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Gene VanDusseldorp
In 2003-04, I was serving in Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During that tour, I had a chance to play guitar for chapel services at my base. When I saw that I would be able to buy a replacement for my old guitar, I had it shipped to Kuwait. I researched a guitar buyerıs guide and found the Conklin shop to be fairly close to home, so I arranged to buy the GTG-7T while home on my 2-week R&R leave. I was well satisfied with the sound of the GTG-7T and arranged for the construction of the custom 8-string. The idea was inspired from seeing some 36-fret guitars in the late 1980s, and knowing that frets past #27 get crowded and the availability of the high A on the Conklin models, found I would get the same high-end range with 5 fewer frets. The 8 strings offer great tuning flexibility, such as dropping the G to F# for a baritone setup or raising the high B to a C for an alto setup. Anyone who has tried to find a D# (E flat) chord on the guitar would find either alternate tuning quite handy. I picked up the GT-7 bass a few months after getting the custom 8-string and found the low F# to come in quite handy. It has been truly a pleasure becoming acquainted with Bill and his staff, who have been quite friendly and helpful in the guitar projects. Blessings to you guys!
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