Stay tuned for more...

...just a quick snapshot of a 'power networking' meeting with Joe, his 'spousal equivalent' Kim, and some real industry big-shots.

Behold, the "Shark" guitar, also known as the Mk-I - the very first non-acoustic model produced under the Veillette name, back in 1990 when Joe was still partners with Stuart Spector.

This model brought us customers including Steve Miller, Kaki King, and producer extraordinaire Rob Cavallo. The black guitar pictured above was Joe's personal gigging guitar for years, and it still sounds as good as ever.

These were made in standard and baritone versions, loaded with EMG pickups and piezo saddles, yielding a very flexible and all-purpose guitar. The contours and shapes are very comfortable and familiar-feeling, and definitely stand out on stage with a little something extra.

And now the fun part:

We've come across a stash of Shark bodies, including the killer lacewood-topped Bari shown above (and many more with beautiful flame and quilt tops as well).

These bodies are in great shape, and in many cases are almost ready for finish.

There are a couple of necks also, and all the templates we need to make new ones.

SO - we're happy to say that we will be making these guitars available on a per-piece basis. To start things off, the lacewood baritone will be on our Specials page very soon. After that, who knows?

Of course, if you are interested in a custom guitar in this shape, feel free to call or email - we can do it! Many of the bodies are "blank" and could accommodate any combination of pickups and hardware. All color and finish options are wide open as well.

We're looking forward to seeing these come together! Just another interesting day around the shop.

(Now I wonder what's in those boxes over there....??)
 

We're back from NAMM, and rested up a bit!

It was a great show, and we have a lot of exciting news to bring home.

-We'll be seeing some new reviews of Veillette guitars and basses in the coming months.

-A few more great high-end acoustic dealers have come on board and will be getting their first Veillettes soon.

-The new models are getting great reactions from players and dealers.

The warm weather was nice too, and it's always good to see old friends and make new ones.

Here's a peek at the gorgeous "showgirls" this year:

Here's a fun bass with a lot going on:

This 4-string Paris was custom-made for AndE, our production manager and chief woodworker. As is often true of our personal guitars, this one has a lot of special features.

Like what?

-35" scale ebony fingerboard with pearl dots -Aguilar 3-band EQ with switchable mid frequencies (on a push/pull mid pot) -Active/passive switch (on a push/pull volume knob) -Built-in tuner (on a push/pull Treble pot) -LED tuner display inside the soundhole! -5A English Sycamore top -Matching headpiece

This bass kills, especially for slap, which is AndE's specialty. The 35" scale gives the low E some real kick.

Just another example of how many special options (really - 3 push/pull pots, a tuner, etc. etc.) can be snuck into a clean-looking and classy bass.

As promised in our Newsletter - here it is, the Studio 15"!

This Standard-tuned 12 is a return to the first few guitars built in this design - Joe's personal 12-string, and a couple of others. This shape was then scaled up and down to make the Baritone and Gryphon models.

A 'happy medium' between the power of full "D"-size guitars and the balance and clarity of smaller body styles, the Studio 15" has exceptional presence and definition across the whole range - the octaves sing out sweetly and brilliantly, and the low fundamentals retain the punch and projection that's often missing from small instruments.

As a 12-string (like this one), these guitars strike the perfect balance between the wide, ambient 'wash' of classic 12-strings and a clear, focused response that reacts to quick transients and fingerstyle playing.

Finally, the 24.1" scale makes this guitar easier to play than almost any other 12-string out there, even with "real" strings (not ultra-lights).

Enjoy - this is going to be one of our featured pieces at NAMM next week.