VV Graphics

[AZGuitars]

Hi Guys,
Don't remember if I ever posted this stuff on the forum.
This was supposed to be an album cover
There's a lot more too . . . . .

[Streetbeat]

Yes we have them, post the rest please, btw did Vinnie give you some original material to work on the giant banner you did?
for example the big Vinnie Vincent logo or did you have to redo it?

[Genebaby]

Cool, would love to see what you have Tom.

[AZGuitars]

Streetbeat Hi, I just made up an artwork in illustrator and took it to my printer.
They make banners as well as catalogs so all they did was blow it up to the right size and print the banner.
They added the hanger grommets too.
And, GB. I got a bunch of stuff so I might as well post all of it.

[metatron]

I WANT MORE!
please....
[youtube][/youtube]

[birnie]

....any chance Vinnie let you in on some new music Tom?
A long shot but worth the ask

[AZGuitars]

Sorry Birnie. He did say he was working on some stuff but it never materialized.
Just like everything else he said he was "going" to do.

[AZGuitars]

The first time I ever met Vinnie In person was at the 1991 Winter NAMM Show.
He was signing posters in the Dean Markley booth. Kind of funny because my cousin
was with me and he saw Vinnie and said, "Hey, there's Ace Freely". So we walked over there
and my cousin say's "Hi Ace". With a stern look Vinnie says " I'M NOT ACE, I'M VINNIE VINCENT".
Anyway he signed this poster and I handed him one of my guitar flyers. He then asked me if I built
them to which I replied "Yes I Do". So he then asked me if I would build one for him to which I said "Yes".
And that's how it all started. Took me about a year to finish it and the 92 was born.

[Genebaby]

Great story, so funny your cousin called him Ace.

That is a very cool flyer there for Dean Markley. There is like zero recognition that Vinnie was ever with them.

[AZGuitars]

The look on his face was priceless. I wish I had a picture of it.
If I remember right he was only using DM strings as well.

[metatron]

That's a cool story Tom.
You know who's back I got, but if I was VV & someone called me Ace, I'd would be impressed either. Plus I guess, he would have got the "Hey, there's Ace Freely" thing a lot back then.
For all VV insanity he knew how to pick Winners.
Got to give him that.
It was obvious that the new King of the VVV guitar builds was going to be you.
The Pear 92 brought new life to that VVV modeled guitars. It's just a shame VV's insanity blinded the world from seeing it for so long. Was like an urban myth for a long time.
No matter, the Pear Aurora InVader will reverse all that. (Just got to get this home renovation sorted, find a new job/source of income) Will get some Vids & Posts on Guitar Forums happening, in regards to the newly re-animation Pear 92, the Pear Aurora InVader.

[shramiac]

Cool.

Funny that even though that Ibz VVV was less than 3 years old and wasn't used live, only the volume knob remains on the guitar? Where the hell did the other ones go???

[AZGuitars]

I noticed that myself but I figured that the missing knobs were just part of the
explosion the poster was trying to depict. I looked over the poster with a magnifier
but didn't find the knobs anywhere. So it's another Vinnie mystery. I did see that the
logo on the head stock is Ibanez.

[shramiac]

A ghost build Ibanez. Built by John Carruthers in LA. Toms tar found him a had a chat.

[AZGuitars]

Here's a piece of art that was a precursor to the art on the cover of the catalog: "Hatchling"

[Genebaby]

Cool Tom, thanks for sharing, this is great stuff.

[shramiac]

Cool. The one you chose was the right one though.

And that was meant to be ''Timstar'' not Toms tar that found John Carruthers. Dang spell check.

[tukoztukoz]

I read on Carruther's site that Vinnie's name is mentioned. No pics though.

[AZGuitars]

Another development version of the crossed VV Guitars . . . .
This is a composite illustration combining Photoshop and Illustrator elements:

[poserboy71]

I like it.
It looks like an old Activision video game.
I wanna play !!!!

[shramiac]

Atari....hmmmm....now who was a designer for them once?

[doublev2]

A ghost build Ibanez. Built by John Carruthers in LA. Toms tar found him a had a chat.

Actually built in seattle. Vv picked it up while on tour. It's unclear if it was asg tour in August 1988 or on his early visit in 1987. It's most likely 88 but that means that the Freddy playing the ibanez came before the asg seattle show which makes it more likely he had it in 87 but never brought it.out. A bit of a mystery seen as the guitar maker said he gave it.to vv while visiting seattle on a tour

[doublev2]

It could explain the missing vol.controls. Vv may have had this ibanez before the carvin. Never used it and took stuff off of it for his carvin and washburn.

[doublev2]

Actually sorry that time of year video debuted July 16 1988 but love kills with Freddy must have been in August. The seattle show was August 5th 1988 and nightmare on Elm Street movie came out August 18. So I guess love kills release date was around the time of movie. It would give them just enough time I guess to film that fill with vv dressesd as Freddy playing the ibanez.. My therory was that was a pick up add on from the original video shoot and vv most likely filmed it while he was filming the Freddy special at mtv studios so possibly if that show was shot after 5 August and before love kills video debut it may well have had just enough time to edit it in thus dating the ibanez to August 5 1988. If love kills video came out before that date or very close after it I would say it has to have been much older and never used.

[doublev2]

It would be great to get all the guys who made vv guitars together and compare notes. We know the guy who made the washburn too. Carvin were never happy to talk about it though

[Streetbeat]

Why Carvin was not happy?

[doublev2]

i don't know but something happened between carvin and vinnie. When the 1988 Carvin catalog (or was it 1989). My dad called Carvin as soon as I noticed VV was using Carvin's from the 'that time of year video (this was not really clear at the time as no photos of vv with carvin came out until at the very end or after VVI broke and believe me the that time of year video was the first time people would have seen vv with the carvin unless they has seen the ASG tour live) , anyway it was I would say July 19th 1988 when my dad called to try and order the Carvin double v and he got through to the head of company and he said 'Sorry Carvin have nothing to do with VInnie Vincent and will definetly not make the guitar). It appears to me things broke down for some reason around the time of the headbangers ball with VV and Carvin. Also if you notice VV replace all his Carvin logos with VIN (the last three letters of Carvin, blacking out the first two). Of course he also had a bad break with Jackson according to Grover too.

[Streetbeat]

Would be really good to know what happened between them, maybe Vinnie wanted money or something.

[doublev2]

yes i think someone tried to speak with Carvin recently. He was doing ad's for Ibanez at the time so maybe it was that or maybe he didn't pay for something or changed an agreement. who knows really. To be honest VV wasn't a huge pull back then anyway, I doubt he helped sell many guitars. (it was all Vai, Malmsteen, Lynch, Van Halen, Satraini and Metaliica back then, Kiss and ex kiss guys were not really influencing the kids at that time) btw VV never did a solo ad for them, just appeared in catalog.

[AZGuitars]

Sheesh! Vinnie was just a - pain - in - the - ass for everyone he's dealt with.
He probably wanted money from the guitar companies he dealt because shape of the guitars were his initials.
I believe it was Gene Simmons too that suggested that Vinnie change his last name to Vincent and he probably
thinks it was his idea. The question is, did he change it legally?

[Streetbeat]

No he is still Vincent Cusano but he trademarked "Vinnie Vincent"

[AZGuitars]

Last time I looked his trademark had run out on that one. I was tempted to renew it myself which would be a good
idea so I can use it on my VV builds.

[AZGuitars]

Oops! I missed something on the post above. The Trademark was for his signature name - VinnieVincent per Streetbeat's post.
Just making sure my reply was clear to everyone.

[Streetbeat]

Tom, did you create his current WIX website & "IT'S ALIVE" youtube promo video ?

[AZGuitars]

I did the design and artwork for the video promo and put together the sound and art slides. I then sent it to a friend
of mine who does video work and he changed it to a web video. Someone else did the WIX for Vinnie I presume. It wasn't me
and I wouldn't know who it was.

[Streetbeat]

i thought about that, i wonder who made V's website

[Genebaby]

From the looks of it, a primary school kid did it.

[AZGuitars]

Vinnie may have done it himself so he wouldn't have to pay anyone else.

[Streetbeat]

is he tight with money? i know he is sneaky but what's when he has to spend a dime?