You have a dream…

Beautiful, Durable, Multi-Laminate Neck
You have a dream…
We have the means.
W
Y
our guitar or bass should be an extension of your personality, a tool designed to
make the most of your unique musical abilities, and that is what Conklin is all about.
We work directly with you to create the exact guitar you have in mind…a one-of-a-kind
professional instrument of the finest quality.
At Conklin, each of us is dedicated to
creating instruments of unsurpassed
workmanship… instruments that
push the envelope of conventional
thinking and conventional standards.
Every aspect of construction at
Conklin is performed by hand. We
have no CNC machines, no robotics,
no computer aided design or drafting
— just a handful of experienced
craftsmen with keen eyes, skilled
hands, an unwavering attention to
detail and an obsession for quality.
Conklin Guitars is a small, but proud
company dedicated to producing
uncompromising instruments for
discerning musicians. We aim to meet
or exceed your highest expectations.
Exclusive Contoured
Neckheel
O
N
Bill Conklin (left) and partner Phil Goschy. Two guys enriching
people's lives.
T
Company Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Product Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Extended Range Instruments . . . . . .4
A Word About Woods . . . . . . . . . .10
Signature & Custom Guitars . . . . .10
No holds barred…the sky's the limit . . . . . .
Mobile Electric Upright (M.E.U.) Bass
A revolutionary instrument . . . . . . . .13
New Century Series. We limited the options
and lowered the prices . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
2
For added strength, the Conklin neck and
headstock is cut from a single multi-laminate
blank, then inlaid, fretted and hand carved
for a comfortable, somewhat “broken-in”
feeling that fits perfectly into your hand.
Rugged Integral
Headstock
If you can dream it…
Conklin can create it.
C
e understand that the very heart and soul of
the instrument lies within the neck.
Therefore, we are extremely particular about the
materials and processes used to build our necks. All
Conklin instruments are constructed with a durable
multi-laminate neck. This standard feature provides
unparalleled strength and stability and resists twisting
and bowing like no one piece neck ever could. Other
benefits of this design include a much more even
volume spectrum across all the strings and a livelier,
cleaner, focused response on every note.
E
N
Conklin's tilt-back headstock increases tension over the
nut for better sustain and the straight string pull design
improves tuning accuracy.
T
S
Hollowbody Guitars and Basses
The hippest of the hollowbodies . . . . .17
The Exclusive "Melted Top"
Organic Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
The Power of Piezos & The
Magic of Midi . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Team Players
Conklin owners and users . . . . . . . . .22
For More Information
We want to hear from you . . . . . . . . .23
We turn good ideas……into great guitars!
Conklin’s tapered and contoured neckheel provides
the smoothest transition from neck to body and
effortless access to the highest fret.
You'll swear you’re playing a neck-thru-body.
Conklin’s integral headstock, fully contoured body and tapered neck heel provide the ultimate in comfort, playability
and durability.
www.conklinguitars.com
3
We wrote the book on…
Extended
Range Instruments.
Much of Conklin's notoriety has come from the fact that we thrive in areas that any other
company would fear to tread. Nothing exemplifies this more than our extended range
instruments. Basically any instrument that has range beyond the normal 6-string guitar or 4string bass could be considered extended range. However, Conklin has become famous for
taking range and versatility to the limits. Since the introduction of our sidewinding 7-string
bass in 1992, Conklin has built hundreds and hundreds of custom order 7, 8, and even 9-string
basses; and the response has been similarly overwhelming to our 8-string guitars.
Why so many strings?
Our intention, when designing these extended range instruments, was not so we could brag
that we had more strings than anybody else. These are incredibly versatile, totally practical,
serious “World-class” instruments.
Try not to view these instruments as some alien creature requiring super human strength and
huge hands to play…quite the contrary. The “Side-winder” is a very user-friendly
instrument, easily adapted to by any player with a basic knowledge of the bass and guitar.
You may be amazed to know that many Conklin converts report that the 7-string is actually
easier to visualize and play than a six string bass! With the addition of the high F-string
chording becomes as natural as on a keyboard or guitar and even complicated scales
become easier and faster because of being able to play vertically without having to
transpose up the neck.
Tuned in fourths
and spanning the limits of
range, these Conklin
Sidewinders combine contra bass
(below E), standard bass, tenor bass
(normally tuned A-C) and piccolo bass (an octive above
standard E-G) and allows you to play through all these modes without
any thought involved.
4
We turn good ideas……into great guitars!
Since the release of our Sidewinder 7-string bass in 1992, Conklin has pioneered more advancements in the field of
extended range instruments than any other company and more recently we've made history with our 8- and 9-string
basses, tuned in fourths from Low F# to High F or even High Bb!
www.conklinguitars.com
5
Extended Range Instruments
Tight, punchy presence
The Superior construction of our super strong maple/purpleheart neck offers several
advantages. The need for graphite reinforcements which sterilize your tone is eliminated and
it provides punchy, focused lows and mids, bright, clean glassy highs, incredible sustain and
the tightest low “B” on the planet.
The tight bottom end response also enhances right hand technique by allowing for lower
action and a lighter touch while creating more even dynamics.
Extended Range Guitars
This pair of 8-strings feature
multi-scale fingerboards
(licensed by Novax). The
fanning of the frets creates a
longer scale length on the bass
side to allow for tunings well
below the normal range of a 6string. The shorter scale on the
treble side allows for tuning to
High A.
Unparalleled comfort and playability
The Sidewinder bodystyle is also perfectly balanced and seemingly weightless making the
Conklin bass a dream to play for hours at a time. The Sidewinder bass features a 34" scale,
double expanding truss rods, a custom made bridge, available with narrow or wide string
spacing and a wonderfully thin, fast neck. The extended arch of the fingerboard created by
the wider neck is more ergonomically suited to your hand which actually reduces fatigue and
improves playability.
3 on/off switches;
3 band EQ. Total
control…
totally cool
A radical design that’s quite comfortable and very playable; this 36 fret 7-string is the epitome of extended range
and versatility.
Guitarists need added range too!
For the traditionalist
looking for extended
range we offer this
Sidewinder 8-string
with wooden “Melted”
pickguard.
Conklin’s standard 8-string guitar has added range in both directions making it a lead player’s
dream. Modern jazz guitarists will find the chordal possibilities wide open, and country
pickers will love the versatility of the low “B” for baritone range and the high “G” for slide
work. Or, for those who like their Lows, the 8 can be tuned with two lower strings for a
walking bass line or devastatingly low chords.
Check out the custom Conklin tremelo on
this shreddin' 7.
String spacing on the 7 & 8 string guitars is virtually identical to
standard electrics. Five piece laminated necks are standard, and both models feature a
custom made Conklin bridge.
All Conklin extended range instruments are available with Conklin’s exclusive “melted tops”,
custom electronics, and many other options.
6
We turn good ideas……into great guitars!
www.conklinguitars.com
7
Range Basses
Extended
This georgeous satin finished 7-string
features a one piece figured walnut top.
While this one features a one piece solid
figured maple body. Both utilize Lane Poor
pickups and full EQ.
This
“to die for”
Sidewinder
7-string
screams for attention
with its one-of-a-kind
“Melted Top”, piezo and
magnetic electronics and
incredible tone and playability.
It just doesn't get any nicer than
this. A stunning one piece figured
walnut top hammers it home.
Our 8-string
basses add an
F# below B or a
high Bb above F.
This one also has an onboard parametric EQ and
direct out XLR.
This simple beauty features neck-thru-body
construction, a beautiful, curly maple top and
Bartolini pickups.
Two beautiful custom basses. A quilted
maple 5-string built for Danny DeMorales
with Wayne Newton and a “Melted Top” 6string made for Kieth Nelson with Diana
Ross and Donna Summer.
8
We turn good ideas……into great guitars!
Bill “The
Buddha”
Dickens
leaves
crowds
wiped out
with his technical prowess. Here he is on the world's
first 9-string bass. Bill's Custom Basses feature stereo
panning, parametric EQ and a 12-volt power supply.
www.conklinguitars.com
9
Signature & Custom Guitars
Redef
ining custom
At Conklin Guitars, custom means just that…the customer is free to choose every
specification of the instrument including design, woods, colors and componentry.
Extremely rare curly Koa highlights this
spectacular
7-string featuring an on-board Parametric EQ
(PEQ).
All new styles
All new standards.
C
onklin Guitars is dedicated to creating the ultimate
level of instrument. One whose standard features
include higher standards…an obsessive attention to
detail for those who will not settle for second best or
compromise commitment.
The result of this obsession is Conklin’s extraordinary
“Standard Set-up” - a wealth of options available as
standard equipment on every custom Conklin Guitar.
These include your choice of bodystyle, neck width,
scale length and fingerboard radius, standard woods and
standard colors, as well as any type of bridge or tremolo
system, tuning machines and pickups. And that’s not all.
Other standard features include:
All Conklin instruments can be ordered
with an earth-friendly, fully resonant,
urethane/oil finish. Many players prefer
the “woody” feel and sonic properties of
this hand-rubbed finish. Also note the
detailed mother-of-pearl inlay work on this
wenge and purpleheart bass.
A multi-laminate neck and unified headstock for superior
strength, beauty and durability.
Your choice of fine maple, rosewood, or ebony, fingerboard.
Chrome, gold or black hardware.
An ergonomically designed body, featuring our exclusive
tapered neckheel.
A recessed straplock system for worry-free stage movement
and low profile strap attachment.
A locking input mechanism to prevent accidental cord
extraction.
Mother of Pearl position markers located on the upper edge
of the fingerboard that double as top and side dots allowing
easy viewing from any angle.
Bill shapes and sands the edges of a
hollow body bass.
An Ultralite case from Modern Case Company.
Conklin Guitars’ unprecedented limited Lifetime Warranty
against defects in custom workmanship for as long as you
own your guitar.
And if that’s not enough…Absolutely unlimited custom options
can be specified.
High-perf
ormance
refinement
Before construction, every detail of your
custom Conklin design is carefully
evaluated for balance, weight and overall
player comfort (whether seated or
standing). Conklin helps you refine your
ideas, to assure that your guitar delivers
unmatched performance regardless of
how radical the design. And, of course,
every guitar is fully inspected and set-up
prior to delivery by a professional
technician/musician for perfect tuning,
intonation and playability.
A w
ord about
Woods
As a general rule of thumb the lighter
more porous woods will give a warmer
woodier, more resonant response and the
heavier, denser woods will have the
brighter, snappier more focused tone.
Keep in mind that each piece of wood is
merely an ingredient of the overall result.
There is no right or wrong.
Could this be the most incredible feat of custom guitar
engineering ever?
6
10
We turn good ideas……into great guitars!
Phil puts the final touches on an
exquisite 8-string bass. Control
cavities are competely shielded
and each instrument is handwired with meticulous attention
to detail.
www.conklinguitars.com
Our standard case is the form-fit
"ultralite" from Modern Case Co.
11
Cus•tom (kus'tem)
adj. 1. Made or done to order, or, made extra fine; 2. Making things to order, or dealing in
things made to order [a custom luthier]; 3. Made according to personal or individual
specifications, according to the customer's specifications …syn. SEE ALSO CONKLIN.
Conklin Means Custom
This MIDI 7string has it all
and does it all.
Call or write for
owners manual
(just kidding)!
This ferocious-looking bulldog was threedimensionally carved and then air brushed. A
cartoon brought to life.
Brilliant tropical colors highlight this
comfortable, well-balanced guitar.
“Heavenly
Hardbodies”Some
mouth-watering
morsels of “Melted
Tops” and
3-D relief carving.
The 8-string
dragon bass was
made for Victor
Wooten.
“It
melts in
your hand
not in your
mouth. ”
We call this bass
the “Ultimelt”
because of its liquid
looks, precision
craftsmanship and superior
performance. We think
it will melt
your heart.
12
We turn good ideas……into great guitars!
A trio of custom
basses…a solid
“honeycomb” quilt
maple lefty 7;
a 3 octave
Wenge/Bubinga neckthru with Ziricote top
and a one-of-a-kind
4-string in the same
shape as our
Crossover guitar. The
“Melted” pick guard
on the arched top 4 is
made of Cocobolo and
curly maple.
www.conklinguitars.com
13
Mobile Electric Upright
The instrument that was originally designed to
allow upright players to move around on stage
and electric players to easily adapt to upright
style has evolved into a revolutionary instrument
that continues to amaze even its designers. The
Conklin M.E.U. or Mobile Electric Upright is a
fully mobile, fully portable, extremely wellbalanced electric upright that is strapped on like
an electric bass but hangs on the body in
upright position. A combination of precisely
placed strap buttons and an ingenious balance
block on the back of the instrument allows the
lightweight M.E.U. to hang effortlessly just off
the player’s body at a perfect playing angle and
height.
The secret to the M.E.U.’s size and mobility lies
in its 34” scale length, but don’t think for a
second that the M.E.U. can’t run with its longscale acoustic counterparts. The Conklin has
an incredible acoustic tone, even down to the
“thud” produced when plucking an upright
string and the vibrating top effect produced by
bowing an acoustic. You won’t believe your
ears!
“M.E.U.” Bass
Even with its drastically downsized body, thin
profile and lack of arching or F-holes; the
M.E.U. sounds like it’s two
feet wide, six feet tall and
pushing air! Die hard
acoustic players are
amazed at how the
M.E.U. neck and
fingerboard
replicates an
expensive full
size upright and
even transmits
vibrations into
the left
hand; a
Kyth Trantham demonstrates the bowability of the
5-string M.E.U.
The strap on design and compact shape of
the body also allows the player to “become
one” with the instrument making the M.E.U.
easier to play, even in thumb position.
Another advantage of the M.E.U. is its
traditionally styled body. When combined
with its realistic acoustic, sonic
capabilities the M.E.U. will surely be
welcomed in virtually any musical
forum just short of the symphony.
The M.E.U.’s size makes it a hands
down winner in yet another
category; transportability. At only
52” the M.E.U. can be zipped into its
custom Ultralite Case and easily carried
across campus over the shoulder, tossed
into the back seat of any subcompact car
and even placed in the overhead
compartment of most planes!
No more of those shipping
nightmares for acoustic
upright players.
If you currently play acoustic
upright, electric upright or
standard electric bass, you
owe it to yourself to
check out the Conklin
M.E.U. bass. From
Conklin and no one else!
The M.E.U. bass shown
with the removable
balance block and
adjustable strap which
allows the instrument to
rest in perfect upright
position on any size
player.
Players include:
Allen Woody - Government Mule
Victor Wooten - Bela Fleck
Kevin Chown - Studio Musician0
Paul Arntz - Nashville session player.
Paul IL - LA Session Player
14
characteristic rarely found on any electric
upright.
We turn good ideas……into great guitars!
www.conklinguitars.com
The M.E.U. sounds like it’
s two feet
wide, six feet tall and pushing air!
15
The “New Century Series”
The New Century Series
Instruments of Integrity
U
nderstanding that not every player has the need for a completely
custom instrument or even the budget to acquire one, Conklin is
proud to offer a limited production series of guitars and basses, priced
within the reach of virtually anyone.
These instruments are not mass-produced, down-grades of our
renowned signature and one-of-a-kind models, but are standardized
versions of our most requested designs and options. The NEW
CENTURY SERIES™ guitars and basses are hand made to the same
exacting standards, by the same craftsmen, using top grade hardwoods
and name brand hardware, right in the same shop as our finest custom
instruments. By limiting options, instead of lowering quality, we are able
to streamline production and lower costs.
Every instrument produced at Conklin features the same craftsmanship,
playability, and lifetime warranty, regardless of price.
We’re with you for life… That’s integrity!
New Century Series
guitars and basses
feature cherry bodies,
multi-laminate necks,
rosewood
fingerboards and our
exclusive
“off-sides” dots.
All 4,5,6, & 7-string
basses are available
in 3 models and 3
option packages.•
*Strat, tele, and Les Paul are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instrument Co. and Gibson Guitars. Conklin is in no way affiliated
with these companies.
*See New Century Series price list for full details.
16
The versatile bodystyle of the Conklin“ Crossover” can be set-up in several different variations.
Note how well this design lends itself to strat-style, tele-style and Les Paul*-style
configurations. All pick guards are made of wood.
We turn good ideas……into great guitars!
All 6, 7, 8-string New Century Guitars are available in 2 bodystyles, 3 models and 3 option packages.
*See New Century Series price list for full details.
www.conklinguitars.com
17
Conklin Arch Tops...
A Les Paul lovers
archtop.
“The Hippest of the Hollowbodies”
S
ing the same construction techniques that allowed us
to produce our highly praised Mobile Electric Upright
(M.E.U. Bass) Conklin is now offering a new line of hollowbody
guitars and basses. These
wonderful instruments are
Piezo pickups in the bridge of this georgeous 6built around the same
string Crossover hollowbody produce incredible
accoustic tones while the neck position
compact body style as our
humbucker gives it a wonderful warm
solid bodies for a more intimate feel
jazzbox tone.
and comfortable playing position than
can be achieved on a full size jazz box.The
neck, pickups, electronics and bridge are also
set up in a more familiar fashion to allow electric
players to feel right at home at all times.
Because the
deep,hollowbody
design features both
magnetic and piezo
pickup options these
hip little hollow bodies
can do it all from a
screaming lead guitar
, a thick chunky rhythm
guitar , a beautiful warm jazz box or a rich glass-like
acoustic guitar
.
T o celebrate their 15th year
of business and the release
of their new hollowbody basses;
Conklin is proud to offer this Limited
Edition 15th anniversary model. A
special finish, select hardware, exotic
wood binding and custom electronics
highlight this hollowbody
7-string Sidewinder
bass.
Dave Wood, New
York City jazz,
funk &
fusion
session artist.
Once you see, hear and
feel the new Conklin
hollow-bodies you may
decide this is the only
guitar you need.
Conklin hollowbodies can be decked out with piezo
and magnetic pickups, preamps, EQ's, on board
MIDI electronics, “Melted T
ops” and even multiscale fingerboards as on this beautiful Sidewinder
hollowbody
.
(T uned Low B to High A).
18
We turn good ideas……into great guitars!
This spectacular piece features walnut back and sides, 5 pc. “Melted
Top”, 3 band EQ, MIDI electronics and custom Conklin bridge.
www.conklinguitars.com
Conklin hollowbodies include an
easy-access control cover, contoured
neckheel and arched back.
19
The Magnificent “Melted Top”
Conklin Guitars has become known for its many unique creations and exclusive innovations,
but nothing sets us apart from the pack like the
“Melted Top”. The world class Conklin craftsmen have developed what may be the ultimate
construction technique. In a special process the Conklin design team uses only the finest
exotic woods to create stunning organic graphics; two or more different types of wood are
combined into a unique visually stimulating pattern to portray the illusion of movement,
harmony and colorful excitement.
How do they do that?
The process of making Melted Tops is a
radical departure from the standard
bookmatched top (i.e. figured Maple
tops) seen on virtually every guitar
manufacturers’ products today.
Conklin's highly skilled luthiers carefully
sort through hundreds of boards from
several different species of wood such
as burl walnut, curly, quilt or birdseye
maple, lacewood, cherry and purplehart
just to name a few. Each piece is
selected for its particular grain pattern or
color contrast when combined with the
other woods.
The Power of Piezos
W
hen people hear the term piezo pickup these days, they often think of the ones used
in acoustic/electric guitars and those that make solid bodies sound like acoustics;
that is correct, but that's definitely not all the piezo is capable of.
Piezo crystals can be installed under each bridge
saddle giving the individual strings their own signal.
These separate signals can be used for splitting the
bass and treble strings into separate outputs for doing
two hand tapping techniques without cross talk or for
true stereo panning. And because the piezo operates
on string pressure instead of vibration, the response is
virtually instantaneous making them the perfect
candidate for another challenging task…triggering
MIDI systems.
Piezo crystals imbedded in the saddles of
this ABM bridge can be used for a wide
variety of applications.
The Magic of MIDI
Conklin is the first and only guitar company on the planet
offering this mysteriously beautiful and diverse construction
method, blending impeccable craftsmanship and artistic
creativity.
MIDI allows your guitar or bass to digitally interface or communicate with other MIDI
equipped devices such as computers, controllers and converters so that you can write,
record and edit your music via your computer or create the sounds of virtually any other
instrument, live
or in the studio.
It's a work of art that works!
Once the boards are chosen, the Conklin craftsmen must figure out how each of the woods
will interact in the pattern to create the finished top. From there, Conklin uses a secret
process to “melt” each piece into the pattern with super precise airtight joints. It’s hard to
believe these woods didn’t grow this way in nature! Every finished Melted Top is a one-of-akind creation as unique as the woods that go into it and the artist that owns it.
Conklin offers four basic patterns in 2,3 and 5-piece tops which allow for an infinite number of
designs that can be created using different species of woods and grain patterns. Custom
patterns are also available.
20
We turn good ideas……into great guitars!
MIDI electrtonics hidden inside the control cavity of
this bass allow it to produce the sounds of virtually
any other instrument. The only clues to its existence
are a patch switch, a synth switch and the
telltale 13-pin output jack. Other electronics include
a 3 band EQ, a magnetic pickup blend knob and a
piezo/magnetic blend knob.
Our MIDI electronics are made by RMC and
are completely housed within the control
cavity of the instrument and triggered via
piezo pickups in the bridge. This method
allows us to do multi-string applications and
also tracks much faster and more accurately
than the old hex pickups. This system is
compatible with any 13 pin MIDI converter
and can be blended with the existing piezo
and magnetic signals from the instrument.
You can order MIDI electronics on any of our
custom shop, New Century Series or
hollowbody instruments.
www.conklinguitars.com
21
TEAM PLAYERS
Notable Conklin Owners & Users
See our Website for updated listings and bios on these
and many other incredible artists.
All Conklin basses are available fretted or fretless. Fretless models can be ordered with or without lines and with or
without a hard finish on the fingerboard.
Pennal Johnson
Ted Whitmore
Jake Kot
Ask the Experts.
If you need assistance with your design and hardware selection please don’t hesitate to call
our friendly, knowledgeable staff. That’s what we’re here for!
(417) 886-3525 or E-mail: conklin@conklinguitars.com
Conklin doesn’t have the
huge budgets that are often
used to "buy" endorsers,
hand out free equipment or
sponsor major tours or
clinics.
John Jordan
Send us your dream.
These artists simply
wanted an instrument as
individual as they are and
had the integrity to pay us to
get them. Now that's an
endorsement!
A combination of your imagination and our craftsmanship — your Conklin will allow you to
reach unexplored musical horizons and discover new avenues of expression and untapped
potential within yourself.
If you have drawings or sketches of your dream instrument that you feel may help convey
your ideas to us; send them along with your other specifications to:
Keith Rouster
CONKLIN GUITARS & BASSES
P.O. Box 1394/Springfield, MO 65801
OR FAX THEM TO: 417-886-2934
So let your imagination soar…We’ll turn your good
ideas into a great guitar.
Ask us about Conklin Wearables…Jackets, Shirts & Hats as well as Conklin
accessories…strings, cases and stands.
Mark Harris
22
Eddie Pruitt
We turn good ideas……into great guitars!
Josh Smith
Copyright© 1991, 1993, 1995, 1998 Conklin Guitars
Photos by J.T./Envision/Harmon Creative Photo
www.conklinguitars.com
23
300
$