Testimonials
Mean Street Guitars has some of the best customers in the world. These are just some of the Testimonials that I've received over the years. Please feel free to email past customers to see what they have to say about Mean Street Guitars.
Please feel free to email past customers below...see what they think about dealing with Mean Street Guitars...
Hi Mitchel ,
The nuclear injection guitar arrived safe and sound this morning.
I must say it took my breath away when I opened that gator case.
What an amazing piece of art!!!!!!!
I have many beautiful guitars but not one of them as mind blowing
and as unique as this guitar.
You are truly a gifted artist!!!!
After a couple of setup tweaks I plugged it in and took off.
It sounds great and plays fast and is very comfortable.
The purchasing process was fast and easy and I love the gator case.
Looking forward to seeing some new builds. I would highly recommend you to
anyone looking for a one of a kind mind boggling guitar or just looking for a new paint job.
Thanks again
Paul
ncs796@yahoo.com
Mitch, you knocked this one out of the park. Excellent build my friend. Turn key! Very nice weight. I'm so happy with the build and the weight, means so much to me.
Did I say it "Sounds amazing". The neck, well it's lightning fast or slicker than oil, smooth like silk.
The industrial art work like nothing I ever seen. Creative and unique.
The setup is spot on, so making it ready to rock n roll! One bitchin Pipeline tour model 50.1.50!
God bless you Mitch.
Many thanks,Terry Smith
Mean Street paint job on two USA EVH Wolfgangs
Hi Mitchel,
Just a note to say I am blown away by the fantastic job you did on these two guitars. Just wow. I get chills when I play them, it's as if Eddie is channeling his spirit through them.
Thanks for the beer huggers too, nice touch!
Thanks again, this was an amazing but sobering thing to have happened at precisely such a dark moment in guitar history. Would never have wanted it this way but for whatever reason God decided to take Eddie from us at that very moment. It makes the meaning of these instruments very profound.
All the best,
Marshall
staxman@aol.com
Mean Street Unchained Tour Model Relic
Mitchel,
Just a quick note to say the axe arrived safe and sound last Friday and better than I could have imagined. Not only in looks but in playability and tone. Thank you so much - I’ve dreamed of this for many hears and I appreciate you making it a reality. One of my most valued possessions.
Have a great weekend,
Mike
m4daum@aol.com
Mean Street Unchained Tour Model Satin Finish
Hi Mitchel,
The guitar arrived safely today. Words cannot describe my joy.
It’s exactly what I was looking for, the neck, the paint job with the matte/satin, non-reflective finish… it plays and sounds great !
You did an amazing job ! Owning this 5150 is a dream come true.
It was a pleasure to do business with you and I hope to do it again in the future.
Thank you so much, I truly appreciate your incredible job, your attention to the details and your communication.
Thanks again
Take care
Arnaud (France) adegallier@hotmail.com
Mitchel,
Got the guitar last night - dude it is phenomenal - I love the guitar, it looks killer and love the aesthetic!! A true masterpiece that also sounds and plays like a monster!! Can't thank you enough!! It's perfect and instantly one of my fav guitars I own - up there with the evh tour relic that cost me 20k Canadian!!
Best,
Darrel D (Email upon request)
Canada
Mean Street Unchained Tour Model
Mitchel,
Wow!!! That's about all I can muster right now. I've been absolutely crushing this guitar for about five hours and it screams, screeches, wails, groans, and still stays in tune. The pickup is perfect - very hot and very responsive. Lots of harmonics available with it. The relic job is stupendous! I had no idea that Floyd even made a screw in trem anymore, but it really suits the 80s vibe of the guitar. Neck shape is extremely comfortable and familiar. To me it feels very similar to the new EVH Wolfgang necks, which is a good thing. Overall, I'm very happy! My guess is I will only like it more with time bc typically it takes a while for me to bond with a new guitar at first. But not with this one. Great job! Thanks so much. I will most likely ask you to build another for me.
Cheers,
Will
will@thefowlerco.com
Hey Mitchel;
Got the Unchained Tour Model w/graphic on Saturday, so like my Frankie, I opened it up and was amazed, couldn't plug it in right away, so I left it upstairs to acclimate to it's new home. That afternoon, I cranked it up. I have the 5150 III 100 watt head, Peavey slanted cab, etc...Holy cow, that guitar is exactly what I was looking for, the neck felt like an old friend, immediately. The sound was insane, pretty much an exact 1984 album tonality, the notes really ring through without that compression sound, they breathe, if that makes sense.
Very happy with my new guitar, really appreciate your efforts, making dreams come true, Mean Street Guitars!!
Robert DeVore
P.S..Thanks for the picks, they are killer!!
devorerd@earthlink.net
Mean Street Guitars Industrial EVH Wolfgang
I couldn't be more pleased with the industrial custom work Mitchel did for me (EVH Wolfgang Dive Bomber Test Pilot). I emailed Mitchel and asked if he could do something similar to the "Nuclear Injection" if I sent him my guitar. Mitchel was quick to respond that he could but explained up front that it wouldn't be exact (which was good by me as I wanted something a bit different). Once Mitchel had my guitar, we spoke on the phone about exactly was I was looking for. Mitchel was great about taking note of the design elements I liked and disliked. I told Mitchel I was looking for something aviation inspired and he totally got it. Mitchel kept me posted by email on progress and also asked questions on design elements. When Mitchel sent me the photos of the finished product - I was blown away. He totally nailed it! It looks even more amazing in person - and it plays and sounds great! You will not be disappointed with Mitchel's work and attention to the details.
Thanks Mitchel for the one of a kind masterpiece!
Dave Dstockslager@cinci.rr.com
Mean Street Unchained Tour Model
Two weeks ago I received my new "Unchained Tour Model” relic guitar from MeanStreet guitars and after quite a few jams and 2 or 3 recording sessions I thought I would write a review of this fine instrument. Let me start out by saying that I am a bit of a guitar snob and like many guitarists out there I have gone through countless instruments in the quest of finding what I really needed. I have a rather large collection of high end instruments including guitars made by EVH, Fender, PRS, Nash, Collings, and Bourgeois but for my next guitar I wanted something unique and not readily available on the standard market. I sought out Mitchell Floyd in May 2016 and asked him if he would build me one of his guitars and now after two weeks I feel It’s time to share my opinion. I had very high expectations for this guitar and was really hoping it would live up to those expectations… It did!!! The art work alone was spectacular and I spent quite a few minutes of just staring at it from multiple angles before I even played it. My instrument had a “heavy relic” and I was blown away at the quality of the aging. I have seen many high end relic guitars up close including the custom shop “Frankenstrat” and I know what cheep bargin brand aging looks like… and this ain’t it. Top shelf relic and art work. Second, the material selection was outstanding. I have high standards in wood selection and did not want a heavy lifeless chunk of wood. My guitar has a beautiful, lightweight two piece body and a perfect neck pocket. The neck profile, fretwork, and assembly were as good as any guitar I’ve seen. The frets did not have a high gloss polish (something I do when I refret instruments) but it was a relic guitar and the frets felt like they had been aged a bit. The setup was quite good by I have some very specific ideas pertaining to setup and I did a “tweak or two” to bring it into my spec’s. The tone is amazing and it may be one of the easiest playing guitars I have. What is interesting to me is that it does not play like a “high end” factory built super guitar. My Meanstreet guitar plays like a raw, aggressive, custom build beast that can peal paint!!! It’s not a fancy sports car… it’s a nasty supped up muscle car from the late ’70’s. Most importantly it was built with love. I spoke with Mitchel several times during the build and feel like we are friends now. He was wonderful, gracious, patient, andanswered all may questions. Mitchel built me a fantastic guitar and it will remain in my collection for a long, long time. Thanks for the guitar dude!!!
mbrixa@gmail.com
Mean Street Unchained Tour Model "Left-handed"
Hey Mitchel, here's you a little something to copy and paste to your site
As a lefty, my options of good guitars are slim to none.
I do have a few great ones ( Gibson SG, Martin D-35, J-15, D-28,Few Taylors, etc) but mostly, always stuck with Japanese/ Chinese crap!! I always wanted a Van Halen style guitar, kind of 5150'ish. I almost dropped some cash on a Chinese company with very little customer service to build me one, and accidentally stumbled on to Mitchel at Meanstreet Guitars while browsing. I am so glad I did. Mitchel is very respondent to emails and can do anything you want. He was up front about the wait time of around 4-5 months, but guess what? 4.5 months is up and just got it FedEx!!!
This is not just a guitar! it is piece of art!! I could not be happier.
The paint job on this is like that of a new sports car in the show room, UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!
He Threw on a Duncan Custom Custom, Original Floyd, some Slinky 9's, and this thing sounds as if its off the early 80's Van Halen albums.
Mitchel was very honest and said being a left hand guitar, the set up might be a little off, being that he doesn't do lefties often. But to his surprise, he did excellent!!! Low action, straight neck, this thing ROCKS!!!!
Mitchel is a true professional in every aspect. If your considering ordering a custom, American made, only for you, piece of art, give Mitchel a look!! I will be a repeat customer!
Kevin
griggskevin@yahoo.com
Hi Mitchel,
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!
The guitar is AMAZINGLY beautiful!!!!
It came in on Saturday but I was at work and couldn't get to Fed Ex in time.
I picked up last night and was completely blown away when I opened it up.
You are a true artist and I truly appreciate you doing this for me.
I can't thank you enough for your kindness and understanding.
You Rock!!!! Thank you so very much!!!! God Bless You brother!!!!
Gianfranco
GIANIACOVO@hotmail.com
Hi Mitchel just got the guitar today!
Holy sh#t this thing rocks!
Right out of the box set up perfect no bunk notes it sounds amazing! Couldn't be happier with the guitar.
Thank you so much it was a pleasure doing business with you. I'll be preaching mean street guitars to all my friends!
Corey
Four Cafe
co.rey@me.com
Hi Mitch:
Just wanted to let you know that I just received the Intruder and Unchained black & white guitars with the hard shell cases. They are absolutely beautiful!
You and the company did an amazing job on them. I just want to say thank you for all your help on getting these guitars made for me. It was a pleasure to do business with you and I hope to do it again in the near future.
Again, thank you for all your help on these guitars, Mitch. Best of luck to you and Mean Street Guitars and thank you again.
Steve
gtrman71@optonline.net
Hey Mitchel!!!
I just wanted to let you know the Wolfgang guitar body was delivered today!!! I can't quit looking at it!!! Awesome work!!! Excuse my French, but... it's un-f***ing believable how good it turned out!!! Way cooler than those EVH Stripe Series Wolfgangs. I love all the little imperfections/relicing!!! Also... love the finish!!! I wasn't sure if it was going to have a glossy finish or what? I just have to say... I wouldn't change a thing. It's perfect!!! I haven't got a neck on it yet... will prob take it to my local guitar guy, and have him put the neck on for me. Although... I'm afraid he won't want to give it back to me!! lol!! I'm totally serious... I can't stop looking at it!!! Great!!! Great!!! Great!!! work my friend!!! I'm going to send you something... as a small token of my appreciation. So... be on the look out for it!!! It's no big deal. Just a little something to let you know how truly thankful I am that you trusted me enough to paint this for me!!! Thank you so much!!!!!
Take care,
Jeff
erupshn78@icloud.com
Mitchel:
The guitar arrived safely last night. You did a great job, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out.
The relicing is perfect, right down to the burnished chrome on the strap lock parts.
It has played great out of the box, and I appreciate your taking care to pack it
I’m going on vacation on Tuesday, and the guitar is coming with me. It will get played, and it will get used. A lot.
I’ll be in touch.
Curtis
csanders@shermanhoward.com
Hi Mitchel,
I've just received the guitar : one word : incredible !!!
The sound is amazing, the paint job and the neck are awesome!! The graphics are perfect : just like the original : I feel like Tom Morrello!!
I don't know how you've succeeded in recreate the different shade of the color : if you look one side it's blue and on the other side it's gray!!!
It's the second guitar you made for me and I hope to do business with you again in the future.
Thanks again for excellent quality work and customer service.
Best regards
Romain (France)
romain.belascain@bbox.fr
Hey Mitchel,
She came on Thursday, as scheduled. Plays like a dream and I love the tone, even unplugged.
Killer setup and the paint job looks even better in person.
Everyone I've shown it to has loved it. At least one has threatened to steal it.
Thanks so much, man. Next time I get a guitar, it'll be another one of these!
By the way, I've never seen strings wound/set up that nicely. What's your method? Any other tips for taking care of the baby are most appreciated...I want it to last a lifetime. Definitely in love!!!
-Matt
mdorzolek@gmail.com
Hi Mitchel,
The guitar arrived.
What an amazing guitar - feels, sounds and looks great. Easily one of my favorites already!
The neck is terrific and the birdseye looks impressive. The neck profile is comfortable. Feels great
Thanks so much again, I'm very happy with the guitar.
Regards
Steven (Australia)
sl5276@hotmail.com
Mitchel,
Picked up the guitar yesterday after the inevitable delay once the package had arrived in Oman (things move slowly here!).
It was well worth the wait - what an awesome job you did, and the case is the icing on the cake. Thanks so much for a really top quality job. Cannot take the smile off my face.
I count myself very fortunate to have gotten one of the last replica paint jobs, and the relic job is just superb.
Thanks,
Barry
bazcoomber@hotmail.com
Hi Mitchel -
I received my black '78 Legend two days ago and I haven't put it down since.
The quality and craftsmanship of your guitars is excellent and my guitar was set up perfect right out of the box!
This is by far one of the easiest playing guitars I've ever owned.
Thanks for making such a great guitar and if my wife will let me I look forward to purchasing another one in the near future!
Thanks again,
James R. - Knoxville, TN
jamesrooker@charter.net
Mean Street Tour Model Franky
Mitchel,
Got the guitar and what can I say – I’m beyond thrilled!
You do incredible work and I couldn’t be more proud to play your instruments.
This is the third guitar I’ve bought from you and each one has been in tune with a perfect setup right out of the box.
Thanks so much for your dedication to excellence.
Sincerely,
TIM H
Tim.Hardiman@cmt.com
Mean Street Tour Model Unchained:
Mitchel
After some playing I'm more than happy to sing some praises.
This guitar has an EVH Frankenstein pickup and an "Original 1984" Floyd
Rose trem with screwed-in mounts and a fat brass sustain block. These
all party happily with the poplar body and the tone is throaty, punchy
and tight with bell-clear higher registers at EVH levels of overdrive.
You hear what you play on this one, in a good way. Ten out of ten.
The asymmetric neck is a delight: it's there under the thumb but lovely
and slim south side where less is more. I play better on this neck. Ten
out of ten.
Put together, greater than the sum of its parts, so eleven out of ten. A
mean machine.
Dominic
Mean Street 5150R
Hi Mitchel,
I received the guitar yesterday, everything was fine.
It looks great, I'm so happy to own it now!!!
You really did a great job, the painting is perfect and once plugged, the tone is there!!!!
I've never played a guitar with a neck of that shape, it is unique.
Thanks again, you're a magician!!
Take care
Patrick
patrick.sordini@hotmail.fr
Mean Street Franky
Hi Mitchel,
Received "Franky" today. It looks amazing! I'm just going to look at it admire it for awhile, then plug in and go nuts later:)
Thanks again for all of your hard work! You have a very special talent.
Take care,
Ed
guitarjunky2012@gmail.com
Mean Street Franky
Mitchel,
The guitar arrived safely today in Massachusetts. ?? PHENOMENAL is the only word I have to describe it. You truly are a master at building these guitars! Owning one of these has been a dream of mine for 30+ years. Thanks for your incredible attention to detail and superior craftsmanship. I feel this was worth every penny. I foresee being back on your waiting list in the future.
Best Regards,
Bradley
vhpeavey5150@gmail.com
Mitchel,
Hope you are doing well sir. I am very sorry that it took me this long to inform you that I received the guitars and that I am very pleased and happy with their out come. In fact, I am speechless. It has been nice doing business with you and maybe it won't be the last time that I'll be doing so. Keep up the good work.
Respectfully,
Rigoberto (One Happy Customer!!!)
P.S. I once read on your website that you were looking for a reason to stay in business.... The reason you should stay in business is because you are passionate about what you do and it shows. God Bless Bro!!!
rigoroman68@yahoo.com (California)
I hope you and your family had some nice Christmas days in Florida. :)
Today I picked up the guitar from customs office.
After first observation and 2 hours of playing, I am kind of shocked.
Only thing I can say for now and short: The feeling, the look and the sound are overwhelming,
and I know what I am talking about as my collection of around 20 guitars are all well known top notch instruments.
For me an old (un-realizable) wish from around '87 came finally true. Thank you, Mitchel!!!
Regards Peter (Germany)
Hi Mitchel,
The guitar arrived last night: it is truly a very special instrument!
Thank you so much, it both looks and plays beautifully… Rest assured it will be played and cherished for a long time to come. Also be confident that I will be coming back to you shortly for a Tour Model Franky as well J
All the best mate.
Cheers,
Neil (Canada)
neilt@bioware.com
Hi Mitchel,
Just wanted to let you know that I received the guitar today and it looks amazing!
I haven't had the opportunity to play it just yet as I've been too busy just staring at it in absolute awe......you do some really fantastic work!
I appreciate the communication, insight, and effort that you've made throughout to make this an enjoyable experience, and I will be contacting you very soon once I figure out which design I would like for my other Wolfgang.
Thanks so much once again!
George
newyorkfrontman@aol.com
Mitchel
I just wanted to thank you again for the guitar. I played on it for hours last night.
The neck on that guitar is the most comfortable neck I have ever played on. The sound is also awesome!
I have a custom Musicman Axis guitar, fender stratocaster and have played on my brother's $3,000 Wolfgang guitar. If choosing between any of these guitars, I would chose yours, even if it wasn't striped. I have already spent my budget for the year on guitars, but will definitely be contacting you at the end of the year for another order.
Thanks again for the guitar.
Dr. Dave M
Pensacola, FL
dmartin5150@icloud.com
Mitchel,
I just got the guitar. Wow... it's way beyond what I expected. Fantastic workmanship all around!!
The paint looks amazing and the neck plays like a dream. I can't wait to show all of my guitar buddies this incredible instrument.
I have no hesitation at all recommending you for a quality custom built guitar.
This has been a great and painless process from start to finish. Keep up the great work!!!
Thanks a million!!!
- Pete
Mitchel,
I received my guitar yesterday and have been playing it ever since!
Thank you again, for another great guitar.
The Mean Street quality and attention to detail is second to none.
I hope to meet you someday, but until then-rock on and keep up the great work.
Richie
raiello@cablenetsystems.com
Hi Mitchell,
Was wondering if you remember an Intruder Holoflash that you created for a guy up in western Canada? This particular neck and body is numbered 9 of 12. Original Floyd in black, Schaller's in black, and a Seymour-Duncan custom "Brown Sound" P/U. This beautiful, absolutely badass, guitar has served me so very well and continues to improve with age. Just thought you might like to know... My youngest son and myself were lucky enough to attend a Steve Vai guitar clinic in November 2009. After the clinic he (Vai) commented that he really liked your creation ( the Intruder Holo') while he played with it for a moment, or two.[ Holy Freakin' Cow!!] I told him that I was a really proud owner, would never sell it, but didn't want it signed because it would likely lead to me playing it less. He signed my son's red 1986 Kramer Beretta on the body and the headstock before he left, instead. (My son hardly ever plays the Kramer anymore)... Nice chap(s)! Fabulous guitarist(s)! Vai and my son actually!
I sincerely hope that you and your family are well and safe from harm.
God Bless the U.S. and all its people.
Best regards,
A.M.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Mitchel, I just wanted to let you know that I received my Custom Franky guitar this past Friday and words cannot accurately describe how amazing it is!!!!!
Your attention to detail accompanied by your expert craftsmanship results in the most affordable DEAD ON version of the guitar that myself
(and I would imagine most who are reading this) have been fascinated with for all of these years…I’m positive EVH himself would be impressed.
I first have to sincerely thank you for your extreme patience….when I changed my order for about the 150th time (this is no joke, people) you never once lost your patience or tried to sway me into any particular guitar. Like I said earlier, I would buy them all from you in one shot if I could! LOL Your customer service is just top notch.
I’m more than pleased for finally settling on the Custom Franky. I didn’t plan it this way but getting it when I did really added to my Father’s Day/birthday weekend. I posted a video on YouTube of me unboxing the guitar and in it you can see that my co-workers had some fun when it came to the office by writing “Happy Father’s Day” and “Happy Birthday” on the box as I was not there when it arrived.
Second, I need to thank the many people who wrote testimonials on your site that I reached out with questions about their guitars. Everyone was very responsive and helpful and I hope I can return the favor one day for anyone interested in a Mean Street guitar. Like I also say in my video, the fans of these guitars are like a family…and Mitchel, you get it. I cannot thank you enough for what you do for the fans of both these guitars and the guitarist who originally introduced us to them.
The guitar itself: the neck is just fantastic. Smooth, perfect action out of the box and just almost feels like it’s playing itself, it is so effortless….nice and dirty worn look, which I love.
For the bridge pickup, I chose the Seymour Duncan 78 and it is just amazing. The harmonics jump out of it so easily and the sustain is endless…This is my first OFR and I cannot be more pleased with it. Dive-bombing down to the ground and back up is also effortless and the tuning never even wavers….as EVH once said in an interview referring to the Floyd, “I wanted it to sound like falling off a cliff…” with this trem and the way you set everything up, it is just like that and more. And the added bonus of course is a working neck pickup which is just awesome.
Overall, I feel a bit spoiled and like I am “cheating” because the guitar is just so darn easy to play and sounds perfect!!! Tapping, bends, hammer- ons, pull offs, pinch harmonics, dive bombing, wide vibrato, and all of the other tricks just come out so effortlessly with your guitar. Again, I cannot thank you enough.
Mark my words, "Mr. Floyd", I WILL be back for a 5150 someday soon, guaranteed.
Your friend and 1,000% satisfied customer,
John
vhman1984@yahoo.com
Mitch ~ thanks again.
The build quality on this is ridiculous. I knew it would be good but damn, she nearly plays herself. Salute to you. Amazing work.
Can't wait to get her on stage tomorrow. We are pretty much sold out so it should kick ass. And I'll tag your page in all the pics.
(After show email...)
Since I retired my own Frankie, the 5150 you sold me has been aptly named 'Frances' and she really served me well Saturday night. What a joy to play. I have some great pics of the band on the FB page (I've included a few for you) and there are already some fan videos of a few songs and I've attached the links for you here too.
We'll have some of our pro-shot video up in a few weeks and I'll let you know when we have those links. But the night was a huge success. We ended up raising more than $15,000 for the Gold Shield Foundation.
~THE WILSON VAN~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af_G7gXBqJs (Aint' Talkin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUNcUVsBRCA (Jump)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZOVH9GXeXg (Don't Stop - NEVER have I played my VH guitar on this but I didn't wanna put her down -haha)
Thx again! ~Mark
fox13wilson@gmail.com
Mitchel,
Received guitar yesterday. You are truly a master craftsman. My son and I jammed all day.
Perfection.
Well done. If you need a testimonial (I'm sure you have plenty), consider this my official testimonial and endorsement. Thank you!
Best Regards,
Joe Rhome
joerhome@yahoo.com
Mitchel,
Just wanted to let you know my wife gave me the guitar on my actual birthday and did not wait until tomorrow (Saturday) at my party. I absolutely LOVE IT! It feels great, plays great, and looks fantastic. I posted a picture of it on our facebook and my musician friends were going nuts!
I just want to thank you again for making this model for me. I can not say it enough.
I can assure you this guitar will be played for many many years to come.
Wish you all the best. I did refer you to some people so hopefully they will give you some business!
Thanks
Jasin
jasingarner@gmail.com
Mitchel,
The guitar has just arrived here tonight.
Yes, I finally got it!
It must be very safe shipping, no damages, of course.
Very cool guitar with very precise works.
Sounds nice too.
I will enjoy playing VH's music with this.
Thank you very much.
Takao M(Japan)
mottee1971@hotmail.co.jp
Working with Mitchel was a dream come true and so is the guitar he built for me. Trying to find words to describe the moment when you open that guitar case for the first time will only diminish a truly magical moment in your life. I'll never forget that moment. The guitar is, as others have already said, a true work of art. The guitar plays and feels better than all of my other guitars combined. The neck is so slick and fast and the EVH pickup is in a league of its own. I can't believe the tone and harmonics I'm getting out of this thing. I finally own a guitar I will never sell.
Rich S.
rsnyder812@msn.com
Franky
Man, what a work of art. Your attention to detail is perfect.
Guitar is better than expected and thanks for getting it done before Christmas. AWESOME!!!
Thanks!
Wyatt Poindexter
WYATT@WYATTPOINDEXTER.COM
Mitchel,
Received my 78' Franky Neon last Friday, played it on Saturday night!!!!
It's truly a work of art! It plays amazing, action is perfect, loved every note that screamed out of my amp!!
Thanks for the quality workmanship!
I will be a repeat customer.
Sincerely,
Tom
atomictom86@yahoo.com
My Intruder arrived yesterday afternoon, In a word this guitar is "badass"...
Fit and finish are perfect. Mitchel you are a true craftsman.
Thinking bout my next order already : )
Thanks so much Mitchel, you knocked it outta the park
Jeff
quick62005@yahoo.com
AMAZING and INCREDIBLE!!!
I'll be in touch soon for more......
Thanks Again,
Sal
salgrasso@yahoo.com
Mitchel,
I received the guitar and it looks great! The neck feels and plays better than my EVH Wolfgang!! Thanks for keeping it real and sticking to your word-much appreciated.
Thanks again, look forward to another purchase down the road.
Richie
raiello@cablenetsystems.com
Mitchel
Thank you for your true craftsmanship.
The guitar arrived in perfect condition yesterday, and straight out of the box (literally) plays like a dream.
You have clearly been in this game for a long time, and it shows. I am very impressed. Build quality, tonality and perfect looks. Fantastic job!
Very happy customer ...
brettandtanys@gmail.com
Hi Mitchel,
I ordered the "Custom Model Franky"' and I couldn't have been happier with my purchase. Mitchel's craftsmanship and keen eye for details are amazing!
The paint job is crazy and the sound is way more than I had expected. It truly is a work of art.
Mitchel was a real pleasure to do business with. I would definitely consider Mean Street Guitars for my next custom guitar.
Thanks again for such an awesome guitar!
Matthew
tbohn05@comcast.net
WOW is all I can say. The guitar arrived in perfect condition. Pictures don’t do it justice. Your attention to detail is crazy. Thanks so much. It really is awesome.
Scott
sprice01@tx.rr.com
VHII
Hi Mitch,
Just letting you know that my guitar arrived safely yesterday. Gotta say I was pleasantly surprised on how the guitar looked and played. I Really love the feel of the neck and how it was perfectly set up, I was also surprised on how well your custom wound pickup sounded, you really captured that early Van Halen sound. Overall this guitar exceeded my expectations and would like to thank you on a job well done.
Big Thanks,
Joe L.
rocknrolla1970@hotmail.com
I ordered a 5150 Tour Model as a present to myself for my 50th birthday, and could not be happier!
The Art: I have been going through my 1980 vintage magazines (Guitar Player, Guitar World, etc.) comparing my guitar to Eddie's and the level of detail is incredible. The guitar is the best re-creation of a 1984 tour model available on the Planet. The artwork is unbelievable, almost too pretty to play.
The Guitar: My guitar was set up perfectly, correct strings, action, intonation, tuning, etc. The original Floyd Rose with the big brass block offers almost endless sustain, and the Gotoh tuners provide stable tuning. I chose the EVH Frankenstein pickup and am very happy with my choice. The neck is incredible, oil finish, fast action, and to my specifications.
The Man: It was very refreshing to deal with a true professional like Mitchell. He helped me with every aspect of the ordering process and even called me when I was a little overwhelmed. He was very patient with me and even allowed me to change pickups at the last second. He just wants you to be happy with your guitar.
Mitchell, I've said it before, but thank you again. Feel free to use my E-mail address as a reference. The guitar was well worth the wait. You will be hearing from me again in the future. I am thinking a total custom 1978 Legend Franky , stock up on the reflectors…… Take care, Scott.
sbolind@comcast.net
Hello Mitchel,
Just picked up the guitar , and would like to thank you again for this amazing piece of craftsmanship. The paint is absolutely perfect, and the level of detail put into it is simply stunning! But it gets better; I picked it up and plugged it in....WOW! I can honestly say that the feel and playability, not to mention the sound is incredible. Thanks for the suggestion on the pickup, it's exactly what I was looking for. I have , in my collection , guitars that have cost me over three times what I paid you, but none equal what you have provided!
Fantastic job and absolutely worth the wait,
Thanks again,
Steve.
Please feel free to use any of my comments however you wish. Your work is absolutely first rate and you should be very proud of it.
stevevamosi@hotmail.com
Hey Mitchel,
I received my guitar yesterday. I just want to thank you for making such a perfect reproduction of Ed's guitar.
The thing also plays as good as it looks. Flawless, thank you very much. Pleasure working with you.
Also, perfect set up. Again thank you so much. I eventually plan on getting a 5150. Take care man!
atubbs22@gmail.com
VH1
Hey Mitch,
Letting u know I received the guitar yesterday. Paint job is wicked.
Love the neck. Good feel and speed. The Duncan sounds great! Nice
clarity and tone. Initial impression is awesome. Looking forward to
getting to know it. Thanks Mitch. I'll be recommending you to all in
my guitar network. I'll be in touch.
Greg K
gzakis01@gmail.com
Wow. Got the awesome 5150. My son took it to his guitar lesson tonight. The 2 twenty something rock school teachers that work there loved it. We have a birthday party this weekend that he will be playing at and showing it off. Everyone is asking where we got it. Thank you very much. Would love a bass painted up like Wolfgang's now.
Yes absolutely use my email on your website. I can't stop looking at it. I truly feel it was given to us by Eddie himself. Well worth the wait.
jimmy@jimmyclark.net
(Also listed in the video section)
Sorry for the delay, but I have not been able to put this bad boy down!
She was absolutely beautiful right out of the box, and she sounds even better than she looks. I made just a couple of tiny modifications, and only for personal preference; I put .011s on it, tuned down to Eb, and she tuned right up with just a couple of cranks on the trem-claw for more pull. The Seymour 78 pickup absolutely howls, it has that classic "Brown Sound." It's gritty and responds really well to increased gain and volume while at the same time it cleans up nicely when you roll the volume down. The original Floyd with the big brass block is as solid as you can get. It also looks beautiful in chrome. In fact, the finish on the whole guitar is so pretty sometimes I just stare at it! The neck is smooth and fast, with a thicker profile. The construction is solid, and the paint job is superb. I showed the guitar to a couple of co-workers and told them to put their faces right up to the guitar to see that those are hand-painted, custom stripes, and they couldn't believe it.
As far as I know, this is the only Mean Street axe rocking out here in the desert of Doha, Qatar! Amazing work, Mitchel, thanks for everything, and we will definitely be doing business again.
J.C. (Doha, Qatar)
jcfimbre@asu.edu
Hey Mitchel, guitar arrived earlier today. Absolutely love it!
Please feel free to use me as a reference should the need arise.
I won't hesitate to recommend you to others.
Thanks again
Jon
stargoat@carolina.rr.com
Mitchel,
I received my guitar yesterday afternoon. I have to tell you...it is absolutely what I wanted and more!!! It looks fantastic and plays/sounds even better! I just love it and wanted to let you know it was worth the wait!!!!!
Thanks again for building me such a cool sounding/playing/and looking guitar.
I am VERY HAPPY.
Joe
joseph92808@yahoo.com
First let me say that Mitchel is one of the easiest going people I have ever dealt with. Actually listens to you, and wants you to be extremely satisfied.
I got the Unchained 5150 Relic, and all I can say is I have owned about 50 Fender Stratocasters, and several other guitars. And this by far is the best quality instrument I have ever played.
The paint looks like something Eddie actually did himself, and the relicing is amazing. Rub marks, wear spots, cigarette burns. I had to play unchained first, had to. The last guitar I sold was a Jackson SL-1 and this things plays and sounds better than the Jackson. No insults to any other Guitar Companies. Just my opinion, so I am not bashing.
Buy one of Mitchel's amazing, awe inspiring, piece's of art and you won't be disappointed.
Rick Swank
Hi Mitchel
Sorry for the late answer! Since I got your guitar I used it during our first gig on new years eve and yesterday. It simply sounds amazing using a Hughes TriAmp + Fractal Audio Axe FX (gotta crowd going). It's really seldom that I feel comfortable with a guitar. In this case everything matched right from the moment I took it out of the case. It even was nearly in perfect tune. It's got a great playability even if I compare it with my Gibson or PRS guitars. The paintjob looks just awesome with the smoke burns - worn out parts - freatboard-/hardware wear - headstock details - looks like its been around the world.
I'm really impressed thank you for this killer instrument!!!
Greetings from Germany
Christian
ChrisZiwes@web.de
My guitar arrived promptly to Ireland, it was very well packaged.
On opening I was stunned by firstly the immense paint job and secondly by the beautiful hardware.
The paint is very accurate and brilliantly done. I ordered the 'works' in this guitar, Gotoh tuners, SD EVH PU, original Floyd with a big brass block, skunk stripe banana neck... A lá Eddie himself!!
The sound is unquestionably stunning, warm tone with amazing harmonics.
This is the guitar I've always wanted, heck always dreamed about!
Mitchel you are an artist, thank you for everything!!
Joe (Ireland)
joe_walker10@hotmail.co.uk
After playing this thing, WOW! This is the first guitar that I didn't have to tweak. I've bought Fender, Gibson and several other premium guitars and I always have to tweak them to get the action right. This puppy was perfect out of the box. The relic work and art work is completely awesome. I go by feelings, you gave me a good vibe day one and when I read about your mission to make an affordable high quality EVH guitar that common people could afford, you got a warm place in my heart. I that's fantastic alone!
Anyway my man, you have a unique gift and I feel very blessed to have this guitar. Now all of the stars are aligned and I will be playing my fingers off!
Thanks again for everything!
John
jcsllc96@bellsouth.net
Wow, am I glad I ordered this Guitar. The Detail in the finish is very impressive .
It plays very good and has that old VH 1 and VH2 Brown Sound.
It Kicks butt and has the looks to boot. Thank YOU for this wonderful instrument Mitchel
Tony
anthonydianna@cox.net
Hi Mitchel,
Got the guitar today and I've got to say it looks and plays amazingly.
Very impressed with it and once again i must say thanks. If I need another custom guitar built up you will be the first I ask.
Thanks again.
Ryan (United Kingdom)
rco.designs@gmail.com
(Second testimonial, 1st one (5150G) about 19 below this one)
Mitchel,
The guitar arrived Monday and I am very impressed. The detail is meticulous and well done. I just want to thank you for another quality guitar, and there may be more in the future….
Thank you very much,
Steve K
stevek@san.rr.com
Hi Mitchel,
I've just received the guitar yesterday : one word = awesome !!!!!!!
Everything is amazing : the guitar is absolutely beautiful (what a paint
job!!!) and the sound is terrific !!!!
It's incredible what you've done : all is more than perfect !!!
Now i have to save money in order to buy a ATH replica
I'll try in the beginning of next year (February or March
2012).
Thanks again for all.
Best regards
Romain (France) (Paid via Western Union)
Hi Mitchel,
Arrived this last weekend, sorry for delay in replying, been hard to get me off it… you are a true genius mate, it is incredible…
Well done, I dunno what to say, too many superlatives to use..
Thanks for this, I just can’t take my eyes off it either…
Words cannot describe it…You star…
John (Japan) (Paid via Western Union)
jhinge@tullettprebon.co.jp
Mitchel,
The guitar arrived today and I don't know what to say, I'm in disbelief over just about everything about it.
The detail, the set up, and especially the pick ups are outstanding. Thank You!!!
When I save enough pennies I'll absolutely order another guitar from you.
You have one satisfied customer.
Thanks again
Matt
smlhjackson@yahoo.com
Hey Mitchell,
I received the guitar yesterday, everything went smoothly.
Let me just say the guitar looks, plays, and feels amazing. It really looks freaking awesome in person.
Thank you so much for the great service, I never dealt with anyone online who was as professional, efficient and quick as yourself. You nailed everything I asked for and more, every single detail was perfect and it was well worth the wait. I really appreciate it, and if you ever need any sort of recommendation don't hesitate to ask. If anyone needs a sweet custom guitar I'll be the first to send them your way. Thanks again.
Best Regards,
Jett
seifera@hotmail.com
Hello Mitchel,
Got the guitar on Tuesday! Thanks a lot ! She's a beauty alright!
The neck feels great, I love these natural wood necks, doesn't stick at all! The sound....just awesome, she is a screamer. It's got a really nice bright and clear sound, and chords are very, very clear with distortion. The harmonics are rich and scream ! I played it through a Mesa Studio Preamp and it just kills. I compared it with my 1978 Les Paul Custom and I dare say it sounds better!! These pickups are awesome, very impressive. The floyd rose stays in tune perfectly.
Thanks again for this great guitar!
Dave
stringscorcher@yahoo.com
Hi Mitchel, the guitar arrived safely.
I must say, you are a master craftsman.
It is absolutely beautiful, and sounds fantastic!
I will definitely have you make me another guitar in the future.
Thanks again for everything, Sean
smh26@verizon.net
The Service: Mitchel always responded to every single email or question within a timely manner. All of our communication was via email and it worked perfect. He also kept me up to date on the progress of the guitar and it was delivered on time, as promised. Once the final payment was made, I received the guitar within 6 days. Mitchel knew what I was looking for in the guitar and he did not disappoint. Everything was handled in a very professional manner and I plan on doing more business with Mean Street.
The Guitar: I purchased the Kramer 5150. When it arrived, it was packaged up very well. I hurried to get it open, the first thing I saw was the beautiful case that came with it. Right off the bat, I was impressed, but I couldn't wait to open the case. If any of you have seen the movie "Pulp Fiction" then you will know what I am talking about. There is a seen in the movie when they open the briefcase and there is a glow coming out of it. Well, that was my experience with this guitar. I could not believe how nice it was. The paint job was perfect! Just as good as a Fender or Gibson paint job, no question about it. The paint job is so accurate it is scary. Mitchel had told me to let the guitar acclimate a bit before making any adjustments. I tuned the guitar up, plugged her in and started ripping away on Panama. The sound was incredible. I elected to have Mitchel install the Custom Shop SD 78 EVH pick-up. I called my band-mates over to check it out and they were also blown away. If you are considering buying a guitar from Mean Street, do not hesitate, you will not be disappointed.
The only issue I had was sneaking the guitar into my "toy" room without the wife seeing it. Mission accomplished!
Play on!
jcroney@hotmail.com
Franky
Hey Mitchel,
I received the guitar (full custom ash body/EVH/fender neck etc...) and have really enjoyed it, but damn, I still can't play those Van Halen riffs. (LOL!!) Thanks for a great guitar. As far as quality and looks and playability, it is what I would expect from a custom guitar of this type. Anyone wishing to get a Custom guitar in the Frankenstrat design should consider Mean Street Guitars.
Thanks again,
Jeff
ford.jeff@yahoo.com
Hey Mitchel, just letting you know I received the guitar earlier today,
it does look 100x better in person, the green looks really nice, and it
goes well with the holo-crackle, gold hardware looks sharp as well, I
gotta say I was skeptical at first, cause I've never bought a guitar I
couldn't play before the purchase, the paintjob is flawless and looks
amazing, I am sure a lot of people will give me compliments on it, you
don't see too many holo-crackle guitars theses days, the neck is good
quality as well, there are no sharp edges on the frets, the Floyd rose
ping stays in tune good, I was messing with the whammy bar alot to see
how well it holds up, so far it holds up well, your meanstreet custom
wound pickup is good aswell, I didn't know what to expect from it, it
has really good harmonics, I can hit pinch harmonics with ease, cleans
up well when you turn down the volume knob, overall it is a pure 80s
guitar I always wanted, I wasn't born in the 80s so I wasn't around when
the music was good and they had flashy colored guitars, it fits what I
do and like, nothing better than a green holo-crackle guitar when
playing 80s glam metal, im sure I will be back to you someday for
another guitar, I still need a tiger stripe guitar! you are a great
person to deal with, you answered every email and every question I had,
I will be sure to tell people about your guitars.
socizzle@aim.com
VHII
Hi Mitchel;
I’m sorry it took so long to get back to you but it’s been very busy at work this week. I wanted to let you know that I received my guitar a little over a week ago. I was a little concerned because of the Canada Post strike, however, as soon as they went back to work, the guitar arrived shortly after. I want to thank you very much for the amazing packing job. There were no problems with the guitar and after I took it out of the case, it was like a dream come true. I have been wanting something like this since I was a teenager and now I have it! The graphics and the finish on the guitar are awesome, the setup makes the perfect sound. You have done an amazing job! I will definitely recommend you to everyone who wants their own custom guitar.
Once again, thank you so much for your quick turnaround on this.
I’m sure you will back from me again in the future for the 78 Legend.
Enjoy your summer.
Regards,
Ken
stephandken@sympatico.ca
Mitch,
Hey just wanted to let you know that I received the guitar on Monday.
I am absolutely thrilled with it. I spend a lot of time just staring at it because I can't believe it's actually mine. It is exactly what I wanted and well worth the wait. The details are amazing and the relic work is fantastic. The tone is great, this thing just oozes out that "brown sound", and don't forget the killer harmonics!
Just wanted to say I am extremely happy and thanks for everything. Your customer service was top notch as well.
I will def be back for another!
Thanks again!
Anibal (Email forwarding available)
Hi Mitchel
Spanish Below
My English isn't good but I will try
I would like to give my opinion about your work:
I received the guitar two weeks ago and I still don't have the words to describe your work.
I have the guitar hanging in my living room when It's not in my hands
The Paint work is incredible. It's the most beautiful guitar that I've ever seen. The sound it's very nice and it's very easy to play.
I give to you thanks. the buy has been very easy, (Western Union) I didn't have any problem to receive the guitar.
I'm saving money to buy the next "means street guitar".
Regards from Spain
Jorge Saez
Hola Mitchel.
Hace dos semanas que recibí la guitarra y todavía no tengo palabras para describir tu trabajo.
La guitarra la tengo colgada en el centro de mi salón siempre que no está en mis manos.
El acabado es impresionante, el sonido es increíble y muy cómoda de tocar.
Quería darte las gracias por lo fácil que ha sido la compra, desde el primer correo que te mandé hasta que recibí la guitarra.
El envío a España ha sido muy rápido y la guitarra estaba muy bien protegida
Ya estoy ahorrando para mi próxima guitarra "MEANS STREET GUITAR"
Saludos desde España.
Jorge Saez
zac_dl@hotmail.com
Mitchel,
I just wanted to let you know that when my Unchained 5150R guitar with the relic finish finally arrived and I pulled my guitar out of the box
and out of the gig bag, all I could say was "WOW"! I was BLOWN AWAY! It was like you went back in time to 1986, stole Eddie's axe,
came back to the present and then shipped it to me. The quality in construction, paint graphic work and sound is Amazing. Every part is
a perfect fit. I ended up playing this amazing piece of art for at least 5 hours. I couldn't put this guitar down.
I'm glad I made the choice to trade in my Charvel EVH Art Series guitar (it's the standard production model) for your Unchained model
custom guitar. I'm also glad I upgraded my order to not only make it my own, but to get as close to the holy grail Kramer 5150 (that we
all know and covet) with what is available. I've even added a EVH D-Tuna. I know Eddie's Kramer didn't
have that D-Tuna, but I use those D-Tuna's a lot. And since I've asked to have the neck unfinished, I like to oil and condition the neck to
my personal taste. You know, little things we enjoy to make it our own.
Your guitars are really solid, high quality guitars. I would put them up against guitar's costing $2,000 to $3,000. I would know, I've had
many of those high dollar guitars over the years and still do own some of them, like a 1977 Gibson L5-S; 1969 Messenger; 1970 Micro-
Frets Signature, 2006 Veleno Original, 2009 EVH Wolfgang to name a few. I've been playing, tinkering and have built a few guitars for
35+ years, so I know what I'm talking about. The action on this Unchained neck is low and plays like a dream. It is a little on the beefy side
like the EVH EBMM (yes, I used to own one of those, too), but it doesn't take much to get used to. The Floyd Rose sits perfectly flat against
the body, and the pickup height is right on. That Seymour Duncan '78 Custom Shop pickup really screams. It sounds AWESOME through
my Peavey 5150 II half stack.
For those of you who are reading this and are considering ordering a guitar from Mitchel, take heart. You will not be disappointed. I, like
you, was a little apprehensive, but after reading the many testimonials on this website and on Harmony Central, my decision to order a
custom guitar from Mitchel was the best decision I've made in a long time. In fact, I hope to someday order another guitar from Mitchel.
Maybe the "Full custom ash body/ EVH/Fender neck" model.
Thanks a million, Mitchel. You are the MAN! I can't wait to use my Unchained 5150R at my next gig. The crowd was impressed with the
Charvel, but wait until they get a load of my Mean Street EVH Kramer 5150 replica. They will totally FLIP OUT!
Mitchel,
You are very welcome. The quality and value you provide CAN NOT be matched by anyone...PERIOD! I'm glad to hear
that appreciate our input. But, you know what? You really deserve it and more. I do hope to someday order another
guitar from you. I'll have to start saving up buy that amazing Frankenstein replica.
Thanks for your hard work and passion for creating high quality instruments for us fans and gearheads. I hope you'll be
doing this highly demanding craft for years to come. You have the talent to make your guitar's collectible and I'm proud
to have one.
God bless and hope to connect with you soon,
Roland Gonzales
designrol@aol.com
Hi Mitchel,
I received the VH 1 '78 Classic guitar yesterday and just wanted to say I am overwhelmed by it. The workmanship is outstanding, and if I had seen this in a store, I would have been drawn to it for its fineness and richness. It is obvious that the designs of providence blessed you with the talent that went into making this item.
Please accept my personal thanks and how I deeply appreciate your many efforts for this unique and timeless creation – your guitar building skills are otherworldly.
Count me as an extremely satisfied costumer. Now to save for either a custom Franky or the multi-colored Pacer. Decisions, decisions... Will be in touch sometime further down the road.
All the Best!
Most sincerely,
Bill Dickson
Hi Mitchel,
The guitar arrived yesterday without any issues.
I have to say again, it is totally amazing how you put this together. The paint job on it looks so fantastic. The stripes, the wear, the cigarette burns. I still have a poster at my parents' house with Eddie Van Halen holding this guitar and I've dreamed of owning it for so long. I have the guitar hanging in my music room now and it is surreal to pick it up and play it. It is also fun to play and great to listen to it through an amp. I can't tell you how grateful I am that you make these guitars.
I took some photos of the guitar and have been sending them around to my friends, so I thought I'd share. My friends from various bands that we were in during high school have been freaking out. My son (8 yrs old) is really into the guitar and I've been showing him videos of Eddie's solo from Live Without a Net. A new generation of VH fan is born.
Thanks,
Ken
ken.matsuda@me.com
Hey Mitchel,
I was walking around in my local guitar shop (Woody's Music) in Rock Hill, SC, looking for a guitar to replace my PRS SE Soapbar II. I loved playing that guitar, but I was looking for an axe that could produce more bite without the single-coil "whine." As I perused the boutique section of the shop, the maple-neck single humbucker "Unchained" quickly caught my eye. I loved its simple elegance and the fact that it wasn't a "flashy" guitar--having the Floyd Rose Ping bridge certainly didn't hurt either. Upon plugging it in to an in-store Vox, I immediately had to have this guitar. I play a heavier progressive rock style (King Crimson, Mars Volta, Primus) and the Unchained exceeded my expectations of performing uncluttered distorted flitters and sustaining dissonant chords. I traded in my beloved Korean-made PRS for this crown jewel and I can honestly say that there was no better choice for me than going with Mean Street. Not Gibson, PRS nor Fender can hold a candle to the things made possible when playing this beast. I am extremely grateful for learning about your company and look forward to ordering directly from you in the future.
Sincerely,
Peter Landis
landisp2@mailbox.winthrop.edu
Hi Mitchel,
I don't know where to begin, well lets just say my first impression of Mean Street Guitars was, man I wish I could get one of those Franky 78 Legend, but I was a little worried about sending money overseas to someone I did not know. I have heard many bad things about sending money on the net with Western Union. But I wanted the guitar so bad I took the risk and I thought to myself if this was some sort of scam then they would of asked for the complete amount not just a deposit. Anyway I took the risk and Mitchel replied saying he got the money so that was a good start I think if someone was going to rip me off then they would not of even bothered replying. I knew from the beginning that it would take between 90 and 120 days to get it as each guitar is custom made and take some time as Mitchel had told me in the email.
Let me tell anyone who might be afraid of sending the money or not trusting they will get a quality guitar, that they are wrong!!
I made my order of a Relic 78 Frankenstrat and I got it on time and when I opened the case I was blown away with the amount of detail and workmanship that had been put into this awesome guitar. I see hundreds of guitars everyday I work in a music store in Australia and this guitar was better straight out of the case then any other guitar I have seen. It looks and sounds amazing, it plays well I did change a few little things like the action but only slightly, but every guitar player likes there own way there guitar is setup. I showed some of my friends and they were like that's the coolest guitar I have ever seen. This might sound all a little bit over the top but I have been into Van Halen and Eddies playing since I was 6 years old and have always wanted to own a few of his models of guitars I have a Wolfgang, a Kramer and could not afford the $25000 for the Fender Frankenstrat so I went searching on the internet for an alternative and came across Mean Street Guitars. I am 32 years old and have been playing guitar for about 15 years and I own 20 guitars or so ranging from Old 70's and 80's Gibson Les Paul Standards to Some cool Fender Strats and this guitar is equal to any one of them. I plugged my Franky into my 5150 III with a phase 90 EVH with a little bit of delay and flange and man did it sound good!!
I spend a lot of my time searching for tone just like Eddie does and I am sure if you want the Brown sound then this guitar feels like its has it built in. I have told my wife this will be the last guitar I will buy. I promised but I think that promise might be broken because I need the Bumblebee. Hay, a man has to have his toys too. Once again thanks to Mitchel I can say I will be back one day for the next installment cheers!!!!
Mark Bushnell
Australia
scurvy5150@hotmail.com
Mitchel,
My wife finally took the initiative to order this guitar from you,
that I first contacted you about in 2007, as I was always too impatient to wait 4 months!
Anyway, the guitar is incredible.
Every detail of the fit and finish is just fabulous.
In my dream world it might have had an aged neck (my bad), but this one plays so well, and the cigarette burns look great.
Thanks so much for the amazing guitar!!
Mark
Custom painted Peavey Wolfgang body
Hey Mitchell,
I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know how happy I am with, not only the product, but also the service.
I truly appreciate your efforts and providing me with a truly wonderful painted body.
Your work exceeded my expectations!
I have attached an image of the completed project. Feel free to use it in your galleries, if you so choose. Your name is on my recommendation list. Thanks again and have a great rest of the year.
Jimmy Hendrickson
hendrickson.jimmy@gmail.com
Mitchel,
Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you but the guitar came on Wednesday the 20th. I haven’t been able to set it down since =).
This guitar goes above and beyond what I expected. On Thursday I played it for 7 hours lol.
Even got to go down to GC and try it on a 5150 3 amp =) ( sounds awesome!).
Thank you very much for this quality instrument.
Thanks again,
Steve
stevek@san.rr.com
Hi Mitchel,
Wow...you nailed it. This is exactly what I had in mind when we first talked about designing this guitar.
I can't believe you were able to do this. I was so impressed with the first two guitars you did for me, I wanted a guitar
from you that had my idea for the graphics. The "relic" work you did was perfect. I wanted this guitar to look home made and worn out.
I had no idea you would be able to get so close to the original draft I sent you. It is exact. I know I said this before but you totally get it.
The "78 Legend" is one bad ass guitar. Right out of the box this guitar is set up perfectly. In all my years of playing guitar I have never seen such consistency
in the quality of craftsmanship you provide. The four guitars you made for me were perfect. After seeing the first one you did for me I knew
the others would be just as great. Thank you so much. This was truly a fun and great experience.
I will be thinking about the next one...it might take some time...I have a hard enough time choosing which one to play as it is...lol.
Thanks again,
Charlie
ccirillo@cfccpas.com
Mitchel - The guitar arrived this morning and I couldn't be happier. Once again, set up to perfection and in tune right out of the box!
This is my second Mean Street guitar and they've become a staple of my sound.
I have Les Pauls, Flying V's, Fender Strats and Tele's in my collection, but the axe I always pick up first is the Mean Street. You build honest guitars that can out perform instruments two or three times more expensive.
Mitch - you're the man. Any one who plays guitar should have at least one of yours.
Thanks again for another great experience.
Tim H. ( I will forward emails to Tim if needed)
Mitchel,
Words cannot describe how excited I am with the guitar that I received yesterday!! It is even more beautiful than I imagined it would be and it sounds fantastic.
I couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out. I’ve have wanted one of these since I was 12 years old and I can’t thank you enough for your quality and service on my guitar. I will definitely be ordering a 78 Legend from you before the end of the year.
Thanks again for your hard work!
Jim Gavigan
J.Gavigan@kdmpop.com
Hello Mitchell,
I got the shipment yesterday and couldn't believe it man. That guitar is a dream come true! When I first heard of the 'official' $25k model, it was like someone held a dream in my face and laughed because I could never possibly own one.
Then I found Mean Street Guitars!
The guitar you built me looks great & plays great too!!! Unfreakingbelievable!!! Thanks for making my dream come true. Dreamt of this since 1982 man!!!!! I was only eleven then! I feel like a kid on Christmas!!!
You ROCK dude!!!!
I'll get in touch again real soon...I've got more dreams...just not enough money yet!!!
I'm so freaking happy right now man!! Thanks again man, thanks. \m/~ ~\m/
Adam
atom_hall@yahoo.com
Mitch, I don't know what to say- this guitar is to good to be true.
I'm not kidding, you have made a 39 yr old man cry. The guitar I always wanted, that a certain company never released, in a paint job that is just mind blowing. I thank you for making the guitar I had millions of posters of, on my bedroom wall as kid- into a reality. Mitch this guitar is amazing. Thanks for the tight packing and quick shipment -and all of my questions you so thoroughly answered.
I haven't been able to stop playing it to write you
PS I got the guitar a 2:30 pm its now 11:33 pm. I love my 5150 relic.
As an owner of 63 guitars, I can tell you again, you nailed it, playibilty, looks, sound, and service.
Thanks again,
Steven
heidism (at) yahoo.com
Hi Mitchel,
Just a quick message to say thank you for the Franky.
I can't describe how I felt when I opened that case. I shed a few tears I'm afraid, lol.
What can I say other then you are by far the best van Halen fan out there to do what you do for all of us fans is incredible. Your work is amazing, the guitar is perfection. It looks dead on 4 Ed's baby and the sound is mean. It growls and screams and the neck pickup is pure. I play this through my EVH 5150 III stack and it is pure heaven. I have owned a few Wolfies and also an EVH Charvel but they are nothing to this guitar. This is the guitar that got me playing all those years ago.
My dream guitar is in my hands. Thank you so much m8 and I will be talking to you in the future
thanks again
J
ianwallis4 (at) aol.com
HiMitchel,
I just got the guitar from customs on Thursday.
Its evenbetter than I imagined, I absolutely love this guitar.
you did a wonderfuljob with everything, especially the paint job.
Looks so authentic, justexcellent. The sound is awesome, very nice tone.
Thanks for building this beautiful guitar for me.
GreetingsMichael G.
MichaelGern@gmx.de
Mitchel,
Outstanding job! This guitar is absolutely phenomenal.
I ordered a '78 Legend with Frankenstein graphics and the finished product really exceeded my expectations. The detail is simply amazing. From the paint job to the hardware, it is exactly what I was hoping for. The overall look and feel is fantastic, and it plays like a dream. The FRT 1000 tremolo is great, what a range it has. Stayed in perfect tune and dive-bombs were sounding like the man himself. And the Seymour Duncan 78 custom (EVH) pickup absolutely screams. As others have noted, the sound is right on, and the harmonics are unreal. Great call with the Basswood, the tone is perfect. My son about flipped when he saw it. He is already working me over for it!! He also plugged in and started in on some VH classics and just loved everything about the guitar, especially the feel of the neck! He wants to borrow to post some videos in the near future ( http://www.youtube.com/kcfx7655#p/u/1/YRvX222_I5o ).
It arrived very securely packaged, and very quickly I might add. All in all, I could not be any happier with this!
Thanks man, you do awesome work!!
Kevin
kc_222@comcast. net
Mitchel,
Got the guitar last night. First, thanks for the gig bag and strap!
Ok - I have been playing guitar since I was 12 - am now 39. Wow, that's a long time. I don't get too excited much anymore about guitars cause I've played em all (I used to be endorsed by Robin guitars back when I played in bands).
This guitar knocks em all out of the water. I only wish I had this guitar - perhaps minus the EVH paint job - back in the day.
The wood (Ash) is heavy, and seems to really have a great tone. The neck is very solid feeling - what type of maple is this? It is lighter wood than the others - perhaps this is because it is unfinished? My Jap strat has a maple neck, but it feels lighter and softer (dents easy) than this one - which I like much better.
The notes jump out of the guitar, and it is very rich in harmonics. Has the best balance and fullness of all of my guitars.
Great job!!!
Brett
brett_fazio@yahoo.com
Mitchel - Got the guitar today and all I can say is "WOW"! Absolutely stunning.
Incredibly set up - still in tune right out of the box!
Living in Nashville, custom guitar shops are a dime a dozen. Yet I had to go out of Music City to find someone who was doing exactly what I was looking for, and at a very reasonable price!) I'm so glad I did, and I've already recommended you to friends who are in awe of your craftsmanship. You do great work Mitch, be proud! Thanks for another great experience and I looking forward to the Unchained.
Tim H
Hi Mitchell,
Guitar arrived yesterday. Beautiful guitar, very, very nice.
I immediately tuned it and played along with a couple of VH songs and yes indeed,
I was able to play a great version of 'Hear about it later".
Pick up sounds 'brown' and the ping tremolo stays in tune.
I'm very happy with the guitar.
Thanks for all your service!
Erick
eburnet@shaw.ca
I recently received my second Mean Street Guitar. My 1st was the '78 Legend Frankenstrat which is incredible. I think I had the Legend out of the box for no less than 1hr before I contacted Mitchel for my second Mean Street guitar. This time I picked the 5150 relic with all of the trademark cigarette burns and wear marks. Just as before, it arrived packaged with great care and included a gig bag. Since I had it shipped to my work, all of my coworkers were present and gathered around for the grand unveiling. They all commented on the superb attention to detail of the original as well as the smooth finish. Despite all of the wear marks, scratches, cigarette burs etc., the finish is as smooth as silk. I know from experience that it's not easy to do from my several failed attempts as a teen to create similar guitars.
Although the Legend has quite a few more specialized pieces [eg. partial pick guard, selector switch jammed into the pickup hole, exposed wires, screw eye strap holders, and even the famous 1971 quarter] the 5150 is no less impressive in its paint job and workmanship. I have found several pictures of Eddie Van Halen with his own original 5150 guitar and this one is as close as you can get to the real thing.
I had to do little setup to get it dialed in to my personal tastes. I only had to adjust the tremolo springs a bit because I like a lighter tremolo and do a slight intonation job since this will be set to the Drop D + 1/2 step down tuning of Sinner's Swing. Other than that, it was good to go out of the gate. I plugged it in and it sounds just as good as it looks. The harmonics are really great.
I have close to 60 guitars which are all on display in my house many of which are much more expensive than my Mean Street guitars, but the two Mean Street guitars definitely get the most 'oohs' and 'ahhs' when company comes over. As I was typing this, my girlfriend asked what I was up to and I informed her that I was writing a review for my latest Mean Street guitar and she replied, "I can write that for you." I asked what she would say [because she usually complains about me buying more guitars :D] her response was, "It's A W E S O M E !"
So, I guess not only is it a great guitar, it's girlfriend approved. :D
Additionally, I have already started the order process for my next one. Mitchel and I are just finalizing the details :D
If you want a Van Halen replica guitar, don't waste money on the ridiculously expensive 'official' versions, get yourself a Mean Street guitar that is MUCH cheaper and plays just as well!
jEFf
Mitchel,
The guitar arrived today. The guitar is indescribably amazing. It looks just like the one that Eddie plays.
The attention to detail is Unimaginable.
I don't no what to say
IT IS Freaking AWESOME
I Thank you and you will hear from me again very soon !!!!!
KEEP ROCKIN
MITCHEL
FROM SAMMY 5150
sspatola2000@yahoo.com
Hi Mitchel
The glossy Frankenstein got here safely and it is absolutely beautiful. This is what it
looked like when Eddie first painted it after the original white & black stripe look.
His guitar even had the middle pick up and the humbucker was white many years ago.
The way you build it now is its most recognizable look and it is an exact replica.
Thanks for your input on the Seymour Duncan 78 pickup I had you install, this guitar
screams and can back it up to any guitar out there. This is my third guitar you built
for me in less than a year. The 5150 and the Shark now have to split playing time with the
Frankenstein, what a horrible problem to have.
Thanks for your great work
Carmine
a1homeinspections@hotmail.com
Hi Mitchel,
You did it again. The Blue Franky is simply amazing. I can't believe how perfect this guitar is.
When I took it out of the box I couldn't believe it was mine.The blue color and gloss finish is flawless.
To tell you the truth I had no doubt that you were going to blow me away with this one.
I don't know what it is about your guitars. They have this great feel to them.
When I first contacted you it was all about the Frankenstrat graphics.
I wanted a guitar that looked like Eddie's $25,000 guitar. The way it played and felt was secondary to me.
I never thought in a million years that these guitars would play and feel as great as they do.
You build a great guitar my friend. I just wish I knew you 20 years ago.
I'm thinking about the next one...this could get addicting.
You are a pleasure to deal with. Thank you!!!
Charlie
ccirillo@cfccpas.com
[I think you did use my email on my last testimonial. But you can use it anytime.
If you have anyone that is not sure on using you, you can even give them my work number.
I would be happy to tell your potential customers my experience.]
Kramer NOS Stagemaster
Mitchel,
The guitar just arrived.
There was no problem with damage or anything.....it was very well packed. Thanks mate.
What a great instrument......its better than I expected.
Thanks also for the inclusion of the case candy and picks plus the Stagemaster catalog also (which is amazing), as I have never seen one like that before and I was very surpised. That was a very nice touch!
I'm very happy and all the guys here at the shop flipped out when they saw it.
Regards, Adam.
ajjl1969@hotmail.com (Paid via Western Union)
Custom Paint job
Mitchel
Already arrived (an advantage of New York, speedy deliveries) and I have to say I’m blown away.
It really looks amazing, and you’re correct, it looks SO much better in person. I was all set to find some detail to bitch about the squiggles or something but I just can’t, the vibe is so great on it, it’s really it’s own thing. That’s what really gets me, it’s not 100% accurate (neither are the EVHs) but it just has 100% VH attitude! Seriously great work, and I love the finish, because I wanted this to be a real everyday playing instrument, not a wall piece, so I love how comfortable it feels. I’m totally psyched, can’t wait to slap it all together. I’ll send you pix when it’s done. Awesome work, you’re an artist! And I really appreciate it being done so fast!
Thanks again!!!! Amazing!
Paul
Custom Paint job
Mitchel -
I just got the guitar. Incredible work! Absolute perfection! Exceeded my expectations!
I could go on - but I'm sure you've heard it all before.
Thanks for a great experience and I look forward to getting my 78 Legend early next year.
Tim
Kramer Jersey Star
Hi Mitchel,
I feel like Xmas came early! Package arrived last night and was very pleased to unpack the JS in all it's glory!
Thanks so much for the tight packing, I'm sure it did wonders in helping the guitar arrive in one piece.
It's perfect, nothing amiss that I can see (and I couldn't stop looking it over!) and it sounds amazing!! Thanks again so much for everything, you've been an absolute star.
and again, appreciate all you've done. Loving the guitar!!
Kind regards,
Nurus
New Zealand (Paid via Western Union)
Wow! I am blown away at how cool this guitar is.
You have nailed it.......and I couldn't be happier with it.
I plugged it in to my Trem-o-verb and got the sound too.
I'm going to be getting the Baretta to you also for the HFT graphic.
Many Thanks,
Cliff
cekuhlman@yahoo.com
I plugged it in last night...all I can say is...wow, that's one bad-ass Van Halen guitar.
I think I like it better than my EB Music Man, my Wolfgang(s), as well as the Charvel ART series.
Hard to put the thing down...fricken awesome to play...thanks again.
I look forward to ordering another at some point...probably next year.
wmf_vh@yahoo.com
Hi Mitchel:
I received the Unchained 5150 Glossy model replica in my home.
I must congratulate you for your hard work and great communication with me since the first time I wrote an Email in order to buy from you this amazing Unchained 5150 replica from Portugal !!! Incredible adventure !! .
Always very professional and wise choosing this pickup for my guitar.
When I connect the Unchained model to my 5150 amplifier was incredible !!! EVH in my room! Perfectly assembled, very nice to play, clean and perfectly painted !!!
I just want to say please let me get some money for my new Frankenstein model !!!
Many thanks for making my dream come true!!
I am a stronger EVH fan and having this replica in my room is a dream.
All the people must know that the guitar came to me in a very good condition, traveling all around the world, very good package and very fast.
Mitchel, all the best for you and many thanks for this gift!
I will contact you very soon
Luis Bakero
´
Lisbon (Portugal) (Paid via Western Union)
I received my '78 legend the other day, much earlier than expected and all I can say is WOW!
Let me say it again, WOW!
The paint and relic job was amazing. I have seen the detailed pictures of the one that Fender makes and sells for $25,000 [yes you read that right, $25,000] and Mitchel does it just as good for 1/25th the price! Oh wait, I forgot, the Fender one has some duct tape on the front for holding pics and there are a few reflectors on the back... I guess that's worth an extra $24,000... }:-(
I can't believe how much time and effort Mitchel spent on attention to detail, including the little holes on the back of the upper cutout where presumably Eddie had ripped out previous strap buttons, the wear and tear on the input jack, the authentic 1971 quarter screwed to the body as a stopper for the Floyd, with the correct number of holes. There's so much more, I can't list it all. It's all amazing. My co-workers were pretty amazed at the quality as well when I pulled it out of the box. The funny thing is that I believe Eddie's original guitar was just spray painted and was probably not very comfortable to play. This paint job has a nice and smooth matte finish which in no way impedes playing.
The neck is a bit fatter than what I am used to, I own and play several Ibanez Jem guitars which have a much thinner neck, but within minutes this guitar felt just fine. Also the added cigarette burns on the headstock look great.
The action was slightly low when I received it, but a half turn on the anchor screw fixed that right up. I have had to pretty much adjust every guitar that I have ever bought to dial it in to my personal taste, so that was not a problem at all.
Ultimately, I'd have to say that out of the 50 guitars that I own, this is DEFINITELY in the top 5!!! Absolute cool factor might put it at number one! But it's absolutely my main guitar for playing Van Halen tunes from now on!
I suppose the best thing I can say about the guitar is that within 10 minutes of pulling the guitar out of the shipping box, I had already e-mailed Mitchel with a request for the 5150 model! :D
Can't wait for that one either!
Thanks!
jEFf
Jeffh (You can email me and I will forward your email)
Guitar was packaged perfectly.....!
Guitar is totally not what I expected....I mean I bought a $600-700 guitar and it feels better than my $1300 guitars!
I'm 100% satisfied and may be interested in buying a 5150 replica next!
Thanks man!
I plan to hit up harmony central to post some pics and a great review!
Steve Bellamy (Canada)
stevebellamys@hotmail.com
Hi Mitchel,
It just arrived at my office. WOW!!!
It looks amazing. Better that I imagined and better in person than the pics you sent me. When I opened the case I said to myself "holy sh*&".
I have played it with out the amp and it feels great. I will email you tomorrow to let you know what I think of the sound.
It was worth the wait. I can't wait to get home and plug it in. I will check back with you about the sound.
Thank you so much!!!!
Charlie
Hi Mitchel,
I just finished playing the guitar. Mitchel, you totally get it. This guitar is unreal.
The action, the feel, the sound, the look and lets not forget the price. I don't know where to begin.
I plugged this thing in and played as if this was my guitar for years. This guitar is sweet. You nailed the relic look.
I have all 3 Charvel EVH art series, an older Wolfgang, a new Wolfgang, an ESP,and an older Charvel and I have to tell you, the Mean Street guitar
kicks major ass. My only problem is I can't decide if I want to look at it or play it. You really did a great job and you were a pleasure to deal with.
You made a 30 year Van Halen fan extremely happy. I'm already thinking about the next one. I will email you with the details.
Thank you so much!
Charlie
PS - You can definitely use my emails for your testimonials page. That page helped me make my decision.
ccirillo@cfccpas.com
Custom built Shark
Hi Mitchel, the guitars got here and they sound just as good as they look. The 5150
is a very clean looking guitar, just what I wanted and sounds amazing.
The shark looks
like Eddie just drilled holes and cut an Ibanez destroyer just the other day, it's an exact
replica, even the gold and chrome tuners just like the original.
Please save me a 1971 Quarter because Santa's bringing the FRANKENSTRAT.
Thank you so much for your amazing work, talk to you soon
Carmine
a1homeinspections@hotmail.com
Hey Mitchel,
It is now been closed to 2 years since you delivered my Franky and to tell you the truth, it sounds even better now than the day I opened it up. And that day it sounded great. The sound has improving with age. I changed out the stock pickup to a EVH style pickup but ended up going back to your pickup. I think it sounds even better. I will not mess with it any more. I have not had to adjust anything on the guitar. The neck is straight as an arrow and the body resonates with a long sustain. It remains my favorite guitar to play even though I have several stock guitars. I keep thinking that I will come back to get another guitar from you but this one does it all. You worked yourself out of a job. :0 Thanks man. Tim
Mitchel: It got hear on Monday. P/u on Tuesday. Tuned up, loosen the springs and played it all night long.
The paint job was fantastic. Your pictures make the red look dark but you nailed it.
Really looks and feels like the art series but ( I got one ) plays & sounds so much better.
No wonder the guy gets mad at you.
Other than the loosening the springs have not had to do anything else.
Great set up. Only other guy to do this was Wayne Charvel who did it himself.
Thank you again, Samhalen
Samhalen is not a paid endorser or affiliated with Mean Street Guitars in any way. He plays them because they are good guitars, period.
No friggin' way! My guitar came today, on my birthday no less!
What can I say.....I tuned it up, plugged her in and it was like (a new) old friend.
It looks great, plays killer and sounds mint....(I'm so 80's)....
Your work is great Mitch, you are an artist. I will do business with you again and spread the word.
p.s. I still can't believe I have a VH guitar in my collection!
feel free to throw is up on your testimonial page...
Onikage71@aol.com
Mitchel.... DUDE!!! I just got the guitar in.... or should I say I just got a work of art in!!
I LOVE this guitar! The pics you sent or the ones on your site DO NOT do them justice! It was WELL worth the wait, my friend! I am THRILLED with it!!
Thank you SO much! It's been on my wish list sense I first saw Edward with it back in the early 80's and now I can finally hold it in my hands!
-Barry
beeb1989@yahoo.com
Custom Unchained Quilt
Mitchel,
Feel free to post this on your testimonies page on your site.
I received the Unchained Wednesday morning and I've spent the better part of the last two days with it in my hands. The quilt top looks AMAZING, the body resonates great and with the Seymour Duncan pickups it all transfers into great sustain and a thick crunch. The setup is just what I wanted...not too low, not too high...but a perfect setup for bending and chording but still feel nice and slinky without fretting out.
You built my dream guitar and I couldn't be happier. Compared to my Custom Shop Charvel Dinky, I prefer the feel and tone of this guitar and didn't have to pay over $3,000 to get it. I'll DEFINITELY be doing more business with you in the future and am already planning two more Unchained Customs and an Intruder.
Thank you, Mitchel. It was the perfect present to greet me coming home from deployment.
-David
dmcclard2@hotmail.com
Follow up:
Mitchel,
I took the Unchained to a local store and have given her some quality time through my rig. I couldn't be happier. Through every amp I've put her through, she has a thick and organic crunch plus a smooth, but never muddy, lead tone. When I switch to the neck pup I get a glassy tone I love. Your guitar covers every spectrum of rock music with ease and looks great doing it. I've included a pic of me with the Unchained just to show you how happy I am. I'll be writing you again in a few weeks to plan my next custom.
Thank you very much, Mitchel. I've never been so happy with a new guitar.
-David
Hi Mitchel,
Just wanted to drop you a quick note. The guitar arrived as promised and is absolutely beautiful.
I love everything about the guitar.
I've yet to plug it into my amp, but I've done some recording with it and the tone is very versatile.
The bridge pickup screams and the clean tone is excellent.
Thanks for the upgraded neck and the travel bag as well - very nice and unexpected surprise.
Regards,
Ed
EDWIN.FRIDERICI@phoenixwm.com
Custom Paint
Dear Mitchel,
Just received the black and white stripped EVH you did for me, you nailed it! Man what a beautiful piece of work you have created. I choose Mean Streets for your attention to every detail and you did not disappoint. Thirty years ago, I saw and heard a guitar like never before. Though I'll never play like Ed, at least I can have a great reproduction of that guitar and not cost me my life's savings. Again, well done and I'll sent you pictures when the project is completed.
Greg
gstarrider@netzero.net
Hi Mitch,
To make a long story short, I accidentally found out about the anniversary gift that my wife got for me. I was so shocked and excited! The 5150 unchained looks beautiful. Its a complete work of art. I love the way it feels and sounds. The neck is very different from everything else that I own. The frets are nice and smooth on the sides. I had to get used to playing the guitar because its actually too easy to play. The TB-77 pickup is really something else. I have many other guitars- 2 Ernie ball, 2 Fender, 3 Ibanez, 1 Charvel- my new mean street custom has become my favorite! I could go on and on about how great this guitar is.... I love it!
Info on the TB-77 humbucker;
I've been comparing your TB-77 pickup to other pickups that I have. Two of my favorites are the Dimarzio Tone Zone and Evolution. Its tough because of different woods, necks etc. I found your pickup to be hotter then the two. I also liked the TB-77 a lot more. I thought it was very close to the Evolution, but it has a little more bass. Just wanted to share my findings with you. Its really the best humbucker I've played. I've been playing for 22 years and I've tried a lot of guitars. Your guitars feel so right to me.
Thanks Mitch! Awesome guitar!
jimm673@gmail.com
Custom Warmoth Build
Mitchel,
I received the guitar today. Thank you. It plays and feels great, sounds great, and looks absolutely fantastic. It plays like an old Charvel Strat that I have, which is what I was hoping for. Also, that JB pickup seems to be everything I heard about it, so I think that was a good choice.
The guitar really looks unbelievable, really amazing. Great attention to detail, a real professional job. Very clean and flawless. Also, I like the clear coat; it isn't as shiny, but it isn't as sticky either, which I really like. Overall, the only thing I did notice is that the volume knob has a little bit of static when you first start turning it up from zero, but I think that's being a little bit picky.
Thanks,
John
jmh5545@comcast.net
Hi Mitchel!
My second Mean Street guitar arrived safely in its well packed box after its journey from Florida to Tasmania, Australia last week.
Plugged the Intruder in yesterday through my 5150 rig. Just like the Unchained I bought off you in 2005 the Intruder is a beautifully built guitar.
The Intruder’s body resonates tone and is really comfortable to play. The action is nice and low. I really like the set up you do on your guitars Mitchel. I found 4th finger bends easy on the Intruder and I haven’t played for 3 months!
First impressions of the licensed Floyd fitted to my Intruder versus the Ping Floyd I have on my Unchained are that the licensed tremolo is as good as the Ping.
I really love the Tobacco burst finish and the natural finish custom headstock looks great.
The Intruder pick ups sound crisp, rich and are very responsive to harmonics. The neck pick up has a sweet rich blues tone. The electronics of the Intruder are first rate. Even with my Peavey rig cranked the Intruder does not buzz and there are no switch noises between pick up positions.
Thanks Mitchel for building me another fine instrument!
For anyone considering buying a Mean Street guitar, just go for it! I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed with one of Mitchel’s guitars.
Mitchel’s customer service is second to none. I have bothered him for two years trying to work out what guitar to order from him.
He has patiently answered my many emails. I am already thinking about my next Mean Street guitar, they really are that good!
Dave Woodfield
Tasmania, Australia.
drwood71@bigpond.net.au
Today a 13 year old boys dream came true.
Granted, that 13 year old boy is now 38 years old, but it brought me back to my childhood when I opened up my Frankenstrat from Mean Street Guitars. I knew it was going to look great because I had seen pictures of it. What shocked me was the quality and craftsmanship of the guitar. It felt so smooth and solid, I couldn't believe it! This guitar goes head to head with the best from ESP, Fender, Gibson and anybody else you can think of. It is one of the best playing and sounding guitars I have ever own, except this one is actually reasonably priced! It wasn't made in a factory, it was made by a skilled craftsman. Dare I say this guitar was made with love? THIS IS THE BEST GUITAR I HAVE EVER OWNED!
Thank you Mitchel- you just made my 25 year old dream come true!
Sincerely,
Mike Fitzpatrick
Omaha, NE
mjfitzpatricklaw@hotmail.com
P.S.
Hopefully, I will be able to save enough $ to get another one soon!
Mitchel,
The guitar arrived today, it played and sounded awesome. I've played all sorts of guitars, Gibson's, Fender's, Jackson, Ibanez, and more. Out of the all the guitars I've played I have always liked Fender's necks and Gibson's sound, this guitar is the best of both worlds. The paint job was amazing, I compared it to the real thing and it's perfect. If you look at the price of this guitar it cost way less than the Kramer '84 and it's made from the exact same stuff with a custom paint job.
Thanks,
Brendon
harris48lynn@vnet.net
For years, I dreamed about owning my very own Frankenstein guitar. I had considered buying an EVH Art Series guitar, but there was something about them that made me hesitant. The $25,000 Fender EVH replica was what I really wanted, but was too expensive.
I had heard good things about Mean Street guitars on my regular guitar forum. After speaking to someone who had purchased a guitar from Mean Street, I decided to send Mitchel an email to inquire about a guitar. The website explained that he was flooded with guitar orders. Considering that Mitchel works on all of the guitars himself, I wasn’t expecting a reply to my email. To my surprise, I received a response within 2 days. For the next week, I sent Mitch several emails filled with all sorts of questions. Mitch answered ALL of my questions and helped me decide on the guitar I really wanted. I ordered a '78 Legend w/Franky graphic s, basswood body, Seymour Duncan '78 EVH pickup, and original Floyd tremolo. I was shocked at how cheap the shipping to Canada was. Mitch does not ship out of the country with UPS as they charge too much to the customer. Most of all, I was shocked at how cheap the price of the guitar was considering what I had ordered.
I already knew that Mitch had a ton of guitar orders to work through before he got to mine so I wasn’t surprised about the wait. Mitch sent me monthly emails to let me know how progress was going. After 5 months, Mitch sent me pictures of my completed guitar, and within 1 week, it was at my house. When I pulled the guitar out, I was almost in tears. In all my life, I have never seen a guitar like this up close. It is beautiful beyond words. The reviews were right: pictures really don’t do this guitar justice! Mitch did everything right: every scratch, every wire, every scuff, and every detail right down to the 1971 quarter in the bridge... it’s all there. The "Sand-Out" clearcoat is amazing. It has this silky feel, but there is no reflection. The colors of the guitar jump out at me. When I show people my guitar, I pull out a poster of Eddie with the Fender replica. No one can tell the difference, including myself.
The neck plays great. Mitch set the guitar up perfectly. It has 9-42 gauge strings with incredible action. The pickups... I could never have imagined such an incredible tone so reminiscent of Eddie’s pre-1984 albums. Plugged into my Marshall JCM2000 DSL 50 watt amp and Marshall 4x12 cabinet loaded with Greenbacks, the Seymour Duncan EVH pickup makes my guitar SCREAM. I am in tone heaven. Really, it’s all I can think about. Mitch also installed a push-pull volume knob which allows me to use the custom single coil. With the single coil, I can get nice thick Strat-like tones.
I was utterly impressed by Mitchel’s professionalism. Even after I received the guitar, he sent me emails answering all of my questions regarding care and maintenance of the guitar. It was my dream to own the legendary Frankenstein guitar. Mitchel made that dream come true. The guitar looks, plays, and sounds better than anything I have ever experienced in my life. Had I known it would be this good, I would have bought two. The biggest shock to me is how one man has managed to provide world class customer service while delivering a guitar that is worth its weight in gold. Thank you so much Mitchel!
Jeff Purewal
Vancouver, BC. Canada
bill_van6@msn.com
Thanks Mitch.
It showed up today and I am extremely happy with the graphics and quite impressed with the playability of guitar itself.
I know you can't comment but Mean Street Custom guitars kicks M@#&*Yo's ass.
Thanks a bunch Mitch.
Give me a while and I may be back for the Hot For Teacher replica we spoke about.
Thanks,
Jerrod in Singapore
jerrodbreaux@gmail.com
Mitchel, in your last e-mail you had asked me to let you know when my guitar had arrived, and it has.
Words cannot even describe my joy when I opened up the gator case, and even more so when i plugged it in and played it. Bravo my man! it would not even come close to looking this good even if it had come out of the Kramer Neptune, N.J. facility back in the day. Even more importantly, it feels and sounds fu?!!?% dynamite whether played on the clean channel or dirty and this is on a crappy little Marshall 10 watt apartment amp! cant wait to see how it rips one day on a real amp. I think I can speak for everyone who you have built a guitar for in saying thank you for bringing back a true custom guitar for the working stiff that wont break the damn bank! Seriously, where else ya gonna get a guitar like this for under a grand! We all know what the top 2 guitar companies in the U.S. charge for their custom shop/artist signature guitars.3-5000.00 dollars or in some cases more. Get fu?&%!! real, they can keep them. Mitchel, feel free to post this on your website with the rest of the other customers responses/inputs along with my e-mail address. I would only be more than to glad to answer any other peoples questions who may be having doubts or whatever. Once again, thank you for my, beyond awesome guitar, in every way shape and form. You're the man Mitch!!!
valerie.napolitano@sbcglobal.net
Unchained Black Fusion Custom Guitar
Hey, just wanted to let you know that I received the guitar. She looks and
sounds great--a big step up from my two other electrics (a Jackson Dinky and a
Schecter Blackjack). The neck is amazing--nice and smooth like the Jackson's,
but good and fat like it should be. I also prefer the trem--feels more solid
overall, and the stop block eliminates that super-sensitive wobble. The
Holoflash actually looks better in person than in the pics. You get the true,
animated iridescence. It's also much cleaner than I expected--really smooth,
glossy, and clear. It's nice finally having a true and basic superstrat. We
all know that in order to play the shredder stuff, all you need is a single
humbucker in the bridge. Awesome simplicity--no ridiculous jazz pickups and
9-way toggles. Plus, the rev zebra looks really cool, especially housed in that
full-routed cavity. And the banana headstock is the icing on the cake. Makes
me feel like it's 1984 all over again. I just finished the initial test
run--some vintage Halen riffs, a little Twisted Sister . . . Fun stuff. I was
playing through a .5W ZVex Nano tube amp connected to a 1x12 Epiphone cab. I
also had a Metal Muff dialed in for added edge (plenty of mids, plenty of bass).
Sounded great. Wish I could tell you I was in a touring band, but I'm afraid my
living room is all the exposure my particular Mean St. will get for now. Would
be nice to plug her into a Plexi and let it roar, though . . . Anyway, she was
worth the wait and I'm looking forward to having her around for many years of
good playing. By the way, everything arrived safely packed and intact. Setup
was solid; very good action.
Take it easy,
Brad
Hey Mitchel, We had our wedding this last weekend and the reception party was awesome.
I got up and played with the band and I used my new "unchained" model I like to call my "Eddie" machine.
I played "Girl you really got me now" "hot for teacher" and "pretty woman" with a short version of "Intruder".
The band ( Slip Twister) (check them out at www.sliptwister.com) was impressed with your handy work.
Much more than they were with my guitar skills.
But it definitely made my night to shred with that guitar. I never even picked up my Les Paul.
Thanks again.
Paul Bruins.
pbruins66@yahoo.com
Hi Mitch,
I hope you had a good vacation.
I just wanted to let you know that I received my guitar last Wednesday. You did a fantastic job! It looks and sounds great! It was worth the wait. Thank you. I have wanted a guitar like this since I was kid. I'll probably be ordering an Unchained model in a few months.
Thanks again for doing a great job!
Chad
propilot2k4@yahoo.com
Hi Mitchel,
I wanted to thank you for the 5150 Relic. It is a great guitar.
I really like the satin finish , it has a very silky feel to it & it looks great!
The thing plays like a million bucks & I couldn't be any happier with it!
Keep up the good work & I will tell everyone I can about your products!! Thanks
Jason Willoughby
Willoughby Music
jcwilloughby@yahoo.com
'78 Classic VH1
Hi Mitchel,
I received the guitar today and what can I say , ALLELUIA!!! AWESOME!!!FANTASTIC!!!
All from the very well packaged and meticulous protection for shipping, the gig bag looks great, the guitar inside packed as...a masterpiece...WOW!!! Eruption is in my head!!!!
Everything is awesome, the quality of your painting, the perfect neck in design, fretting, the Floyd rose quality and beauty, the details, everything is happiness but it's not finished after letting the guitar acclimate. I plugged it in my amp and I discovered the SOUND, the fantastic rock sound, oh yeah, the brown sound, with or without effects, the sound is present, warm & powerful, even clean. It's 100% pure hard rock!!!!! PARADISE!!!!
A very special thanks to you Mitchel for the quality of your work in alldomains: Technical, Painting, Precision, Quality, Communication, Passion!!!!!
Jean-Marc (France)
JeanM1206@aol.com
Hey Mitchel, I just wanted to let you know I got the guitar in yesterday. It looks great! I got to play it at band practice last night right after it came in for about 4hrs. The guitar plays great, sounds killer, and already had strap locks installed!
Thanks so much,
Jake
jakesteen87@hotmail.com
Dear Mitchel and all out there in Mean Street land! If you are looking for someone to build a VH style guitar for you, no matter what version, i.e. the first record all the way until now with the return of the F'n"Strat, Mean Street guitars is the place to order from! You will not be disappointed!
I got my 78 Legend w/Frankie graphic this past Monday and I have to say, all the hype is true! You get a high quality instrument as well as a work of art! Mitchel has provided the VH fans with a great service and it's letting us get our hands on some guitars that are well made that would make EVH himself to a double take!
As far as sound....what can I say! I ran it through my Line 6 PODXT with my best VH 1 sound and had it nailed with the guitar! I should also point out, the axe comes set up nicely right out of the box which is packed extremely well! You have to let the guitar acclimate for a bit but the wait is worth it! I do like the addition of having the front single coil wired so it works! A very deep tone and definitely a nice curveball to throw at people when playing because you don't expect it to come from this type of guitar! Also, the EVH style strap with the eyelets is the icing on the cake to complete the look! Great Success...High Five!!!
The Floyd Rose Ping whammy is solid and I put it through the paces. It performs wonderfully! My '78 is stock meaning, no d-tuna(yet!), I'm using the Mean Street pickup, and the Ping and I have to say the sound is there! I couldn't believe it! The paint job is a sight to behold! An awesome job done all the way around and people I've shown it to and played it for are amazed! A true functional piece of art! The neck is on the thick side, to my taste, but neck size never really mattered to me! I play anything! Just grab it and dig in!
So, in closing this guitar is worth the money and the wait! Mitchel answers all emails in a timely fashion! If anyone would like my email for a personal recommendation, Mitchel can forward it to those folks! So, what are you waiting for...pick one...order it....play it!
Sincerely,
Rob H
(ref.rjh1469)
Mitchel! I received the guitar today. You have outdone yourself, man!
This is coming from a guy that operates a musical instrument store!
This guitar sounds, plays, and looks great. Every detail is correct, besides the input jack, which is an improvement!
Thank you so much.
-James
uninterestingevent@hotmail.com
Dear Mitchel,
I received my Frankenstein replica. I must tell you that I was both disappointed and surprised all at the same time. When I placed my order with you I expected to have the experience of being disappointed, usually when I order things thru the internet I never receive them the way that I expect. When my guitar showed up I got very nervous because of my normal experience but once I got thru all the shipping material (very well shipped by the way!) and pulled out my guitar I could not believe the detail. I spent half an hour just taking it all in, then I thought it was time to give it a little sound test. Now I am a gear whore, I love everything, amps, guitars and pedals. So I plugged into all my amps one at a time first my Peavey 5150 then my 5150 II next my EVH 5150 III, finally my Marshall JVM and Mesa Boogie Single 50 watt Rectifier. What I was surprised with was that my guitar is so consistent because of the output of the Custom Duncan and smooth action of the guitar! The Floyd Rose was perfectly set with all the whammy dives you would come to expect. The neck was thicker than I am used to but the tone from the guitar makes you want to dig in and get that big feel that you can get from the neck. I have big hands and beat the HELL out of the guitar, so to find a neck that beats back was also a welcome change. I also love the push pull knob so that you can use the neck pickup, what a sound, not your typical buzzy single coil but a very bassy sound in distortion settings but sounds clean when your in those good clean amp channels.
So in closing Thank-You so much for making the first of many more guitars for me feel fear free and giving me a positive experience with Mean Street Guitars. I look forward to my next order. Please post my e-mail in your testimonials if you would like, for the last 24 hours I have enjoyed singing your praises to my friends and fellow Van Halenatics you'll probably end up with a few more orders from them! Again, I Thank-You till next time.....Dennis
a5150punk@yahoo.com
Unchained Evil Rat Custom Guitar
Hi Mitchel,
I got my " VH II Evil Rat " a few weeks ago, and once again I was blown away by your craftsmanship. I went to the VH show in Glendale, AZ on
11 / 23 and I have played it every free minute I get. What else can I say
that hasn't already been said, its just "PERFECT".. I am planning on # 4
very soon! Keep up the great work and stay cool. Happy Holiday's!!!!!!!
Best Regards
Marc M
(tat2koi@msn.com)
ROCK ON!
\m/ \m/
Hey Mitchel it's Jim
I just wanted to thank you on the EXCELLENT job you did on my guitar. It's beautiful.
you sent me a nice little Mean Street gig bag, and it was packaged like hell.. and in mint condition b/c of it
About an hour of screwing around with tuning, amp settings and all that.. and it's a monster... just so pure and clean...it nails all of the feel and dynamics in every note in every chord.
My parents thought I was being easy on you, but I knew my patience would pay off...there's an excellent reason why everybody suggests Mean Street, and now I know for myself!
I'm gonna tell everyone what a fantastic job you did on my relatively hard order.
Thanks again!
employee84@hotmail.com
Mitch,
The guitar arrived yesterday!!! What can I say....it's an absolute stunner!!!
I can not express how amazing the guitar is. I haven' t been this excited about a guitar since
I got my first one at Christmas of 1988!!!!
You are a true artist! Thanks so much.
Now I just have to convince my wife that I need a 78 legend, 78 classic, Intruder and Exile to complete the collection!
Cheers,
Jared Clark
Jared.Clark@gardencitygroup.com
Hi Mitchel,
Received the '78 Legend (alder body with Franky graphics) yesterday
afternoon. It's is a work of art! It exceeded my high expectations in
sound, appearance and workmanship! I couldn't be more pleased. Thank
you very much for you time, patience and attention to detail. The
guitar was well-packed. By the way, thank you for packaging the hardware
& strap separately!
The guitar was perfectly set up and intonated, tuned properly out of
the box. Large manufacturers and chain music stores could take a few
pointers from you in this regard! It drives me crazy when I purchase an
instrument and it isn't properly set-up to play. The action was low and
easy to play, no tweaking required at all.
The tone of the Mean Street TB-78 was classic VH right away, no need for overdrive
or distortion, just add flanger and phase shifter and one can easily
dial up an VH tone from the classic albums. In short, it was exactly
what I was looking for and does not disappoint in any way! I seriously
doubt the Charvel/EVH Franky sounds better, and certainly not for the
price! Whatever you did Mitchel, you totally nailed the sound!
The neck pickup is also a real gem. I was expecting the typical
Strat-style quack (nothing wrong with that sound at all!), but instead
had a warm tone reminiscent of Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton when they ran
Gibson Les Pauls and SG. I easily dialed in "Spoonful", "Beck's Bolero"
and "I Feel Free" exclusively from the neck pickup. The sound was warm,
yet crisp and not muddy as many neck pickups. It sounded amazing!
The neck is a large, chunky profile, which is perfect for me as I have
large hands. I wanted something which felt like my PRS McCarty or my
Jeff Beck model, and that neck is exactly that profile. The edges are
nicely rolled for that broken-in feel, and I like the light oil finish.
It is very smooth & easily to play. I like that 12" radius very much.
The grain is beautiful! The neck pocket is tight as a drum for a
perfect fit.
The Floyd Rose/Ping bridge is great! Extremely smooth, stayed in
perfect tune even when I went Hendrix on the bar! I had an Explorer
years ago with an authentic, not licensed Floyd, and it was nothing to
write home about. This Ping really rocks, and has awesome sustain
thanks to the Brass block! I believe this may be a better Floyd that
the original one I had years ago.
I had never seen a sand-out clear coat up close, and worried that it
would dull the vibrance of the red paint, but it looks great! It's
surprisingly smooth, not sticky as some paints, especially the
polyesters seem to feel. I remember hating the look and feel of the
finishes on the late '70's-early '80's Fender guitars. Unlike my Fender
Stratocasters, you fully painted the entire cavity! Believe it or not,
neither of my '62 Reissue nor my Jeff Beck Signature model are
completely painted inside of the rear cavities! One can see the bare
wood and primer inside of the JB where they missed; at least the '62 R/I
is primed and mostly painted. Those guitars were significantly more
expensive than the "78 Legend, and that was almost 12 years ago!
I was pleasantly surprised by the relic treatment you applied! I wasn't
sure if you do it standard on all Frankys. I forgot to request it
upfront, but you somehow read my mind and did it anyway, so thank you
very much! It looks great! Again, the attention to detail is awesome in
the placement of the dings, burns, the stripes shape & placement of the
stripes! I went onto the EVH Gear website where one can view the
gazillion dollar replica and it easily and favorably compares. Well
done! You sir, are the man!!!
I appreciate you also taking the time to answer my emails when I had
questions. Your customer service has been excellent throughout the entire
process. Thank you for your patience, I'm sure you have many customers
wanting their guitars yesterday. I hope I wasn't bother.
I would unconditionally recommend your guitars to anyone wanting a high
quality, custom-made to your specifications instrument without the
bloated price tag. I promise that your guitar plays as well as my
Fenders, Gibson, PRS, etc, except that your guitars have better fit and
finish and attention to detail. Don't get me wrong, those guitars are
good guitars, but for the money, your instruments are a much better
value. At the end of the day, they are all made from the same materials,
so why should one pay three or more times more for the same features?
Feel free to post my testimonial, but I'd appreciate you withholding my
email address so I don't have to swim through 5911 emails to get to the
friends and family stuff. Should someone wish to correspond regarding
my purchase, please drop a line and I will answer their questions.
Mitchel, it has been a pleasure doing business with you. I hope that
you will build another guitar for me in the future.
Thank You Again!
Mark
Awesome! I love this guitar more than someone should love a guitar!
Absolutely beautiful! I just cannot get over how great this thing looks. The picture that you sent certainly doesn't do this guitar justice. It plays great, looks great & sounds even better. Finally, the guitar that I have wanted for years is finally a part of my collection....& I love the Gator Stealth case. Very nice. Great fit.
Thank you so much for putting up with all of my worrisome e-mails & keeping me up to speed. You conducted business just as advertised. Top notch.
This will not be the last guitar that I order from you.
Thanks again!
Thomas
alabamaram@hotmail.com
Mitchel,
Thank you for building me such an amazing beautiful guitar. It arrived on the day you said it would. I could not get the box open fast enough.
My exact first reaction was "WOW". You are truly an artist.
The finish is amazing, you were able to transform my written description into the guitar I wanted. I'll be honest, I read as much as I could find about your guitars. There were several less than flattering "reviews". I was a bit skeptical. I am so glad I took a chance. I really cannot fathom what some of those so called "reviews" were talking about. The build is rock solid. The finish is exactly what I wanted. I plugged it into my 5150 combo and dialed up my best imitation "brown sound" While, I did not become instantly transformed into Eddie, the guitar sounded as good as I could make it sound (yes, that is a compliment). I have owned many guitars in all different prices, what sets cheap guitars form more expensive ones is the fit /finish sound/ playability. I can say hands down that this is not a "cheap one".
Mitchel is a great guy to deal with. He is a real stand up guy. I can't say enough about how positive my experience was.
Worth the wait. I look forward to ordering again.
Ryan Lynch
ryanwlynch@gmail.com
Hi Mitchel,
I got the " Franky " last week.. Man, once again I am f$&@in blown away by the quality and attention to detail!
Another piece of Playable Art..
Plugged into my 5150, the stock pickup has a very tasty tone with tons of harmonics.
The neck is nice and fast. Cant wait for #3....
Man, you are a true craftsman!
ROCK ON... \m/ \m/
Thanks again,
Marc M.
tat2koi@msn.com
Hey Mitchel,
I just want to say that what you created for me is truly wonderful.
The detail is above my expectations. Period.
I was very busy this weekend and was only able to spend a couple hours with my new "Legend" but so far I'm really impressed. Unfortunately, going from 80% humidity (FL) to about 15% humidity (NV) takes a toll on wood so I had to spend just a little time on set up. I'm not used to a neck like this and I'm trying figure out why I haven't tried one similar before-I really like the feel.
The "stock" pickup does kick some ass and the sustain just goes on.
By the way, having a push-pull pot to activate the single coil adds tremendous versatility to this guitar.
Simply put, the wait was worth it. Thanks again and I'm sure I'll be contacting you in the near future on another one. But which one....? ;-)
Don
dew@saturnnet.com
Well Mitchel - I got it! And need I say - what a work of art man! I have not gone to bed yet and I am here at work contemplating going home and plugging in again and just chalking this day up. I let the guitar sit for a few hours in the a/c. I couldn't help but play it man. Just tuned it and went for it at around 10 in the evening. I made no adjustments.
First and foremost - wow, you just kinda sit there and look at it. You almost don't want to play it because it looks so sweet! But man - you definitely build them to play. I am a big nice "feelin" neck freak. The neck is wicked good! The ease of climbing up and down the fretboard is incredible. I eased into the playing with "Little Dreamer" and played the solo without a hitch - I always mess up the middle. It came out flawless. I think the spacing and frets are absolutely second to none.
I play thru and 100 Watt 1988 Marshall JCM800 SuperLead 2203 Half Stack….I still like that old sounding VH Tone…Last night - I just plugged in with just a little delay and reverb..That's it!
I was really kinda scared of the whole "Ping" Floyd thing. All of my Floyds have the bigger brass block installed which helps the whole situation. But man - this one is so fluid. The dive bombs are so natural sounding. As soon as I got on the bar - I mean it just came so natural in hitting the 7th fret harmonic, flinging into the dive bomb and then making that second fret scream! That classic Eddie song ending! Wow - I have been trying to nail that scream sound down forever and could never get it. I think it's truly a combination of the guitar and that Seymour EVH. Wow - that pickup - something about that little ditty!
Well without getting into all of the VH songs I played last night and all the different sounds that I achieved with the guitar - I just wanted to say MANY THANKS! I am really enjoying it.
P.S. - I could never get the swells to come out that quickly from any guitar. I mean I was playing Romeo Delight and the volume pot is so quick and so like loose. I was freaking out. How do you get them to turn so quick? Is it something that you adjust?
Thanks again for everything Mitchel,
Tony
CugliariT@hitachimed.com
Mitchel,
The custom unchained Mean Street guitar is everything I hoped for and more. It has been nearly a month now and I just can’t seem to put it down. My plan was to treat this guitar as a piece of art, however it plays so well that I just can’t resist letting it hang and be admired. The paint job is beautiful, not a single seam and the quality and craftsmanship is quite apparent. Originally I was a bit skeptical so I watched your site for a couple of years and stayed on top of the testimonials. I can definitely say that your work lives up to the feedback. Additionally I appreciate the customer service you have provided including the pre and post sale communication. I am quite certain you will be receiving an order or two from me in the future.
Thanks again!
– G Saunders
glsaundersjr@msn.com
Hi Mitchel,
I wanted to let you know that I received the 5150 glossy a couple of days ago.
It is spectacular.
The craftsmanship is amazing.
The detail is excellent.
It's what I have always wanted.
So let me say
THANK YOU
Jhs5150vh @ Aol.com
Kramer Nightswan Body (new)
(Paint job by Mean Street Guitars, body by South East Guitars)
Found the Nightswan body on the porch when I got home tonight. My girlfriend and I have been admiring your work for almost an hour now. The body is a perfect replica both in weight, shape (and I have an original body here to check against!), and paint - this is exactly what I have been pining on for 20 years! Easily my new favorite in the collection. I can't wait to assemble it and start showing it off. As soon as I do, I'll send pictures.
You guys have done an outstanding job throughout the process, I can't thank you enough and I'll definitely recommend you to a few friends. This is not the last Kramer you'll work on for this Italian guy!
Thank you!
Alessio
Mitch,
I got the guitar last night. Very impressive. I cant believe the sustain on this thing. I guess it is the carved top? And the trem is very smooth. A lot of these licensed trems are very "sticky" when you use the fine tuners. This one is very smooth, and you don't get any "noise" from the springs when you dive-bomb it. I have bought four Wolfgang's (just to buy and resell) since we made this deal and this surpasses all of them. The neck feels better than the Wolfies and the overall weight is much nicer to carry. The harmonics are unbelievable. I can certainly tell that you take pride in your work and put a lot into this. I love it.
Thanks for working the deal with me.
Mark
MPatton@colpipe.com
Unchained "Evil Rat" Custom Guitar
Hi Mitchel,
It arrived today :-) ..plays and sounds great ..yet
another fantastic piece of work ..and again very
impressed ..no doubt I'll be back again soon ..
:-)
Regards
Dave
davemorton_eunos@yahoo.co.uk
Mitchel,
I received my 78 Legend on Wed. Absolutely amazing
guitar. I am blown away by the quality, much better
than I could have ever expected. With the guitar
plugged into a Line 6 Spider III the sound is dead on.
Perfect guitar. Thank you very much.
Heath
sabota31us@yahoo.com
Unchained "Evil Rat" Custom Guitar
Mitchel,
I got it!
For now...let me just say...WOW & THANK YOU!!
Thanks for taking on this project.
The paint job is unreal.
I know you put a lot of work into this.
The neck is phenomenal.
It plays and feels like a $2000 Charvel. The pickup really screams. I can't say thank you enough.
I'll send you some gig photos in the future.
Can't wait to give you another project.
Marcus
marcushogan22@yahoo.com
Mitchel, I got the guitar yesterday!
Man it's sweet! It is all I hoped for and then some.
Thanks, and man I love that pickup!
The whole guitar just smokes!
Regards, Chris
cmanko@huntwood.com
Mitchel
Thanks so much, an amazing guitar great price and the thing rocks, I will
definitely order another soon, want to get one before you get too busy,
awesome packaging and arrived really quick. brilliant service and keep doing
what you are doing as you are making a lot of guitarists super happy, and
the guitars you build will be played at home, in bands etc...for many many
years. below is something you can use on site if you want. thanks again and
will contact you again soon to place another order.
It arrived, not sure if it's the first mean street 78 legend model in
England but pretty sure it's the first in my area. WOW, amazing I am totally
blown away by this guitar. For the money and even more it is the best guitar
I have seen or played in any music shop. It looks great and I love that it
looks thrown together Frankenstein style but still has been built with care,
detail and attention. Like many I am really picky about necks and this does
not disappoint, 12 inch radius medium - jumbo frets it's fast and feels
really comfortable to play on. A guitar is not great without a kick ass
pickup and for me the EVH custom shop model is amazing WOW this thing is
amazing plugged into my 5150 amp and definitely dialed into the classic
"brown sound" EVH tone that we all want. Anyway I can't rate this guitar
enough 10 out of 10 gold star etc.......... I live in England and found the
website by accident, I took a gamble as really wanted a good EVH copy and
boy did it pay off. Mitchel was great and did not have to wait long until it
arrived, very well packed and played it straight out of the box. If you have
wanted a great EVH copy then this is it no questions.
adam_hepworth@hotmail.com
"Hey Mitch, I got the guitar earlier this week. Thanks a bunch. It was like Christmas opening that box up!
It looks great and plays great. I can't take my eyes off of it. That EVH pick-up really makes it easy to pull off harmonics of all types.
Since I don't live in the United States, I definitely appreciate your efforts to make the international shipping as snag-free as possible. I could not have asked for a smoother transaction. Thanks for all of your hard work and attention to detail.
You were really great to deal with. It was worth the wait and I'll be sure to let others know about you. Godspeed."
Dr. Mike Canada
Hey Mitchel,
You can go ahead and post my email, but I want you to know that was genuine excitement, I love this guitar, it is so comfortable to play and very fast. You produce a quality instrument and I would say it's a touch better than some of the vintage Kramer's I own. Really a top notch instrument.
Oh yeah great work with the pick up, this thing has the sound!
Thanks again man and I will definitely spread the word.
Tom Pasquale
thomaspasquale@gmail.com
Vintage Kramer Floyd Rose Signature
WoW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mitchel has it all. From part's to Guitar's and then some. He just sold me one of his own KRAMER's, The FLOYD ROSE SIG. On his site. It is just nut's with the shape and the way it plays, sound's & feels. Just can not say any thing but W0W!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Soon it will be on my Collection page on VK.com
Just Thank you so much,
Jeff T
Ignorantbliss111@aol.com
There was a famous ad in the 80's that used to run in all of the guitar magazines. It featured the greatest rock n' roll guitarist of the day holding a striped out Strat copy and it said, "It's very simply the best guitar you can buy today"
You could very well put Mitchel's version of the 78 Legend in that ad. That guitar had several different necks/headstocks on it, and the Legend comes with the original Strat style. It is PHENOMENAL! I feel like I somehow got over, that I should owe him more!
Let me start by saying that I am picky, stupid picky. Especially about necks. I own an original Amber EBMM EVH, and a Purple Axis, about 4 Strats, a Kramer, and have owned guitars by Charvel and BC Rich... I ordered this guitar thinking that I probably wouldn't dig the neck, but would have a great start to a project... DEAD WRONG. This neck is amazing. It is lightly finished, not sticky at all, and definitely has the EBMM feel and vibe to it. I'm not a big fan of the Jackson/Ibanez type necks (to each their own), and this neck is what I'm into...
I ordered the black version with the Original Floyd and EVH Seymour Duncan upgrades. I did swap out the tuners for some Schaller's, but that does not mean that the stock tuners are bad, it's just that I am very anal and didn't even try the originals, so I have no idea. So for under 1K I basically have a guitar that is the equal to the 25K Fender job, and better than the Charvel versions that are going for around $1800 now. For me, I don't care about the stripes because while that would be cool, where could you really play that without being laughed at? To each their own.
The guitar plays and feels great. What also surprised me was how well it was set up. If you order this kind of guitar, odds are that you tune to E flat, play 9's, etc... It is set up to perfection for that. The Floyd is set up correctly, etc. The only other guitar that I've ever bought that was set up as well was the Ernie Ball Axis. That company is about quality, and so is Mitchel. The frets are dressed superbly, the action is perfect, the intonation, you don't need to have your tech set it up for you, he already has...
Regarding the Seymour Duncan EVH pickup, that threw me for a loop for a minute. This guitar sounded great acoustically, so the electronics were the last thing I was concerned about. I plugged in and was under whelmed for a minute. I'm used to the DiMarzio's in the EVH and Axis, which are higher output (like the Wolfgang's), so all it took was a minute of playing with my settings on my amp & processor to get what I needed. Lower output pickups allow a cleaner sound but you have to make the AMP dirty it up. This is exactly what the man did in the early days... So keep that in mind if you order the EVH. You'd probably do just as well with the '59, or a DiMarzio's PAF, but hey, Duncan Custom Shop is kewl! Brown sound and then some.
Overall, as if you can't tell, I am more than happy with the guitar, and it is definitely worth every penny. My Axis is a little upset, because she's getting less love now...
This will not be my last Mean Street guitar...
Lee A. Root
eeltoor@hotmail.com
Received it as promised! On time, well packaged and plays as beautiful as it
looks.
It has a great tone and sounds awesome when plays acoustically too! I
heard that when you play a guitar unplugged that it reveals the true tone of
your guitar. the work on the guitar really shines out. I'm finally able to
play to the best of my ability with this guitar, thanks you very much means
street.
- Wolfgang
fair_warning451@hotmail.com
'78 Classic (Stock)
Hey Mitchel,
Just got it in the mail today. It plays great! The sustain and midrange are so excellent and full, I can't believe it.
The fit and finish is great as well, I love the natural gloss.
The PING tremolo is a lot more solid and heavy than the licensed Floyds I am used to, which makes the feel better. I was actually able to install a d-tuna on this design, which is a definite bonus.
The notes just jump off the maple neck; the light finish is comfortable and easy to play. The intonation sounds perfect, I can definitely hear the difference compared to my old guitars when I strum a chord.
I was pleasantly surprised by the stock pickup; it has quite a bit of kick but still has that warm tone that I am used to hearing from similar PAF style pickups (and wow, the harmonics!).
All in all, what a terrific guitar. Now if I could only put it down...
Thanks again,
Ethan
'78 Legend/'78 Classic/Unchained
Mitchel, OMG They arrived within the hour.
Legend, Classic and unchained
All 3 in good shape and as awesome looking as your customer reviews said they were.
The sound is what blew me away, I have other guitars with so called hot pick-ups in them.
I didn't expect these guitars to sound a whole lot different, but they do. Now I really do sound like Eddie, I just need to play more like him.
I hope you are making money doing this, I can't believe the bang for the buck, and it's more than that. these are not just good guitars for around $500.00. these are as good as many $2000.00 guitars I have played.
I have been looking into buying all the parts from Warmoth or equivalent and building an Unchained or Classic model from scratch. The parts alone are close to $700.00!
If any prospective customers would like to E-mail me any questions feel free john_parent@comcast.net
Thanks Again Mitchel,
You've not heard the last from me, and I'm sure some of my friends will be giving you some business too.
Later, John Parent
john_parent@comcast.net
Mitchel
I came home yesterday after a very very bad day and when I looked in my bedroom I was stunned,
I could believe it! My much, much overdue (Mostly because of my country's VAT policy) Unchained has finally arrived!
I'm a happy man Mitch!
The first impression was that you making very very good looking guitars, perfect job with the painting, neck joint etc.
I tuned it very quick and I plugged in my small bedroom amp. The neck is a comfort C shape, the body made of alder is heavy enough
(It reminded me the old Charvel) to feel that the guitar is perfect balanced. The fretboard 12 radius allows very comfort playing, bending to the sky and easy access to every single area.
Congratulations Mitchel, everything is just like you promise and even better.
I don't speak very well English so I cant express how it feels to have a MEAN STREET Custom guitar, I'll end my mail with this, You got yourself a friend in Greece Mitchell.
Thanks again,
Kostas
gus_athens79@yahoo.gr
Mitchel,
The guitar arrived yesterday. It sounds and plays great. The feel of this guitar is indescribably amazing. It looks just like the one that Eddie Van Halen played on the Balance tour back in 1995. Of course, I was way too young then to know who Van Halen was (Probably 4 years old around that time).
My dad even likes it too.
Thank you very much for everything.
I'm a very happy 15 year old kid with this guitar.
Thanks again,
Philip Bloeser
pbloeser@charter.net
Mitchel,
My wife ordered me an Intruder for Christmas, but because she ordered it late I didn’t get it until a couple of weeks ago.
I’ve just now sat down to write you because I’ve been playing it so much!
I’ve been thinking about getting an EB replica for quite awhile and when I saw the intruder on your website, I knew it had to be the one! Let me tell you, it was TOTALLY worth the wait!
The Green Quilt picture on the site doesn’t do the slightest justice to the finished product! Awesome neck, awesome paint job and killer tone! Now I just need to come up with the scratch to have you customize one of my other guitars!
Thanks so much for the killer axe!
Anthony Privitera
anthony_priv@cox.net
Mitchel, the intruder arrived this morning.
This guitar is unbelievable!
It plays absolutely awesome. I love the neck on this guitar, its nice, fast and plays incredible. I cant believe the finish on this thing, it is gorgeous and sounds great.
Man you are definitely great at your trade.
Thanks again
Joe
n2o5o@yahoo.com
Mitchell, I received the guitar on Tuesday (a day ahead of schedule to my surprise!).
I'm just e-mailing you now since I haven't put it down. All I can say is incredible.
I love my Wolfgang. However, I have never gotten such an phenomenal tone out of it. Your guitar rocks!
The attention to detail is to be commended. When I'm not playing it I'm looking at it. Great job! This will not be the last guitar I purchase from you.
Dave
KaschakDJ@aetna.com
Mitchel,
Here's a review of my 5150 Relic after spending a few days with it:
The "approval" pictures you sent do absolutely no justice to your work! The
artwork is unbelievable. I expected to feel seams where the stripes are,
but that's not the case. Everything is smooth and level. The attention to
detail is unimaginable. Each little intentional ding and scratch looks so
authentic and the wear marks are so convincing. Did you use a real
cigarette for the burn marks? Overall, the guitar looks like a big piece of
candy!
It's nice to have such a well detailed guitar, but it's more important how
it plays and sounds. No worries there, either! The guitar came shipped
with the same setup I use on my other guitars. The action is low and silky.
The neck is very straight and it plays effortlessly. I love the "coke
bottle" neck shape. Your setups and woodworking are as good as your
artwork!
The pickup sounds like a slightly hotter PAF, but it has less bass mud than
a PAF. It sounds killer through tube amps and digital modelers. The lows
are clear, mids are strong and the treble is sweet and not ice-picky. It's
a player's pickup, waiting for you to coax all the nuances out of it. It
sounds great clean, too. Overall, the guitar sounds lively and present.
I am so happy I ordered this from you. I have been playing for 20 years
now. I have always struggled with the idea of getting or making a copy of
my hero's guitar. I found your website a couple of years ago and struggled
with the idea again. I recently read all the testimonials on your site and
decided to just do it. I couldn't be happier with the results. Not only do
I have what amounts to my hero's guitar, but I have a piece of art, a
conversation piece, and a great playing and sounding guitar. This guitar
makes me smile every time I see it.
Thanks so much, Mitchel. You do excellent work and you deserve all the
credit you get. We will be doing business again. I'm saving my pennies!
Best regards,
Gary Burchett
garymtm@hotmail.com
P.S.
You can post this if you'd like. It's all true!
Mitchel,
This is Mark from up here in Kansas, I got the guitar Wednesday and all I can say is, Wow!
I have Played about every guitar out there and I could tell from the minute I took it out of the well packed case I was looking at something special. The paint and clear coat was perfect, exactly what I wanted.
I plugged that thing into my Marshall and the stock pickups sound great, I don't know where you get them but that humbucker has great tone and string definition and the single coil in the neck sounds great as well, very woody, I can get great Strat tones, everything from Yngwie, Zakk, Jake and Eddie. On par with the Duncan's and Dimarzio's I have in my other guitars nice job!
And the construction is top notch, I have paid twice as much for half the quality, this is my first custom guitar and it would have cost me $2000 or more from any other company. I have 15 guitars from different manufacturers and all I can say is I wish I had found out about you a long time ago. You could have saved me a lot of Money!
Thanks
Mark
electra98@cableone.net
Custom Paint
So you are questioning whether or not to send your
guitar to Mean Street Guitars for a paint job?
Wondering if it will be as good as everyone says?
Pondering that the customer service provided by
Mitchel Floyd is all that everyone says it is?
Let me just tell you this. I opened my box from Mean
Street earlier this afternoon and here I am-8 hours
later-and I STILL HAVE GOOSEBUMPS! This is the most
PERFECT copy of a "5150" that anyone has ever seen! I
cannot BELIEVE the low price he charges for this!
Worth every penny and then some. I DARE you to find a
blemish or mistake in this finish! I DARE you!
You will NEVER find customer service like that of Mitchel
Floyd. He answered every email with an acute sense of
urgency. Even the stupidest questions (believe me...I
had a few!).
Listen to me! If you are thinking of having this
done, you owe it to your self to send it out to him
right now.
Mitchel, from the bottom of my heart, words cannot
truly say, Thank you. Thank you, for treating me like
a friend instead of a customer. You DEFIANTLY have
earned my repeat business. You have taken my dreams
and turned it into reality. Again, more than simple
words can say...Thank you!
Eric Dulick
Kramer 1984 reissue
5150 paint scheme
gitarz2@yahoo.com
Hi Mitchel.
The Unchained made its way home yesterday. And a good home it has found.
I wish I had shorter words…
All I could say would be Thank You, but it kind of fails to grasp the level of gratitude…
Give me a few months to gather up some cash and I’ll thank you and give your craftsmanship its due credit in the best fitting way…
by ordering another Mean Guitar.
I’m going for my life long dream of having two axes exactly alike, one tuned in E and one tuned in D#.
You can forward any doubtful Kramer purist and enthusiast to me for reference if you like.
This is a bit lengthy, so you can edit out some parts for the Testimonial Page if you want.
But I really felt like writing you these words.
Hi. I’m what you could call a Kramer enthusiast. That’s all I liked playing… until I discovered Mean Street Guitars that is.
I’ve been playing for over 20 years, I own a NightSwan and 3 maple-fingerboard Kramer Americans (including a Baretta K-Bar). I also own an Ibanez JEM777VBK. So I’m a basic reference for Kramer, Seymour Duncan, Floyd Rose and over all passion for guitar craftsmanship. I’ve always sworn by the SH-4 JB pickup, and let me just tell you, save your money. Mitchel knows what he’s building.
The item I’ve ordered is the Unchained, with the Ping Tremolo and the stock Mean Street Custom TB-77 pickup installed on a pickup ring.
When in doubt, trust Mitchel.
It’s like Mitchel forges a powerful Demon-Beast, schools it to be the best-mannered Angel and then hands you the leash to wield and command it as you will.
If you’ve read anything about Mean Street you already know that the service and the guitar’s finish are unparalleled, and words don’t even come close. But the same can be said for the overall out-of-this-world craftsmanship. Seldom do we see someone with such unsurpassed mastery of his art, well thank the universe for Mean Street Guitars.
For all you fellow Kramer enthusiasts, this guitar is the unthinkable… You feel right at home, yet there’s this mystical new level you get introduced to. Think of your favorite girlfriend, well this is like meeting her younger sister. It’ll make you feel young and it’ll renew your passions.
So here’s the only down side… The Unchained from Mean Street should come with a FairWarning… And here it is : prepare for the Unchained to become your main axe, your main hobby and your main friend… Once you pick it up you’re likely to neglect everything else in your life…
The Body is sleek, the neck is speed-record-breaking-fast, and the Ping may just be better than the Original Floyd (did I mention I have 4 as reference). But like any true work of art, the Unchained is more than the sum of its parts, and I must insist, Mitchel is a true Luthier.
The Mean Street TB-77 pickup is quite frankly the loudest thing I’ve plugged into my rig. (Did I mention I own a Full Shred and a DiMarzio's PAF)… But the tone is simply indescribable. Keep the volume below 50% in a clean channel and it’s like a split-coil bridge humbucker combined with a single coil in the middle position and built-in compressor and EQ. It’ll warm any clean effect you have…
And then the true test, play with the “Right Here Right Now” live CD from VH. Now if you like EVH, you like a bit of secrecy, so I won’t reveal my rig… But take your Favorite Distortion, and Favorite Modulation (A light Flanger, a subtle Phaser, or a strong Chorus) and you’ll simply be blown away… I actually did not know where Eddie’s sound ended and mine began. I ordered the “plain white” Unchained, but the sound was so much alike when I looked down I could swear I saw Eddie’s hands playing on a red guitar with white stripes. You get that choppy finger-pinched tone from the opening of “Won’t get fooled again” to those full-blown thunder punched power chords.
And for those wondering, this is high quality hardware… It might look like a simple enough volume knob, but for those looking for that “Cathedral” effect, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.
Take out the Modulation and just keep the Distortion, you’ll get that Girls Girls Girls Album Motley Crue tone-rich sound. Whatever magic was at the Kramer plant it has migrated to Mean Street Guitars. I felt like Eddie and Mick’s personal Luthier has built me my custom axe. It’s got the perfect tone, and harmonics that just scream off the strings. From the first "pick scratch’n’slide" and tremolo dive, you get that magical vintage vibe. EVH named an album after his Balance philosophy, well this is it. This tone can only be achieved with the right balance of wood, hardware, and out-of-this-world craftsmanship.
Last week I was at the local music store (where the wall holds signed pictures of amongst others EVH and Richie Sambora of when they’ve stopped by) and I picked up the most expensive Fender Strat I could find, and all I was compelled to do was to put it back on its rack. So for a bit less than half the price go to Mean Street and get the guitar you want.
We share a passion, Mitchel, Live long and Prosper.
Mike Lorenz
MLorenz@oerlikon.ca
I purchased the Unchained in glossy paint in the style of Eddy Van Halen's guitar used on the 1984 and 5150 album (red base with white and black stripes).
Let me tell you from the first time I picked up the guitar I could not put it down. I mean the guitar plays so nice and has a very fast neck. Also put together with quality parts. I've been playing for a few years now and played Gibson's to Fender's and all takers in between and this guitar plays as well if not better than any of them. Also, the price you can't beat. What a quality instrument for the price. It's practically a steal. I've seen guitars from the name brands 3 even 4x's the price and this guitar is ranked right with them. I showed it off to some hard core players and they had the same to say. It left them with the question, "Where did you find this?"
If you’re a fan of the guitar and are a Van Halen fan purchase this guitar. It's even catches the ladies eyes if you know what I mean.
Thanks Mitchel!
Duane Wallace
Philadelphia, PA
dmatt1116@msn.com
Unchained "Evil Rat" Custom Guitar
Mitchel,
I've waited more than a week to write you about my guitar, because I haven't been able to put it down since I received it.
I could not be more pleased with the quality of this beautiful guitar; it would have been a bargain at twice the price.
The paint job is absolutely flawless and dead on. You were right that the pictures don't do it justice all, it looks 100 times better in person. I dreamed about having a guitar like this ever since I saw Van Halen for the first time back in 79.
The neck is fast and has a great feel. It stays in tune no matter how crazy I get and it just looks and feels beautiful. I plug straight into my amp and it just oozes the most beautiful brown sound I’ve ever heard. Like thick honey or syrup on toast…very tasty.
Thanks for recommending I stay with the stock pickup and not spend $150.00 more on an upgrade because you were right, it sounds great. How many guitar builders or retailers would do that?
There is no way I could have imagined that this guitar would just blow away my expectations. I am the envy of all my guitar playing friends and they can’t believe what a tremendous deal I got on this guitar. Best money I ever spent and I don’t think it will be the last money I spend on one of your guitars, that is if I can put this one down long enough to order another one.
Thanks for everything!
garybishop@yahoo.com
HEY MITCHEL,
THE 5150 RELIC ARRIVED YESTERDAY. Oh my God!!!!!! I DON'T POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT ELSE CAN BE SAID ABOUT YOUR IMPECCABLE ATTENTION TO DETAIL, AND SUPERIOR CRAFTSMANSHIP.
AS AN OWNER OF MANY GUITARS (several EBMM & WOLFIES), YOUR WORK IS FAR BETTER AT 1/2 THE COST!! STRAIGHT OUT OF THE WELL PACKED BOX, AND PLUGGED INTO MY 5150 COMBO, THE SET-UP IS PERFECT!!! SUPER FAST, SUPER LOW, KILLER F@#$IN TONE... THE NECK IS SO SWEET IT ALMOST PLAYS ITSELF!!
THE ARTWORK IS THE BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!
I DID LOTS OF RESEARCH BEFORE I PLACED MY ORDER, AND I AM 100% HAPPY WITH MY PURCHASE... WAY MORE THAN A COOL PAINT JOB, THIS IS TRULY A CUSTOM GUITAR.. THE OTHERS WILL BE VERY LONELY HANGING ON THE WALL ... I WILL BE ORDERING ANOTHER MODEL VERY SOON..
THANKS FOR THE KILLER AXE, ROCK ON...
MARC.
tat2koi@msn.com
Hi Mitch,
It got here just fine. Man I was blown away when I opened the box. what a finish on it. I haven't hooked it up yet, don't want to make the wife mad, but if it sounds as good as it looks what a killer guitar I will have. I tuned it up and been playing it unplugged, but what a sweet action. Thanks again Mitch, I have been wishing I had guitar like this since I was a kid and first heard VH and you made my wish come true. Thanks again and I will be ordering another unchained painted up like the mans in the future. You are a true artist.
Hi Mitch, I'm sorry I've been away on family business. Sure can post my emails on your testimonials page. Man this guitar is so easy to play. I started tapping with it today and it was so easy to do. I can now play dance the night away all the through. I never could get the tapping right on it until I hooked this baby up. I am so happy with this guitar words can not express it. My wife was even amazed at the VH tricks I was pulling off on it. thanks again.
clay
reefrascal@netzero.net
Mitchel -
Got the new axe on Monday night as promised!!
It does LOOK and SOUND awesome. Your paintjob is amazing. Very professional and EXTREMELY close to the real thing...
I feel like I just got the deal of the CENTURY on an "Series" guitar!!!
Thank you SO much for putting up with my hounding and series of a million questions throughout the process. I appreciate your patience with me, your artistry and your professionalism!!!
Bruce.
bruhawk11@yahoo.com
(Paint job is customers design)
I just received the Custom Rising Sun Unchained today and I'm completely
thrilled (feel free to post the pics on your site if you’d like)! I've been
playing it for approximately one hour and the time just flew by. The paint
job is even better looking in person, and the playability is great. Your
Mean Street pickups are fantastic and there’s no need to upgrade, unless you
really want too. The frets are smooth and well done; the Original Floyd
Rose is great, and it’s time for some serious dive-bombs. Overall, the
entire ordering process was a pleasure and you (Mitch) are the real deal!
You are a true gentleman and a professional at what you do. I know for a
fact that you get this all the time because I've read your testimonial page
(feel free to add this one if you'd like).
In the early stages I bombarded you with numerous questions; all the answers
that you gave me were timely and very helpful. It is obvious that you care
about your customers and this alone puts you above any competition that you
may have. And as a note for any future customers... don't believe the
naysayers: Mitch is the real deal and this is the best priced Custom guitar
shop I have come across. Simply put, if you want the best bang for your
buck, Mean Street Guitars is the way to go.
Once you decide to place your order, Mitch is very helpful throughout the
entire process and he updates you via email about your order. Upon
completion, he sent me some pictures and informed me about the shipping
status and tracking number. The guitar arrived in timely fashion and the
professional packing job was awesome! The extra trem spring, Allen
wrenches, and trem bar were packed in a separate cardboard pouch. The
guitar itself is double boxed and very well padded. Mitch also throws in a
sweet Mean Street gig bag that’s better quality than those you can find at
the store. Thank you Mitch for a great guitar and I wish you the best!
Thank you Mitch for a great guitar and best wishes to you and
your business!
James
jamesventin@hotmail.com
Mitchel,
The guitar came last Friday I believe, I was like a kid on Christmas morning
again :D
I had been working so much I didn't have a chance to play it a lot but I love
it! This is my first VH guitar and I don't think I would be satisfied with
much less!
I love to feast my eyes on this beauty!
Thanks you very much for the time you put into this, I truly appreciate it
and I will surely have this guitar with me for life.
Thanks again,
Kevin
ou812_270@hotmail.com
Dude, the Intruder Rocks! If you want to hear your handy work, listen to
the first song at this site:
http://www.rockinrosco.com/rectifier.htm
Thanks for a great axe, as soon as the new CD goes double plywood, I'll
order another one!
All The Best,
Ross'RosCo'Chronister
RosCo And The Heads
rockinrosco@sbcglobal.net
Exile red quilt w/maple board
Got the guitar last night! What can I say.... plays like a dream!
I think this is the first guitar I have bought that didn't have to be tweaked coming out of the box. Good Job
Let me know when you have the Evil Rat / Charvel ready ..I'll put in an order
Mike
mholubec@prodigy.net
Hi Mitchel! I received my green Intruder and it is OUTSTANDING! I love the look, I love the feel, and I love the sound of it! It is really nice. I was up until 1am playing it last night because I just couldn't put it down.
Thank You very much for help during the ordering process - I really appreciate it.
(I'm already thinking about ordering an Exile in the near future).
Thanks again, Max.
Mitchel,
I just wanted you to know that the Unchained/Graphic guitar that
you built for me was far beyond any expectations I had. I don’t think
anyone could have done a better job than you. This guitar rox!!!!
You da man. You definitely be hearing from me gain.
Thanks,
Mike
mike.hering@creationtech.com
Dear Mitchel
My poor wife....within 5 minutes of plugging in my new unchained 5150 relic, I knew she was going to feel quite neglected for the unforeseen future as I have a new found love...dude, this thing rocks and feels just so right in my hands.
What can I say about the pickup, it sounds warm and brown to me! The custom paint job is unbelievably detailed, the action is just the way I like it, and the d-tuna set up is awesome. Need I say more.....
(Message to everyone- don't be scared off by the internet based transaction or concern about the hard to believe low price- this is the real deal and just as good if not better than those $2,600 guitars!) I want to thank you for a smooth transaction and all you have done to make this happen, I will be happy to send you more of my hard earned cash very soon to build my collection and dreams of owning a piece of classic VH!
Regards
Mark F
mfossati@qwest.net
Mitch,
Here is my testimonial, feel free to post it.
You never cease to amaze me!! The guitar is absolutely stunning, even more impressive in person! The EVH camo paint job is flawless! What I love about dealing with Mitch at Mean Street is that he ask questions, he will give the best choice in options, and is a PROFESSIONAL. There is no other company that will make you a custom built guitar with graphics to boot at a fair price, you are a valued customer and not at number. This is my second guitar from Mitch and certainly not the last!
Your friend,
Michelle
mikgraniela@yahoo.com
(Paint job is customers design)
MITCHEL IS THE MAN !!!!!!!!
I AM THE PROUD OWNER OF 5…YES 5!!! MEAN STREET GUITARS: UNCHAINED RELIC, UNCHAINED 5150, UNCHAINED BLACK AND WHITE VH 1, UNCHAINED BLACK AND YELLOW VH2 AND UNCHAINED EVIL RAT COBALT BLUE FLAME (LOOK IN GALLERY 1 OF THIS WEB SITE, THAT’S MINE) FIRST YOU GET A VERY GOOD GUITAR FOR THE PRICE AND IF YOU’RE A VAN HALEN FAN OR NOT MITCHEL WILL PAINT IT ANY WAY YOU WANT…ANY WAY YOU WANT!!
MITCHEL IS VERY ATTENTIVE TO YOUR NEEDS . PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS COMPLIMENTING MY GUITAR.
MITCHEL IS A REAL ARTIST, THE QUALITY OF THE GUITARS ARE FANTASTIC WITH OUT THE STICKER SHOCK. I AM SORRY BUT I CAN NOT AFFORD THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR ONE GUITAR!!!!I LIKE TO PLAY AND I PLAY KINDA HARD. I DON’T MISTREAT THEM BUT I DON’T BABY THEM EITHER!!! AND STILL NO PROBLEMS. MY ONLY PROBLEM WITH THESE MEANSTGUITARS IS DECIDING WHICH ONE WILL I PLAY! YOU THINK I AM FOOLING DON’T YOU, NO, I WILL STAND IN MY ROOM TRYING TO DECIDE WITCH ONE TO PICK UP ( NOT A BAD PROBLEM TO HAVE I GUESS) I HAVE NEVER MET MITCHEL NOR HAVE I SPOKEN TO HIM I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH HIM FOR 4 YEARS NOW AND I CONSIDER HIM A VERY GOOD FRIEND! THAT’S THE KINDA GUY HE IS, ALWAYS WISHING ME A MERRY CHRISTMAS, WHEN A HURRICANE WAS IN THE GULF (I LIVE IN HOUSTON) HE EMAILED ME TO SEE IF I WAS ALRIGHT. THIS IS THE MAN YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH. IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU WANT A MEAN STREET GUITAR!!!! YOUR NEED A MEAN STREET GUITAR!!!!!
MITCHEL MY GOOD FRIEND I WONT SAY GOODBYE BUT SEE YOU LATER. BY THE TIME I AM DONE I WILL HAVE A COLLECTION OF YOUR FINE GUITARS AND WILL TELL ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN ,” YOU’RE THE MAN!!!”
JORGE OCAMPO JR
ocampojr@houston.rr.com
Hi Mitchel,
It arrived today, I'm absolutely blown away by the
factory quality finish and the playability. This is
truly one of the nicest guitars I've ever played and
it sounds great too. Very, very impressed and great
value too.
I will definitely be back for another guitar as soon
as you get production on the Evil Rat series up and
running.
Many Thanks
Dave
davemorton_eunos@yahoo.co.uk
Hey Mitchel,
Got the guitar last Wednesday, it is beautiful, spent the weekend playing it, was everything I hoped it would be. I would definitely recommend your business to anyone interested. Thanks again, Rob C.
rcallahan@pappastoyota.com
Hey Mitch,
I got my guitar a few days ago and I absolutely love this thing! I'm sorry I haven't emailed you earlier, I've been busy. I love the new neck shape. It feels asymmetrical, which I wasn't expecting at all but it was an awesome little surprise. I also like the Floyd is flush mounted to the body this time, it keeps in tune a lot better than my previous Unchained. The Ping Floyd is also much better than the licensed Floyd I was use to (go figure eh?).
Thanks again Mitch, I know I can always count on you whenever I need to buy a guitar!
Aaron
adoofer@yahoo.com
Hi Mitchel,
I received the guitar yesterday. It arrived in perfect condition. You
indicated that the body would have some small surface scratches on it. I
looked over the body of the guitar really well, I don't see anything wrong
with it. It looks just fine to me! You did a excellent job building the
guitar. It plays fantastic! I will have to let it acclimate to NC climate
for a few days before I tweak it, but right out of the box it played great!
You do excellent work Mitchel! I've paid twice as much for guitars that
didn't come close to this one, assembly and setup wise, right out of the
box.
Thanks for building such a great guitar for this low of a price! Once
again, you have earned another repeat customer, I WILL be purchasing an
Intruder real soon! I'll contact you when its time.
Thanks Again!
George Wiggins
georgewiggins@hotmail.com
Mitch,
Just got the guitar. All I can is one word.... "WOW!"
This guitar looks amazing. The detail is overwhelming. It plays just as good as it looks. The Seymour Duncan pickup sounds freakin unbelievable. Everything is spot on. I like the trem arm too... it's a different type than I have seen, but I like it a lot better. The Floyd is great. Everything is great, I can't complain about one thing. I will definitely be ordering more guitars from you, weather they are Unchained w/ graphics ;) or not. You make a killer guitar.
Thanks for the great birthday gift,
-Ian
suffixhost@optonline.net
Hi Mitch
I'm just writing to let you know that the guitar arrived today
and I must say I'm pleasantly surprised, as it is far better than I expected.
It sounds great and the neck is fantastic.
Thanks again for a great guitar and your time.
Colin
Lordcoldo@aol.com
Hi Mitchel
I received the guitar and I'm very pleased. The guitar play's like butter
and the stock pickup sounds great- the action is set up like I like. Just
wanted you to know that I love the guitar and will be doing some business with
you in the future.
Thanks again
David
lynchmob2@hotmail.com
(Exile model--Red quilt w/Maple board neck...click Exile Custom above to see)
Hey Mitchel,
I received my custom Exile in transparent red right on time, everything was perfect, the color, the quality, the playability, the feel, the tone, everything!!
I especially like the cable and picks, that u threw in!! very professional touch. your customer service is THE best, you answered all of my questions, also the shipping was fast, tracking was on the nose!
I enjoyed purchasing my newest guitar, and I am happy that I got it from you, so in a few months I will be ordering a custom tobacco burst Exile from you!!!
You are a true professional, and your guitars are GREAT!!!
I also like the extra humbucker you sent me, thanks a lot.
Thanks again,
Frank Pompliano
If anyone has questions about the EXILE email me!
UncleGrunty973@aol.com
Hi Mitchel, I have my guitar in my hands now and it is beautiful.
I have to admit I was buying a paint job, thinking even if the guitar wasn’t up to scratch it would be a fantastic ornament.
I have a few guitars, 2 PRS, an 83 Les Paul Custom, 3 Fender Strats and a well used Peavey Wolfgang however, I have fallen for this guitar big time!
Not only does it look like Eddie’s it sounds like it. Turn the volume down and it’s Drop Dead Legs, turn it up and away the fingers go! I just can’t put it down.
Looking at it on its stand in my music room in the Isle of Man I couldn’t be more surprised if the man himself was standing there.
It is an icon I have lived with since I was 14 years old and it has taken me 23 years to stand with that guitar in my hands.
I don’t know if you have ever sent any guitars to the Isle of Man or have even heard of it, but if I gig with this baby you might just be sending a few more! Be prepared.
Thank you for your patience and help Mitchel you really helped us out. And you made a dream come true.
Kev & Shaz Cleator
shake@manx.net
Hey Mitchel,
Like most musicians I decided it was time for a new piece of gear. I decided I always wanted a guitar like Edward's 5150. I found Mitchel's site via Google, read the testimonials and info about his guitars, so I hope this will help anyone interested in the Unchained guitar with their decision.
I have owned 2 EBMM EVH guitars (and been an Edward fan since 1980), and the neck on this 5150 is better, the body is way more comfortable and the whole instrument just rocks. I bought this guitar to be an inspirational tool and it certainly is, every time I play it I can't put it down, to me that is what a great guitar should be.
It will be used in many of my recordings for sure!
Thank you Mitchel and I will be ordering another guitar form you when I have the cash!
Martin Richmond
MRDC
www.martin-richmond.com
triphop@martin-richmond.com
Hey Mitchel,
Man, you sure know how to build a great guitar! I think that you are a guitar wizard.
The "Unchained" you sent me well and truly exceeds what I imagined it would be like to get my hands on one of your creations. I can't thank you enough. I have been searching since 1985 to buy a guitar like this. The testimonials on your site were all true that I read 4 months ago. Not only did you build me the best guitar I will ever own in my life but dealing with you has been a pleasure since I stumbled upon your site back in July.
We had a ceremonial un-packing when I got home from work the day it arrived.
Very nicely packed and not a mark after it's 15,000 mile journey. Was suggested to me that I should put it under the Christmas tree and wait to open it, NO WAY.
With a very big grin on my face, I got it out of the case and played it for an hour acoustically.
It sings with tone, even unplugged.
Have to tell you that your "Unchained" is the first guitar I have ever played that felt "right", straight away.
It is the "One".
I love the artwork you did on my guitar, it is faultless and extremely accurate. The gleam and gloss of the finishes you have used are just brilliant and the headstock shape is perfect.
The action is perfect and to my surprise the Floyd Rose is fairly simple to tune. Great system, It just won't go out of tune even from a full dive on the bar!
Had to make myself go to bed that night. That's right couldn't put it down. Couldn't wait to try it in my Peavey rig.
House empty next morning....Awesome, wow, far out!! What a sound and what a pick-up! Your custom pick-up is amazing.
I love how responsive it is to touch. It works so well with my 5150 head and cab. Now, all that power isn't just "on" or "off". I now have all the feel in between.
Thanks again for the work you put into my guitar Mitchel.
I still don't believe I have this legendary guitar sitting here next to me.
By all means use this e-mail address for the testimonial page. It has been so nice to do business with someone on the net that is honest and professional. No wonder you have such a good reputation.
Good luck with your work, Thanks a million.
Regards, Dave Woodfield
Tasmania, Australia
drwood71@bigpond.net.au
Mitchel,
I pulled myself away from your guitar long enough to write this.
1st off, wow, what a neck! I have played for 20 years and almost every
brand of guitar out there, and no guitar neck has been such a treat to
work with. The frets are dressed well, and my hands don't feel stuck to
the back as though there were some finish on it. The stock pickup works
well for what it is intended for. It doesn't have the thump on the
muted open E string that some of my other guitars have, but I believe
the pickup was not voiced to produce that. Doing solo runs is a lot of
fun, the notes are clear and don't get brittle or tinny as you go up the
scale. And the sustain............................................
After I placed my order, I read some reviews on harmony central on
these guitars. There were some negative ones, and I started to worry,
but I worry no more. I can't believe anyone would rip on such a quality
product.
Thanks again,
Will Stensby
Hi man, You are something else man! You are really the Dreammaker for me and thousands of other people with your work! The drill is absolutely incredilble and the paintjob on the box was crazy! You are the man!
Thank you, I wish there were better words to show my appreciation,
Can you put a pic of my drill and this testimony on your testimony page? If you can, I would like you to do so because I want the whole wide world to know that you are the real deal!
Jeremy
Mitchel,
I wanted to thank you again for the Evolution. It arrived very well packed. When I opened it, I was in awe of the job you did.
Amazing paint job!!!
The guitar plays great and the action is perfect. I love the Ping Floyd as well!!!! What can I say except once again THANK YOU. Potential customers should not be afraid to approach you for a guitar.
Mitchel is great with communication, is specific about what he is doing and what you want in a guitar, and most importantly, Mitchel backs up his work.
Custom Painted Kramer 1984 Guitar
Hi Mitch,
Got the guitar today. The Holoflash Grid looks awesome!!! The colors in the Holoflash are so intense!!! You were right, it does look way better in person! I want to thank you once again for everything you have done. Even the packing job was extremely secure. Anyway, I'm sure you've heard all these thank you's and compliments on your work before and I just wanted to say that because of your professionalism, honesty, and quality...I will now purchase all my guitars from you.
I would like others to know how happy I am. If you could post this on your site, that would be great!
I just wanted to thank you again for everything. I've been playing for over 20 years and have purchased a lot of guitars and NOTHING comes close to your professionalism, your helpfulness, the quality of your work and the timely fashion in which it was all accomplished! Thank you Mitch, you now have a customer for life.
P.S if you want to post pics of the hologrid that you did for me on your site, please do.
Ok, again, thanks for everything!!
Michelle
Hey Mitch,
Just wanted to let you know that I received the Unchained 5150 you did for me about 2 weeks ago. I really like it a lot.
It plays fantastic, the setup was great, and the paint was amazing. Quality work all the way.
The fit and feel of the Unchained is so much better than I expected.
With the low initial price of the guitar, I wasn't expecting anything special.
I was wrong. Holds up to any of my other guitars, including Les Pauls, Wolfgangs, and Axis guitars.
And again, the paint job is stunning, well worth the wait.
Thanks again for a great guitar.
Chris
Mitchel,
DUDE, STOP MAKING COOL GUITARS OR I WILL GO BROKE MAN !!!!!!!!!
I am the proud owner of 3 of your guitars Unchained, Relic and Evil Rat (and you painted the rat in my color...cobalt blue) each one beautiful to look at and plays like a dream!!! I could go online looking for these guitars and pay THOUSANDS (I have looked trust me) Your prices are the best period!!!!! There is no question about it.
Mitchel, rebel on!!...don't stop ever!!! I already have ideas for my next guitar, this wont be my last purchase.
The paint job on all three guitars are FIRST rate you are indeed an artist. I wont say goodbye, but see you later.
Like I said, I will buy more, at your prices I can afford it!!!!!!!
JORGE OCAMPO JR
Hello Mitchel,
Everything arrived safely yesterday. I have to say...the photos did NOT
do this guitar justice. Beautiful paint job and finish. It also plays
like a dream...actually, I'm used to a little more of a challenge, so I
may raise the action a bit. Absolutely 100% satisfied. The picks and
cable are also a very professional touch. You'll be hearing from me
again :)
Best regards,
Rich
EXILE
Mitchel,
Hey man, got the new Exile in Friday, it's simply amazing! I will never understand how you can offer a guitar of this quality for that price, hence the order for two more! I want to apologize for all of the questions about your return policy before I ordered. I just didn't realize how awesome these guitars are for that price. I would have been happy paying $800+ for a guitar like this! I own a Peavey arch-top that I paid over $1500.00 for and your Exile, for 1/3 of that price, is kicking it's A$$! Not counting one of the Art Series guitars-which your new Unchained model will replace soon!
Your statements about over-priced guitars that you have on your site is 100% true, sorry I doubted you for a second.
You should really consider going big-time with your Mean Street models, if not, that's ok. At least I know where you are!
Keep doing what you're doing, we (The real guitar fans) are behind you 100%!!!!!!!
Craig Simms (San Diego, CA)
Custom Guitar
Hi Mitchel -
Just got the Frankenstrat.
Having a hard time putting it down long enough to write you.
Looks, plays and sounds awesome.
It's kind of surreal actually.
Definitely cool to have the old one-pickup Charvel feel too.
By the way, what kind of pickup is in this? (Mean Street Custom humbucker)
I'll look forward to ordering a Relic when they come available......maybe even an Exile
You are a true artist. Thanks so much!
Thomas
Custom Guitar
Mitchel,
I just got back from my gig tonight and I must say that a few of my
questions where answered.
Half into the first set I plugged it (Custom FrankenStrat) in straight up and, Oh jeez. Great
tone, nice and simple. I can hear the wood. I'm sure you know what I mean.
All I know is that I plugged into the rig and it rocked. Just to let you
know, I play Les Pauls and a couple Strats with the Gilmour EMG's. I love
that setup cause you can go from Blitz to Sparkle in a blink.
I got a JB sea foam green Strat, and a 77' one that I've done so much with
yet it still sounds great.
Then I have 2 LP Classics that are sweet AAA tops and such.
.
I do have a 87' Jackson Dinky Strat, made to order ala Steve Stevens with
the gold Floyd.
Having said that, the guitar you made for me is On Top
Thanks Mitchel.
I just got home and opened up the box and HOLY CRAP its outstanding!!!!!! Absolutely blew away my expectations. I don't know how you did it but you did.. You should get with EVH and do his guitars!! lol... Now I have to get this thing plugged in and hear it through an amp (which I have yet to purchase) Even without the amp it plays awesome!!! I hope I never run into EVH cause he would probably accuse me of stealing one of his guitars.
Thank you, Ed
Mitchel,
The guitar arrived at work on Monday the 9th as planed. Wow, I was impressed by the hermetically sealed packing job you did. Just when my excitement peeked as I was finally unzipping the bag and BANG, it was packed further still! Damn fine job. Once I saw it's heavenly body I lost my mind, consciousness, and bowels. I haven't put it down since. It feels as good as it looks, F#%@ING Phenomenal!! I can't tell how happy I am not just with it's looks but it's construction as well. Obviously a top notch operation. Including the extras (picks, all of the wrenches, and a cord) was really great. This was the best experience I've had buying guitar equipment, BY FAR, and I've been playing for 17 years now.
Mitchel, the money I gave you does not equate to the happiness you have given me. So... I'm naming my first born son after you.
In all seriousness, I have kept my emails funny and over the top to let you know how wonderful of an experience it has been to deal with you. The lead time was short and I always felt I could reach out for you if I had a question. Your response time for email was amazing! Every email I sent you was answered the same day, and once within four hours! My online dealings have never even come close the the same satisfaction level. It would easily be a 15 on a 10 scale. For product, service, and support. You truly are a class guy.
As for future business, I am definitely calling on you again. I can't wait to learn more about you intruder model, as well as, other ideas I have. Just have to wait for the finances to catch up with my fantasies.
Thank you so much,
Matt G.
Marlton, NJ
Hey Mitchel,
I'm just letting you know that I have received the guitar.
Wow I'd like to say that it was worth the wait, it looks and plays great.
Excellent Job!
Thank you so much Mitch,
Cheers,
Mev
Mitchel,
I received the guitar today, you did a great job.
It's everything I expected and more, you are a craftsman.
Again thank you for doing such a great job.
Wishing you continued success,
Eric Engblom
Hi Mitchel,
I just wanted to let you know what my guitar arrived today and that it's
fantastic! The setup is exactly what I asked for, the neck is smooth and
fast. Pickups sound great. I love the way the white finish looks with the
pick guard. The bridge came perfectly set up, and it dives beautifully.
Recessed tremolo cavity looks really cool, contrasting the body. What else
can I say? Everything is just the way I hoped it would be.
The guitar plays better than most I've played that are twice the cost, and
the packaging was great!
I can't tell you how much I relaxed when I realized that it had taken me 10
minutes to undo the packaging job. I ordered a bass from some big
manufacturer a few months ago, it it came shipped in just a thin cardboard
box with no padding whatsoever in it, had a huge dent in the finish and they
wouldn't even take it back.. anyway...
Also, thanks for the picks and cable, I needed a new one.
Oh, feel free to add this email to the testimonials page if you see fit. But
regardless, I'll be telling all my friends about your great business.
So yeah, I'm 100% happy with everything.
Thanks again!
Unchained Guitars
Hi Mitchel
Its Andy O'Connor formerly of Bournemouth, England. Have moved to Australia with my new prized possession my 5150. Just wanted to let you know that even though my main amp is in transit and I am currently playing it though a tiny Roland micro cube, it still sounds and plays awesome! Really am delighted with it and it was definitely worth the wait. The best complement I can give, is that since it's arrival I have not taken my Wolfgang out of it's case.
You have an excellent business there putting these guitars together, keep it up.
Thanks again
Andy
Mitchel, I hope the Christmas season finds you well. I GOT MY GUITAR!!!!! It is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cant tell you how much fun I have had with it!!!!!!!!! It plays, looks, and feels great!!!!!!!!!!!! I am very happy!!!!! The wait, which was not bad, really was worth it!!!!!!
Well this is not goodbye, it's see you later, because I want the RELIC!!!!! THANK YOU!!!
Jorge Ocampo Jr
ocampojr@hotmail.com
Mitchel,
I just wanted to tell you that I received the Custom painted Unchained yesterday. It was so worth the wait that I am blown away with the quality of your work. Now I know why it took about 60 days, you didn't miss a single detail.
Now, as far as the playability, I will never understand how you sell your guitars for this price. I just listed my other guitar on the bay because yours killed it! I'm just amazed at my Mean Street ax.
Please check your email because I'm ordering another custom painted guitar from you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,
Danny Glass
San Diego, CA
Mitchel,
I just got the Evolution!
I have to say you blew my expectations away. This is a great guitar!
After finding out that another company was charging a laughable price for a similar guitar I searched the web and found your site.
I couldn't believe the price, plus all the great testimonials! I had to go for it.
I was not disappointed at all. The Duncan custom sounds awesome and thanks for all the extras( picks, pick guards, etc).
Thank you for being so helpful with the everything.
I will definitely be ordering another one very soon.
Mahalo and Merry X-mass
svengalli@hawaii.rr.com
Evolution II
I just got the Evolution II from Mitchel at Mean Street guitars. What
a terrific guitar! I have been looking for a dual humbucker/EVH style
guitar but with a more Fender type neck, selector switch and knob
layout, but oddly enough they're just hard to find; and I just wanted a
plain guitar, something I can always pick up and play and not worry if
it gets dinged. This guitar felt like an old friend as soon as I put
it on; sounds terrific, nice tones out of the pickups, not super high
gain but just right for a good "brown" sound. The neck is awesome,
feels great, the frets were nicely dressed, nicely setup. You can
spend more for a guitar but I don't think you can get more!
musgrave123@earthlink.net
INTRUDER
Mitchel,
I just thought I would check in again and felt that I had to
continue to offer praises concerning my satisfaction with
your work. This in NOT a paid testimonial nor any type
of contrived response. I have made other purchases
on the net for brand named guitars just to try different sounds
and feels. None of the guitars that arrived could match my
satisfaction with the craftsmanship, sound and price of
my intruder.
This guitar is VERY well manufactured!! My veteran guitar playing
aficionados are amazed at how well it plays for the price.
I have always been one to show my appreciation to the craftsmen
like yourself and your team and I felt it necessary to give
props to you guys. Maybe there is someone out there like I was
a year ago, looking for that great guitar at a reasonable price
willing to take a chance. Well, to those of you that are reading
this email, it is worth it! You won't be disappointed. By the time
you realize what you have, you will have already become a
much better player and a much happier musician. No Doubt!!
I love my guitar!!!! I am thinking about another one in a different
color!! :-)
Keep fighting the good fight and making these fine instruments!
Appreciate it.
John G. (Atlanta GA)
Mitchel,
I received my guitar yesterday as scheduled. It is all that I expected and then some! After reading the testimonials on your website I was convinced that I would really have something I could be proud of and I am. The guitar is top notch in quality and the attention to detail is what makes this guitar stand out. I am pleased with the inclusion of the extras such as all necessary wrenches, cable and even a guitar pick. You have obviously made the extra effort to provide a product that caters to the specific needs of a musician and at such an affordable price is rare in today's marketplace. Although I chose your stock model (and again am very impressed), I will definitely look to you again for an even more customized guitar in the future. Thanks again for your dedication to providing a superior product and running a professional business!
Tim Carter
timman5150@hotmail.com
Hi Mitchell,
I just got back from Asia a few days ago and I got the guitar from my friend
without problems.
Just want you to know that it looks perfect, plays awesome, and sounds
great! :D Thanks for all the work you put into it, I am very happy with the
way it has turned out.
If I ever want another custom guitar, I would definitely come to you first.
Again, thank you for making a dream guitar into reality.
Leo C
gacktc@hotmail.com
Mitch,
Having been an Eddie Van Halen nut since 1991 - when I started playing the guitar - I
have always dreamed of owning a 5150. The guitar is so iconic, so individual. You
*know* just exactly who the guitar represents - unlike Srats and Les Pauls.
A few months ago, a friend sent me the link for Mitch's website along with testimonials
that verified his work. The testimonials put me at ease and seeing the Custom Unchained on the
website made me want one immediately.
I emailed Mitch with a tentative view to ordering. My main worry was that there would be
a major waiting list or a prohibitive price tag.
The email conversation went really well and Mitch was very accommodating, answering all
my questions and gladly building the guitar to my exact spec.
After that I placed my order and waited.
Unfortunately the wait was quite long. This was due to a hold up on original Floyd Roses
getting into the USA.
During this time, Mitch kept in contact regularly and apologized for the delay. This helped
as I was getting nervous!
True to his reputation, the guitar was built as soon as the OFRs came in and was
dispatched immediately. Once again, through the email conversation that concerned
shipping and delivery went smoothly and within 4 days my guitar was in my hands.
I opened the packaging (excellent and sturdy, I might add) with glee and nearly fainted
when I laid my eyes on my very own 5150. It was beautiful in every way and the OFR, the
first I have had, looked resplendent in its chrome glory.
The fitting of the hardware was immaculate and the paint job was fantastic!
However, the best was yet to come.
Sure, it looked great but how did it play?
I had deliberated over Mitch's own wound pick up or a brand model of my choice. I was
very tempted to go the whole hog and get the VH Seymour Duncan pick up - after all,
why get a VH guitar if you're not going for the complete set up?
However, financial restraints meant this was not an option and so I settled for Mitch's
own. I could always replace it later.
Well, I need not worry. And neither should any of you.
The guitar sounds amazing! The pick up has that awesome tight, warm, fat sound that
Eddie is famous for. I didn't realize how good it was until I tried played my Jem an
hour later and realized that thePAF Pros (my favorite tone so far) in the Jem
sounded terrible compared to the 5150.
Not only does the 5150 look great but it sounds great too.
It also plays great too with super low action.
Mitch is a true craftsman and I strongly recommend you indulge yourself with one of his
guitars!
Justin Briggs
Justinzen7031@zen.co.uk
Mitchel,
I just wanted to let you know it is finally finished. The 5150 kit turned out amazing. Thanks for all the answers to my questions and quick response. I don't think I will ever buy a store bought guitar again. You definitely have my future business. I had so much fun putting this together I just might have to do another one. Your mean street pickup is unreal. This pickup has way more gain and bottom end than those on my old Wolfgang.
Once again thank you.
Terry barron5150@spocom.com
INTRUDER
Mitchel:
I received the Red Intruder on Friday afternoon, and
wanted to spend a couple of days playing it before I
sent any feedback to you. Man, where do I begin!
I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. playing it on Friday
night. I just couldn't put it down. It's absolutely
amazing. In addition to being so beautiful it should
qualify as artwork, it plays fantastic. The weight and
feel are perfect. The superior quality and
craftsmanship that went into it are obvious from the
moment you pick it up. This guitar was a phenomenal
deal, and I thank you.
This should show you how knocked out I am: The first
$10 just went into my savings jar for my next
purchase: an Amber quilt-top Intruder.
One other thing I want to compliment you on. Your
service and responsiveness during this whole process
for me was fantastic. You were courteous and prompt
with your responses, and answered every e-mail without
fail. It was a true pleasure doing business with you.
As a private consumer and as a business person, if all
my interactions with vendors were like mine was with
Mean Street Guitars, life would be a breeze.
Once again, thanks for everything Mitchel.
Chris in SC
Hey Mitchel,
I Thank you for a very enjoyable buying experience and an incredible guitar especially at this price actually about any price would have been fair. Great paint job, great sound, great price what more could you ask for. When your move is finished and you settle down in Florida I have some friends in town who want to give you some business. Feel free to give my email address to any one who would like to ask for opinions on your guitars, I would be pleased to answer any questions they might have about your instruments.
Thanks Again
Danny Farrar
D1frehley@aol.com
Custom Holoflash Ibanez
I got my Ibanez back on Monday. Saying that I'm pleased would be a severe understatement. It turned out just plain gorgeous! On top of that, it sounds awesome with the new DiMarzio's as well! You can bet that I'll be doing future business with you! A friends band has a show this upcoming weekend and one of the guitarists is drooling over getting to play it.
twelt@charter.net
To be honest I was a little worried about the guitars construction since I had never held it and wasn't able to see what it felt like. In this case though, I was blown away and was happy I followed other people's recommendations to look you up on the Kramer Forum. The guitar feels just right when strapped on, just enough to remind you what kind of insane music machine you have on yourself. The neck was like butter, very easy to move up and down along the fret board and comfortably form chord shapes. The personal touch is obvious, it's extremely well built, having no doubt being constructed carefully with every detail addressed has needed. Not only does it look like Eddie Van Halen's screaming classic Kramer, but I'm sure plays like his did as well because it has that custom shop quality to make it a top notch guitar. I'm glad I bought mine from you and will be sure to look you up and talk to you before I buy another guitar because honestly, nothing feels up to par since I picked up my Mean Street guitar. Thanks a lot Mitchel, for everything man, you made me feel like I spent a few thousand dollars and got just what I paid for.
Regards,
Daniel
D_Wyn@Hotmail.com
Hi Mitchel
Thanks for the great job on the guitar. You use
nothing but quality parts for every single detail. My
"Evolution" model is great. The paint is exactly
matched to the color sample I sent you, The licensed
Floyd Rose tremolo that you use is almost
indistinguishable from an original one to me. It's
actually better than the licensed one on my Wolfgang,
which was an $1800 guitar. The neck feels so good and
it is just enough to fill your hand. It's not too
thick or too thin, it's just right. You took the care
to see that every detail that I asked for was done the
way I wanted right down to the color of the screws in
the pick guard. The guitar was packed well, and got
here promptly once it was sent out. I doubt anyone
could get a guitar of this quality for anywhere near
the price. I know I couldn't, and I looked around
quite a bit. I honestly don't know how you do it.
mattconrad5150@yahoo.com
Hey Mitchel,
IT'S ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!!!! Apparently it didn't clear customs until 2nd April and that's why it's late. Big sigh of relief all around.
I am really thankful for your help (and patience with me!) in trying to find out where it was cause I really did think it was lost.
Anyway, it's here now, and BOY is it here. I cant believe how awesome it looks, you should get a Nobel prize for guitar making, it is stunning!!!! Absolutely perfect!!!!! I haven't plugged it in yet cause I'm at work but it is still in key after it's travels. I cant thank you enough and I am sure it will sound amazing when it's cranked up!!!
When I order my next guitar from you (which I definitely will) at least we know how long the post can take!
Thanks again, you are a star!
Gareth
gareth.ratcliffe@idesta.com
I got the guitar today Mitchel and I am very pleased!
It's very easy to play and once I got it all tuned up it was ready to go! I will leave a great review at HC for you when I can put this damn thing down long enough to type a proper review! thanx again! a very satisfied customer
Feel free to use my comment for testimonials as well as referring people to me if they have questions. The trem is set awesomely, she's roaring now and I'm still playing it...6 and a half hours now! Damn you Mitchel! lol.
Thanx again! Chris
Jhsrvcdm@cs.com
INTRUDER
Mitchel
Please post this on your site (if you want to of course)
I just wanted some of your potential customers to know that this is my third Intruder guitar I have purchased. Not because they wear out or anything, it's because they are unbelievable in quality, playability and price! These guitars are top of the line and the price Mean Street offers them is just crazy. I have never seen a guitar like the Intruder for under $500, excellent craftsmanship. I now have an amber quilt, green flame and just received my pink flame. I'm now saving up so Mitchel can custom airbrush one for me.
Thanks Mitch---your #1 Intruder customer!!!
Mack J. SoCal
Mitchel,
I got the guitar on Wednesday. It is fantastic! Much cooler in real life than in the pictures! Thanks again for you excellent customer service and quality work. I have to tell you that this process was easier and more rewarding than buying a guitar at Guitar Center, and I got a better deal and much higher quality product, that was exactly what I wanted.
Thanks again!
-Dan- dan5150@hotmail.com
Mitch,
I've been a VH nut since grade school, always wanted a 5150 guitar but never been able to find one that didn't cost an arm and a leg, and Lord knows, I searched everywhere. Then I found you and you made me the happiest guy ever. Got the guitar about a week after I ordered it, and about 2 months later, finally finished painting it and it looks like a damn good job considering it was done by a 16 year old. You even helped me along the way when I asked you questions about tape size, types of paint, soldering schematics, and even sold me some space tape. And I couldn't believe the sound of this thing. It's the best sounding guitar I've ever heard. (By the way I took the guitar into the new Guitar Center by my house and played on their amps and I got swarmed by a ton of people and I told them where to get it, so don't be surprised if you get some new customers from my area.) Anyone who reads this must know that Mitch is a great guy and will help you out even after you've already purchased his product. He wants to make sure you're satisfied with what you got. So when it comes to great guitars and great deals, trust Mitch all the way.
Thanks again for giving me my dream guitar,
Stevein Wisconsin
Mitchel,
Your unchained guitar is one of the best rock guitars that I have ever
played. The look, feel, and sound of the guitar are all incredible. When I
ordered it, I thought about changing the pickup and putting on an original
Floyd Rose, but after playing it, that won’t be necessary. I can get the
pickup to scream and the Licensed Floyd stays perfectly in tune. The parts
on this guitar may not have a name brand, but they are quality parts. This
is a quality guitar and I still can’t believe the price. I can’t say enough
about your service and you dedication to me as a customer. All of my
questions were answered very quickly and the work you did on my guitar is
incredible. When the guitar arrived, it was setup perfectly. I gave it a
quick fine tuning and it was ready to go. Shipment was very fast and the
guitar was packed great. The outer box was very wet from UPS, but because of
the packing, there were no problems with the guitar at all. Thank you for
that. It is obvious that you take pride in your work and you are dedicated
to satisfying your customers. Please feel free to share my email address
with anyone who might have questions for one of your customers.
Thanks again,
Scott
spvallie@hotmail.com
Mitchel,
What can I say...unbelievable! The guitar is the spitting image of
Eddie's, the paint job is superb, and it plays great. I can't tell you how
pleased I am with this guitar.
man, the guitar is awesome. I can really tell that you put a concentrated
effort into making this guitar not only look, but also sound great.
Please feel free to put my email in your testimonials...people should know
that your work is certified by your customers opinions. Anyways, thanks for a job well done.
The guys in the band are going to flip when they see this. I might even
bring it into the local guitar shop in Meridian. This town knows about
Eddie because Peavey's headquarters are here, so the shop owner is going to be
jealous. Thanks again, Mitchel.
Mark @ msimpson_usmc@hotmail.com
Hi Mitchel,
The UNCHAINED GUITAR KIT arrived today, it's great,
thanks very much. I shall start on painting and assembling it this
weekend. (big bonus the body is finished!!!!...this helps a lot, nice
smooth surface to start on... I was expecting plain wood!!!)
The neck is amazing, I've had a few EVH necks over the years and your is
one of the best ,the finish is spotless.
Very happy customer , thanks once again...keep up the good work!!
Kind regards
ANDY LEE tecnoir@zoo.co.uk
ESP Holoflash "Stamped" logo guitar
Mitch,
I got the ESP today and I was blown away as soon as I opened the case.
it looks incredible, the paint , the Holoflash , everything.
you really did an amazing job with that basket case, and you can hardly tell where the damage was without really looking for it.
I just cant take my eyes off the guitar, I love it!
I cant thank you enough and I cant wait for the next project.
thanks for being such a cool guy too!
Rudy ---You can see Rudy's killer guitar collection and email him here...www.rudetalk.com
Mitchel from Mean street builds the best guitar I have ever seen or played in my
life. No need to upgrade the pickup, in my personal opinion, because Mitchel's custom pickup is
the best thing going. I mean it is smoking. I got the unchained 5150
replica, and I have seen a lot of 5150 Replicas at other websites and the
many on eBay, and let me say that Mitchel's unchained 5150 replica paint job is the
closest to the real thing that anyone can get. I mean, it is a dead ringer.
All you have to do is compare the pictures of the 5150 Unchained to the
real 5150. You will see that what I am saying is
the truth. As far as Mitchel goes, he is the best customer service person
that I have ever worked with, believe me, I know, I work with the public.
Bottom line, if I ever make it big, Mitchel at Mean street Guitars will be my
main man.
Thanks, Mitchel-"The Dream Maker"
Jeremy
Your new best friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
naenae516@msn.com
Mitchel...
Just wanted to write a condensed note to you regarding the Relic:
F#*%ing AWESOME!!!
Now for a longer summary:
I've been playing the hell out of this guitar and it really is a great
instrument. What I really love is the neck and how fast and smooth it
plays. The action is perfect.
the pickup: great fat tone
when the volume is half or below. Excellent fat/bright tone on 11!
What I really love is the paint job: I think there's not one detail you
missed in reproducing the EVH Relic 5150. You are a very detail oriented
craftsman which is hard to come by these days. (Even my wife couldn't believe the
cigarette burns a la Eddie!)
What puts the icing on the cake
is your customer service. Ex.: I tried to bend my trem bar. When it
broke you
were kind enough to custom bend one for me and replace it for free! That
may be all I need to get that Original Floyd feel back. I still may
call you for
an Original Floyd Rose Trem in the future. :) Glad you're going to start
including those
on future Mean Street guitars. That inclusion right there will put you over the
top!
If there's anything you need in the future regarding design you know
who to
e-mail. It was a pleasure doing business with you.
Thanks a ton!
Ward S.
Ward can be reached at his website www.lefthandesign.com
INTRUDER
I just wanted to let everybody know that these testimonials are freaking TRUE!
I read almost all of them before I decided to go with Mean Street Guitars and I thought to myself, there is no way this guy is this good & does all of this work by himself. Well, I got my Intruder, with the famous Wolfgang stripes...yeah, I know, it's not a Peavey, it's a Mean Intruder, but it is one kicka$$ guitar! The paint job is unbelievably accurate with every detail covered. So all in all, the guitar is much more than I expected at a price that nobody can match...believe me, I've checked around!
Other than the guitar, I must let everybody know that doing business with Mitch is also a great experience. The guy kept me up to date with the progress of the custom guitar work and also gave me several options to choose from including a non-gloss clear coat and some custom pickup & switch wiring.
Long story short, you can't go wrong dealing with Mean Street Guitars!
Thanks Bro,
Carson Shonrea, Sonoma, CA.
INTRUDER
Dear Mitchel,
I want to say "Great Job" on my Berry Intruder! I have been playing the Hell outta this thing.
For the price, it is the top of the line baby. I am sure if you wanted to spend another
5 or 7 hundred bux you could buy a guitar with a few more options, but, it still
wouldn't be worth it. For the money, and the reliable service, it was well worth
the price.
I commend you on your craft and hope that you keep making these fine
guitars. Rock on and thanks.
Sincerely,
J.D.Gesh
Suwanee GA. USA(email forwarding)
"Mean Street Guitars is one of the greatest kept secrets around. Simply put, they sell the best guitars at the best price. I was impressed and I believe you will be too."
Thanks Michel!
Sincerely,
Paul Stroud Stroud_Paul@msn.com
Mitchel....I received the guitar Friday night. The guitar is more than I hoped for. The finish work is unbelievable. You certainly know your craft. The guitar is put together well, and playable right out of the case. I didn't have to adjust it at all. I took it to rehearsal last night. The sound/tone is right on...but best, I like the texture and feel I got from the Mean Street pickup. It was better than the Dimarzio I have on my Axis. I'm glad I went with your suggestion. While the neck is going to take some time to "break-in"...it plays really easy. I was doing runs on it that I struggle a bit on other guitars. For me, there is one thing I'd change (and I'm going to) to send this guitar over the top....I would put an Original Floyd Rose on it or at least make it an option. The licensed version is livable, but could be better. I would've paid the difference in price.
This guitar is a great guitar. I have no regrets. I want to especially thank you for working with me. You've heard others say it, but its true. Your customer service is absolutely great. You made me feel like I was the only person you sold guitars to. In this day, being treated like that sets you apart. The extra effort you made on getting a case for me, and an upgraded one at that, is just cool. I cant think of any reason I would buy another guitar from someone else.
Thank you so much Mitchel....I look forward to working with you again. You are a craftsmen, and a gentleman.
Rodger(email forwarding)
Hey Mitchel,
The Unchained is a great instrument. This guitar looks great and sounds better. It's easily a superior instrument when compared to much of what hangs on the walls at major guitar retailers. I still can't get over how inexpensive it is...$389 is an amazing price for this quality. The licensed Floyd works well. The Unchained sounds really good UNPLUGGED. And, your custom-wound pickup is VERY impressive.
No, it doesn't have a "name" on the headstock However, I think EVH himself would be proud of this guitar. After all, his early guitars were assembled from spare parts and whatever he could afford. His Frankenstrat humbucker was held in place with NAILS! The Unchained isn't the flashiest instrument out there, but I think it best embodies the EVH tradition of creativity and hard work. Bottom line...if you want a showroom piece, spend 4 times the money and have teenyboppers think you're cool. Or, you could buy a quality instrument from a quality company and laugh at the hacks who think a brand name on the headstock makes you a good guitarist...Mean Street ROCKS!!
Bill Caris guitarnut5150@earthlink.net
Mitch,
You can post this email on your site if you like. I just have to let everybody know that the guitar you painted for me is the most awesome guitar I have ever seen! You were absolutely right about the MicaX/Holoflash, it's the most wicked paint in the world!
Also, your attention to detail on the picture I sent you to paint was fantastic, thank you so much.
Roger Williams CA (email forwarding)
Mitchel,
I just received the Unchained
It arrived in great shape! You've really outdone yourself on this one. It's such a great job! I've wanted one of these since I was a kid. I've got a lot of really nice guitars; Tom Anderson, Tyler's, PRS, a Les Paul. For the money, yours is a great guitar. I really can't believe how affordable it was, especially in this paint job. Thanks for making a great guitar and giving us VH fans a chance to own something we've always wanted.
flint flint.mavis@tnt-la.com
Hey Mitch,
I got the guitar today, and it kicked ass! It was sooo hard for me to
wait a week for it but it was totally worth it! The guitar looks awesome! This is my
first guitar with a Floyd rose locking system and I just got it all figured
out. The case looks great too and thank you for your generosity. Nice doing
business with ya! ;)
Kevinkevyxert@hotmail.com
Mitchel
The Unchained arrived today :-)
Wow.........what can I say...absolutely fantastic!!!! I am very very impressed!
The damn thing feels like my 1984 Baretta and has exactly the same neck profile as my favorite guitar ('87 Baretta) And now here's the killer......I took it out of it's gig bag ( That was something I wasn't expecting so thanks!!!!!!! ) and the bloody thing was perfectly in tune!!!!!! And it was set up exactly as I have all my guitars setup - so as you can imagine it was like an old friend!!! You must make a hell of a guitar mate for it to still be tune after flying halfway around the world!!!
I am amazed.......
Look, if you ever need a reference let me know. As this guitar is one of the best I've ever played....and trust me I have plenty of things to put it up against....mostly vintage Kramer's so I know what I'm talking about!!!!
Thanks once again Mitchel it's been a pleasure doing business with you! If you ever want to start importing these into the UK let me know and I'll help ya out!!!!! One last thing.......you should be the one building these "KRAMER" reissues that are coming out at the moment......Kramer's are American and should be again.....and I think you could be the one to do it.
Anyway that's my 2 cents!
I also have another idea for a Meanstreet custom guitar, How about an unchained with 3 humbuckers, gold hardware and a star on a pointy headstock........hmmmm that'd show musicyoyo how to do it.....
Thanks again
Philphilcamaro@tiscali.co.uk
Mitch,
Just wanted to let you know that you have got to be the HOLOFLASH MASTER!!!!!!!!!!!
I just got my Peace Symbol black Unchained Series 1 and I have to say that it is amazing! I never had any idea that Holoflash was this cool! Not only does this guitar play great, it beats the S#!^ out of my boring guitars that are now getting ZERO playing time!
Thanks Mitch for treating me like a friend. I'm not sure how you can make much money because your prices are so much lower than most others I've checked with but whatever you're doing...keep up the good...no, great work!
Finally, a place where I can get a cool graphic guitar at a killer price!
I'll be back for one of those Intruders next. I've heard they are great players too.
David Heart
"ZAKK WYLDE PROJECT"
The guitar arrived today, it's SICK!!! I've never seen anything like it. I like the little signature on the lower horn. The pickup selector is friggin awesome-- brewtal/hellride. The selector looks aged but it's brand new. The headstock is da-$hit! I just took pics of it, I'll post it on my site. Overall this guitar is NC-17!!! Definitely not for kids!
Awesome guitar!!! Ten times better than the real Zakk Wylde bullseye!
"Dude the guitar looks 10 times better than the pictures on your site. You couldn't get the arch-top to show on your site but in person, you can surely see it. Effin' Brewtifull."
Ernie Paperboy1x@aol.com
Unchained Guitars
What's up Mitch?... Just wanted to tell you that I am still stoked over this ax. It is a guitar and also a sacred shrine for me.
Deal with U later when the Wolfs arrive.
Chris in S.D.
cnieraeth@cox.net
Unchained Guitars
Mitchel,
I just received my Unchained Series and I am so happy with this purchase. I'm still going to stripe it but the taxi cab yellow looks awesome! I want one of those too. Thanks for the picks, they're cool. I recommend to anyone out there wanting to do an Ed replica to go with MEANSTREET! You will not be disappointed. I researched this a great deal on the internet and you will not beat the deal that Mitchel is offering! I'll be back for the INTRUDER.
Benny Bryant
Houston, TX
You can email Benny at benny.bryant@weatherford.com
(2 black Unchained guitars purchased)
Mitchel,
The guitars came in yesterday! In a word, I was very
impressed, you build a hell of a guitar!
So here is what I think, when I got them out of the packaging, very
nice job on that too, I took one look at the pickups and said "They
have to come out" I don't want to be rude but they look like cheepo's,
but when I went down and plugged the guitar into my H and K Triamp, I
could not believe how good the pickups sounded.( you have to tell
me more about them, unless it's a trade secret) I compared them
with a fender Deluxe Fat Strat and I have to admit I liked the way
your pickups sounded better and by the way, the Strat was $1100!
The neck on the guitar is damn near perfect, very comfortable, not
too big, like some of my old Kramer's, and not too small like a Wolfgang.
The volume pot and knob are the best I have ever used, I loved the
roll off and the knob itself is easy to roll with your pinkie. The
bridge is very sensitive, usually takes me some time to break in
a Floyd, but I liked the way yours felt right out of the box. I guess
if I had to say something negative it would be that you have to take
off the neck to adjust the truss rod, but I am one of the blessed
people that have a full-time guitar tech on the payroll, so for me
it's not a big deal.
I am very excited to use the guitars with my live rig. I use two
hand made amps live, basically a low watt plexi and low gain orange
clone. They bring out every little nuance of a guitar, we are on a small vacation and my amps are on the truck
till Wednesday.
Great Job!
thanks
Dan
PS I put a link up on our website, and I am going to try to talk
the other guitar player into getting two, maybe we can work out some
kind of band deal, either way, I will be dealing with you in the future,
it was a pleasure.
You can email Dan here...dan@redlinerocks.org
You can check out his bands site here...www.redlinerocks.org
INTRUDER
Mitchel,
I just wanted to drop you a line about that fantastic Amber Intruder I bought.
I’m generally a bit skeptical about buying anything online, especially when it comes to musical gear. I am generally one of the “try before I buy” types. I was in the market for an Axis-like guitar and I figured for the price, it would be worth it to give one of your guitars a try.
I have now had my Intruder for a month and I must admit that this thing has blown away my expectations. The action is fantastic and the thing looks incredible - but all this would be for not if it didn’t sound good. I’m pleased to report that this thing doesn’t sound good… it sounds GREAT. My Les Paul hasn’t come out of the case since I got this thing… and that guitar set me back 3 times as much.
Thanks for the great product… next time I’m shopping I’ll keep Mean St. in mind.
Thanks again
Brian
atomicpunk50@yahoo.com
The guitar arrived two hours ago and I've been playing it since! It plays
great - fast neck, good action, very well put-together overall. I may
experiment with the height of the pickup, but it seems about right. I
appreciate the time you took finishing this, and the packing job was
top-notch as well.
Thanks for the terrific guitar, I'll let you know how it's doing in a few
weeks! Right now I have to continue playing the opening of "I'm the One"
over and over...
Scott~ US Naval Academy ~ Annapolis, MD
Dear Mean Street,
You guys ROCK! This is the first time I've ordered a guitar on the web and it has been an excellent experience. Your emails and updates helped me get through it just fine. The guitar was packed with care in mind and the transaction was very fast and friendly.
Now for the guitar...amazing. I can't figure out how I got so lucky to find your site. The guitar is everything you promised and MORE! I didn't get the upgraded Seymour D. pickup because I was going to use a different brand but after playing it with the stock pickup, I see no reason to change it out. Simply put, I love this guitar!
Thanks for everything Mitchel...
Your new favorite customer,
Kevin C. Charleston, SC
Mitch!
The burgundy/red Unchained arrived yesterday in perfect condition. Thanks for the extra stuff man, killer gig bag! Anyway, everything checked out fine. The action is perfect and the one piece maple neck is very nice and very fast & easy to play. I can't believe I was going to buy one like this at "@#$%&*!" for more than twice the price. Your price to quality is UNBELIEVABLE!
Keep up the great work providing great guitars and an even greater value.
Stan T. NY, NY
Intruder
Mitch,
I received the guitars today. They're both great! The Black Intruder is awesome and it is definitely going to be my main guitar! It was everything I hoped for!
I Love the Spider Web Holoflash (pictures truly don't do it justice). My 3 year old son is a huge Spiderman fan and when he saw the guitar he freaked! My wife actually suggested and asked me if I wouldn't mind getting a Display case for it and putting it in his room (out of reach) (I like the idea). You should really push this guitar! It's an awesome work of Art!
Also, thanks for the gig bag and the pics! I wasn't expecting them!
Charlescpodell@optonline.net
Mitchel,
Just wanted to let you know that I received the guitar Friday morning and your packing was excellent. Everything was in one piece and I tuned it up and fired up the old amp. I currently play a 2001 Gibson Explorer with EMG 81 and 85 pickups and I'm amazed that I actually am beginning to like the Unchained Model 1 more...The neck is what really blew me away on the guitar as I have only tinkered with some Ernie Ball Musicman with unfinished necks. The speed I picked up on the Mean Street was unreal. I am really liking the smoothness and fluidity of the neck. I am a novice in the world of Floyd Roses as all my other guitars are stop-tails, but I'm really starting to love being able to play some of my favorite Van Halen songs now in their entirety because of the bar. I will be most likely be striping the guitar in the future ala 5150 but will try to preserve the Mean Street logo on the headstock just so other people can know about your fine instruments.
Thanks again, Craig FaliconBasspond@aol.com
I just received the Intruder guitar as a gift from a very, very special guy in my life! I couldn't have asked for a more precious gift from the heart! The guitar is absolutely gorgeous and the sound is fabulous. I have never seen anything like it and I'm showing it to all my friends. They have been amazed! Thank you, Mitchel, for the wonderful work that you do. You are truly a talented artist and the music world is much, much better for your being in it! Keep making "beautiful music"!!!!!
Sincerely, Liz from South Carolina
"ELECTRIC" GRAPHICHOLOFLASH (Test model)
Mean Street Unchained Series 1 w/Electric Graphic Holoflash
Mitchel, Good morning?
Just wanted to let you know the Guitar arrived here safe and sound...Oh Very Good Packing Job BTW! I was really impressed
how you took the time to pack it so well. Also I'm rather pleased with the neck, as I was worried it would be thicker than I like.
But seems to fit my hands very nicely. I'm really looking forward to getting it home and tuning it up and jam for awhile. At this point I'm well pleased.
Many kudos!! That thing is beautiful! Excellent job! Every color possible!
Yes, I was pleasantly surprised!! I really like this guitar!!
That is what I wanted and it has Fantastic sustain!! Normally when I see a pickup that has no adjustable poles
I tend to stay away from them...I must say I was very surprised...Plays like a dream. Yes you have a very very
Happy Customer.
You will also be getting some exposure here locally as I plan to use this guitar this weekend at our Gig.
Oh yea, I want to say thanks for providing the Allen wrenches! Something not everyone else does...Thanks.
I also like the cool picks, gotta put these up somewhere...too Cool to use!!
All in all, Mitchel, Great Guitar!!
Thanks again for the great service!!
I'm very Pleased!! Karl
KErnst@comloginc.com
HOLOFLASH FINISH
Mitch, I received the guitar body today and was freaked out by this finish! I have been riding around town just showing my friends...it is awesome man! Thank you so much for the coolest guitar paint job ever. I also wanted you to post this on your testimonial page so I can let your customers know that the turn around time was only nine days! I was one of the first customers that kind of got in before everybody else so that might be the reason...anyway, I know that he has a very fast turnaround times and quality work from previous experiences. This one was unbelievable! (Edit from Mitchel...the nine days can vary from time to time depending on the work load and type of Holoflash designs)
Thanks Mitch for an excellent paint job...I'm sure this will make me play even more!
Well Mitchel I think you have made a lot of true EVH die hard fans very happy! I for one feel like I met someone that likes Eddie's guitars as much as I do. I feel like not only is my guitar a kick ass metal machine but it is also a piece of art that was done to the highest degree of respect for guitar body painting. You do great work Mitch and I am proud to own some of it. I get truly deep into what music means and does for people around the world and I think you should be commended for the time and detail you have put into these guitars, they truly are gorgeous peaces of artwork. I feel very lucky to have my 5150 and have already taken it to a couple of guitar stores in the metro Detroit area they all liked it a lot. Some guys I had a hard time getting it back from, that should make you proud, your a cool guy Mitch and I am also glad this was only a hobby for you. I will keep in touch with you and continue to go to your sight often, good luck brother.
Jamie---
Mitchel-
I finally was able to test out the 5150 w/ the band at rehearsal. I don't know what to say
It absolutely kicks ass! Looks great, plays great, sounds great (like butta)! Well worth the wait. An absolute bargain for under $1000. I would recommend this guitar to non EVH fans as well.
Thanks for all your help & attention to detail. You're the man!
J. Perez---N.Y.
Shirley Temple of Doom
www.shirleytempleofdoom.com
Mitchel,
Wanted to email you and let you know I'm very pleased with how your paintjob came out.....very happy, and as usual, I'm referring my friends, over to your website, next project later down the road, this Warmoth vh1 Strat is really a good player, the custom, custom, screams.....Thanks so much for packing so well, is not often, you find people that give a shit, ...thanks...Mitchell, your a great guy.
Dave
Mitchel,
Hello! I wanted to let you know that I did receive the VH2 in fantastic condition, and it sounds great! I added another spring to the Floyd (I'm really rough on whammy systems) and it was good to go. It has become my favorite ax (I have ten). I wanted to thank you again for making a great product. I guarantee you'll be hearing from me again in the future!
Best Regards,
Mike McGill
Dear Mitch,
After searching the web for some really good VH guitars, yours stands out as, in my opinion, the best. What makes your service the best? A few things....1)You answer your email and provide valuable info to the customer! 2)You don't make what you do sound like a chore! 3)Your attention to detail!
I purchased the EBMM clone that was striped-out! After opening this puppy up and setting it up it ripped! I have to say I was blown away! I did make some minor mods to it with newer pickups and a new whammy, but this guitar was well put together and I got what I was promised! When I used the guitar at a local gig for a VH encore the crowd went nuts! I got a million questions about it and who built it! Mitch was very kind inall his emails when I asked a million questions and let's face it, we can all lose our minds when getting nailed with questions all the time!
At this writing, I'm ordering some parts for another axe of mine and once again, I chose Mitch! Why? He just cool as hell and honest too! I had placed an order for these parts (Floyd Rose unit w/R2 nut & D-Tuna) from a national chain and was jerked around for close to four months while they held onto my money. The parts never arrived when they said they would, in fact they never did arrive.
I wrote to Mitch about one week ago and he did have the Floyd but no D-Tuna. Well, I was going to just get the Floyd but lo and behold an email! "I have the D-tuna!" So Mitch gets my business again! He told me right out what he had and didn't! THAT'S the way to treat a customer!
So thanks Mitch and I look forward to getting more stuff from ya!
RVH
Hey Mitchel!
I got the 5150, excellent job, tweaked out perfect! Thanks for your patience with working with me on "the deal"!
Later, Happy New Year...
Travis K.
It is everything you said it would be and more. I have a full size poster of Eddies guitar and yours/mine is a perfect match to his. I still can't believe you got the action this low and there isn't any fret buzz at all, nice fret work. The clear coat does look factory and it's perfect since I travel a lot. Thanks for the Mean St. picks too. When I get caught up at work, I will send you my Wolfgang body to stripe. You Rock! I'll stop by that little Island guitar shop on the Texas coast next time out......Mark Hall
Dude, that is the coolest little guitar ever! I bought one of those mini amps to go with the guitar and it's just all too cool. The guitar hangs in my office at work and now when people ask me if it works I can plug it in and blow them away....it's just too much fun. Keep up the good work! You have got to be the first one to come up with these! Thanks much, Terry B.
Damn Bro, where did you get all this Kramer stuff? Anyway, The Stagemaster arrived today and I couldn't believe my eyes...the damn thing was brand new, are you sure you sent me the right one? You have made me the happiest guitar collector on the planet. I thought I would never, ever see one in this condition. I'll talk to ya later Mitch & thank you for being the professional that you are. David C. Hagstrom
Mitch, here's my testimonial, please post this on your site but don't include my email since this one is for my business, thanks. Mean Street Guitars has got to be the coolest site on the web. Mitchel has treated me like I was his only customer and that has never happened at any other guitar site I've been to so far. The guitar I ordered was the Shark Destroyer and it is now the best and most talked about guitars when people come in to my store. It is very accurate to Eddies and it plays and sounds great. If you had put that hard thick clear coat on it, you would have taken away everything that is authentic about it. Mitchel trust me, the thin clear is perfect for this one. Your guitars are some of the best I've seen, I guess that's why I bought from you. Also, thank you again for the unbelievable service, I have even changed the way "I" do business now. Sincerely, Keith Thomas
Hey Mitch, the guitar came earlier today and I've been playing it all day. It sounds just as good plugged as it does unplugged. You did a great job my friend. The Floyd Rose is going to take some time to get used too but I'll experiment with it. I love the size of the neck because I have small hands and this baby feels just right. My amp sucks so I know that it's going to sound 100 times better on my buddy's Marshall. I love it Mitch! You and I are definitely going to do more business in the future. The picks are awesome too! Thanks a million man. Later~ Chris
Mitchel,
I received the 5150 on Monday, you did an excellent packing job! The guitar looks and feels great, and the sound is amazing - nice pickups! I just wanted to thank you for selling me an incredible product and for your professionalism. You obviously know your stuff, and I'll probably be requesting a Hot For Teacher Jr. in the near future!
Thanks again,
Mike M.
I would just like to say that Mitchel's guitars are the real deal.....all paint---clear coat, and just quality workmanship. He takes the time, and does the little extra things that make his work and his word solid. Since my dealings with him, we have become friends and I plan to buy at least two more guitars from him. Great prices--high quality, and incredible customer support that makes you feel as if he maintains his business just to make your guitar. He is always available , and strives to make each and every person happy...whatever it takes. I just wish we had met sooner---you the man! Jamie W.
Meanstreetguitars.com is top notch, you can tell that a lot of time and effort went into this Web site. This site is my number one choice when looking for guitar accessories and Mitchel has been very helpful and goes the extra mile. This site also has some of the best EVH copies around and the prices are reasonable. Keep up the good work Mitchel. GeorgeC
Mitchel,
Just wanted to let you know I love the guitar. I look forward to doing additional business with you. I commend you on staying in touch with me during the process, and answering all of my E-mails promptly. Its nice to do business with a professional.
Regards, Mike B.