# NGD: Mayones Duvell Elite 7 Custom



## Albake21 (Apr 19, 2018)

Well it took a very long time of saving up, trading, selling, and patience. I finally was able to purchase my all time dream guitar. I jumped around with about 5 guitars (I'm so sorry wallet) to find THE guitar for me. I was on a search to find the guitar that worked perfectly for me. After all the dust cleared, I ended up just selling everything and going with what I wanted from the start. A Mayones Duvell Elite 7 Custom with a custom 26.5" scale length which as far as I can tell, only a couple 26.5" scales have been made by Mayones. Also the fret radius us a custom 20" I love how custom and unique this Duvell is.

Specs:
- 1 Piece Black Limba Body
- 5 Piece Wenge/Purple Heart Neck
- Ebony Fretboard with No Inlays
- 5A Quilted Maple Top
- Galaxy Eye Purple Finish
- Satin on top and Matte finish on back
- Luminlay Side Dots
- All Hipshot hardware including locking tuners
- 26.5" scale (Custom Option)
- 20" Fret Radius (Custom Option)
- 1 Push/Pull Volume for Coil Tap
- 3 Way Switch
- Seymour Duncan Nazgul and Sentient Pickups
- Locking Strap Locks (not sure which brand though, they are not Dunlop)
- Includes Hardshell case with some case candy and certificate of authenticity

*Initial Thoughts:*

So what can I say? Most of us here know of Mayones, but do they really live up to their expectations and hefty price tag? Well... that's a loaded question in this case. Price aside, absolutely! This is by far the nicest feeling and looking guitar I've had the pleasure of playing/owning. There is no doubt, Mayones lives up to all the talk about quality. I cannot find a single thing wrong with mine, even when trying to nit pick. Not sure if this is because mine is a custom shop or they are just all like this. As for price... well I definitely wouldn't pay full price, thankfully I was able to get a very good deal on this mint conditioned guitar. I wouldn't say the price isn't worth it, I just think it's hard to stomach this much money when you can get a guitar pretty damn close for cheaper. You are definitely paying for the quality and craftsmanship though.

*Fit and Finish:*

So the first thing I want to talk about is the neck. Surprisingly it's kinda hard to find detailed information on Mayones necks so I will try to explain it to my best ability. The neck thickness is 20mm to 21mm (this is only for the Duvell) and it's a D/C shaped hybrid. I was always told that it was a standard C shape, but that is not the case at all. The best way to put it is, take the Ibanez Wizard Prestige 7 neck, add 1 mm to the first 6 or 7 frets (Ibanez is 19mm to 21mm). Not only that, but the shoulders change throughout the neck. Frets 1 through 5 have more shoulder than the rest of the neck. Frets 6 to 24 have a much smaller shoulder like a typical C shape. This was something that definitely took some time getting used to and was definitely off putting the first couple of days. All in all, I really like the neck, but I'm not sure if I like my Ibanez RG752 more or not.

The scale length is perfect! Even though I have a 26.5" on my KM7, it just feels so much better on this Mayones. The whole guitar just feels compact which makes this 26.5" feel more like a 25.5" or 26". I love it! Plus it's almost a one of a kind.

My only complaint with the guitar is the arm scoop.... or lack of one. The top is ever so slightly arched, but the reality is, it's flat with no arm contour. To be honest though, it's not too bad. My Blackat was WAY worse and would hurt my arm after a while. This on the other hand isn't really noticable and definietly usable.

As for the finish... what can I say that the pictures don't already show? This is literally the perfect combination of woods and finishes for my taste. I seriously can not think of a single thing to change on it. So much so that before I saw this for sale I was specing out this exact choice in woods and pretty close in finish with other custom builders. The top... it's absolutely stunning in person. It just can't be captured in pictures. The top looks like its holographic or something. It just changes looks in different angles. You find something beautiful from every angle. The only downside is that the Limba is very soft so I have to be careful with wear.

*Sound and Functionality:*

So the first thing that I noticed is the tone... oh boy I think this is the first time ever I can honestly say that I can tell a difference in very high quality wood. It just resonates so perfectly. So much that when I picked back up my Ibanez, it just feels... dead sounding. Not bad, but just kind of lifeless. I guess Mayones wasn't kidding about the "Tonally Enhanced Wood". Not gonna lie, I laughed at it when I first saw the badge.

The pickups.... well they don't sound bad, but they just aren't my cup of tea. I had these exact same pickups in my KM7 (they are stock). They definitely sound better in the Mayones than my KM7, but my problems are still there. They just don't have enough growl to them while keeping clarity. They also seem to have this slight fizz in them I can't EQ out no matter what. They are good for now, but I'll definitely be putting something else in there in the near future.

The control layout is absolutely my perfect layout. Nice and simple! A 3 way and one volume knob with a push/pull. I absolutely NEVER use a tone knob. I think the only thing that would make this even better is by adding a mini toggle switch for coil tap instead of the push/pull. Just easier that way. With being able to get 6 tones out of this thing, I'm very happy with overall sound and it's functions.

*Closing Thoughts:*

Well what more can I say? This thing is pretty much my personal dream guitar. Different pickups will be a thing, but that's something I can always change. The choice in specs on the other hand can't, and I'm perfectly okay with this. It's perfect! The 26.5" scale is perfect for being able to use my Drop G# tuning and I can even drop the 7th string to an F# with ease.

At the end of the day, it's a classy metal machine! You did an amazing job with this one Mayones. My long journey for finding my perfect 7 string seems to have come to an end..... for now lol!














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Thanks for looking!


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## jephjacques (Apr 19, 2018)

Nice, I was wondering who snapped that one up.


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## AC.Lin (Apr 19, 2018)

Happy NGD !
You basically got yourself the Mayones i would want for myself haha.
I would just change the pickups for some Ragnarok.
But damn, it is absolutely gorgeous.


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## Leviathus (Apr 19, 2018)

Very cool. HNGD!


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## stinkoman (Apr 19, 2018)

Dig the burst, looks good!


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## Albake21 (Apr 19, 2018)

Thanks everyone!



stinkoman said:


> Dig the burst, looks good!



This was what really caught my attention. It's so unique and unlike anything I've seen before. It's like an inside out Mark Holcomb burst.


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## Glades (Apr 19, 2018)

Beautiful!! You can really tell where Merrow pulled his inspiration for the MKIII guitar.


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## Albake21 (Apr 19, 2018)

Glades said:


> Beautiful!! You can really tell where Merrow pulled his inspiration for the MKIII guitar.


I thought the exact same thing! Right when I got it I was like "Wait a second, this is literally an MKIII" haha. But for me personally it's like taking the MK3 and fixing the tiny personal decisions that were made with that guitar.


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## Wolfos (Apr 19, 2018)

Oh man that I beautiful, I literally just got screwed around with buying a very similar one on reverb (25.5" scale though) end result was I had to call PayPal and ask for my money back... would have much rather received the guitar oh well.

Enjoy that thing looks like an absolute beast! 26.5" is my favorite scale!


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## Lasik124 (Apr 19, 2018)

Great write up+pics 

Thanks for sharing and enjoy


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## Shoeless_jose (Apr 19, 2018)

looks awesome, awesome burst, very KMIIIish, love the necks on the elites. radius and scale length are awesome too. I may be insane but did you not have a NGD thread for a Duvell and Regius not too long ago... were those sacrificed for this?


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## AkiraSpectrum (Apr 19, 2018)

Holy cow, that is beyond gorgeous!


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## Vyn (Apr 19, 2018)

All this purple lately is giving me a gigantic boner. HNGD!


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## Albake21 (Apr 19, 2018)

Wolfos said:


> Oh man that I beautiful, I literally just got screwed around with buying a very similar one on reverb (25.5" scale though) end result was I had to call PayPal and ask for my money back... would have much rather received the guitar oh well.
> 
> Enjoy that thing looks like an absolute beast! 26.5" is my favorite scale!



Damn really? That sounds really shitty. What happened?



Dineley said:


> looks awesome, awesome burst, very KMIIIish, love the necks on the elites. radius and scale length are awesome too. I may be insane but did you not have a NGD thread for a Duvell and Regius not too long ago... were those sacrificed for this?



Lol no that wasn't me. I did sacrifice 3 guitars for it though.


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## Wolfos (Apr 19, 2018)

Albake21 said:


> Damn really? That sounds really shitty. What happened?



Ah, seller from Russia after getting his money had a different excuse for not being able to ship for almost 3 weeks. I opened a claim and he begged me to close it (which if I did he would get all the money and not be liable to ship the guitar anymore) I said I would close it once i received the guitar then he got pissed at me and returned the money instead of ship.

It was a beautiful nebula burst too. Oh well.


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## BigViolin (Apr 19, 2018)

That exact top with the finish color and gradation is just perfect. Superb guitar. Congrats!


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## teqnick (Apr 19, 2018)

Ohh, you got this one, nice! I'll wait for GAS to strike so i can take it off your hands, muahaha.


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## Albake21 (Apr 19, 2018)

Wolfos said:


> Ah, seller from Russia after getting his money had a different excuse for not being able to ship for almost 3 weeks. I opened a claim and he begged me to close it (which if I did he would get all the money and not be liable to ship the guitar anymore) I said I would close it once i received the guitar then he got pissed at me and returned the money instead of ship.
> 
> It was a beautiful nebula burst too. Oh well.


Damn that's too bad! Sorry to hear that.



teqnick said:


> Ohh, you got this one, nice! I'll wait for GAS to strike so i can take it off your hands, muahaha.


I think for this one is finally a keeper.... at the same time I'm pretty sure I say that with every guitar I've owned and sold lol.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 19, 2018)

Albake21 said:


> Damn that's too bad! Sorry to hear that.
> 
> 
> I think for this one is finally a keeper.... at the same time I'm pretty sure I say that with every guitar I've owned and sold lol.


First rule of being on sso, no guitar is a keeper, GAS will change your mind at some point


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## Albake21 (Apr 19, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> First rule of being on sso, no guitar is a keeper, GAS will change your mind at some point


I'll be honest, I think the only thing that might change my mind would be a really nice Aristides 070 with perfect specs to me. Besides that though, it's a keeper.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 19, 2018)

Albake21 said:


> I'll be honest, I think the only thing that might change my mind would be a really nice Aristides 070 with perfect specs to me. Besides that though, it's a keeper.


I said the same thing about every guitar I sold


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## Shoeless_jose (Apr 20, 2018)

Not like it being a keeper stops you from having gas and just getting an additonal guitar haha.


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## chuggalug (Apr 20, 2018)

beautiful guitar man, I absolutely love my duvell 7 qatsi. it's probably never leaving the collection.


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## Albake21 (Apr 20, 2018)

chuggalug said:


> beautiful guitar man, I absolutely love my duvell 7 qatsi. it's probably never leaving the collection.


Thank you! Oh man I was soo close to pulling the trigger on a qatsi but they were just too out of my price range. Maybe in the future I'll find a 6 string version of one.


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## Werecow (Apr 20, 2018)

I've been waiting for a new Duvell in a colour i like to come up for a while now in the UK, but it looks like i've waited too long as the Mayones site says some of them are discontinued now. I hope they won't get rid of it entirely.

I really like the body shape and especially the headstock on the Duvell. Their other guitars are a bit meh shape-wise to me.


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## Albake21 (Apr 20, 2018)

Werecow said:


> I've been waiting for a new Duvell in a colour i like to come up for a while now in the UK, but it looks like i've waited too long as the Mayones site says some of them are discontinued now. I hope they won't get rid of it entirely.
> 
> I really like the body shape and especially the headstock on the Duvell. Their other guitars are a bit meh shape-wise to me.


I love the Duvell and Regius, but the reason I wen't with the Duvell over the Regius is because the neck is slightly thicker on the Regius than the Duvell. It's only a .5mm difference, but the Duvell is already my limit for 7 strings.

I hope you find what you are looking for!


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## luislais (Apr 20, 2018)

Really gorgeus, congrats!!!


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## chuggalug (Apr 20, 2018)

Albake21 said:


> Thank you! Oh man I was soo close to pulling the trigger on a qatsi but they were just too out of my price range. Maybe in the future I'll find a 6 string version of one.



im still buying dinners and bottles of wine for the misses over that one...I thought it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission!


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## Albake21 (Apr 20, 2018)

chuggalug said:


> im still buying dinners and bottles of wine for the misses over that one...I thought it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission!


Good thinking on that one! haha


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## auxioluck (Apr 20, 2018)

I am obsessed with the finish on this guitar.


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## Power2theMetal (Apr 23, 2018)

mmmmmmmm... now that is beautiful! HNGD!!!!!!!!!


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## MAJ Meadows SF (Apr 24, 2018)

By far the best finish ever on a Mayones. And the quilt is pretty sick too! Overall awesome instrument. Congrats on the score.


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## Restarted (Apr 25, 2018)

So much win. I agree this is the best finish for a Mayones. Looks like a Geode.


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## Albake21 (Apr 25, 2018)

Restarted said:


> So much win. I agree this is the best finish for a Mayones. Looks like a Geode.


You're right! It does look like geode, never noticed. Thanks!


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## Restarted (Apr 25, 2018)

Albake21 said:


> You're right! It does look like geode, never noticed. Thanks!


Haha I never noticed either until I was showing my wife pics of Hydras. She liked this finish the most and said it looked like a geode.


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## IbanezDaemon (Apr 25, 2018)

Wow! Jaw droppingly amazing looking axe. That looks totally killer.


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## Dust_to_Dust (Apr 26, 2018)

That's gorgeous dude!


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## metalstrike (Apr 26, 2018)

Beautiful guitar! I played a few Mayones guitars for the first time a few days ago and was impressed. I tried the Regius 7 and a John Browne Duvell 7 and both were impeccable as far as build quality and sound. The Regius isn't for me but the Duvell was fantastic and I would love to own one. I don't love the nearly $4000 price tag though!


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## gujukal (Apr 27, 2018)

Con gratz! Duvells looks killer, but the lack of arm contour is kinda putting me off, since I'm used to Ibanez guitars.


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## Albake21 (Apr 27, 2018)

metalstrike said:


> Beautiful guitar! I played a few Mayones guitars for the first time a few days ago and was impressed. I tried the Regius 7 and a John Browne Duvell 7 and both were impeccable as far as build quality and sound. The Regius isn't for me but the Duvell was fantastic and I would love to own one. I don't love the nearly $4000 price tag though!


I love the look of the Regius, but the neck is slightly thicker which would be too much for me. I think the Duvell's neck is just perfect! Not too thick but definitely not too thin to be uncomfortable. I want a John Brown Duvell so badly but they cost way too much. I surprisingly got mine for super cheap. You just have to be patient because while they are in demand, they still don't sell that often.



gujukal said:


> Con gratz! Duvells looks killer, but the lack of arm contour is kinda putting me off, since I'm used to Ibanez guitars.


I thought this too but it's really not that bad. It's definitely not uncomfortable by any means, but when I do play my Ibanez, it feels a lot better. Thank you!


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## philkilla (Apr 29, 2018)

Odd request, but any chance you could share a pic of the control cavity? I've never been lucky enough to play a mayones, let alone lucky enough to check out the electronics.


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## Albake21 (Apr 29, 2018)

philkilla said:


> Odd request, but any chance you could share a pic of the control cavity? I've never been lucky enough to play a mayones, let alone lucky enough to check out the electronics.


I'm not home right now, but later today I'll happily take a picture for you.


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## philkilla (Apr 29, 2018)

Albake21 said:


> I'm not home right now, but later today I'll happily take a picture for you.



Cool man, I appreciate it.


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## Albake21 (Apr 29, 2018)

philkilla said:


> Cool man, I appreciate it.


Here you go!













20180429_135859



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20180429_135933



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## Shoeless_jose (Apr 29, 2018)

Thing of beauty, the Browne Duvells are so sick but so over priced. 

You can find deals on them though, because like OP said, they may be in demand but I think most people want them custom spec so ones that just sort of end up in stores sit for a while.


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## Ziricote (Apr 30, 2018)

This guitar is a dream! I saw it on Axe Palace site I think? Is he order any more like it?


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## philkilla (Apr 30, 2018)

Albake21 said:


> Here you go!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Oh man, that's really nice. I love their attention to detail.

Thanks for posting


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## Albake21 (Apr 30, 2018)

Ziricote said:


> This guitar is a dream! I saw it on Axe Palace site I think? Is he order any more like it?


It was originally from a licensed Mayones dealer called Sebastopol Music. I bought it as the second owner but the original owner only owned it for a couple of months.


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## mastapimp (Apr 30, 2018)

Albake21 said:


> It was originally from a licensed Mayones dealer called Sebastopol Music. I bought it as the second owner but the original owner only owned it for a couple of months.



Sebastopol is Alain (leonardo7 from this site), and I believe he's currently banned. I'm glad I dealt with Mayones USA way before he became a dealer. That said, he does have some beautiful guitars pass through his hands. Congrats on the stunning duvell!


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## philkilla (Apr 30, 2018)

Not sure if I can influence you or not, but have you ever tried the Alpha/Omega pickups? I have a set in a 6 and 8 string guitar at home, and they definitely fulfill all of my growl requirements. Super sick pickups.


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## Albake21 (Apr 30, 2018)

mastapimp said:


> Sebastopol is Alain (leonardo7 from this site), and I believe he's currently banned. I'm glad I dealt with Mayones USA way before he became a dealer. That said, he does have some beautiful guitars pass through his hands. Congrats on the stunning duvell!


Really? Wow yeah he's been banned since 2015, anyone know why? Thankfully I didn't have to deal with any dealer, I just bought it second hand which was practically new. It's like buying a car that was returned to a dealership not too long, much cheaper while still getting practically new.



philkilla said:


> Not sure if I can influence you or not, but have you ever tried the Alpha/Omega pickups? I have a set in a 6 and 8 string guitar at home, and they definitely fulfill all of my growl requirements. Super sick pickups.


I have actually settled on going for a set of Fishman Modern 7s. Right now I am debating on adding a mini toggle to switch between all 3 voices (just like the USA KM7) I'm just super afraid to drill into this beauty lol.


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## philkilla (Apr 30, 2018)

Albake21 said:


> Really? Wow yeah he's been banned since 2015, anyone know why? Thankfully I didn't have to deal with any dealer, I just bought it second hand which was practically new. It's like buying a car that was returned to a dealership not too long, much cheaper while still getting practically new.
> 
> 
> I have actually settled on going for a set of Fishman Modern 7s. Right now I am debating on adding a mini toggle to switch between all 3 voices (just like the USA KM7) I'm just super afraid to drill into this beauty lol.




Drilling, very scary haha.


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## mastapimp (Apr 30, 2018)

He has always hyped the guitars that he's selling. And when he finally became a dealer, I think he crossed the line too many times without disclosing this fact. Here's the post where he was banned: http://sevenstring.org/threads/how-...brands-like-ebmm-or-suhr.292261/#post-4336775


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## Albake21 (Apr 30, 2018)

mastapimp said:


> He has always hyped the guitars that he's selling. And when he finally became a dealer, I think he crossed the line too many times without disclosing this fact. Here's the post where he was banned: http://sevenstring.org/threads/how-...brands-like-ebmm-or-suhr.292261/#post-4336775


Damn that's too bad, but definitely understandable.


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## Constructivist (May 1, 2018)

It's not very good (internal scream...)


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## Mullet (May 1, 2018)

Stunning guitar bud with a nice story explaining your journey. Enjoy it and keep us all posted on the Fishman’s.


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## Albake21 (May 1, 2018)

Mullet said:


> Stunning guitar bud with a nice story explaining your journey. Enjoy it and keep us all posted on the Fishman’s.


Thank you, I definitely will!


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## IbanezIsLife (May 13, 2018)

Congrats on the new guitar! I recently got my first Mayones and I agree with you, best guitar I've ever played. Easily. 
I copped the Qatsi 7 Baritone in Juice Burst from the Axe Palace. (sale and everything was perfect btw)


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