Veillette Guitars Summer 2012 Newsletter

It's been too long since our last Newsletter - and we've sure been busy!

In keeping with our usual habits, we've been developing new models and details, and refining our existing line to make the instruments as good as they can possibly be.

With so much going on, we've decided to make this a special "Acoustic Edition" of our Newsletter.

Never fear - an "Electric edition" is not far behind, and we've got plenty of new and fun electric and bass news as well! We wouldn't have it any other way…

Starting September
New Veillette Gear in the Online Store!
We're gearing up our secure online store and we'll be offering more than just our custom-designed string sets. You'll be able to how your Veillette pride by shamelessly advertising our great guitars with new Veillette wear!

The first item will be an attractive baseball cap, available in dark blue or black, with custom-embroidered color Veillette logo. Seen here modeled by TV/stage personality Kimberly Kay, the Veillette cap will instantly make you look like an international superstar. (Well, maybe not quite.…but they do look good.) What better way to complement your Veillette guitar?

Veillette now (finally) on Facebook After a little too long, we're proud to announce that Veillette Guitars is now on Facebook! Our Facebook page is a great new place to check out featured videos, post pics of yourself with your Veillettes (or any Veillette sightings onstage or in stores…), and even get involved with some little contests and giveaways we're dreaming up! To start, we're kicking off our page with our first Veillette giveaway! Simply "Like" our Facebook page to enter. The winner (picked at random by glamorous TV/stage personality Kimberly Kay) will receive the new Veillette embroidered baseball cap with our compliments! The winner will be announced in the next Newsletter. There will be much more happening soon on our Facebook page, including a regular "featured video" spot. Submit your video or audio clip and be a part of the fun!

New Dealers
We're happy to announce some new Veillette Dealers! We'd like to welcome:

Paramount Guitars in Watertown, WI
The High Studio

We're also very pleased to mention some new stock at Ludlow Guitars – one of the very best and coolest shops in NYC, and a great place to stop for the best in new and vintage guitar gear.

Presenting the Merlin – Small is beautiful!
The first thing to know about the Merlin is... don't be fooled by its size! With a body measuring a mere 10 ¾" across the lower bout, our new smallest instrument has a great big personality. The Merlin's unison-tuned courses deliver a very convincing mandolin flavor, with greater range and easy, familiar guitar tuning – no "pesky" transposing!

The 16.3" scale neck allows a full-octave-up tuning, meaning that all chord shapes and note locations are identical to a standard-tuned guitar. This makes the Merlin an amazing and effortless tool for doubling or accompaniment. The Merlin is more than just a color instrument, though - it's an inspiration machine, bringing out new concepts and techniques from everyone that picks it up.

The downsized body gives the Merlin a very unique voice and tonal contour – more focused and brilliant than its larger Gryphon cousin, with a more powerful midrange that cuts through a dense mix, and interwoven with shades of charango and even autoharp textures. The scale length and body size are perfectly matched to the tuning, unifying into a sweet, shimmering and responsive instrument that will inspire any guitarist to think and play differently.

Custom Veillette Gryphon/Merlin string sets are available directly from the VeilletteGuitars.com secure online store.

The new Grand 7-string acoustic!
We've long been recognized for our Baritone guitars - they' ve been something of a specialty for us since Joe first debuted his Baritone 12 in 1999.

For the guitarist who craves the low-end power of a baritone along with the full-range of a standard-tuned guitar, we're glad to offer our latest hybrid – the Veillette Acoustic 7-string!

The 7-string takes advantage of all the fine-tuned scale length and bracing we've developed to optimize our baritone guitars, without sacrificing a sweet and complete upper range. The neck is a very friendly and comfy size, not at all bulky or intimidating.

For adventurous fingerstylists (!), solo jazz players seeking a more classic flattop sound, and anyone craving extended range in a fine, handmade instrument, the Veillette 7-string is the answer!

Flyer Doubleneck Preview
The Flyer and Doubleneck guitars have been some of our favorite recent creations. So, what could be more natural than to combine the concepts?

Here, in its early stages, is the first Flyer doubleneck – destined to be a personal guitar for Joe, this 6/12 combination guitar will include some pretty interesting design elements, including our open-faced "stealth" headstock design. The bridge and tailpiece arrangement is quite the design challenge - just the kind of thing that really gets Joe excited. We've also sourced some ultra-lightweight and very exotic truss rods that will further improve the already excellent balance that our doublenecks are known for.

Stay tuned for the completed instrument – coming soon to our "What's New" page (if we can get it out of Joe's hands long enough to take a picture!)

Soundhole controls

Although we've always been pleased with the look and function of our distinctive oval side control plate, we've recently had some customers who preferred the "low-profile" look of thumbwheel controls inside the soundhole. To suit this preference, we are now offering internal controls as an option at no extra cost.

Flyer Bass Preview
For our bass-playing brothers, we had to include another quick "sneak peek". (After all, Martin, AndE, and Tim are all bass players here!)

Since we first introduced the Flyer, one of the most common requests has been for a bass version. It seems that the semi-acoustic, compact-yet-powerful, and classy vibe would really lend itself well to a bass version. We had to agree – and here, in sneak-preview form, is a first look at the Flyer bass!

Our prototypes are 4-strings – one fretted and one fretless. They will both have 34" scales, with our classic combination of maple back/sides, radiused spruce top, mahogany neck, and Pau Ferro trim. The pickup/preamp will be our standard D-Tar WaveLength system, with tastefully concealed soundhole 'thumbwheel' controls.

These pieces should be really, really cool – the ultimate stage-friendly semi-hollow with real acoustic vibe and tone, rugged and travel-ready, with much less feedback than a big ABG, and no giant box to reach around. What more could a bass player want?

New Specials
Although they're not Acoustics, we just have to mention the incredible new guitars we just listed on our "Specials" page.

One big plus of our constant drive to improve is that we often end up with prototypes, or with as-new instruments with a slightly older version of some given detail…the prior generation of tailpiece, for example.

As a result, we are able to pass on these instruments as "Specials" at great prices, and with no wait time. This current round of Specials has some of the best deals we've ever offered, including some instruments that are practically as-new! If you've been waiting for an unusual deal on a fantastic Veillette, now is the time to give a ring or send us an email…just don't wait too long, since we don't expect these deals to last.

Coming soon – The Electric Edition!
As promised, the next Newsletter is not far off, and will feature all the latest and greatest electric guitar and bass news. Just to tease a little bit, here's a hint of what's in the works…

• Our smallest (and cutest) electric yet…
• A new standard for our electric guitar line, including several new details and design features…
• The first change to our neck joint system in over a decade…
• And more!