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Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 9:48 pm
by Shockwave
So i am seriously considering buying a GMW PDV within the next year or so...Most likely used though as that is the best bargain and the condition will be mint as the previous ones i have seen for sale have been that.

I was just reading up on the GMW website and they build the guitar standard with maple center and the wings are alder...I read a few old interviews from Sandoval a couple weeks ago from different time periods and he says the guitar was all mahogany.... I am sure GMW has to pay some type of fee to Karl every time they build one...but would he have put in a clause as to not use the same type of wood that he used for the body so he truly is the only one building the original copy?

That is a completely different sounding guitar going going from all mahogany to alder/maple...Not sure if i would want one then from GMW then...Would they build it all mahogany? Most likely unless there is a clause like i mentioned above that prevents them..But at that point we are nearing $3000 for the guitar most likely and it just wouldn't be worth it.. I have seen them go used for $around $1700-$2000 consistently.

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 4:04 am
by Nick Hughes
Shockwave wrote:So i am seriously considering buying a GMW PDV within the next year or so...Most likely used though as that is the best bargain and the condition will be mint as the previous ones i have seen for sale have been that.

I was just reading up on the GMW website and they build the guitar standard with maple center and the wings are alder...I read a few old interviews from Sandoval a couple weeks ago from different time periods and he says the guitar was all mahogany.... I am sure GMW has to pay some type of fee to Karl every time they build one...but would he have put in a clause as to not use the same type of wood that he used for the body so he truly is the only one building the original copy?

That is a completely different sounding guitar going going from all mahogany to alder/maple...Not sure if i would want one then from GMW then...Would they build it all mahogany? Most likely unless there is a clause like i mentioned above that prevents them..But at that point we are nearing $3000 for the guitar most likely and it just wouldn't be worth it.. I have seen them go used for $around $1700-$2000 consistently.

My last quote for GMW based on Randy's specs the guitar costed around $2400 with case included

If your going for a guitar from GMW then get a new custome PDV. It's worth the price because the guitar you order is based off your specs

Personally I am saving up for a ORMBSY PDV because he hides the truss rod acces in the neck pickup pocket. AND his dot placements are pretty close.
With the ORMBSY PDV I am going to get a Anvil flight case like Randy's original.

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 11:20 pm
by Stiltzkin
Shockwave wrote:I am sure GMW has to pay some type of fee to Karl every time they build one...but would he have put in a clause as to not use the same type of wood that he used for the body so he truly is the only one building the original copy?
wait, so does Karl have to pay Gibson a fee everytime he builds a V since it's their original shape?
or does GMW pay Gibson as well?

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:39 am
by rhoads56
The original was a Mahogany mighty might body, with a dan electro bolt on maple neck, converted to a set neck. There is no requirement for licensing fees on body shapes.

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:52 am
by Nick Hughes
I can't find anything regarding a mighty might flying V body on google images

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 1:40 am
by whoopiecat
The spelling may be throwing the search off, as the name is Mighty Mite.

~T.

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:26 pm
by Stiltzkin
Nick Hughes wrote:I can't find anything regarding a mighty might flying V body on google images
whoopiecat wrote:The spelling may be throwing the search off, as the name is Mighty Mite.
regardless of how you spell it, Mighty Mite was(although still operational) the equivalent of todays Warmoth.

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 4:52 pm
by Nick Hughes
I know its mighty mite but there are no traces of anything but their strat body's
I can't find a mighty mite Flying V anywhere on google images



They may not even be real

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 6:32 pm
by Paul Wolfe
Here is an article about the V... says mahogany with Danelectro neck...
Because Randy wanted a Gibson sound, the two-piece body was constructed out of mahogany. But unlike a traditional Gibson-made Flying V, this body had to be much thicker to accommodate the depth needed for the Fender tremolo bridge sustain block.

“I had to tell him that it’s going to be thick because 1 3/4" is the size of the block on the bridge,” says Sandoval. “A Strat body is anywhere from 1 5/8" to 1 3/4". An original Gibson Flying V isn’t that thick.” Control cavities would be placed on the upper wing for the pickup selector switch and on the outside edge of the upper wing for the output jack. Having cut the body out, the next procedure was attaching the Danelectro neck to it.

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 6:34 pm
by Nick Hughes
So bascily the body was made from scratch and the neck was glued in

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 6:35 pm
by Stiltzkin
Nick Hughes wrote:I know its mighty mite but there are no traces of anything but their strat body's
I can't find a mighty mite Flying V anywhere on google images



They may not even be real
did you read what I said?
they are/were just like Warmoth is today so the V was probably made on order.

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 1:00 am
by rhoads56
Here is your proof Karl never made the body:

http://www.jacksoncharvelworld.net/htsgifs/news/2.jpg

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:20 pm
by dannyahansen
The reality is that Karl basically just put the guitar together from other parts. I thought it interesting to learn that he had not actually cut the body or the neck for the guitar from blanks of wood. That he got the body from a Warmoth equivalent and a danelectro neck.

As to GMW you can get Mahogany if you want it. I think it is 100 dollar up charge though. Mahogany just cost more than Alder. As you can get Alder locally and Mahogany has to be imported. Well if you are in the states that is.

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:21 pm
by dannyahansen
Stiltzkin wrote:
Nick Hughes wrote:I know its mighty mite but there are no traces of anything but their strat body's
I can't find a mighty mite Flying V anywhere on google images



They may not even be real
did you read what I said?
they are/were just like Warmoth is today so the V was probably made on order.
I find that sometimes people don't really read what other people wrote. I am speaking generally of course.

Re: Was the PDV all mahogany or Alder/Maple?

Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:24 pm
by dannyahansen
Shockwave wrote:So i am seriously considering buying a GMW PDV within the next year or so...Most likely used though as that is the best bargain and the condition will be mint as the previous ones i have seen for sale have been that.

I was just reading up on the GMW website and they build the guitar standard with maple center and the wings are alder...I read a few old interviews from Sandoval a couple weeks ago from different time periods and he says the guitar was all mahogany.... I am sure GMW has to pay some type of fee to Karl every time they build one...but would he have put in a clause as to not use the same type of wood that he used for the body so he truly is the only one building the original copy?

That is a completely different sounding guitar going going from all mahogany to alder/maple...Not sure if i would want one then from GMW then...Would they build it all mahogany? Most likely unless there is a clause like i mentioned above that prevents them..But at that point we are nearing $3000 for the guitar most likely and it just wouldn't be worth it.. I have seen them go used for $around $1700-$2000 consistently.
There is no charge and Karl does not own any rights to that guitar. In other words it is no registered or trademarked. Not sure they could even do that. Alder sounds nice. Mine was made of Alder and I never ever thought "Would this be better with Mahogany?" I know Lee can do what ever you want though. Give him a call or shoot him an email. He will give you a quote.