Conference napalm::guitar

2521.0. "Grimes Guitars" by RANGER::WEBER () Fri May 08 1992 10:31

    Luthier Stephen Grimes' catalog includes a couple of acoustic archtops,
    mandolins, and an electric called the "Bird Of Paradise", which I
    thought looked especially interesting. Grimes lives is Kula, Hawaii,
    which makes it somewhat difficult to check him out. The first few times
    we visited, he never answered his phone. A couple of years ago we just
    sort of dropped in, to find that he didn't have a single guitar in
    process. Steve obviously works on "Hawaiian Time".
    
    Last month we visited the small store he maintains in Kahului, where a
    1985 B.O.P. was the only Grimes guitar on display, The Bird is a small,
    semi-solid jazz guitar, like an oversized Les Paul, with an oval
    soundhole. The neck, top and back are maple, the body core is mahogany.
    The top and back on this one were highly figured in a chevron pattern,
    but the neck was plain. The sunburst finish was attractive, but nothing
    special. The ebony fretboard has pearl block markers outlined in
    abalone, an abalone bird is inlaid into the headstock. The top and back
    are bound 7-ply, the sides 3-ply. The neck and headstock have multiple
    binding and the soundhole is very nicely purfled. There is no
    pickguard. Overall, workmanship was very clean. I'd like to have seen a
    more recent example, since many luthiers improve dramatically over
    seven years. I felt the guitar was comparable to Roger Borys' work of
    that period.
    
    The gold plated hardware include a TP-6 tailpiece, a TOM-type roller
    bridge and Schaller tuners. Two EMG pickups, two tone controls, two
    volumes and a coil-cut switch comprise the electronics.
    
    The guitar didn't look quite as nice as I had expected, probably
    because the two large pickups and the soundhole give the top a crowded
    appearance. A single gold pickup would have looked better. The location
    of the bird on the headtstock left a large, empty area. I didn't think
    the abalone trim around the fretboard inlay added anything, either. 
    
    The guitar was set up properly and played well. The frets are Gibson
    style, though flatter--it is possible that this particular guitar has
    had the frets re-leveled. The neck has a good feel; it is well-shaped
    and comfortable, but slightly fat at the 10th fret.
    
    One would think that a guitar maker would want to show his instruments
    at their best, but the strings on this one would have been too rusty
    for a barbed-wire fence. Granted, Maui's salt air makes short work of
    guitar string, but these were painful. Despite that, the neck pickup
    sounded gorgeous, very rich and lush. It was hard to believe is wasn't
    a full-depth hollowbody. My semi-solid Borys B-222 is of similar
    design, sans soundhole, and it would have been interesting to have
    compared the two side-by-side. I did find the bridge pickup to be too
    thin, bright and clean: I would have preferred a fuller sound.
    
    I might like to own a Bird Of Paradise, but didn't want this one. I
    never asked about the price, but new Grimes' Birds start at $2500 and
    there is a 2-year wait.
    
    
    Danny W.

Geez, a collection of archtops, a wealth of knowledge on the subject, and the
wherewithal to make multiple trips to Hawaii over a few year period.  You sure
you need to be working at Digital?  :-)

All in jest.  Thanks for yet another fascinating report!

-- Sam

    re: -.1
    
    It's cheaper to go to Hawaii than to buy a good archtop:-)
    
    Rathole: *all* the Hawaiian players use Ovations.
    
    Sorta like Peavey in Nashville
    
    
    Danny W.