IS THIS A TRIBUTE CLONE ??

[inthelows]

Unbelievable. I thought I saw it all.
NLP
Tribute clone?

[lbpesq]

This is a Phiga.  Phil does some very interesting work.  I have one of his Casta guitars - #4 - the light one colored one about halfway down the Casta page on the Phiga site, just above Bob Weir's.  Phil's prices are very reasonable for a handmade instrument, but make no mistake, these ain't Alembics by any stretch of the imagination.  Here's a link to Phil's site:
 
http://www.philgawen.com/phigaguitars.htm
 
Bill, tgo

[flaxattack]

bill
is the casta the guitar sless plays?
looks like it

[lbpesq]

Flax, not anytime I've seen him.  You got a picture?
 
Bill, tgo

[zappahead]

Im not sure why you would say Tribute clone. The Tribute is a take on a Doug Irwin guitar. Jerrys Tiger and Rose were not Alembics. Phil is doing the same thing Alembic is doing with the Tribute with his Tiger guitars. He also does do a take on the Wolf, which was an Alembic guitar at one point.  
 
Phil makes nice guitars and his standard designs are very nicely priced guitars. I have a couple of them and they are very nice. If you dont have the money to get into something like an Alembic they are an excellent alternative. Im not sure that I would buy one of his more expensive models because Phil is a bit flaky and Im not 100% sure Id trust him with a high dollar job like I would Alembic (and quite a few other luthiers).

[paulman]

I like Phil's work.  I am in posession of the Imbuia Bolt 3 guitars down on the Bolt page.  I'm not sure of the serial number, but it is very early in Phils first Bolt production.  
 
It's a very interesting instrument and well crafted.  I really like the wood choices.  7 ply neck, and pretty well balanced.  I am working on the electronics with a CAE Jangletone impedance buffer (CAE is John Cutler's shop, he designed the first buffer for Jerry and the Bean guitar) 3 Super II's, and an effects loop.  THe electronics were kinda ehhhh when I first got it.  
 
It is not the sound of an Alembic but looks great next to my Further.
 
Bill, I saw also you are a fellow Bond guitar owner too.  Weird and rare guitars are a passion of mine also.

[lbpesq]

Yea Roger, I actually have 3 Bond Electraglides.  When I have the time, the plan is to convert them into one that's almost perfect, one that's decent that I'll sell, and the 3rd for parts.  I also love the old, unusual, and downright weird.  That's why I took a flyer on my Phiga off of ebay.  For the money, it's quite a deal.  Unfortunately, mine has a baseball bat like neck, and I much prefer thin necks.  I've made a couple of half-hearted attempts to sell it, but it's so unusual that I enjoy it even with the monster neck.  Of course if anyone around here wants to buy it, in the words of Frasier Crane I'm listening
 

 
Bill, tgo

[zappahead]

Did either of you guys who own Phiga's ever get a custom one from him or did you guys just buy them off ebay or already made? I ask because I got a custom one and had a bad experience and my brother had an even worse experience. I think Phil is talented and I can say for sure that his guitars are fine deals, but he was very frustrating to deal with (to say the least).

[lbpesq]

As stated above, I got mine off of ebay.
 
Bill, tgo

[paulman]

Mine came off ebay also.    Bill...3 Bonds, interesting.  Mine arrived with the power box DOA in shipping.  I kept the guitar anyway, luckily it does power up with a battery test.  Would you be able to give me a voltage off the power box output, and tell me if it's 18-19 volts?    I need to cobble together a power supply.    Here's my Phiga.  It too has a large chunky neck, but it's nice to have a variation.  

[pace]

I like my necks like I like my salsa.... thick and chunky...  
 
That's an interesting guitar, Bill.... I'd hold on to it. Im assuming it has locking tuners?!?