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Thread: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

  1. #1
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    We've heard of extreme measures taken to get a Virzi Tone Producer out of a Gibson mandolin. But have you ever seen one that was taken apart in order to get a Virzi into it?

    Rather crude butchery here, but an intriguing concept!

    https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ms...432508809.html
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    Registered User jim simpson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    Beautiful job on the headstock inlay, lol!

    Here are a few pics from the ad:
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    Old Hometown, Cabin Fever String Band

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  5. #3

    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    If mandolins were movies, this would be The Exorcist.

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    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    Quote Originally Posted by mrmando View Post
    ...Rather crude butchery here...
    But it says on the label that he's an acoustic engineer, so it's okay, right

  8. #5
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    Quote Originally Posted by Marty Jacobson View Post
    If mandolins were movies, this would be The Exorcist.
    Or maybe RoboCop? Or The Island of Dr. Moreau?
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

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  10. #6

    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    Isn't that Virzi rather immense? Most likely a Virzi tone remover. The Virzi brothers would be appalled.

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    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    I've seen a load of basket cases in my time and that puppy really fits the mucho ugly bill man! WoW that Virzi is hideous!

  12. #8

    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    On the bright side, it could be a good project provided it plays and sounds good. What I see is a peghead that could be reshaped into a shakehead, plus it has a truss rod. The "virzi" could be removed if needed (might sound great as is, heh heh..) Anyway I see a 100 year old Gibson with a case for $400 -- maybe they will take even less?
    Anyway, if you don't need a pretty one it might be fun, IMHO. Obviously, it would never be original and if you wanted to bring it back to like new condition it would cost too much.
    Last edited by Jeff Mando; Jan-14-2022 at 3:42pm.

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  14. #9
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    You could try cutting that Virzi down to a more reasonable size. Or take it out and put it into a mandobass.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

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    Registered User John Rosett's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Mando View Post
    On the bright side, it could be a good project provided it plays and sounds good. What I see is a peghead that could be reshaped into a shakehead, plus it has a truss rod.
    That's assuming that it actually has a truss rod, and not just a cover...
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  18. #11
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    I'm pretty sure that no actual Virzi's were harmed in that installation. This kind if takes your breath away and not in a good way.
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  19. #12
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton View Post
    I'm pretty sure that no actual Virzi's were harmed in that installation. This kind if takes your breath away and not in a good way.
    For some, it takes their lunch away
    Not all the clams are at the beach

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  21. #13
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    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    Quote Originally Posted by Sue Rieter View Post
    But it says on the label that he's an acoustic engineer, so it's okay, right
    Well, actually it says he's an "acustic" [sic] engineer. Which seems fitting, somehow . . .
    He also says he's a GAL member [Guild of American Luthiers], which seems rather unsettling.
    Last edited by rcc56; Jan-15-2022 at 4:34am.

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    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    Might have a truss rod from the factory. The replaced tuners are modern spaced.
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  24. #15

    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    Quote Originally Posted by rcc56 View Post
    Well, actually it says he's an "acustic" [sic] engineer. Which seems fitting, somehow . . .
    He also says he's a GAL member [Guild of American Luthiers], which seems rather unsettling.
    Well, on the first point, as an MIT grad, I do not associate literacy with engineers of any stripe. In fact, freshman ‘humanities’ was feared by many. On the second point, I checked just now: The GAL is open to anyone, just send money. However, saying something is a guild does have a residual implication of qualification.
    This I would call misleading.

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  26. #16

    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    Quote Originally Posted by Richard500 View Post
    On the second point, I checked just now: The GAL is open to anyone, just send money.
    On a similar note, years ago I was trying to buy some freon to charge my car air conditioner. The auto parts store refused to sell it to anyone who was not an ASE certified mechanic. I contacted the local Ford dealership and asked how I could become ASE certified, they gave me their phone number and I called them (keep in mind, this was before the internet.) I got a free form in the mail with a simple 5 minute test and I filled it out and sent it back. I week later I got a wallet card that, indeed, says I am a certified ASE mechanic. I took it to the auto parts store and bought my freon.

    I still have that card, but would not consider myself qualified to work on anything more complicated than a lawnmower....

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    Registered User j. condino's Avatar
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    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    You'll need some of this:
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  29. #18

    Default Re: Franken-Gibson with added Virzi!

    Quote Originally Posted by j. condino View Post
    You'll need some of this:
    Many years ago I found a tin of Putz Pomade. With no German but familiarity with Yiddish, thought it was a gag! Turns out to be a real product, used in printing, not on jerks or privates. The internet, once again, clearing up an old mystery.

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