Squid,
I can't speak for you or anyone else on the forum but I certainly use both pickups. Angling the neck pickup on a Mosrite looks cool and sounds kinda cool to my tin ear. And it takes some extra effort and work to set it right. Fender did it with the bridge pickups on the Telecaster and the erector set type Stratocaster for some reason.
J Mo'

I think the meaning is that he stopped using his original Hitchhiker and no one knew why. And you have two seriously terrific guitars.

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Last edited: Dec 17, 2014 11:36:31

Abvbnyd,
Figure Nokie had a few spare Hitchhikers from the first batch. So he "retired" 001 to his fan in lieu of getting one built for him sometime this century. The former owner of my early serial number HH told me Nokie wanted it; but the sale fell through over some personal conflicts - which usually involves $$$.
I paid a healthy sum for it (cash talks loud) - but I do use itand enjoy playing it. It is a sweet guitar and as I've stated elsewhere on this forum, the guitar is "lightning in a bottle". It isn't coming around in great numbers (if any numbers at all) anymore.
J Mo'

J Mo,

_You stated that Nokie is now having you build these HH guitars.

I did build him a number of them in 2012 and 2013.

I looked at your website - it mentions nothing about the Hitchhiker.

That's because I was not marketing them. Nokie was.

_ Politely, it's kind of bare bones.__

I'm pretty busy with orders this year, and have several prototypes being hatched as we speak. I am going to redo it, maybe, but I spent years in the web business, and I'd rather make sawdust at the moment. I haven't hjad too much trouble rustling up business.

That aside, just how long does it take you to produce this guitar?

I built the last one for Nokie in a week.

_ As you may have read, some buyers have waited YEARS for their HH guitar.
_
I would suggest that you talk to the marketing dept of HH, and not the production dept, if you get my drift.

Has that been improved upon since you took over making them?

I can't say, as I stopped making them last year.

Do you work at this full time or is it a sideline for you?

Not sure why this is important to this questioning. It is a starting to feel like a deposition. Fulltime.

The fact that your own band mates didn't know you are building the HH (according to forum thread) gives me pause.

Pause for what? What are you saying? I started playing with these guys about 5 months ago, well after I stopped makin HH's. I don't tell everyone everything I do. It looks like you are implying something about me, and I'm not sure what the deal with that is.

Maybe you can put some HH buyers - present and future - at ease?

I doubt that I can. Someone in Nashville may be making the HH now, but I don't know if that is happening or not. As with any small production or custom item, the buyer really has to make an informed decision to lay out his cash. People fork out 50K for a Dumble amp with no delivery date even intimated at, so go figure.

Please understand I'm not trying to be rude, and I hope that my responses don't come off that way. But please, if anyone has any questions or problems with their Hitchhikers, direct them to Nokie.

Look, a lot of fine guitar makers have attempted this HH thing, and I was just the latest. They are really neat guitars, and I learned a hell of a lot working for Nokie, and for that I am grateful. Hey, I was in business with a Venture! But in the end, I had to move on to other projects.

I hope that clears things up, at least on my end.

Mel
VonBergmann Guitars

Mel,
Your response clears up a lot of things - thanks

Nothing untrustworthy was implied toward you. You sound like a free spirited artist and that is fine. And your reply kind of infers you also may have had some problems with the "marketing dept". I know the guy who helped Nokie with the HH design had problems with "marketing" - he didn't get paid or get a HH as agreed upon.

Your reaction to my "pause" statement suggests you're also a private type of guy- that's fine, too. Happens to the best of us. I know the feeling well.
And, unless you really are the purely free spirited type, no one moves on to "other projects" if the money is coming in on your present gig (building an HH per week)- i.e you're getting a good $$$ return on your build time.

All - a week to crank out an HH according to Mel; and some of you have waited months or even years.
Is there something a bit askew with that picture??

So -let's trace the lineage of the Hitchhiker:
1. Charvel Custom Shop
2. Rock Creek guitars (if any were actually made)
3. Aria guitars
4. Von Bergmann Guitars ( thanks Mel)
5. (Maybe)Some unknown luthier in Podunk or Nashville, Tennessee

The name of this guitar is appropriate - it's been "hitchhiking" around since its inception 15 or so years ago.

I do so enjoy getting to the bottom of things..
J Mo'

Mel,
"As far as free spirited, I'm free spirited like Johnny Ramone"
Mel, you're a man after my own heart.

Give no thought to anything else. You filled in enough of the blanks with your feedback.
J Mo'

I have decided to sell my HH guitar if I can find a buyer. I need the money for new PA equipment and I can settle for a cheaper guitar.