Sure makes and fashions of electrical guitars are rightfully prized for his or her elegant bodily designs and superior craftsmanship. Even higher are these additionally revered for his or her playability and notably wealthy tonal qualities. Thomas guitars, alternatively, are normally famous for his or her odd (typically controversial) shapes and zany options. Constructed by the late guitarist/machinist/luthier/and fun-loving prankster Harvey Vern Thomas, Thomas Customized Guitars’ devices included such eye-popping ’60s fashions as his iconic Iron-Cross-shaped Maltese Falcon.

However Thomas’ notoriously wacky humorousness additionally impressed such models as toilet-seat guitars, paisley-shaped guitars, swastika guitars, a Battle Axe guitar, and a really wicked-looking Guillotine Blade guitar. It staggers the thoughts, all these years later, to think about how profitable Thomas might need grow to be if he’d remained in enterprise lengthy sufficient to get his devices within the arms of over-the-top rock bands similar to Kiss, Spinal Faucet, White Zombie, and Gwar!

Harvey Thomas was born in Seattle in 1920 and took up guitar at age 5. By the late ’30s, he, alongside together with his three youthful musical brothers and father, started enjoying across the space because the Thomas Household Band. Later, after stints as a machinist and operator of a second-hand/swap store, he and his brothers began a house-building enterprise. In 1950, Thomas married Mary Lou Cleveland and by mid-decade that they had the primary of three youngsters. By the late ’50s, Thomas had opened his Northwest Builders Provide enterprise at Halfway, an space informally named for its location between Seattle and Tacoma. A jack of all trades/handyman, he started repairing/modifying guitars (his personal and people belonging to others), experimenting with electronics, and even winding his personal electromagnetic pickups, usually putting in them on acoustic archtop guitars.

Thomas Customized Musical Devices 

In 1962-’63, Thomas moved his younger household right into a home adjoining to his enterprise. He finally constructed a brand new home and an enormous workshop with zones for steel fabrication, woodworking, and portray. There, Thomas started making guitars from scratch; the earliest had hand-made bridges, tailpieces, pickguards, and pickups, which Thomas’ interior carnival-barker drove him to hype the latter as offering the “famend Thomas Damaging-Ion Sound.” 

Thomas’ ability set included designing guitars, doing the woodwork (usually with walnut and/or exhausting maple which he dried for as much as six months in his personal ovens), spray-painting, slicing plexiglas pickguards, putting in electronics, and hand-crafting molds used to pour fiberglass resin used to make distinctive pickup covers, neck inlays, and different parts. 

In time, Thomas determined he might make guitars pretty much as good as any, and his first prototypes emerged circa 1962. Later, he constructed an iconic tripleneck guitar (with “Thomas Customized Guitars” inlaid throughout the fingerboards), performing with it across the space as a one-man band billed because the Infernal Music Machine.

Then, within the wake of the surge in demand for electrical guitars led to by the British Invasion, Thomas Customized Guitars started to get critical traction out there, and since he couldn’t sustain with making his personal steel parts, Thomas started to consider options. Although he liked the sound of DeArmond pickups, sturdy unfavourable emotions about Gretsch (which used them) precipitated him to rule out utilizing them on his devices. As an alternative, he opted to order Framus pickups, bridges, tailpieces, whammy bars, and tuners from the German firm (although many Thomas guitars would finally be fitted with Kluson tuners). 

Thomas as soon as instructed The Seattle Instances that at one level he marketed his Maltese guitars in a nationwide music journal and greater than 100 orders poured in. However, as a result of he solely had 11 in inventory and was brief on provides, he misplaced plenty of potential enterprise. He finally assembled a crew to assist produce guitars, bringing aboard a pair distinguished nation guitarists, Chet Hastings and “Huge Invoice” Garner, together with Invoice’s father, Carl. 

“Invoice and Chet have been principally the body-and-neck guys,” stated Gordy Kjellberg, a guitarist from West Seattle who first noticed a Thomas guitar in a pawnshop in Halfway and have become intrigued sufficient to go to its maker a number of instances. “They lower the guitars, routed them, carved the necks, and possibly did fretwork and inlay work.”

Thomas’ new marketing strategy referred to as for making solely stable our bodies and necks, although he did make at the very least a pair hollowbody jazz bins (the La Paz Traditional Particular Customized), at the very least one electrical hollowbody four-string mandolin, and some of what he referred to as “box-type Western guitars.” 

“Harvey had enjoyable with every part, and didn’t imagine in copying anybody or any guitar already made,” stated Kjellberg. “I noticed his early model of a Maltese Cross and it was fairly radical in comparison with what he really produced. He made templates and rough-cut our bodies with a band noticed – clamped the templates to ’em and finally perfected the shapes, the routings, and the carvings – like on the Mannequin C. He made 10 or 20 at a time, possibly extra. And if he was making one thing, they have been all the identical our bodies.”

The Thomas Customized Musical Devices firm produced a catalog in 1967 and a brochure in ’69. Typically, the guitars had “ultra-slim” necks with “Flex-Metal Torsion Suspension Rods,” “micro-adjustable bridges,” a brand decal on the peghead, typically additionally on the physique. Among the many normal fashions supplied for between $139 and $1,165 have been the Century or Mannequin C (in six-string, two-neck, three-neck, and 12-string fashions), the Deleitar, the Mandarin, the Mod, the Lyer (pronounced “lear”), the Riot King, and what would grow to be the preferred and well-known design – the iron-cross-shaped Maltese Surfer and the Maltese Falcon. The previous was Thomas’ base mannequin, whereas the latter normally boasted a glitter-finish pickguard and distinctive hook-shaped peghead. Most of the earliest shared a paint scheme of gold with a heavy black-burst overspray. Later, he would supply a spread of colours obtainable on any mannequin – black, white, and “sunbursts” in purple, inexperienced, or blue. And for a further sum, any guitar might be ordered as a hollowbody. 

As the corporate’s identify references, Thomas prided himself on offering customized choices, together with a zero-fret neck design, a laminated-wood or white-plastic fretboard, glitter particulars, loopy inlays, metallic paint, or tooled-leather particulars. And Thomas actually appeared to get a kick out of doing something to make the devices extra fancy – he deemed his devices “the Cadillac of Guitars,” which made sense as a result of he proudly drove a black Cadillac that had “Thomas Customized Guitars” emblazoned on the doorways. Moreover, his promoting copy boasted that his Century fashions have been, “…created for and by the guitarist. The one who lives together with his guitar. The Perfectionist. The artists. Incorporating all of the options that have been demanded for customized devices. Taken from the various experiences of the professionals mixed into one nice guitar. Unparalleled steadiness of sound, essentially the most delicate and responsive, distinctive instrument ever supplied to the general public.”

Bluster apart, Thomas devices, for all their flamboyant visible bling, are usually good-playing guitars, and their tone may be glorious. 

“His pickups have been actually scorching,” famous Kjellberg. “And when you regulate them proper, they sound superb. Thomas guitars sound actually good.” 

Different critiques have famous the iffy neck-joint design on some fashions, and the sometimes-questionable selections of accouterment. “Some individuals say Harvey was a hack,” famous Kjellberg. “His screws have been typically not the prettiest – huge, virtually like machine screws – not the little nickel-plated ones like Fender and Gibson used.

“However within the huge image, it’s largely in regards to the necks, which some individuals love, some don’t.”

A Rising Profile

Thomas loved a circle of mates that included distinguished figures on the Northwest’s nation/Western scene, and it was not unusual for native stars together with Bonnie Guitar, Buck Owens, Jack Rivers, Sheriff Tex Lewis, and others to cease by and jam on his guitars; Thomas was a nice guitarist in his personal proper and will play within the fashion of greats, together with Les Paul, Johnny Smith, and Chet Atkins.

He additionally was aggressive in selling his devices to stars. He and his spouse wrote letters to stars and solicited at native tour-stops. Amongst those that dropped by for a glance have been Chet Atkins and Hank Williams, Jr.

By the mid ’60s, members of a number of native rock bands have been ordering Thomas devices. Maybe the primary was Buck Ormsby, of The Wailers, who performed a Riot King bass, and bandmate Neil Andersson, who additionally wielded a Thomas guitar. In the meantime, Kjellberg (who’d gained regional notoriety as a member of Merrilee Rush and the Turnabouts) performed a white Maltese Falcon and a “Thomas-caster” made for him after his Fender Telecaster was destroyed in a automotive wreck. Kjellberg’s brother, Vernal (a.ok.a. Joey Newman) performed a Swastika bass with Portland’s Don and the Goodtimes. Colin Ehli of Tacoma’s Mergers owned a black Maltese Falcon, whereas bandmate Sid Ostrander reportedly owned a prototype Maltese Falcon bass. 

One other native guitarist, Rod Hart, recalled the primary time he noticed a Thomas. Whereas buying together with his father at Halfway’s Nationwide Auto Components retailer, he observed “these extremely bizarre guitars on the wall. One was an Iron Cross, one was clear, and the one that basically caught my eye was made out of a rest room seat. My dad stated that the man who made them have to be an actual kook, and the proprietor of the shop, underneath his breath, stated ‘…or a genius.’ I agreed with the shop proprietor.” 

Clearly, the Teutonic aura of the Maltese fashions was not for everyone. One other native, Marc Connelly, recalled seeing them with a pal. “These Maltese jobs, with the cheesy glitter, didn’t maintain any enchantment to us in any respect. Nonetheless, the store proprietor requested what we thought. My buddy stated, ‘Nice, when you’re in band named Auschwitz!’ 

One other customer to Thomas’ place was Timothy L. Olsen, who was 12 years outdated in 1965 and stopped in to purchase a pickup for a guitar he was constructing. He’d been suggested by a neighborhood music store that “There’s a man out in Halfway who makes guitars. He’ll have what you want. However he’s a personality, and I gained’t promise that he’ll promote you a pickup. He would possibly such as you or he won’t.” 

As soon as in Thomas’ front room, Olsen was astounded. “Across the room ran two steady guitar racks which held devices towards a padded rail connected to the wall,” he stated. Among the many devices have been, “White, sunburst, metallic, and tiger-stripped Thomases, some doublenecks and triplenecks. Then there have been the bizarre devices; one regarded like a shotgun, there have been a number of comprised of bathroom seats and bedpans. One was clad in raccoon pores and skin, full with tail. One doubleneck simulated a glowering Polynesian girl – every neck represented a leg, the pegheads have been ft, full with toes. The entire thing was relatively anatomically right in a ribald manner.” Years later, at age 18, Olsen went to work for Thomas. Immediately, he directs the Guild of American Luthiers, together with a Thomas tribute web site.

In time, even non-Northwest bands started popping up with Thomas devices, together with the Onerous Instances, which scored in 1966 with “Fortune Teller” and appeared with one on the ABC tv program “The place The Motion Is.” Bob Eveslage, bassist with Minneapolis’ Unbelievable Uglies, prizes the bass that Thomas offered him for $75. Probably the most well-known Maltese Falcon was in all probability the one performed by Ian Hunter, guitarist with Mott The Hoople, who recalled in a 1999 interview with VG, “I discovered that with Mick Ralphs in a pawn store in San Francisco and paid $32. I’d by no means seen one earlier than… We bought plenty of mileage out of it. It was a horrible guitar, however it regarded superb! The man I offered it to took the scratchplate off, and inside was the identify of the man who constructed it – and a $5 invoice!” That fun-lovin’ ol’ Harvey Thomas struck once more!

In 1979/’80, Thomas, who had suffered for greater than decade with a extreme allergy to sawdust and/or lacquer – constructed his ultimate guitars. His daughter, Denise, recollects that among the many final stars to go to the manufacturing facility was Steve Miller (VG, August and September ’10). 

A half-decade earlier than succumbing to throat most cancers in his residence on October 9, 1987, Thomas thought-about parting together with his guitar firm. At one level, two buyers have been exploring a buyout, and he referred to as Kjellberg as a result of he wished to work him into the deal in an overseer place, the place he might monitor high quality management. However the deal fell by means of, and Thomas Customized Guitars got here to an finish.

Although the corporate has lengthy been inactive, its legacy lives on. Gamers who personal Thomas guitars treasure them, and the Expertise Music Undertaking (EMP) in Seattle holds a half-dozen Thomas guitars in its everlasting assortment – devices deemed necessary to the Northwest’s regional historical past. 

In July, 2011, a fireplace at a storage facility in close by Auburn destroyed or broken 80 rental models, together with one which contained a Thomas member of the family’s stash of Harvey Thomas’ private guitars.

Peter Blecha is the writer of Wired Wooden: The Origins of the Electrical Guitar, Quest For Quantity: Electrical Guitars and the Auditory Arms Race, and Classic Guitar options about different uncommon Northwest manufacturers, together with Audiovox, Bud-Electro, Coppock, and Hanburt guitars.

This text initially appeared in VG’s March 2013 challenge. All copyrights are by the writer and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.