Ornettes and Bacchus question

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spoonbadger

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Hi all, someone is offering me an ornettes les paul for 1495$. Can anyone tell me what these are like?. I've never heard of ornettes before and can find any info on them. Does anyone know the specs?. Or have any experience with them?.

I'm also looking at a bacchus BLS-59.
http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320294533782&indexURL=3#ebayphotohosting
I dont know what the model number is (ie. BLS-59-xxx) but this is what the headstock looks like...
3786_12.JPG

It's a light burst finish, with a lightly flamed top. Supposedly it's a solid 2-piece cap and a lacquer finish (nitro i'm presuming).
Can anyone tell me anything about these?. Is the finish definitely nitro?. Is the cap solid or a laminate?. Anyone else out there got one?.

Thanks for reading all!.

Edit: sigh,no point in being coy i guess :)
 
Can't comment on the Ornetts but the bacchus are excellent guitars, the one you are looking at has a 2 piece flame maple top 1 piece mahogany back and
long tenon neck joint. That particular guitar is one of Hisashi's from his own collection, it would be a beauty, it is spec'd higher than the BLS 120's. I have had several dealings with Hisashi and he is excellent to deal with.

Mick
 
Ornetts were made for Kanda Shokai ( Greco) by PGM, A small company that makes the Van ZAndt and Moon guitars. I tried one a long time ago ( around 2000) It's top notch!! Higher than Bacchus. It was also a lot more expensive.

The first ones were nitro finish but I think they changed and made oil finish like Bacchus later.
 
The BLS 59 bacchus are almost as good as it gets, the oil finished ones you refer to are the BLS 120, these are a different guitar entirely, they are a plain top with an oil finish, the BLS 59 are a replica of the 59 LP and were made in smaller numbers and will appreciate in price in the years to come, Bacchus is still a lesser known brand outside Japan and as these guitars become more recognized they will continue to go up in value.

Mick
 
Hehe, so both guitars are amazing? :D

Does anyone know what the necks are light on either of them?. I'm used to a modern fender C-shape (nicely thin but definitely not wizard-thin). Do bacchus/ornettes use big chunky necks or are they fairly slim?.

And how do the pickups weigh in?.I've heard good things about the bacchus yutas, but what do they sound like?. PAFish?.Beefier?. Different EQ?.

Thanks for the replies btw :).
 
can't speak for the Ornetts, although I have heard only good things about them.

I owned a Bacchus BLS but unsure of the exact model number; it had a 1 piece back, 2 pc. plain maple top w/oil finish in natural, long neck tenon, top end pots & orange caps.
The neck was quite a hand full too, and is actually one of the only reasons I sold it; just too big.

It weighed in at 8 lb. 9 oz., and was very resonant.
I really did not care for the pickups, until I removed the covers, and then they were only slightly more appealling to my ears.

As far as quality of overall consistancy, workmanship & quality of materials, I believe that Bacchus is very difficult to compete against, IMO.

BLS-120Top1-3.jpg


BLSOut33.jpg


BLS-120guts.jpg


BLS-120end.jpg
 

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