Our Vintage Soul

The “Our Vintage Soul” project is the printing result of a long research performed along with Vincenzo to get the inside of Fender production from 1951 on as much as possible disclosed.

The Our Vintage Soul volume 1, printed in limited quantity, with serial number and customized signature on demand, is still available for sale. For more info: Prisma Melody Club (+39 3388784320) or by e-mail.

Backstage

Some years ago, as I was checking the Rick Nielsen’s guitar collection book, I wondered how all those models would look in their hide spots, as for to understand why so much difference in sound and dinanic stands between older instruments and newer ones, despite improved crafting standards. I finally agreed to the idea of a “catalog” of original models not to be compared to common books and pamphlets about vintage, but a bare showview of any model, year by year, which could turn into a comparing reference. The result is a cool mixture of Vincenzo’s great knowledge, high ability in dealing with a camera and, by my side, manuality and willingness: efforts and fees were consistent but finally the audience tribute us success.

Though we both never had any experience in camera set outfits, reflexes, lights and exposure, we could be proud of what the final product turned into. three days and nights were spent just to arrange a reflex-free set, using old sheets stained with spray paint as bottoms and polystirene ply as light spreading umbrellas.

Maybe Vincenzo could not appreciate me to witness these details that surely rise a lot of camera PHD’s laughing, but it is nevertheless proudigly for us to tell how we built up this project, despite poor tools and just strong wilfulness.

We spent all fall’s holidays in 2004 to shoot all the pictures, tearing apart families and personal life: we kept working on the set for 18-19 hours per day with no pause. Just to think about Flavio who disassembled the precious instruments using small plastic cans to collect parts and an entire flat, filled with forniture... litterally covered with Strats, Tellies, basses and amps totally parted, pictured, and then assembled again: 80 guitars, 16 amps with case and accessoires!

But the best was yet to come, since the most of the job was ahead: editor, folding, pic’s choice, notes, layout, paper’s quality, frontpage and so on: a lot of “fun” for the months to come. The final touch was the serial number manually ink-stamped on every single copy.

Unfortunatelly as often happened, due for unexperience and hasty, some printing and data mistakes occurred. An errata corrige was added on the tail of the book and a further one will appear on the forthcoming second volume featuring the rest of the collection.

This next book will show 40 more instruments and will feature further notes, data and detailed pics, as well as our opinios. It will look pretty more like a real book thanks to the precious aid of Michela Taioli for typing and language corrections, Claudio Dini’s english transposure and graphic layout by Matteo Camorani. Also more showview about cases and some instruments in improved conditions, new posters and catalogs as well as reportages about our years of overlooking on Fender jewels.

The Fender Museum is my duty but always shared with Vincenzo, one and only working, passion and life patner. I would not be here with this collection, making such a project, if Vincenzo would not be by my side... Thank you “Enzino”.

Flavio