Lawsuit Mandolin

[pheffernan]

I have heard of the Takamine lawsuit guitars, but has anyone from Schmergel filed an injunction against Blue Star's shameless knockoff of the Devastator?

[allenhopkins]

I've got Dewey, Cheatham and Howe working on it.

[mrmando]

That's a knockoff of the Schmergel Combustor, not the Devastator. You can see why the Combustor never got past the prototype stage.

[journeybear]

At least this is possible to see, although it's a knock-off. The Devastator can't be photographed - according to accounts of those unfortunate enough to have opened their eyes in its presence - as they overload the photosensitivity of cameras, videocameras, phones, and any other device foolishly pointed in its direction.

[mrmando]

Kind of like Kollos, the Medusan ambassador?

[journeybear]

Not sure I catch the reference, but the mention of Medusa does bring to mind the myth of Perseus, who avoided being turned to stone by looking at her reflection in a mirror or highly polished shield, instead of gazing directly at her. I doubt this would work with The Devastator, its luminosity being so intense.

[Bernie Daniel]

Kind of like Kollos, the Medusan ambassador?

I don't get what clown barf has to do with this?

[fatt-dad]

I don't get what clown barf has to do with this?

Yes, let's stay on topic!

f-d

[Timbofood]

Well, I think we can deduce that mrmando is a bit of a Trekkie.

[journeybear]

Yes, let's stay on topic!

What IS the topic?

[Timbofood]

Topic!? We don't need no topic!
Oops, wrong thread.....oh, no I guess it still works.
I think we're all Bozo's on this bus.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Definitely the Combustor - which only goes up to Warp 5.

[jaycat]

I'm just sittin' here wonderin' will a matchbox hold my clothes?

[journeybear]

Those would be some pretty skimpy threads. Or, maybe just ... threads.

[Paul Merlo]

I've got Dewey, Cheatham and Howe working on it.

I thought that law firm only defended shyster mechanics?

[Jeff Mando]

And don't forget the famous book, "Sitting Under The Bleachers" by Seymour Butts

[Russ Donahue]

This thread is like one of the best bar-room conversations I've ever had with a bunch of great friends while pleasantly tipsy heading towards drunk and careening all over the place in terms of topics! Mandolins! Squids! Cecile B. DeMille! Arachnids! W.C. Fields! Martimes Music! Blue Chip Picks! Banjos! More Squid! Biologists! Extraterrestrials!

Thank you my friends for all this great fun....

OOOOPs! I think I've already said this somewhere else.....over the rainbow, where squidolins do fly.

[journeybear]

I believe our resident Down Easter has had a virtual beer or two too many and is down under the table, but not quite down for the count. Yet ...

[Bernie Daniel]

This thread is like one of the best bar-room conversations I've ever had with a bunch of great friends while pleasantly tipsy heading towards drunk and careening all over the place in terms of topics! Mandolins! Squids! Cecile B. DeMille! Arachnids! W.C. Fields! Martimes Music! Blue Chip Picks! Banjos! More Squid! Biologists! Extraterrestrials!

Thank you my friends for all this great fun....

OOOOPs! I think I've already said this somewhere else.....over the rainbow, where squidolins do fly.

This thread is careening down hill towards squidville I am afraid -- dangerous pattern developing? OTOH the start was tenuous.............

[Russ Donahue]

Okay. I've sobered up.
The picture originally posted reminds me of a guitar I saw Roger (Jim) McGuinn playing sometime during the late 1970's. It was a small venue - maybe 300 people - in the round. He was touring with his band Thunderbyrd and promoting the record he had out. One of the last tunes he played was "Eight Miles High." As he hit the first notes all the lights went out in the theatre and the lucite body of the guitar began displaying quite the incredible light show with flashing colors pulsing and changing. It may have been one of the old Dan Armstrong guitars he was playing....I don't think Rickenbacker ever made an instrument like that.

Anyhow, looking at that electric mandolin with the yellow streaks certainly brings McGuinn's guitar to mind.

Or maybe I'm just enjoying a much-delayed, but long anticipated, flashback....

[Ed Goist]

That's a knockoff of the Schmergel Combustor, not the Devastator. You can see why the Combustor never got past the prototype stage.

That's definitely a knockoff of the Schmergel Combustor. Apparently only 5 prototypes were built, and I have it on good authority that Joe Bonamassa owns one of them (#4)! Moreover, it is allegedly hidden somewhere in this photograph.

[Russ Donahue]

So did the Combustor display colors other than fluorescent yellow?

[mrmando]

The Blue Star Mandoblaster comes in several of those wild phenolic colors. I've seen blue, red and purple as well as yellow. But you can see that it's a bad idea to take a photo of one with a flash.

It's a fun little axe, and a better choice than a MandoBird or Mando-Strat for getting into electric, methinks.

I remember selling this instrument a while back, and I see that I'm now getting credit for performing a "pro setup" on it. I just want everyone to know: I can change strings, adjust bridge saddles, replace tuners or missing screws, maybe put a shim in the pocket of a bolt-on neck to adjust the action, but if it needs anything beyond that I take it to someone who knows what he's doing.