I've been to a lot of guitar shows in my time, both as a customer and as an exhibitor, and it's easy to think that you've seen it all. That sentiment was true, until I walked up to the Deimel table at the Holy Grail Show. What makes it different you ask? The artist painted offsets, vivid colours and crazy pickups? To an extent yes, but ultimately it was the Deimel family that made me smile first and foremost. Involving their kids in what the husband and wife team do, came across to me as if it was as important as the guitars themselves. After chatting with them both about it, it would seem this is very much the case. Even giving them their own 'jobs' over the weekend, like official photographer etc, so great! And even organising for their class from school to come in on the Sunday and have mini lessons from various luthiers at the show. This is more meaningful than just doing cool stuff with your kids, to me this is getting a younger generation excited about the guitar. It's showing them that handmade is important in this day and age, and teaching them what can be created with your hands, tools, materials and probably most recognisable to kids, your imagination. Which clearly is something Frank and Kora at Deimel rely strongly on judging by their creative designs. Creating the next generations of boutique, innovative luthiers? Perhaps so.
The child like playful-ness often extends to the guitars themselves too. Take one of the Firestar models they had on display for example, pictured below, which their son had helped 'decorate'. This guitar featured resin filled cavities which the budding young guitar designer had filled with lots of interesting oddities, which look perfect alongside Frank's incredible overall guitar design and aesthetic. This is creativity and imagination perfectly combined, I love it. Whilst I was smiling away looking at this cool guitar, their son leaned over, pressed the push/push tone knob and the flashing LED's also set into the resin filled cavities leaped to life! How cool it must be to allow your kids creativity to run free like that, and for them to see their mom and dad bring it to life too. Simply brilliant.
Frank's wife, who is very much a part of Deimel Guitarworks, is very well known for her 'Artist Editions' models, which feature her incredibly poignant artwork which had me captivated upon finally seeing one in person. These are beautifully made instruments, look closely and you'll be rewarded with innovative wiring options, very often in house wound pickups, high standard of luthiery with the overall build and of course beautiful design which looks forward as much as it honours looking back.
It isn't just about offsets though, as demonstrated by the wonderful amber coloured flame topped 'Doublestar' model. Which featured some striking custom pickups and a trem unit. These guitars have a distinctive flare, you can't help but smile looking at them. The whole picture makes sense all of a sudden, the family, the creativity, and the guitars. This is a guitar maker who is both at the top of the their game, whilst also showing there is so much more to come. I for one am excited to see where it goes next.
I am quite smug in saying I was able to spend some time playing the guitar that I had read about prior to the show and was excited to see in person, let alone play. That is one incredible Firestar model, which was an extensive collaboration between it's soon to be owner, and Deimel. After chatting with Frank, it turned out that the soon to be owner even spent the weekend at their home, going over details, cooking up weird and wonderful ideas and truly collaborating on an instrument which is well and truly fit for purpose. This is an instrument which will allow the owner to create the sounds he needs to, and after getting to know Frank and Kora, I can truly tell that they were the right person to make this guitar for him. It's a masterpiece!
Aesthetics aside, this is one crazy looking beast. It features a custom wound P90 and Firebird pickup in-front of the bridge which can be used about as traditionally as it gets with a single volume and single tone and 3 way switch. But delve deeper and you'll find the real fun stuff. Behind the bridge sits a Jaguar style single coil, which can be turned on alongside the other pickups selected to get some crazy behind the bridge harmonics and effects captured. Under the two black 'pickguards' on the upper bouts, are two piezo pickups, which again can be blended in with any pickup combination. And finally, my personal favourite feature which left me both speechless and in awe, was Deimels signature in build Leslie effect. Yup, this guitar has an in-built leslie effect.
What it does is oscilate the signal between the neck and bridge pickup, creating the deepest sounding leslie effect I've heard in a long time, you can also adjust the speed and intensity which went from absolutely blown out wild to wonderfully classic. Once more, if you engage that behind the bridge Jag pickup, then oh my, does it leap to life. I had a huge grin on my face whilst Frank looked back seeming to be equally enjoying my terrible noodling and excitably laughing over this brilliantly creative instrument. I did say to him, that I would absolutely love to hear the music and sounds that the owner of this guitar creates after 6 months of figuring out how to bring the best form it.
I couldn't leave without snapping a photo of the great little Mastery trem arm tip shaped like a UFO. Rather fitting with my logo in mind I thought.
This table brought me genuine happiness, inspiration and admiration due to the Deimel family's unique look on the guitar. Being a fan of Offsets anyway, they already had me as a fan, but now I have finally set my eyes on some of their guitars in person, I am truly thankful there are people and guitar makers like this in the world. Artistic, creative, free thinking minds, and I personally love that and feel that's exactly what makes the boutique guitar world great and valid today.
Thank you to Frank and Kora for chatting to me at the show, if you'd love to learn or see more about Deimel Guitarworks be sure to head to their website and social media pages!
http://deimelguitarworks.com
James.
Some more photos for your viewing pleasure -
The child like playful-ness often extends to the guitars themselves too. Take one of the Firestar models they had on display for example, pictured below, which their son had helped 'decorate'. This guitar featured resin filled cavities which the budding young guitar designer had filled with lots of interesting oddities, which look perfect alongside Frank's incredible overall guitar design and aesthetic. This is creativity and imagination perfectly combined, I love it. Whilst I was smiling away looking at this cool guitar, their son leaned over, pressed the push/push tone knob and the flashing LED's also set into the resin filled cavities leaped to life! How cool it must be to allow your kids creativity to run free like that, and for them to see their mom and dad bring it to life too. Simply brilliant.
Frank's wife, who is very much a part of Deimel Guitarworks, is very well known for her 'Artist Editions' models, which feature her incredibly poignant artwork which had me captivated upon finally seeing one in person. These are beautifully made instruments, look closely and you'll be rewarded with innovative wiring options, very often in house wound pickups, high standard of luthiery with the overall build and of course beautiful design which looks forward as much as it honours looking back.
It isn't just about offsets though, as demonstrated by the wonderful amber coloured flame topped 'Doublestar' model. Which featured some striking custom pickups and a trem unit. These guitars have a distinctive flare, you can't help but smile looking at them. The whole picture makes sense all of a sudden, the family, the creativity, and the guitars. This is a guitar maker who is both at the top of the their game, whilst also showing there is so much more to come. I for one am excited to see where it goes next.
I am quite smug in saying I was able to spend some time playing the guitar that I had read about prior to the show and was excited to see in person, let alone play. That is one incredible Firestar model, which was an extensive collaboration between it's soon to be owner, and Deimel. After chatting with Frank, it turned out that the soon to be owner even spent the weekend at their home, going over details, cooking up weird and wonderful ideas and truly collaborating on an instrument which is well and truly fit for purpose. This is an instrument which will allow the owner to create the sounds he needs to, and after getting to know Frank and Kora, I can truly tell that they were the right person to make this guitar for him. It's a masterpiece!
Aesthetics aside, this is one crazy looking beast. It features a custom wound P90 and Firebird pickup in-front of the bridge which can be used about as traditionally as it gets with a single volume and single tone and 3 way switch. But delve deeper and you'll find the real fun stuff. Behind the bridge sits a Jaguar style single coil, which can be turned on alongside the other pickups selected to get some crazy behind the bridge harmonics and effects captured. Under the two black 'pickguards' on the upper bouts, are two piezo pickups, which again can be blended in with any pickup combination. And finally, my personal favourite feature which left me both speechless and in awe, was Deimels signature in build Leslie effect. Yup, this guitar has an in-built leslie effect.
What it does is oscilate the signal between the neck and bridge pickup, creating the deepest sounding leslie effect I've heard in a long time, you can also adjust the speed and intensity which went from absolutely blown out wild to wonderfully classic. Once more, if you engage that behind the bridge Jag pickup, then oh my, does it leap to life. I had a huge grin on my face whilst Frank looked back seeming to be equally enjoying my terrible noodling and excitably laughing over this brilliantly creative instrument. I did say to him, that I would absolutely love to hear the music and sounds that the owner of this guitar creates after 6 months of figuring out how to bring the best form it.
I couldn't leave without snapping a photo of the great little Mastery trem arm tip shaped like a UFO. Rather fitting with my logo in mind I thought.
This table brought me genuine happiness, inspiration and admiration due to the Deimel family's unique look on the guitar. Being a fan of Offsets anyway, they already had me as a fan, but now I have finally set my eyes on some of their guitars in person, I am truly thankful there are people and guitar makers like this in the world. Artistic, creative, free thinking minds, and I personally love that and feel that's exactly what makes the boutique guitar world great and valid today.
Thank you to Frank and Kora for chatting to me at the show, if you'd love to learn or see more about Deimel Guitarworks be sure to head to their website and social media pages!
http://deimelguitarworks.com
James.
Some more photos for your viewing pleasure -
