I had a Gremlin for a while I “inherited” from my brother… good grief… POS from HADES…
D
Well I have expanded my new business to making full blown solid body guitars. All my years of playing and setting up guitars, and my experience at Gibson - I’ve started the Willis Guitar Co.
I’ll have pics of my headstock logo soon they’re on there way from Cali.
Custom order - set up - pick your pick-ups & body style. I know I can put out a guitar a month that plays better than most anything out of China Mexico or wherever they make 'em these days.
SWEET! Hit me with specs when you can PW. Body styles, materials etc…
D
PS Butt-loads of 'em are coming out of Korea these days. There’s a plant over there turning out “contract” guitars for almost all of the brand names.
What “style” would you like - Tele - Strat - LP - or PRS ?
Tele. Two black P-90’s. Painted Fire Engine red, chrome hardware, locking tooners… Black pearloid pickguard. 22 MJ frets, maple neck, maple FB, black side dots only.
D
PS Oh, one other feature - low cost! 
PPS Oh, oh… guitar lessons!
Sigh - my first potential customer is a PITA - that’s it I quit!
ROFL… Man, that was EASY! 
D
PS Whadja expect! It’s ME we’re talkin’ about!
Poppa, you are a certifiable hoot. One of these days, I’m coming out west and you and I are gonna have big ol’ time buddy! You jus’ wait…
I’ll come out to pick up my custom “Willis P-90 Tele” maybe…
D
lol - why thank you sir D. I really am gonna meke my first one a Tele - someone asked me last week if I owned a Tele and after saying no, I asked my self, “Why don’t I?” I answered myself "‘Cause you gave away the last 2 you had, dummy!"
I’ll probably end up giving this new one away too. Oh well - I’m sure the Lord can hand me somethin’ to pick on when David starts in to singing on some new tune he came up with. Fart in the wind, tis what this life is - Fart in the wind… wasn’t that a Kansas song?
I might have to build a Willis Rambler… If I can find a cherry hubcap.
I do recall reworking a friends Tele while on graveyard shift at Gibson. Did it up as as tobaco brown with yellow sunburst - put Gibson LP frets in it - instead of the usual six coats of lacquer I did ten. One sweet looking and playing hotbox.
I gave my black Strat away Sunday. There’s a really great young guy I go to church with who has quit his job to do full time internship under our Pastor’s supervision. His old Ibanez is worn out, patched-up and just plain junky. That Strat was a real blessing to me many moons ago… time to pass it on sez I…
D
I would like to put in a order fer a Willis Rambler!
Powder Blue with gold hardware please.
Double neck 12-string top/ 7-string bottom with Ebony fretboards.
Dual Hubcaps with 6 Humbuckers and 2 Soap bars.
Total weight 1.25 lbs.
I have 4 of those in stock - buy one get 3 free!
Hi Poppa Willis:
Did you know a guy by the name of Harland Suttis?
He was said to have worked at the GibsonFactory…
I’m not sure if it was the repair/service
or the build place…
Anyway, he has
great instrument repair/rebuild respect around these parts…
I wonder if you may have crossed paths with this guy…
?
I can tell you he’s not motivated to work on any other instrument except Gibson stuff…
Give him a Leo something and his head goes down…
Bill…
I forgot… Post a photo of that Powder Blue Rambler… I might be interested in one of them…
Don’t recall anyone by that name Bill - I started when the Gibson plant was brand new though in 1976. And only stayed there a couple of years. Went from finishing to buffing to final assembly to testing.
It sounds like the right time period… However, I don’t know his full story there…
I know he’s pretty meticulus
with his work…
I played on two stages where the Co-Fronts used J-series vintage guitars…
Both of them were refinished by him…
Over on the YouTube page I have you’ll see one of them…
It was the ASN/BT Morning Show… It was beyond me why they’d use vintage guitars in and around Bar room stages…
these guitars were vulnerable to just about any kind of damage-and-abuse on stages like that…
Then one of the fronts played a Dove Hummingbird…
was that the model name.
? All of those guitars were outta the late '50’s and early '60’s…
Their sound was only heard on the stage…
They could not be reproduced accuratelly through the audio systems we used…
Too bad for our audiences…
not to be able to hear their true sound…
Bill…