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follow_the_music
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Joined: 30 Mar 2008
Posts: 37
Location: Austria
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 Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:19 am Post subject: Anybody knows, why Robben stopped playin' the Fender Esprit |
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Hi,
Does anybody know the story, why Robben stopped playin' and endorsing the Robben Ford CS models? What happend? The Esprit was such a long time his trademark and, beside his Tele, the guitar he was always seen with.
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"The most important thing is that you make sure you follow the music, which is a musician’s way of saying follow your heart. (Robben Ford) |
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frank0936
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Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 916
Location: Fairhope, AL
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:44 am Post subject: Esprit |
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If I remember correctly, Robben asked for some changes to the guitar, but was not happy with the way the results. I believe you can find more out if you do a search here. It was probably on Daved's page.
Frank |
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Danny
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Joined: 13 Jan 2008
Posts: 145
Location: Sandy Eggo
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 11:13 am Post subject: |
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follow_the_music, do you have any more pics of your avatar?
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"Music is the only thing that you can share with a million million people and you don't lose, you gain. It helps you to get energy and to live long, because when your soul is very happy then you don't want to die." - Ali Akbar Khan |
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follow_the_music
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Joined: 30 Mar 2008
Posts: 37
Location: Austria
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 3:49 pm Post subject: Re: Esprit |
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| frank0936 wrote: | If I remember correctly, Robben asked for some changes to the guitar, but was not happy with the way the results. I believe you can find more out if you do a search here. It was probably on Daved's page.
Frank |
Thanks frank, I did some research on Daved's page, but didn't find much. Would be interesting also, what happened to the old japanese Esprits Robben owned.
@danny: yes, shure I got some pictures. have to post them on photobucket or some like that.
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"The most important thing is that you make sure you follow the music, which is a musician’s way of saying follow your heart. (Robben Ford) |
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jconstant
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Jul 2003
Posts: 762
Location: Southern California
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:31 am Post subject: Re: Esprit |
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| follow_the_music wrote: | | frank0936 wrote: | If I remember correctly, Robben asked for some changes to the guitar, but was not happy with the way the results. I believe you can find more out if you do a search here. It was probably on Daved's page.
Frank |
Thanks frank, I did some research on Daved's page, but didn't find much. Would be interesting also, what happened to the old japanese Esprits Robben owned.
@danny: yes, shure I got some pictures. have to post them on photobucket or some like that. |
I have one of those guitars and I had it with me at a clinic of Robben's (the somewhat well known clinic where we ended up having it in his living room). He asked me about mine and mentioned that he played a regular old MIJ version just like mine. He said, "I really miss that guitar". Then he added, "I played it so much eventually, I just....played it away...'
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follow_the_music
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Joined: 30 Mar 2008
Posts: 37
Location: Austria
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 3:54 am Post subject: |
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yeah, that must have been a great clinic and a lot of fun and inspiration.
I heard sometimes about guitars getting tired and dead, when they where played really a lot. Also refretting gets difficult more and more. Plus sometimes you just need something new and different, as your playin' and your touch changes. Sometimes a change of pickups does it too: I recently put a pair of old Fralins in my Esprit Standard, it was like having a new guitar... really great pickups. Round, balanced and juicy.
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"The most important thing is that you make sure you follow the music, which is a musician’s way of saying follow your heart. (Robben Ford) |
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Jon07
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Joined: 31 May 2007
Posts: 37
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| Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 3:34 am Post subject: |
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| I could be completely wrong but I was under the impression that Gene Baker was the main designer for the Robben Ford signature Esprit and that when he left Fender, Robben went with him and started using Baker guitars for a while (although I think Gene sold the business in the end which may be why Robben moved again). Could be totally wrong though (not the first time ;-) |
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Redback
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Joined: 01 Nov 2009
Posts: 26
Location: Behind You..
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| Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 8:28 am Post subject: |
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| Jon07 wrote: | | I could be completely wrong but I was under the impression that Gene Baker was the main designer for the Robben Ford signature Esprit and that when he left Fender, Robben went with him and started using Baker guitars for a while (although I think Gene sold the business in the end which may be why Robben moved again). Could be totally wrong though (not the first time ;-) |
Hi Jon,
Yeah, as you suspected, that isn't actually correct.. here's a quick summary of the background. The original guitar that would eventually become the RF model was commissioned in the early 80's by Dan Smith, while he was at Yamaha.
Dan was in discussion with Robben about a double cut away hybrid of a Strat and a Les Paul. (Robben apparently just wanted a smaller, more comfortable guitar to replace his 335) When Dan Smith moved to Fender, he took the project with him. The original prototype(s) were done by John Carruthers of Venice, CA. The design was finalized and they were aware Fender did not have the production facilities to build the guitars in volume, so Ibanez Japan were contracted to build them under the Fender brand.
Mr. Baker got involved much later and is more closely associated with the RF model once it became a Fender Custom Shop product. Baker eventually left Fender to start his own brand, with considerable knowledge and obvious influence from the RF product.
FWIW: John Carruthers continues to make a Chambered Double Cutaway that might well be considered an evolved version of the RF Model (my summation not his), called a CSA for Chambered Semi Acoustic. http://www.carruthersguitars.com
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kirk95
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Joined: 13 Jul 2003
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Location: Boulder, CO
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