Doug Irwin Guitars

[tigerstrat]

Only half the filters...look at all those ribbon cables!! Is this a 70's bass or a 00's PC...or a Moon Lander? (It's a moon lander) How about that wiring duct looks like you could drive a (Matchbox) truck through it.

Samm's 'Garcia' bass is a whole lot fancier than Lesh's! Can you tell us what materials were used? That bridge-tailpiece is very striking.

Endless thanks, Thomas- all of us here are eating this stuff up with comically oversized spoons

[Shuxter]

WOW!!! I stayed up real late last night digging on this thread which was started nearly 3 years ago. Cool stuff here! Thanks to all.

[Thomas Lieber]

I am trying to get Phil Samm to join us on the board to talk about his bass and the his remembrance of the old D.Irwin shop. Phil had us do a whole bunch of custom work to his stock basses. And he also commissioned us to build the "KOA Garcia Bass" Phil picked out all the inlay work, also designed the Tailpiece and scoop out at the instruments tail end. He also witnessed many of the guitar and bass designs being created at that time, also he held and played Casady's Alembic model one, as well as the Lesh's Quad bass. I will let Phil fill you in on the rest!

Peace,

Thomas

[Chuckles]

Great stuff, Thomas! Thanks so much!

[philsaam]

Good morning to all you good folks here on rukind - My name is phil saam and it is the persistant coaxing of Mr Tom Leiber to come forth and speak to you of Mr Doug Irwins craft as Luthier/instrument builder as I might recollect -for your benefit , might I add that I am honored to do so - so if I am to begin - can there be a particular Question or do you wish me to describe my 4-string Irwin now going on 34yrs of age----I was 21 when I contracted with Doug then in 1974 --now 55 going on 56 -and my bass is something I cant live without --a talisman and a coping tool ---but - the best sounding -best playing instrument I have ever played-Doug crafted instruments that fit your hand like no one --they are one of a kind built for one of a kind -Doug measured your hand -let you tell him how the neck should feel widths at the string nut -as well the thickness -then up to the 5th fret----etc------octave 12th fret - etc ---up again like that---when the neck of my bass was being carved into shape -I was there to test the fit and feel -this was done over a period of say 90min to 2hrs. -man this is the true essance of a tool being given a absolute cutting edge --a bio-mechanical merge--I can and do play my bass for hours 3-4-5 non stop - not once have I ever suffered carpul tunnel -or arthritic-or a cramp-dig this ---34yrs of playing mostly with RS66 Rotosound long scale-stainless steel 45-65-85-105 ---I still have the orignal frets -NO BS !!!!! some kind of a record ! ---------lets begin Questions

[waldo041]

Phil,

what is going on electronics wise in your irwin bass?
nice instrument,BTW.

peace,
waldo

[Emoto]

Phil, I have no questions, but welcome to the board, and I am so delighted that you are willing to share your knowledge and experience with us!

Bob

[seamones]

So who is this dude?

[playingdead]

Jim Irsay ... owner of the Indianapolis Colts ... and Jerry's Tiger ... and George Harrison's SG ... etc. etc. etc.

[Rusty the Scoob]

Don't forget the original scroll to On The Road. I think he paid something like $2.4M for it.

Back on track... Thanks, Phil and Tom! I think we're all eagerly waiting to hear more!

[colcifer]

BUMP

[tigerstrat]

BUMP

Huh? Why? Nice first post by the way.

[Bikephreak]

Back in the early or mid 90s there were a few of Doug's instruments for sale in a pawn shop in Santa Rosa (4th street?). I don't remember exactly, but I think there were two guitars and two basses. Retrospectively, they were quite reasonably priced ($2k or $3k I recall). I don't remember the story behind them, but I think Doug just needed money to get by...

[TI4-1009]

Wow. Makes you think of some other now-famous artists back in their day. Van Gough? Piles of paintings he could barely give away. Crank up the Way Back Macine, Sherman...

[ScubaGeek]

I just stumbled onto this site last night, while looking for some pictures of Jerry's Irwin guitars, which I've always thought were some of the coolest guitars I've ever seen.

Back when I was in high school, I remember doing some drawings of guitars that were based on Tiger. I actually had a 12 string version that I wanted to have built one day, and I think another one I had done this really tacky drawing of a scuba diver and a dolphin or something. Don't know where those drawings are today.

Anyway, it's cool to read about Mr. Leiber's work with Doug Irwin.