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Master Luthier - Bozo
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Author:  Dave-SKG [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:11 am ]
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After visiting at Keith's Shop, Keith and I went over to Bozo's Shop. Now make sure you get the pronounciation right(Bo-Show) because this Gentleman DESERVES your respect. He's right up there with the Best of the Best! The pictures just don't do the instruments justice...they are awesome!

Thanks to Keith I got to meet, chat with Bozo, and PLAY several of his Jazz guitars. He makes many different instruments including other acoustic ( and his famous 12 string models)guitars. The inlay was UNBELIEVABLE...and everything is done old school...by hand. The guitars sounded as unbelievable as they looked. Bozo is truely a Master Luthier.

I don't know what else to say I am still awe struck!

Here are some pics:


Bozo and Keith:


Bozo's work bench:


The three of us:


Some guitars:



















Keith, THANKS for EVERYTHING! Dave-SKG38954.4267592593
Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:30 am ]
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Thats nice but it could have a bit more flash on it some where Its kind of plain looking
Author:  JBreault [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:44 am ]
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Whoa Nellie! JBreault38954.448287037
Author:  Dave Anderson [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:44 am ]
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I've always admired Bozo's guitars.He is truely as you say Dave a "Master". Man,that headstock is so beautiful,I'm in awe too! Is His shop south of yours,in Sarasota Dave ? Thanks for the pics!
Author:  SteveCourtright [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:47 am ]
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Sheesh, with all that bling, I'd be afraid to pick it up less take it out anywhere. Gorgeous!!!
Author:  crazymanmichael [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:06 am ]
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the whole thing is a bit over the top for my taste but the attention to detail and the workmanship is obviously somewhat outstanding.
Author:  Andy Zimmerman [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:20 am ]
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Amazing
I hear his 12 strings are the best
Author:  Dave-SKG [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:26 am ]
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[QUOTE=DaveAndy] I've always admired Bozo's guitars.He is truely as you say Dave a "Master". Man,that headstock is so beautiful,I'm in awe too! Is His shop south of yours,in Sarasota Dave ? Thanks for the pics! [/QUOTE]

Hi Dave,

Yes Bozo's in Englewood. I don't know exactly where. Maybe Keith will chime in. What was really cool is the way the strings go thru the tail piece...two little sliding doors (MOP).

For those of you seeing just the inlay:
He spends as much time or more on the construction and tone of the instrument. don't let the flash fool ya! I played this and less decorative models...they are awesome!Dave-SKG38954.5198148148
Author:  Serge Poirier [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:40 am ]
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WOW, Anthony will love this too! Very impressive work and workmanship, thanks for sharing Dave!
Author:  Keith M [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 5:12 am ]
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[QUOTE=DaveAndy] I've always admired Bozo's guitars.He is truely as you say Dave a "Master". Man,that headstock is so beautiful,I'm in awe too! Is His shop south of yours,in Sarasota Dave ? Thanks for the pics! [/QUOTE]

Hi Dave, Yes Bozo lives in Englewood less than a mile south of Sarasota county. About a 2 hour 15 minute trip From Port Richey (my father inlaw lives in PR). If you ever would like to visit, PM me and we can arrange for you to meet him.
Author:  Mattia Valente [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 5:19 am ]
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The craftsmanship is outstanding, detailing looks excellent, but the aesthetic, design and appointments could hardly be further from my tastes. Lose all the decorations, and it might be an instrument I can admire as a whole...just way, way too OTT for me I'm afraid.
Author:  Keith M [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 5:28 am ]
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Bozo has had quite a career. John Fayhey,Leo Kottke,Gary Davis,Eric Darling, and so many other famous players have purchased his guitars. As for the Bling I must admit it is more than I care for personally, but it is his niche along with great sound. You can be sure some people like it enough to shell out over $20K and give him over a 2 year backlog. Almost every order he gets is for this "over the top" abalone and inlay though he also will make basic designs for much less. He's 78 years old and still works every day. The back center stripe on the pictured Jazz was inlayed with a violin knife and a chisel the same for all of the headstock inlays no router for this guy.
Author:  CarltonM [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 5:42 am ]
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That trademark purfling is a brilliant design. Split herringbone with abalone in the middle and b/w lines as needed. It has tremendous impact, both up close and from a distance.

Even if some of his work is over-the-top, I've gotta admire that old-world craftsmanship!
Author:  Colin S [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:45 am ]
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The workmanship looks impeccable and I'm sure they sound really great. Don't you just know there's a "but" coming here! But, to me they are the absolute opposite of what a guitar should look like. I've never liked abalone and pearl on a guitar, this tells me why, way over the top and gawdy.

But as I say his execution is stunning and they obviously meet a market need, just not for me.

Colin
Author:  Dave Rector [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:00 am ]
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Dave, thanks for the pics! I have been an admirer of Bozo's for 30 years or so. I agree that the ornamentation is over the top but man do his guitars ever sound great too. Thanks again for sharing your field trip with us!
Author:  Dave Anderson [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:34 am ]
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[QUOTE=Keith M] [QUOTE=DaveAndy] I've always admired Bozo's guitars.He is truely as you say Dave a "Master". Man,that headstock is so beautiful,I'm in awe too! Is His shop south of yours,in Sarasota Dave ? Thanks for the pics! [/QUOTE]

Hi Dave, Yes Bozo lives in Englewood less than a mile south of Sarasota county. About a 2 hour 15 minute trip From Port Richey (my father inlaw lives in PR). If you ever would like to visit, PM me and we can arrange for you to meet him.[/QUOTE]
Keith, I would surely like to drive down and meet him and you too! I have been wanting to visit Dave Blands
shop too so maybe I can take a weekend soon and come down and visit you all. I'll PM you.Thanks very much!
Author:  Tom Morici [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 12:02 pm ]
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I met Bozo for a brief minute back in the late 60's.
At the time he was working in the repair shop of a
Chicago music store. We never spoke to each other,
he just plucked and inspected my first build, he
handed it back to me and went back to his bench.
I knew his name was Bozo because that's what the store
owner had called him. I had no idea who he was.
A year or so later, I got to see one of his flat top
builds. It was a humbling experience, it did not have
all the "bling" as you see in his later work.
His work looked flawless, and it was the best sounding
guitar I ever heard. And as a young builder it sure
intimadated me. I am still a big fan of Bozo.

Like many of you here I had a little trouble with his
peghead design and ornamant. But now that I am older
I really admire his designs.
The peghead is his signature, and one that stands out among any group of guitars.
Truly he is a Master Luthier, and I feel he is a living legend.
Still inspires me to this day.

Tom
Author:  Keith M [ Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:38 pm ]
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Yes Michael you win that bet. He cuts every dovetail by hand. By the time I set up my template jig he is finished and on to another task. He is aware of the jigs but feels they would just slow him down.
Author:  Anthony Z [ Sat Aug 26, 2006 12:01 am ]
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Dave those are great pictures! Meeting a master like Bozo had to be a real trip for Keith and yourself.

Looking through the pictures I am in awe of Bozo's skill. Commenting on the appropriateness of his inlay work seems inappropriate -- at least from me.
Author:  Dave-SKG [ Sat Aug 26, 2006 3:39 am ]
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[QUOTE=Anthony Z] Dave those are great pictures! Meeting a master like Bozo had to be a real trip for Keith and yourself.

Looking through the pictures I am in awe of Bozo's skill. Commenting on the appropriateness of his inlay work seems inappropriate -- at least from me. [/QUOTE]

Yes it was "a real trip". It was UNBELIEVABLE ! Keith has been his good friend for many years now, so if not for him, I don't think Bozo would have had the time to meet me never mind spend as much as he did showing me his masterpieces ( AGAIN - THANK YOU KEITH!)

Another thing...Notice how most of the people here made comments on the "Flash" or "bling" as some called it? That's sort of sad because I think they are missing out on the fact that these instruments sound and play so great. I wish I had been able to photograph the insides of some "work in progress" and perhaps the reaction would be different. I think part of the reaction is that we have gone thru an era of building ( large and small scale builders) where the emphasis was placed on the flash and not the quality of tone and craftmanship. This is especially true today when we see all the CNC stuff cut so perfectly and inlayed on the cheapest of guitars. That's too bad. However, those of you who know, or have met him and his instruments, know that the "flash" definitely takes a back seat to the Tone, Playabilty, Craftsmanship, and Quality of these instruments. As others have stated...he has many "plain" instruments that absolutely kill. As Keith mentioned...His list of ownership is amazing and the real tell all is that many of them have multiple instruments. That tells us alot. He is a living legend.
Author:  Mattia Valente [ Sat Aug 26, 2006 4:01 am ]
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Dave, looking at all the responses here, I think we're unanimous in admiring the amazing display of master craftsmanship. However, the fact remains that a guitar is also an exercise in design, and on that front, I'm afraid the instruments in the pictures fail to engage me... Perhaps if we could play them we'd bother less, but all we've got is words and pictures to go on..
Author:  Dave-SKG [ Sat Aug 26, 2006 6:26 am ]
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Mattia,
I think we are in agreement...I'm just saying too bad I couldn't have had more of a "build" portfolio. I too like many others don't go for a "flashy" instrument. In Fact, I have never, not even once, put abalone purfling or abalone rosette rings on one of my guitars. i am not against it, I just don't like it...But my point was, and is, that too bad the "flash" was getting the attention...the Master piece isn't the abalone. Most of you know/see that but the comments are focused on the "flash". No big deal...just an observation...
Author:  CarltonM [ Sat Aug 26, 2006 6:58 am ]
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Could it be that, since decoration is what he's famous for, that's what he always gets commissioned to do? Face it, if that's what you want, there's nobody in the world that does it like Bozo. I look at his work as being an extension of the European tradition of highly decorated Renaissance and Baroque instruments; and, from all accounts, they sound great too!

The guitar that won me over to Bozo, at least visually, was his contribution to Scott Chinery's "Blue Guitar" collection. Its decoration consists of Bozo's trademark purfling--everywhere--and it's absolutely beautiful! It's brilliant from a marketing viewpoint, too, because it stands out even amoung that distinguished group, it's immediately recognizable as a Bozo if you've seen his work before, and if you haven't it makes you ask "who did that one?!".
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