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1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale

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Paul Beekman

PostPosted: 03/20/2002 at 5:22 AM    Post subject: 1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

If anyone out there is interested in a super rare vintage aluminium guitar, I have one for sale. It's a Bill Mello prototype aluminium-neck, magnesium-body guitar. A true one-off and predates Travis Beans! It's machined from solid blocks of metal and is quite remarkable. If interested, drop me a line.

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pbeekman

Joined:
18 Sep 2001
Posts: 65
PostPosted: 12/20/2007 at 4:00 AM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

Hey, I remember this post! How time flies. I bet Daniel and I are the only ones to have ever seen one of these to this day, too ... what a strange early '70s beast.

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Kevin

Joined:
16 Mar 2007
Posts: 147
PostPosted: 12/20/2007 at 4:24 AM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

Messengers are cooler.



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BoulderBean

Joined:
04 Feb 2004
Posts: 309
PostPosted: 12/20/2007 at 9:05 AM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

What's a Messenger? Another early aluminum guitar?

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Kevin

Joined:
16 Mar 2007
Posts: 147
PostPosted: 12/20/2007 at 12:57 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

Yep they were made in the arly 60s and pre date Velenos. They had cast almag necks and hollow bodies. If you google it, theres a few pics .

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Kevin

Joined:
16 Mar 2007
Posts: 147
PostPosted: 12/20/2007 at 1:11 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

http://www.guitarplayer.c.....nger-guitars/Apr-06/19458

pretty cool.

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pbeekman

Joined:
18 Sep 2001
Posts: 65
PostPosted: 12/20/2007 at 3:06 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

Ah yes, they are cool, but they don't sound that great, unfortunately. That, and how many guitars have a solid magnesium body? Only the Mello, that I know of - very innovative.

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Kevin

Joined:
16 Mar 2007
Posts: 147
PostPosted: 12/20/2007 at 3:59 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

Magnesium as a building material is very unimpressive. Its quite easy to machine, but is very very flammable and fragile when highly stressed. As for an innovation, thats a far stretch. It doesnt lend itself to being used as is, hence why no one uses it for bodies etc. Chrysler in the 60s used it for rims and quickly recalled them do to the fact they would fly apart and or shatter under normal use.


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holmes

Joined:
29 Feb 2008
Posts: 182
PostPosted: 12/21/2007 at 4:05 AM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

im gonna go with kevin here.

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pbeekman

Joined:
18 Sep 2001
Posts: 65
PostPosted: 12/21/2007 at 4:04 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

Hmm - this has generated a fair bit of intrigue. Bill Mello wasn't just any hack engineer, of course - hence the innovation comments. In any case, this guitar has lasted in beautiful nick since '72 - never shattered, cracked or exploded into flames, or any other catastophic failure. The neck is almag, I believe, and the body is definitely a magnesium alloy. It has an amazing resonance and sounds extremely good with a pair of humbuckers installed. It never went into mass production, but for Bean afficionados, it's certainly an interesting piece of history in the development of aluminium guitar making.

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eric

Joined:
03 Aug 2007
Posts: 48
PostPosted: 12/21/2007 at 5:25 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

do you have pictures you can share?

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Kevin

Joined:
16 Mar 2007
Posts: 147
PostPosted: 12/21/2007 at 5:34 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

Well I highly doubt it will burst into flames but from a machinist view its crap. The all mighty almag has its problems too, as soon as its cast together into the alloy electrolosis begins and its starts to break down. Lets us part from the guitar world and go back to cars. Old volkswagons are having this trouble now, as the engines are just breaking into pieces(the blocks are almag). It has a shelf life of about 80-100 years and then they are gone. So that means all the Velenos etc have a shelf life. There really wasnt any other way to make these things back then, but it is what it is.

I take issue with your attitude of Ive seen this and no one else has. Big deal. If your offering it as a piece of history you dont start the coversation by bringing up a 5 year old post and proclaiming your the only one that has seen them.

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pbeekman

Joined:
18 Sep 2001
Posts: 65
PostPosted: 12/21/2007 at 6:55 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

What issue are you taking exactly, Kevin? The guitar is not for sale right now, so there's no agenda here - just interest for the members of this forum. I'll be able to get photos soon (although I'm taking a break over the summer to NYC). My point was simply that this is an interesting piece of history, and that I'd forgotten I'd posted this years ago, and just found it again in the backlog of posts. It's a great guitar and not in any way falling apart - and is fascinating, given the interest in metal guitars here. Also, according to the info. you've given - the aluminium necks of TBs should be well on the way to decaying right now, too - they are alum. alloy also, no?

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TBGURU

PostPosted: 12/21/2007 at 7:25 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

Keep your aluminum out of the rain and out of the sun. It'll outlast all of us for sure. The sky is falling! Duraluminum adorns the facades of many old buildings all over the world and while it has oxidized it is still there. I don' t keep my metal necked guitars outside on the roof of my house anyway.

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TBGURU

PostPosted: 12/21/2007 at 8:35 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

Also remember our pickups are dieing a little every day! A couple hundred years and our guitars will be acoustics.

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pbeekman

Joined:
18 Sep 2001
Posts: 65
PostPosted: 12/21/2007 at 10:23 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium Guitar link

Yes - I think we all need to 'mello' a little on this post ...







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Kevin

Joined:
16 Mar 2007
Posts: 147
PostPosted: 12/21/2007 at 11:41 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

Actually t6061 is a stable alloy, so have no fear.

I take issue with the back slapping meant or not meant. thats it.

For the most part the elements have little effect, its the actual internal cancer of the Almag which kills it.


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TBGURU

PostPosted: 12/21/2007 at 11:54 PM    Post subject: RE:1972 Bill Mello Aluminium guitar for sale link

I will say that magnesium used for skateboard trucks was a stupid idea. I used to break them all the time circa 1983.

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