Frank Gambale Yamaha

Screamin · #1 08-19-2001, 10:40 PM

Check it out in the new GP, looks like a cross between a Gibson Gothic and an Ibanez Artist with a whammy. *There's a small warp on the 1st & 2nd frets. *I don't think it's a photo error. It's under the G string 1st fret, B string 2nd fret.
The guitar claims to have a "fretwave intonation system" *

*
Have any of you seen this thing?
Interesting.....

bduersch · #2 08-20-2001, 12:33 AM

Yeah... I saw a picture in Guitar Player magazine, and the first thing I noticed was the wavy frets on the B-string. That'd confuse me way too much in the middle of a gig after a few beers.

I can't figure out if I really like the design of his new axes or not. Maybe if all the frets were wavy...

--B

jeffrey · #3 08-20-2001, 02:46 AM

I like what fret the neck joins the body.

kuma · #4 08-20-2001, 09:50 AM

That's a really interesting guitar. *It's got those wacy frets, plus the neck and pickups are rear-mounted. *I think the trem springs actually screw into the neck heel instead of the body as well. *I like the inlays too. *Too bad it costs almost $2K though.

walter · #5 08-21-2001, 07:30 AM

Hehe, I was one of those lucky guy who could be there in Frank's clinic in Hong Kong, he did talked about his Yamaha, which he co-designed, it's not a thru-neck guitar thou, but they screw the trem claw on the end of the neck for added sustain, which was Frank's idea, and the fret thing is something to compensated the tuning problem on guitars, and to further extend the effect of the Buzz Feiten system, yeah, BF was apply on this model too.

The guitar doesn't looks really cool to me (I like the Ibanez FGM better), but the tone is AMAZING, rich and full, I'm not sure if it comes from his finger or the guitar thou LOL

7 Dying Trees · #6 08-21-2001, 09:53 AM

That fretboard looks really weird, but the rest of the guitar looks dog awful (in my opinion). I wanted the ibanez model he did a while back, but this really doesn't do anything for me. But then again, I am shallow...

gkelm · #7 08-21-2001, 09:56 AM

Yikes...$2K? *For that they could at least give you a pretty maple cap. *FG's a great player.
Greg

DavyH · #8 04-12-2009, 02:32 AM

I don't want to be the one who ressurects a dead thread, but I picked one of these up yesterday.

Wow - end of review.

Oh, all tight then. 22 fret, mahogany body, maple/bubinga neck, ebony fretboard, tempered 1st and 2nd frets, Seymour Duncan Blades at neck and mid and JB at bridge, all tapped and 5-way switch. Wilkinson trem. The body's like a severely carved Santana, headstock not pretty but has Sperzel tuners and a completely straight string pull. The neck is painted but a very thin profile, almost flat-backed.

The neck joins at the 21st fret and has incredibly good access, and the trem claw screws into the butt of the neck.

I'll do the obligatory pics later so people can go 'this is the ugliest guitar I've ever seen'. They may not be all that far off, but it's incredibly functional and, as far as I've seen so far, immensely versatile.

Paid the equivalent of $550 for it, which isn't bad for a guitar that was released in 2001 for $2k and is as near as dammit in mint condition.

Funny, I went in to get a Tele - I guess that means I need to pay a return visit fairly soon

Zgicc · #9 04-12-2009, 05:27 AM

The "wavy" frets are for "true temperament", whatever that is. Vai uses them.

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/articl...retboard-.html

EDIT: God I didn't realise the thread was so old. :/

waylay00 · #10 04-12-2009, 01:55 PM

Wow, this thread is almost 8 years old!

DavyH · #11 04-14-2009, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waylay00

Wow, this thread is almost 8 years old!

Dude, read post #8 - fully acknowledged. Do you have anything to contribute?

Edit: actually, I'm going to go a bit further than that. Multiple threads on the same subject are a complete and utter pain - how many 'Fenderz vs Ibanuz' threads do you need to see? Nevertheless, if I take the trouble to continue a thread with new - and what I believe is relevant - content, this is the sum total of input? Wow, I'm underwhelmed.

B.t.w., the guitar is about the same age as the thread

Big Job · #12 04-14-2009, 06:26 AM

Guys does anyone know anything else about these guitars? I've really been wanting to try one for a long time now but I've never been able to find one in the U.K....

Chris

Dino · #13 04-14-2009, 06:50 AM

just show the pictures already.

UV-7-BK · #14 04-14-2009, 07:05 AM

Aint that bad...definately seen worse!!!!

waylay00 · #15 04-16-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavyH

Dude, read post #8 - fully acknowledged. Do you have anything to contribute?

Edit: actually, I'm going to go a bit further than that. Multiple threads on the same subject are a complete and utter pain - how many 'Fenderz vs Ibanuz' threads do you need to see? Nevertheless, if I take the trouble to continue a thread with new - and what I believe is relevant - content, this is the sum total of input? Wow, I'm underwhelmed.

B.t.w., the guitar is about the same age as the thread

It was just a side comment! I wasn't intending to berate you or anything. I just thought it was interesting that this thread is almost a decade old...