#163631  by Chutley
 
Looks incredible... Congrats Bob!

Gary
 #163994  by jalevinemd
 
I just received this beautiful Wolf from Bob Fishman (augustwest1) today. I am in awe of the shear beauty of this instrument. I have 5 custom Alembics and can say that Bob's skills as a luthier and the artistry of this instrument are every bit as good as anything I've ever received from the good folks in Santa Rosa. I'm especially blown away by the exquisite marquetry underneath the fretboard on either side. That, coupled with the extensive wood inlay work throughout the guitar, pretty much eclipses anything Alembic has made for me as far as the intricacy of a build is concerned.

As I told Bob, plunking down this kind of money on a guitar built by someone you've never heard of, based solely on pictures from the Garage Sale section of an Internet Grateful Dead Forum takes quite a leap of faith...especially in this day and age. I honestly had little idea of what to expect when I opened the case.

I can't say enough good things about this guitar or the unparalleled skill of the man who crafted it. All I can say is that if anyone is looking for a Wolf (or any other guitar I imagine), you'd be hard pressed to find a more gifted luthier or true gentleman than Bob.

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Last edited by jalevinemd on Sat Dec 29, 2018 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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 #163999  by tcsned
 
It looks amazing! He does some sharp work! Nice Alembic family you've got on your wall too :cool: :cool: :cool:
 #164007  by czyfingers
 
I bought the first one offered up here I believe and it was a leap of faith buying method for sure...and I didn’t already own an arsenal of high end, hand built guitars when I pulled the trigger. I’ve been using various Jerrified Strats and Schecters that I modded myself for years. So this was my first custom not customized by yours truly. Those guitars got the job done but there is a difference folks. It makes it easy to understand why Jerry migrated from Strats to instruments built like these. Anyway...a year and a half later, I’m still just as pleased with its performance and beauty. Everywhere it goes, people are awestruck...both Jerry enthusiasts and people who have no idea what the “wolf” is or was. I personally haven’t had my hands on one made by any of the big name builders, but I can’t imagine it being any better and certainly not twice the price better. I also think it’s important to add that you won’t find a nicer guy to do business with. Bob was completely honest, prompt, cool and way too humble about his work from start to finish. Keep up the good work Bob!
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 #164162  by jalevinemd
 
I have had Bob's Wolf now for about two weeks. I know I commented on the quality of his building skills, but I feel the need to reiterate this point. Czyfingers mentioned that he can't imagine one of the bigger name builders of Jerry style guitars being "twice the price better." I couldn't agree more. But try three or four times the price. I love every one of my Alembics and the folks in Santa Rosa as well. They've become wonderful friends the past fifteen or so years. However, there are certain guitars I wouldn't have them build for me because the price would be more than I would be willing to spend on guitars like these. Knowing what the base model Further costs and having somewhat of an idea of the price of various inlay work, I would guess that for Alembic to build this exact guitar (if they'd even agree) with the eagle headstock inlay, the wolf inlay, the fretboard inlays, the maple and purpleheart stringers along the sides of the fretboard as well as the marquetry work under the fretboard, would be in the neighborhood of $20,000.

I have included some closeups of the wood work of Bob's Wolf and two of my Alembics. The telltale hippie sandwich recipe of Wolf aside, I would challenge anyone to guess which guitar was made by Bob and which were made by Alembic. The man is truly gifted.

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Last edited by jalevinemd on Sun Jan 06, 2019 9:57 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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 #165809  by Jblue76
 
Hey all,
Thought I’d add on to this thread as the most recent recipient of one of Bob’s incredible Wolf guitars. Mine is unique amongst his wolf pack, with no wolf inlay, no inlay on the fretboard, and none of the tri coloured binding under the fretboard along the neck or around the headstock. The only markings are the side dots and the eagle on the headstock, and the result is one sleek, elegant looking wolf tribute! It boils the thing down to its essence, and it really is a beautiful thing. Bob absolutely nails the body shape, woodwork, and most importantly, being a player, the neck profile gave me an immediate feeling of home. And the way Bob did the heel carve, access to the upper frets is fantastic. I love looking down at the back of the neck while playing, especially down low where the flame is strongest. So nice.

I’m getting to know all of the many tonal possibilities.  Neck plus middle humbucker with both tone controls rolled all the way off and heavy distortion on is total Blues for Allah Slipknot Am Jam tone!! Awesome! I was surprised how much I like position 2 actually, neck and middle single could with the tone knobs rolled back 3/4 of the way. So studio Mars Hotel and Blues For Allah to my ear. Love it.

Bob even went so far as to have a custom fitted Ameritage case made for it. He really is a detail guy, a skilled woodworker and meticulous luthier; the dude is just kind, trustworthy and an all around great guy to work with. He’s an artist, and most definitely a man of integrity. As others have mentioned in this thread, buying a guitar like this, sight unseen, made by a little known luthier who you met on the internet takes quite a leap of faith, especially when you don’t exactly have ‘extra’ money laying around. Let me tell you, it’s a leap worth taking! If I ever have the means to build another custom guitar I’ll be calling Bob, for sure. One of the things that made me feel confident enough to take the leap of faith was learning that Bob once owned a Moriarty wolf and sold it, because he preferred playing his own. ‘Nough said.

Bob, can’t thank you enough for building me this dream! And if anyone out there has been thinking about a guitar like this, contact the man.
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 #166193  by Bear62
 
Hey now:

I contacted Bob, the builder of these beautiful Wolf Replicas after seeing his work on this page early in 2019. He is a kind and responsive person who’s number one goal is building the most beautiful and musical instrument possible. The craftsmanship and attention to detail on the Wolf I received last month is second to none. I went with his fuller neck carve and medium jumbo frets. The profile is a bit deeper than a PRS Wide Fat, that I love too. However, I am acclimating quickly to this. We set it up with medium action and .11s. I must add that the fretboard is gorgeous and solid! This instrument is intonated perfectly and rings out beautifully, clear, woody and loud enough for my wife to ask me to turn it down. The solid wood bedroom door was shut and it was not even plugged in. Also, every screw goes into a blind nut, the pickup ring is an 1/8 of an inch thick and the bridge and knobs are so cool looking. I look forward to playing this instrument for many years to come! Finally, shipped in a beautiful custom case w/ a 7 day full refund policy! Obviously, this one is here to stay. Best regards,
https://www.flickr.com/gp/184456106@N02/s14EL0


Gregg Miller
Last edited by Bear62 on Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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 #166196  by TI4-1009
 
Once again, wow! That photo with the branches reflecting off the finish is just crazy beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
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 #166202  by augustwest1
 
Gregg wasn't able to embed photos in his post, so he asked that I post some. Here they are.

Gregg -- I'm glad you're enjoying playing your Wolf as much as I enjoyed building it!

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