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NEWSLETTER - January '11 -----------------------------------	Let 2011 be full of good music!!!
	Roberto Dalla Vecchia Some US dates for Roberto, with the fellow flatpicker Mark Cosgrove. They released two delicious youtube videos : Roberto's original tune “Surprised” : and Cosgrove's “good morning Isaac” Then a seminar “10 Mistakes to avoid + 10 ideas to pratice” and two successful sold out House concerts at Roberto's home, directly where his music comes alive. Some Youtube videos also with fingerpicker Luca Francioso, a good combination of styles and personalities. His latest release is a Video for Accordo TV of the monthly column on Chitarre magazine. “Little Sadie” is a Roberto's arrangement of an old Traditional American tune, played in the “Carter” style, a basic flatpicking technique.
Elie Afif Andrea I got it man !!! Man just exactly how I wanted the neck to be, and the new body man is just perfect fantastic, and the new pick up with the 3 options, and the piezo, you can go low, and i mean LOW!!!!! whenever you want and high and really high whenever you want, just CLEAR and natural, Really Andrea, God bless you, 3 years of using MANNE BASSES, and every minute I spend with my basses, it really takes to another world, it is just the best feeling to hear finally what you wanted to hear, and the best thing that every-time you start to hear different color and sound, the bass is always ready to take you there with love!!! The best Christmas gift I've ever got in my life man, Thank you Andrea ! Thank you Manne, God Bless
	Francesco "Francis" Bellagamba Francis started playing at 14 and after some years self-taught, he meet Lorenzo Di Antonio, a pure shredder and divine teacher that introduced him to the real playing world. He moved to Firenze to study with Michael Mellner, author of rock methods and a great teacher that highlighted and pushed forward Francis' potential and skills. He is now teaching rock-hard rock/heavy metal guitar and releasing a online method lesson. “I have a Ventura and what can I say?... Playability and quality over the reality. If the components of this guitar would be words, the result would be poetry. Formula 1 neck, but with a lot of heart and feel, Sound that goes from crystal clear to wild metal. An instrument that should absolutely stay in your own arsenal. Ahhh! If I would know Manne before!!!
Mark Walker on his new KAYENTA: “I love the tone it gives me while I' m chording and soloing. I also like the various funk settings it offers which enables me to go into a studio session and cut a 70"s style to a current funk bass tone. The Kayenta offers all of this in one bass guitar that means I only have to carry one bass guitar out on recording or live sessions. This is definitely my kind of bass..” You can see contruction of the bass in the Youtube video At that time we still call it Mojave but later on we gave to this model the name Kayenta.
Cosimo Erario It was the end of the '80 and I was playing an Ibanez Artist special edition. I decided to enlarge my guitar collection but I was not able to decide with which specific model. I was bored by the same old brands filling all the shops (with respect for their history), but I felt I was of another generation.	I was demanding an instrument that represented my age and my era , an evolution that reflected the present musical situation. One day I read in “guitar club” magazine an ad for Manne Guitars. I remember I said: “wow! I will buy this”. At that time I remember I was working as helper in a pharmacy where the doctor renamed me “Johnny Guitar Watson”, so after I saved enough money I decided to go and visit with Andrea Ballarin in person, in its shop in Schio. It was December of '89 (so now is actually a “Vintage Manne”), it was consigned in January '90, and it was built in the first original Manne shop located in the “Lungo Leogra” Street, where Andrea worked with the only company of a black cat. Since then me and my Manne are always together (no way to split us up!). I did hundreds of concerts in all Europe. I lost it and magically retraced it 3 times! Its name is “DEE DEE” inlayed on the 12° fret but barely visible now, and she always traveled with me making a good work and being appreciated. The body is a bit smaller than the actual one, is light and born to travel. I recorded and did all kinds of music like R&B, Rock, Pop, Fusion, World; I teach in a music school in Deutsche Pop Akademie for 8-9 hours a day! Well is an aging Manne , the finish lost some gloss here and there, it looks a Manne Road Worn! But with its 20 years, is still in very good in shape. In all these years I got so many compliments for my guitar. One day I was on tour in Germany and I met on a lift a 150kgs American guy that was taking 95% of the space available. Destination: ground floor. He saw I had the gig bag. “are you a guitar player?” “Yes” “great, and which kind of guitar you play, Fender?” And my proud reply: “No Manne!”. “What? Meeeneeee?” and I shout back “No, MANNIII” . So he said ”Can I see your guitar?” , “sure”. So I took our the guitar from the case and in his hands was looking like a small violin. He played an Eminor pentatonic with open strings with a supersonic speed while the lift got to destination. “Thanks” and he left. I never heard who was he, but that night all John Mayall staff was based in my hotel for the city concert of that night. Cosimo's website
Red Gloss Manne from our customer Matteo: “I am not a professional player, but I have fun and I was used to use the instruments that made the story of music, one overall the Strat. The time pass by and I refined my technique, so I had the wish for a “faster” guitar, but I am Not Malmsteem and I don't like to shred with a Strat. I went thru all the Ibanez models but then I realized “Why shouldn't I have one build just for me?” And here started my Manne adventure. As a friend of mine has a Semiacustica, I started to get information on the Manne Website (compliments: it's really well done!) then I called and had an appointment in the Manne shop and showroom. You cannot believe the emotion visiting the shop, where I met Andrea and the Manne Team, and found their fantastic and passionate work. I check and tested many different guitars and after a discussion on features we finalized the order. After around a month, just as agreed, I received the email that the guitar was ready to be picked up. When I saw it, it took my breath away. The red color, that no picture can give credit, was astonishing. The body in Ash, the poplar top, the neck with multi-laminate core... It's really not just a guitar but a art masterpiece!. So I check it: As expected the neck is incredibly fast and the resin fretboard goes like a breeze. . The sound is fantastic and that Ash gives the kick and sustain I was looking for. With the serial-parallel switches the sounds goes from bright cleans to light bluesy tone always defined, and then the heavy distorted tones where the real heart of this guitar come across with loud screaming pickups and never-ending sustain.	Super low action and perfect. Hard to give up playing, anytime is a joy. Thanks to Manne for building this “custom”. It's like driving a Ferrari (and the color helps...)” Matteo C.
	Corina Minda Korina is not just our favorite body wood, but now also Corina is our favorite model for basses pictures! “First of all, I want to get acquainted with everyone who reads this article. Certainly we have that wonderful thing in common: music !...probably the best medicine for body&soul. In any color or shape it could be, music can create a special and atypical connection between people. So, welcome among my friends! Although I am at the beginning in addressing the guitar, particularly the bass guitar, my life took place in a world where people breathe only music! It is the most valuable motivation to continue. Until 2-3 years ago, it was just satisfactory for me to watch a concert, feel the vibrations of strings from a corner offstage, asking for an autograph ... and then, continue my dream, but home... Yeah, although there were many obstacles, I decided, however, it was time to take action and to dare dreaming myself on a stage! I come from a family that puts so much emphasis on education. Therefore, my parents agreed from the beginning that I am wasting my time with the music. As much as disappointing as more as challenging! Medicine, which I am currently studying, takes the first place, in their vision. Anyway, we all know how the human brain works: When you are told 'not do that', you always act the opposite. Having some musician friends, I had an open gate to get my fingers on the `strings test`.
My first love was the guitar, that's right! But the road took a strange turn! A friend which was looking for a bass player for his metalcore band, proposed me to join him, despite he knew my beginner level. A real challenge! ... obviously, it ended with a lot of sparks and anger. Just as we all know that the rehearsal room can be transformed instantly in a volcanic crater. At the moment it’s so funny to remember the whole story, though that time it seemed tragic. ... One more deception, one more `slap` for me, but life goes on. Slap-pop, pop-slap! haha. In time, I made new friends in this complicated music world, some of them closer, others less. One of them gave me a beautiful gift-a custom made bass guitar. Really nice, but didn’t invest in it so much that it could sound as expected. It is just a precious symbolic gift. One day, Horea Crisovan, one of Romania's most respected guitarists (a Manne Guitars player, as known), also one of my best friends, got the idea that he wants me to take a set of pictures with his Manne bass. Why not? Location: A fairly steep hill, dressed totally unsuitable for the area. The photographer (my lovely friend, Manuela) also put a lot of involvement. But ... it was worth it! Why? Because, besides the fun during the shooting, I had then the opportunity to play on this wonderful instrument. If I had to choose between a man and a bass, I would definitely choose the second one. Haha! And so...my musical dream goes on...on a huge stage, together with the other half of my personality-most likely a Manne bass!”
	Asymmetrical Claudio “Me and Manne we know each other since we were kids, but we grew up following different musical and professional ways. At 44, after thousands hours of guitar playing on different brands (including a really precious vintage Strat) I decided to have a Manne Ventura built. After the Ventura I was ready for a more personal instrument. So after a discussion we found out the instrument that would right for me is a Prototype of a new asymmetrical shaped Taos. Thanks to the attention of Manne to all my requests and the capability to let them become an instrument, I got a fantastic guitar, really matching what I was looking for. The shape is really comfortable for my playing position, that is a little more angled upward than standard, also after hours of work. The Clean sounds are warm and powerful on all fretboard, cutting thru jazz rock fusion. Every musician should look for its own sound without imitating others and this can be archived very well with a perfectly tailored instrument." Claudio “Book” Albertini
Mannepic: Piero Trevisan testing his new Malibu	Mannnepic: Rami Lakkis onstage
Arrivederci Mr. Manne