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Show me your O'Connor Graphics...


veatch

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My apologies but I can't seem to find a better shot of the whole guitar. This was my first Cali Elite and my only O'Connor to date.

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Here's some photos of my guitar and some background: From about 1988 I knew I wanted to get a guitar built from someone. Hamer was at the top of my short list for several reasons -- the obvious quality of the instruments - inspired design/innovation - the fact that the local Hamer dealer was awesome - best guitar shop in Vancouver at the time (Mainly Music)... When the Cali made it's first appearance I was in. I wanted a custom Cali with my own custom paint scheme.

My first guitar (a Fender Lead III) was all black --- My P-Bass was black and White --- so I knew I wanted some colour. My original thought was a a paint scheme that resembled a Jackson Pollock type thing https://www.google.ca/search?q=jackson+pollock&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=1SkTUbPNMqn2igKl6IHIDg&biw=1920&bih=925&sei=-SkTUemYEoH9igLm3IHYDg Then one day Steve Vai showed up on the cover of a guitar magazine with his guitar and it was back to the drawing board. I was pretty pissed and didn't know what to do next.

All my life I used to draw -- it was more like doodling than drawing --- little interconnected lines and patterns on my notebooks and binders-- very fractal geometry type stuff with a more organic free form feel -- one motif in particular used to repeat - this eye shape or fin-type shape. With no specific idea beyond colour and guided by the motif I sketched out 3 examples in colour from a tracing of a Californian I made from a Hamer catelog -- front side only. I put together a cheesey little design brief and sent it off to the factory basically saying "Here's three examples of what I'm looking for -- don't replicate these just use them as a theme or a guide" and for the back I said go free form --- let whoever the artist is put his stamp on things.

The guitar I got back was amazing --- Totally followed my themes and motifs --- I never even talked to Jim or anyone at the factory beyond that initial brief I sent down. The front was very cool -- followed my flow and general idea - O'Connor added some shading and gave it dimension --- I had none of that -- and on the back he totally went organic and cool. Love them both. Cost of the paint was maybe $900 ? I don't remember -- but I'm totally stoked and love the guitar to this day -- but man when I pull it out I think people automatically assume I have an old spandex wardrobe. For the record: I have no spandex wardrobe, old or otherwise.... OK - Maybe one piece but don't tell

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And here's some of my own stuff drawn in the mid to late 90's

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I salute Jim where ever he is today --- he did an amazing Job and I'm very proud and pleased to own this guitar.

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One of my favorite Hamer graphic finishes of all time.

That rocks - I don't think I've heard your story before!

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Daesin's custom cali is the most vibrant and creative graphic I've seen virtually anywhere. I spotted his pictures on Flickr a few years ago. The design and color scheme feels clean and timeless. So cool to share the guitar here.

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Daesin's Cali is so off-the-charts cool!!! The originality of the graphic and the perfect marriage of his artistic vision and arguably, the finest vehicle for rawk musical expression make that one for the record books.

I wish Jim was available for my custom order Cali. Won't say I had to settle on the graphic for my order but if I had his copious talent to work with... hoo boy!

WARNING!

Slight derail: I did, however, manage to get my idea for a custom finish on my upcoming Jackson Custom:

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Thanks guys -- The credit is shared for this one but the obvious largest part goes to Jim -- the execution alone was incredible and I really feel he vested himself in the piece and the guitar really shows that. There's a bit of a Beatles vibe going on with it as well which is totally cool. I have no idea how this was painted - it looks like it was hand drawn or outlined first then coloured in but I have no idea really. I wish I could have seen WIP photos (who knows they may be out there - anyone with factory contacts) but I never asked for any during the build. I love this era of guitar graphics though - totally indulgent - this was hopes and dreams stuff. Does anyone have any photos of Jim actually painting? I'd love to see those.

Rob

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Here's mine, and I love it!

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Aww knock it off, Bennyboy! Now you're just being plain mean and cruel... :lol:

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The "Granite" finishes were a stock finish for many models - no upcharge, and those were not done by Jim O'Connor and signed. They were basically a stock white, pink, red, gold and maybe some other finishes, with a drybrushed black over top of that, then the clearcoats were done.

THIS is an example of a "Granite" finish:

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The "Marble" finishes were the ones done by Jim O'Connor, and those were CUSTOM, UPCHARGED ($600 List) line items. That finish was where a stock Sky Blue, Seafoam Green or Blue Gray undercoat received Jim's sponge/drybrush/brush twirl marbling technique, where various layers of black, dark and light gray, dark rust brown and white were randomly applied, and gold foil "veins" were then hand-rubbed on, and that was all signed and dated by Jim prior to the clearcoats being applied.

HUGE difference between the two. The Benster's SS-1 above is a perfect example of the latter, and here is one of my former ones, also over a foam green base:

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