things to all people, so we asked, 'Who do we want to sell to?' '' he said. ''Probably 30 to 60 (years of age), who like the blues or classical rock or jazz.''
Because the guitars are made by hand, Mosconi can accommodate special requests. Some skillful shaving and sanding helped him respond to
Steve Miller's request that the shape of the guitar neck match his familiar guitars.
And while the wood-grain design gives the guitar a classic rock appearance and tone, a recent 21-year-old customer ordered one with a blue glitter coating and a few features needed for his heavy metal playing.
Gelley said the idea for the guitar grew out of a conversation he and friend Jeff Russell had when the two weekend musicians started thinking about the features they'd want in a perfect guitar.
After several coffee dates, they'd settled on their imaginary guitar and decided it was time to bring Mosconi on board. Gelley had met Mosconi while the latter was repairing guitars for the now-closed Lentine's Music Store in Akron's North Hill neighborhood.
The features the men wanted included environmentally friendly processes and American-made parts.
With guidance from a tracing template, Mosconi cuts the patent-pending body design from a 2-inch thick slab of swamp ash or alder.
The body is then routed for custom-made pickups (magnetic devices where the guitar is strummed to amplify the sound), made by industry veteran Lindy Fralin of West Virginia.
A grain filler prepares the wood for the finish, and dozens of layers of water-based lacquer are sprayed, sanded and buffed onto the guitar over several days.
''You can't get a finish like that in the guitar store,'' Gelley said. ''John is one of the best sprayers around.''
Mosconi then adds metal frets and abalone inlay to the fret board (the long neck of the guitar), and locking tuners made by Bob Sperzel in Cleveland help the instrument stay in tune longer.
Gelley and Russell bring other experiences to the business. Gelley does the marketing; Russell maintains the Web site.
While Mosconi waits for more Tremcaster orders, he's staying plenty busy with his full-time repair operation, he said.
The lousy economy has increased demand from musicians seeking to fix rather than replace their instruments, he said. Being the only authorized repairman for Gibson guitars in Northern Ohio also helps steer him work from throughout the region.
However, this latest enterprise has Mosconi and friends trying to cast a national net.
''Because of the price of the guitars, we expect most sales to come from outside this area,'' Gelley said.
Three Northeast Ohio guitar stores have a Tremcaster in stock: Pekar Music in Cuyahoga Falls, Heights Guitar in Cleveland Heights, and Warren Henry Music in Chagrin Falls.
Tremcaster currently has two designs and plans to introduce a third model before the end of the year.
According to Vintage Guitar reviewer Sean O'Bryan Smith: ''Players looking for a nice high-end instrument capable of wondrous clarity with subtle complexity should check it out.''
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.
Mosconi has been reconstructing and refinishing vintage guitars for 15 years in his Akron home-based workshop, so he already was intimately familiar with every part and process, although he had never built an electric guitar from scratch before.
Two years later, the three men are busy marketing their handcrafted Tremcaster, a $2,295 instrument hailed as a ''modern beauty for classic players'' in a Vintage Guitar review.
The article landed the trio their first big fish. A guitar is nearly complete and ready to be sent to rocker Steve Miller (of the Steve Miller Band), who wanted to break the instrument in before his current tour ends Nov. 18, said Bob Gelley, one of Mosconi's partners.
It will mark the eighth Tremcaster Mosconi has made, using a process that takes six to eight weeks — ''if I really work at it.''
The guitar is aimed at ''middle-aged'' musicians, Gelley said.
''We can't be all things to all people, so we asked, 'Who do we want to sell to?' '' he said. ''Probably 30 to 60 (years of age), who like the blues or classical rock or jazz.''
Because the guitars are made by hand, Mosconi can accommodate special requests. Some skillful shaving and sanding helped him respond to
Steve Miller's request that the shape of the guitar neck match his familiar guitars.
And while the wood-grain design gives the guitar a classic rock appearance and tone, a recent 21-year-old customer ordered one with a blue glitter coating and a few features needed for his heavy metal playing.
Gelley said the idea for the guitar grew out of a conversation he and friend Jeff Russell had when the two weekend musicians started thinking about the features they'd want in a perfect guitar.
After several coffee dates, they'd settled on their imaginary guitar and decided it was time to bring Mosconi on board. Gelley had met Mosconi while the latter was repairing guitars for the now-closed Lentine's Music Store in Akron's North Hill neighborhood.
The features the men wanted included environmentally friendly processes and American-made parts.
With guidance from a tracing template, Mosconi cuts the patent-pending body design from a 2-inch thick slab of swamp ash or alder.
The body is then routed for custom-made pickups (magnetic devices where the guitar is strummed to amplify the sound), made by industry veteran Lindy Fralin of West Virginia.
A grain filler prepares the wood for the finish, and dozens of layers of water-based lacquer are sprayed, sanded and buffed onto the guitar over several days.
''You can't get a finish like that in the guitar store,'' Gelley said. ''John is one of the best sprayers around.''
Mosconi then adds metal frets and abalone inlay to the fret board (the long neck of the guitar), and locking tuners made by Bob Sperzel in Cleveland help the instrument stay in tune longer.
Gelley and Russell bring other experiences to the business. Gelley does the marketing; Russell maintains the Web site.
While Mosconi waits for more Tremcaster orders, he's staying plenty busy with his full-time repair operation, he said.
The lousy economy has increased demand from musicians seeking to fix rather than replace their instruments, he said. Being the only authorized repairman for Gibson guitars in Northern Ohio also helps steer him work from throughout the region.
However, this latest enterprise has Mosconi and friends trying to cast a national net.
''Because of the price of the guitars, we expect most sales to come from outside this area,'' Gelley said.
Three Northeast Ohio guitar stores have a Tremcaster in stock: Pekar Music in Cuyahoga Falls, Heights Guitar in Cleveland Heights, and Warren Henry Music in Chagrin Falls.
Tremcaster currently has two designs and plans to introduce a third model before the end of the year.
According to Vintage Guitar reviewer Sean O'Bryan Smith: ''Players looking for a nice high-end instrument capable of wondrous clarity with subtle complexity should check it out.''
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Akron, OH
Posted 08:04 AM, 11/08/2009
Keep up the good work. Real rock music, Blues and Jazz came from America. People like you keep our American dreams alive. I wish you the best
Akron, OH
Posted 09:58 AM, 11/08/2009
still like my old Strat for any music
Akron, Oh
Posted 06:34 PM, 11/08/2009
How great, you seem to really enjoy what you do, and its wonderful that craftmanship is not dead. With people like you our children will have their own stories to tell, sounds like Tremcaster will be the quitar to own. Good Luck.
Akron, OH
Posted 10:58 AM, 11/09/2009
Go get em String King!!!!
Grand Junction, TN
Posted 09:32 AM, 11/10/2009
Hey Bob,
You never cease to amaze us!!!!!!!!!!
Vicki
