# Modding your guitar



## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

I wouldn't even know where to start with this one


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

More knobs than a space shuttle...


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## ThePass (Aug 10, 2007)

4 jacks? What the heck is that thing?


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Looks like a more conventional semi-hollowbody that's been severely retrofitted.

In any case, kewl. Wonder how much variation in tone it actually gave 'ole Vinnie.


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## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

I bet half of that shit is just glued on.
only two pickups, how many toggles do you need?

It could really use a Bigsby, though!


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Really you don't know where to start?

LED lights!
And if you can some how make the lights go with the sound your Golden!!


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Next a small strobe light.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

Googled him and apparently he was quite the name in the late 50s early 60s and died young. There is a link to a recording on a web page that comes up four or five down from the top if you google "guitarist vinnie rogers".....actually sounds like he might have had a tape echo or something like it built into the guitar!


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## Morkolo (Dec 9, 2010)

An abomination to say the least, I'm all for the custom look but this guy took it 1000 steps too far.


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## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

The real question is whether either of those two guitars were ever actually used? Here are two songs attributed to Vinnie Rogers:

This one sounds like a Danelectro tic-tac bass
[YOUTUBE]20SuROwx5MM[/YOUTUBE]

And this cut sounds like almost every other guitar recording of the time
[YOUTUBE]r9IReYMlrBA[/YOUTUBE]


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## SonOfSomeone (Apr 11, 2011)

*One of a kind.*

The reason that guitar has so many components is because, among other things, it could be made to sound like other instruments. Much like say a Casio electronic keyboard today. It also could do many things that other guitars require outside devices to do. All those jacks were for hooking up to several other devices and components as well as recording equipment simultaneously. And yes, this guitar was actually used, mostly in the recording studio, but also in entertainment venues. The guitarist in the photo, Vincent Christopher Rogers, AKA Vinnie Rogers, AKA Mandrake, built that guitar in about 1963, from the ground up. He even cut the wood from from blank sheets of lumber, himself. And trust me when I tell you, it and he were ahead of their time. I know all this because he was my father. What I would like to know is where you found those photos, what you know about the artist, and how I can get a hold of any of his music, as well as that guitar. Also he was managed by Don Kirshner. If you have any questions or information for me, please reply here or send me an email at: [email protected]

Thank you,
Christopher Rogers.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Wow .. welcome to the forum Christopher.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Welcome to the forum Christopher.

I happen to like Cigar Box Guitars and OTHER experimental and rustic and homemade instruments. When the photo got posted I had tried a LOT of google to see who your father was, and other than a few songs, short blurbs and that he passed away young I was unable to find any information on him. I am curious to know what all he had in that guitar 

HAHA and yes, to the "a guitar looks like this" group it is a wild looking instrument. Even my own sense of "yuck" can be pushed forward at times (for all I do like experimentation and innovation). In this case, honestly, a choice between your dad's guitar and a the Gibson Fish Guitar (aka Dusk Tiger) I would gladly take your fathers 

I hope you can find and present more information on him. The internet data base grows every year by leaps and bounds. A hundred million years of human history to codify will happen it just takes a little bit of time is all


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

The guitar as a tool, as a work in progress, as an experiment, really appeals to me. Sometime I'd like to commit a guitar to the idea. Lots of other examples like Steve Morse's Tele, and Eddie Van Halen's Strat, though none of these measure up to Vinnie's. 

Remember J.J.Cale's Harmony: http://harmony.demont.net/jjcale.php
There was a great Guitar Player Magazine cover photo of him with it too.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Fane (Aug 23, 2008)

Mooh said:


> Remember J.J.Cale's Harmony: http://harmony.demont.net/jjcale.php
> There was a great Guitar Player Magazine cover photo of him with it too.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


That was exactly what I was thinking of when I saw the OP, couldn't remember the name of the guy, thanks. 

On Vinnie's guitar, I think its got a better guitar sound than anything the Beatles put out in '61, considering the age of it all. Production has so much to do with the sound, too, though - to really experience how this guitar was, I'd want to see it played live by its maker. It's amazing how little information there is on this man - good luck to Christopher on finding that guitar!


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## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

I love that guitar, and I have a great deal of respect for musical innovators like this who experimented (and continue to experiment) with sounds! I hope you find all the information you can find Christopher... and hopefully you can share some of it with us!


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

look at those pics again. the concept is/was in a state of change. they are different guitars.


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## BEACHBUM (Sep 21, 2010)

Quick, call Henry over at Gibson. This could replace the Firebird X.


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

SonOfSomeone said:


> The reason that guitar has so many components is because, among other things, it could be made to sound like other instruments. Much like say a Casio electronic keyboard today. It also could do many things that other guitars require outside devices to do. All those jacks were for hooking up to several other devices and components as well as recording equipment simultaneously. And yes, this guitar was actually used, mostly in the recording studio, but also in entertainment venues. The guitarist in the photo, Vincent Christopher Rogers, AKA Vinnie Rogers, AKA Mandrake, built that guitar in about 1963, from the ground up. He even cut the wood from from blank sheets of lumber, himself. And trust me when I tell you, it and he were ahead of their time. I know all this because he was my father. What I would like to know is where you found those photos, what you know about the artist, and how I can get a hold of any of his music, as well as that guitar. Also he was managed by Don Kirshner. If you have any questions or information for me, please reply here or send me an email at: [email protected]
> 
> Thank you,
> Christopher Rogers.


Hey there...if you "right click" on the pics...then select "view image info"...a box pops up to show you the URL where the pic is located on the internet...

The first pic can be found here...

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll92/IPLAYLOUDGUITARS/VinnieRogers.jpg

The second pic can be found here...

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll92/IPLAYLOUDGUITARS/VinnieRogersfrontview4outs.jpg

Hope this helps...


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## DMortensen (Feb 21, 2015)

Hello,

There has been some discussion on other forums about Vinnie Rogers, and this forum was so helpful in providing information about him that if you are interested in him you may wish to view it. I'm assuming it's not appropriate to copy/paste from elsewhere as a new member.

Here are a couple of links:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...rist-or-studio-cast-recording-members.415054/

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=828691

There are a few other singles by Vinnie linked in those threads (you don't need to be a member to read them), and a bit more bio info, but he is still a considerable mystery. Great pics posted by bobb to start it out

Your forum is the only one that Christopher Rogers has posted in that I've been able to find; I and at least one other person have sent email to him in the last week, but no response yet, which is part of why I'm posting here in case he checks back in hopes of finding updates.

I'm interested in him because I found pictures of him in a studio whose history I'm researching (CBS' 30th St. Studio in NYC); that thread is at http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...-30th-street-studio-nyc-many-pictures.388186/

Vinnie's pictures are on page 20, which is where this journey into his history started for me.

Thanks for a great forum, there's a lot of interesting guitar information here.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

The question isn't so much where to start--but where to finish--or when to quit.


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