# Herc Fede Quits: Uploads Swirling Method



## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 12, 2012)

Just got an email from him saying he is calling it quits and will be uploading his swirl methods soon.


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## bob123 (Jun 12, 2012)

I'll believe it when I see it.


Taking bets now, 20 bucks says he uses the correct foam method.


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## technomancer (Jun 12, 2012)

Actually it looks more like he's selling the information if you visit the site linked in the email.

It's a shame he's hanging it up as he is by far the best swirl artist out there


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 12, 2012)

> Hi Everyone,
> .
> This is my official Goodbye to you all....thank you for the opportunity to share my multicolor creations with you the past several years. And thank you to those who own my original one-of-a-kind swirls.
> .
> ...



There we go.


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## technomancer (Jun 12, 2012)

The page where he discusses the potential fee structure and links to the actual fees are here

Herc Multicolor Method - Ready to Learn?


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## SirMyghin (Jun 12, 2012)

Wow he has an inflated view of what his method is worth. Then again I am not a fan of swirls (and 99% of people don't seem to care )


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## nojyeloot (Jun 12, 2012)

^I agree (re: worth).

This comes at a pretty ironic time. I'm actually 95% finished with prepping one of my guitars for a swirl. I just need to do some test swirls. 

Would be REALLY cool if he actually uploads his swirling methods though (for a cheaper price), personally speaking. Thanks for posting this Stealth.


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## Watty (Jun 12, 2012)

SirMyghin said:


> Wow he has an inflated view of what his method is worth. Then again I am not a fan of swirls (and 99% of people don't seem to care )



I think a swirl, if done well, can look phenomenal. However, I have to agree with this. $300 for a video showing how he does his work?! I know of a few artisans that have a live shop cam to show off their methods for things much more complicated than swirling. Maybe he'll back off once he sees a lack of interest.


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## Levi79 (Jun 12, 2012)

I was just thinking of swirling my RG7 too. His "secrets" will eventually get out.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 12, 2012)

$100 for the print version isnt that bad. Its really really hard to do a good swirl.


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## nojyeloot (Jun 12, 2012)

Stealthdjentstic said:


> $100 for the print version isnt that bad. Its really really hard to do a good swirl.



I'll report back on my results (with a video thread of course)


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## skeels (Jun 12, 2012)

I did like his work but to me, art is not to be parceled out like cheap ...

Okay he did great stuff but I would prefer to suffer failure, setbacks and hardship to achieve my own personal art.

This is why I never made any money at art- music or otherwise ..

Keeping your art "secret" and then selling them off after you have made money off it, to me, smacks of greed. 

I'll probably get a lot of flak for this but you know what?
Don't care.

It neither lessens the respect i have for other artists nor promotes my own agenda.
This is just my feeling.

Now, the guy who started that website to help people learn and share about swirling -that man deserves our praise more than Herc, as good as his swirls were.


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## Pikka Bird (Jun 12, 2012)

I personally think the material basics of this technique will be the same as with many other approaches to swirling, and the secret is to use restraint when stirring your surface and be fluent in your dipping movements (no zig-zagging). That's what I see people doing wrong (IMO), and that's what OOTS and this guy got right.


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## Neil (Jun 12, 2012)

I find the fees kinda BS TBH, a shame he doesnt want to share his ideas for free to help people, but there we go.

One thing that sets him and OOTS apart is the 'cleanness' of the swirls, the colours are very solid, not muddied and transparent, which I guess comes down to finding thick paints that still float on borax.


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## TemjinStrife (Jun 12, 2012)

I figure if he made money for years with his technique, he's well within his rights to make money teaching people how to use his technique and help them to avoid the costly and frustrating experimentation and research.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 12, 2012)

Yea, I spent hours looking up swirling, then at least 3-4 hours testing and didnt get anywhere near herc/oots quality. $100 is not much for the print...the other things are kind of high though.


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## skeels (Jun 12, 2012)

Perhaps I'm only resentful because I spent countless evenings dipping and re-dipping guitars and I don't have a hundred bucks.


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## technomancer (Jun 12, 2012)

It's also not like Herc made a fortune off of this over the years


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 12, 2012)

Uea even atd went put of business iirc


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## bob123 (Jun 12, 2012)

a herc swirl costs ~600$. Paying 49$ for this information can pay for itself.


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## fwd0120 (Jun 12, 2012)

Stealthdjentstic said:


> Uea even atd went put of business iirc



Not so stealth 'ol buddy. Darren put things on hold, and the Ibanez UVMC reissues broke the ice for him to get back in. Things seem to be getting back into rhythm, but he still needs to catch up on the folks he has promised. After that I think he'll be 100%.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jun 13, 2012)

Oh sweet!


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## Thrashmanzac (Jun 13, 2012)

i love herc's work and i feel sad that he is retiring, but i don't understand this. i would have thought he would be happy to share his knowledge with other like-minded artists for free, because im sure if he really needed some cash, he wouldn't be retiring? it would be awesome if he took on an apprentice so his work could possibly carry on.


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## TemjinStrife (Jun 13, 2012)

Thrashmanzac said:


> i love herc's work and i feel sad that he is retiring, but i don't understand this. i would have thought he would be happy to share his knowledge with other like-minded artists for free, because im sure if he really needed some cash, he wouldn't be retiring? it would be awesome if he took on an apprentice so his work could possibly carry on.



Or, swirling simply isn't profitable, so he's getting out of the business. However, he's willing to share his expertise like most other experts: if you pay him to do so.

While it would be cool for him to do it for free, it shouldn't be expected; that would be diminishing the value of what he did for so many years.


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## JP Universe (Jun 13, 2012)

Oh well.... I'm glad I got my Herc UVMC RE swirled body coming to me within the next month or 2 

NEW Herc Fede UVMC swirl in Store!

Prices are less than what I was expecting for his teachings so .....

If you're really serious about swirling I think it's not too much of a big cost but the video cost.... hmmmm a tad overpriced maybe.

Surely these 'secrets' will come out all over the internet


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## skeels (Jun 13, 2012)

Levi79 said:


> I was just thinking of swirling my RG7 too. His "secrets" will eventually get out.





TemjinStrife said:


> Or, swirling simply isn't profitable, so he's getting out of the business. However, he's willing to share his expertise like most other experts: if you pay him to do so.
> 
> While it would be cool for him to do it for free, it shouldn't be expected; that would be diminishing the value of what he did for so many years.



My point was only that it is sad when the "value" of art is quantified in terms of one of the most banal forms of human expression - money.

Sure- an original Picasso will fetch millions at auction - but does that determine the impact of his work? The inspiration? The contribution?


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## RV350ALSCYTHE (Jun 13, 2012)

Watty said:


> I think a swirl, if done well, can look phenomenal. However, I have to agree with this. $300 for a video showing how he does his work?! I know of a few artisans that have a live shop cam to show off their methods for things much more complicated than swirling. Maybe he'll back off once he sees a lack of interest.



I think the price reflects what he expects to sell. Maybe a handful will pay for it. It only takes one person to buy it, save the video and upload to youtube/torrent site for everyone else to watch for free. (not likely going to happen as this isn't in high-demand )

Could also have taken him years to perfect his own personal method, which makes the info worth more to him personally.

You can think of it as a business investment as well. Since he is no longer offering the service someone else can take over what demand there is and possibly make money off the initial $300 for the method.


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## RV350ALSCYTHE (Jun 13, 2012)

skeels said:


> My point was only that it is sad when the "value" of art is quantified in terms of one of the most banal forms of human expression - money.
> 
> Sure- an original Picasso will fetch millions at auction - but does that determine the impact of his work? The inspiration? The contribution?




I believe it does. If the piece had no impact in any context it would not have any demand or monetary value. Yes the majority of the price (of a Picasso) is most likely due to "namebrand" but there will always be those people who inflate pricing because of branding.

Even though the end result is art there is still years of artistic development and personal creativity that goes into something like this.

If I were him I'd be charging for the knowledge I have gathered through life, everyone does when they have a usefull skill.


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## butch (Jun 15, 2012)

Herc has also had to take a few long breaks from swirling due to health issues over the years. I'm sure this has also contributed to his decision. Perhaps his guide video/text will go to offset any previous bills. No matter, I wish him well.

I have the pleasure of owning three guitars that Herc swirled, icluding two transparent swirls-which truluy separated his work from the crowd.

Cheers,
Butch


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## nojyeloot (Jun 18, 2012)

Just got this in the email:



> Hello Members of My Site,
> 
> Thank you all for your interest in my method and for signing up and giving your choices.
> 
> ...


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## Webmaestro (Jan 4, 2013)

I know this is an old thread... but I'm curious if any of the swirlers out there ended up purchasing any of Herc's materials? If so, did you learn anything groundbreaking? I figured the cat would be out of the bag by now and we'd be seeing tons of amazing, Herc-ish swirls by now.

Of course, I mainly ask for purely selfish reasons. I want one of the metallic swirls below (which, to my knowledge, are Herc or Herc + ET collaborations), and have heard metallics are damn difficult to do right:

*1st Choice*






*2nd Choice*





*3rd Choice*


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## nojyeloot (Jan 4, 2013)

Those are gorgeous.

To answer your question, no, I didn't buy any of his stuff. I ended up doing my own with the borax method:

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/lu...ons/219371-swirled-jackson-progress-pics.html

Videos in posts #6 & #8


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## Gregori (Jan 4, 2013)

Webmaestro said:


> I know this is an old thread... but I'm curious if any of the swirlers out there ended up purchasing any of Herc's materials? If so, did you learn anything groundbreaking? I figured the cat would be out of the bag by now and we'd be seeing tons of amazing, Herc-ish swirls by now.
> 
> Of course, I mainly ask for purely selfish reasons. I want one of the metallic swirls below (which, to my knowledge, are Herc or Herc + ET collaborations), and have heard metallics are damn difficult to do right:
> 
> ...


I'm not a fan of swirls, but I would get either the green of blue in a heartbeat. Those are fantastic!


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