Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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Pacafeliz
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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by Pacafeliz » Fri Jun 20, 2014 4:32 pm

heyyy guys, what's new!? :w00t: :w00t: :w00t:
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by live-i-evil » Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:39 am

Just enjoying a beautiful Southern California summer! Haven't been around cause school's been zapping all my free time but now it's summer and there's no Linear Analysis or Multivariable Calculus to stop me from playing my Mercury.

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by Sound for Sandwiches » Mon Jun 23, 2014 12:56 pm

I've seen this thread before, but never read it until just now. What a great story.

Clickeye- if you happen to check in here- by any chance are you involved at OWWM.org? you mentioned being interested in vintage machine tools and they're the best place on the internet for that. I haven't been active lately but still drop in once in a while. Also the guy who does Nelson Guitars is another forum member there, or at least he was.

That guitar has a great design. Now that this is on my radar I will eagerly await updates on the re-boot.

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by cincinnatiharry » Sat Jul 12, 2014 12:32 pm

Any update? I am still very interested!
"some misguided Marin county hot-tubber"

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by Dwainweary » Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:21 pm

Tim! Where Tim?

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by cincinnatiharry » Tue Feb 10, 2015 6:39 pm

Any updates gents?
"some misguided Marin county hot-tubber"

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by wingnutkj » Sat Apr 04, 2015 2:04 am

Just read this whole thread - amazing story! I've got a Squier Vista Venus in seafoam green, and like many others, I'd always imagined it was based on some obscure '60s curio. It saddens me that the truth is somewhat different (but doesn't really surprise me). Happy that the spark was reignited, though. Hope there are updates soon.
Kenny

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by recalcitrant » Sat Jun 06, 2015 3:08 am

I thought th same, too-that a Mercury was an old guitar from way back. I do hope click eye is able to make those remaining Mercurys.i now own two VV and I'd love to know what the originals are like.

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by atomicmassunit » Tue Dec 27, 2016 5:32 pm

Just stumbled upon this gem of a thread. Any updates?

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by live-i-evil » Fri Feb 17, 2017 1:52 pm

Heyo, I haven't actually even been on here for a bit. I've still got my CAR one and it's still awesome. I haven't heard anything but I should probably send Tim an email just to catch up with him anyway. If I hear anything I'll post back.

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by Roncore » Mon Feb 27, 2017 2:17 pm

I may have missed it, but it was said that Courtney's version was intended for Kurt and was handed to them backstage at Lollapalooza? Hole played in 95 (the year Nirvana were supposed to play before Kurt dropped the gig and killed himself). I'm still trying to sort theses facts out, because I think maybe some third party may have altered the story?

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by live-i-evil » Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:09 am

Roncore wrote:I may have missed it, but it was said that Courtney's version was intended for Kurt and was handed to them backstage at Lollapalooza? Hole played in 95 (the year Nirvana were supposed to play before Kurt dropped the gig and killed himself). I'm still trying to sort theses facts out, because I think maybe some third party may have altered the story?
That story came straight from Tim earlier in the thread. He said they built a right handed guitar for Kurt in a total brain fart moment forgetting that he left handed. Courtney was there and said she'd take it. I'm on my phone now but I'll see if I can go back through the thread and find the post.

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by live-i-evil » Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:24 am

Roncore wrote:I may have missed it, but it was said that Courtney's version was intended for Kurt and was handed to them backstage at Lollapalooza? Hole played in 95 (the year Nirvana were supposed to play before Kurt dropped the gig and killed himself). I'm still trying to sort theses facts out, because I think maybe some third party may have altered the story?
So it looks like another user posted it and then Tim confirmed, the exchange is below. :
elektrovac wrote:I read the story at facebook and have a little twist on the part where the guitar is presented at the Nirvana show.

A friend of mine was playing in the support band and he told me this story first hand. He was there when it happened.I rate him as a very reliable source. According to him, the guitar builder came backstage to present the Mercury guitar to Kurt Cobain who said "oh, man that's a very nice guitar - but I'm sorry, I am left handed!". Courtney Love was also In the backstage room and said "I'll take it".

And that's how it happened...
clickeye wrote:Live-I-Evil called me the other day and we talked for a second while he was on a short trip. I was so excited and I probably overwhelmed him for a few minutes as I filled him in on my self centered history. He made it through like champ. He said that he was missing the bridge on his red Mercury. I talked to Danny and he thinks that he has a bridge from the original stock! Now how cool would that be? Anyway, I thought I should let you guys know that Danny was the craftsman genius on those guitars. He was precocious to the max. He had already built his first metal guitar at 16 or so at the school wood shop. None of this could have happened without him. It is commonly said that artists acting alone with one vision create the great art but in the case of most guitar design I don't agree. Manufacturing has to be considered and function mulled over. Anyway, I am totally jazzed with the response on this site. Don't tell Live-I-Evil but after we buy one from him me and Danny will give him the second one we make from the Denver shop (We will keep the first one as we have learned our lesson). Thanks again for the kind words. I think Danny even cried when he looked at this thread.-Tim


P.S. I talked to Danny about the story that Elecrovac posted earlier about Kurt Kobain. He said it was true and reminded me that we were building Kurt Kobain a left handed one when he passed away. I had forgotten. Here's the kicker. Danny still has the left handed body in the raw wood! Now. How cool is that?

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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by Steadyriot. » Mon Sep 16, 2019 9:56 am

I think this awesome thread deserves its biennial bump. Did anything ever happen / get done?! :w00t:
Is anyone still in contact?
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Re: Mercury guitars anyone? (Original Fender Venus?)

Post by robroe » Fri Sep 27, 2019 4:36 am

After all my own years of Collecting, I just got hold and bought a Surf Green Venus at a mom and pop shop 2 days ago. I haven't even seen one in person in 15 years at least. 2 days later here I am. reading page after page after page about Mercury. Great Job guys.

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