What's New | Guitar Blog

This is the official Gallo Guitars blog. Read about what's new with our company, our recent projects and vision. Pretty much everything that has to do with our interactive guitars. Also find some articles by Gallo Guitars' owner and creator Jose Gallo.

Studio Log: Creating ‘Vida’

The first question that may pop into your mind is: What is Vida? Well, long story short, Vida is my latest custom-made guitar. I didn’t know its name until the day I finished it, but when the moment came, Vida felt just right.

You see, the process of making a custom-made guitar is very much different than designing an edition for Gallo Guitars. Even though they all start organically at the same place, the thought process is completely different. Instead of sitting for hours just thinking and sketching different ideas of what I want to convey in a new edition, the process is now the one of collaborating with someone else.

The process always starts with an idea. Its starts with the vision a musician has for one of my guitars and how they will compliment their act. This process may be as quick as their impulse or may take months in the building. Now, once I get in contact with the musician we sit down and get to work. This case was no different when I created Vida for my friend Dan Pat. We met, I told him a little bit about my artwork and a couple of months later we were talking about custom-making a guitar for him. It is a pretty interesting story, but more on that later.

When I make a guitar for an artist, I always ask them about their music. I also about what they like, what moves them and what they want to say. When I asked these questions to Dan, he told me this really cool story about his music and its relation to Costa Rica. Dan is originally from there and likes to irradiate a very positive vibe with his songs. He talked about his lifestyle of spreading happiness and how you can see Costa Rica’s modo “Pura Vida”, which means “pure life” or “pure joy” in Spanish, in the way him and most other Costa Ricans live their lives. Also, I asked he would like to see aesthetically on a guitar and he said that he very much enjoyed geometric designs.

After Dan left my studio that afternoon, there were two main concepts that stuck with me. The first was the idea of spreading happiness and this tropical vibe through the concept of living joyfully: ‘Pura Vida’. The second, was the idea of how would that look on a guitar and how could I apply that to a design that would compliment him on stage. All and all this is what remained in my mind: make a guitar that speaks joyfully on a tropical, yet geometric way. Pretty overwhelming, but I was up for the challenge.

It was time to get to work. I made some sketches, but, as usual, you have to go through several of them until you find the one that you like the best. Once I had picked out the best, I made a virtual sketch and worked on color schemes. When I had finally settled on a design I liked, there was nothing much to think and it was all execution.

Putting this custom-made guitar together for Dan took a couple of weeks, but when it was finished I was very glad I took my time to make it look as great as I wanted it to be.

To finish up, here are some of the things that I really enjoyed and like to highlight about ‘Vida’:

Exposed wood grain: I have no idea what turns my brain on so much about seeing the wood grain on this guitar, but I am pretty sure it has something to do with the material interaction between the plastic clear tops and the wooden frame.

7 color design It is tough to learn how to make a one-color coat look great, but now multiply that times 7! It wasn’t the easiest of tasks and there was a lot of waiting and persevering involved, but I am very grateful for the final look in this guitar.

Tone-wood and pickup set-up: Vida’s body is made out of Ash, which helps me give a warm-full feel to the guitar, complimenting the naturally bright tone of the plastic top and bottoms. The Seymour Duncan SH-11 also ranges towards the warmer side, while the SD P-90 gives it more of a range with a slightly brighter, yet hotter tone. All and all, a great combination.

Sound Reactive Setup As all of my Gallo Guitars, Vida has also installed within a sound reactive setup, that changes color depending on the notes you play. I have also installed a lithium batter with a charger and a USB port that plugs right into the wall.

- Jose Gallo-

Process Images

A light from the Cyber-Street

Street art has always been around me. This culture that started to be acknowledged as a form of art since the 70’s has now evolved into something remarkable. For a long time, I was just driven to it. I remember watching TV as a little kid and seeing these bands playing punk-rock on front of graffiti walls, skaters doing stunts and all the artwork they had on their boards and their guitars. Then, as I kept growing, I was driven to the ‘tags’ street artists made all over the city and wondering how they even got there. It all looked like a very adventurous and exciting world, and I always felt the urge to be a part of it.

While I went to art school and was trained formally, there was this part of me that kept being driven to this art form. I just kept being driven by that exhilarating feeling that I get when I listen to punk rock and all the imagery that surrounds it. I kept getting driven by that rush that I get when I don’t really have to think or explain anything and I am just driven to make. This rush, this love and this feeling is the story behind Gallo Guitars.

Sketches for Ice Cream Series by Jose Gallo - Mixed Media, Summer 2016

One day I felt like I wanted to build a guitar, so I built it. I had no idea how to do it, but I knew that I had the ability. I was taking a 3D modeling class and a class on electronics, so I just decided to follow my urge, combine the projects for my two classes and jump into building something that I had no idea how to build. I just knew that I wanted to build it. In the end of the day, that’s what you are in school for. Right? To experiment and to learn.

The first guitar I ever built, back in 2014, was 3D printed and it sucked! The artistic part was good enough to get me good grades on the classes, but honestly, as a guitar-maker, I was way behind the line. Then I built another one. This one looked prettier, but sucked too. I kept building. Learning and trying, but in art school, I had no luthier to teach me his ways. It was just the wood shop, my computer and myself.

Don't Give Up by Jose Gallo - Mixed Media, Winter 2012

Now, even though the story on every single one of my guitars is very exciting, the important part is the process that I had to undergo. This process is the same as street art in spirit. It is that idea that you are free in this world to do whatever you want and that you can do whatever you set your mind to. It is that idea of creating something that everyone will see and that will have an impact on every single person who sees it. It is that idea that everything that you love can be connected through an art form and shown to the world in a genuine way: Your way.

Nowadays, this free spirit of street art has taken many forms. If you think about it, the ‘hashtag’ and the username on social media have now become the old tags that street artists used to put in their work. Now there is no need for someone to climb to the highest place to ‘tag’ it with his or her name. Instead they can now virtually tag their work and reach millions of people. The challenge now becomes to make art worthy of everybody’s attention.

Before the Internet, it was very hard for artists to propagate their work, so they would recur to establishments, such as art galleries, to show them to the public. The problem with this is that your art had to be ‘chosen’ by the curator of the gallery to be displayed. Artist’s fates were exclusively driven by someone picking their work to be worthy of seeing. At the same time, street artists had always been looked at as people with low resources and very few education, so back in the day, there was no way you could be a street artist and live off of it.

Now, the medium has changed. The Internet is the new street where you can post your artwork without major complications and propagate it so that everybody who is interested can find it. Now, you can actually live off a genuine form of art. Now, you can live off your point of view and your artistic expression.

So, this is where it all sums up. Here is where this story meets my inspiration.

Gallo Guitars is a professional project that I have been working on for the past few years. It is a project that has evolved, as I have grown and is taking form into, what I believe, is something remarkable. Along the way I have collaborated with several artists with different backgrounds. All of whom I have met through sharing my art. These experiences have made this project more valuable for me, as it shows nothing but positive results, giving us more drive and more motivation.

I truly believe in connecting with other artists and sharing our ideas. This is what keeps Gallo Guitars growing and getting stronger. It is this idea that with my artwork I can empower other artists to express themselves and to be seen. Just so they can go do the same for others. It is the idea of spreading the light of positivity and creativity to create a better world where artistic expression is accessible to many others.

It is this idea of lighting up the world.

- Jose Gallo -

Memoir: The first Gallo on stage, The Matter Animatic and the Underground scene in East Atlanta

It has been almost two years since the first Gallo Guitar was played on stage. I remember just a few weeks before, I had met Max Owen at my school and now it seemed incredible to have one of my creations playing on stage.

The gig happened in a very cozy artist community on East Atlanta named Big House on Ponce. Even though it truly was a big house, the venue was located on a small theatre right next to it. We arrived some time around 10pm and found Max with his friends and family outside, talking and getting ready to go on stage. A few minutes later we all came in, Max and his band set everything up and in no time they were already playing to their very alternative tunes. It was a very fulfilling act of rhythms, distortion and dashing lights. Even though we weren’t a big audience, the place felt full and I felt full myself. I was full of emotion, full of joy and many indescribable, abstract, feelings. When the show was over, we hung out for a little bit, talked to the band and made a few more friends. Then we congratulated them again, I shook Max’s hand and told him I would see him next time.

This is how my amazing friendship with Max and The Matter Animatic started. As time went by, we kept in touch and kept talking about ways in which we could collaborate as artists. Soon, I got a call from Max telling me that he had landed a bigger gig at The Drunken Unicorn, a very popular underground venue on Ponce de Leon Street. He gave me the details and I immediately said yes to the opportunity. I saved the date and before I knew it, it was time to get on stage again!

As usual, I got there after the bands arrived. This time it was around 9pm. We parked, texted Max and walked to the door. Once there, I told the bouncer that we were with the band and he seemed pretty hesitant about it – Come on dude, I have a giant guitar case on my back! – Then I looked behind him and Max was coming to the door. He talked to him and got us in in no time. Not only that, but he also gave us tickets for a couple of free drinks. We hung out for a while and met some new people. This time I remember talking to most of the video guys that were there that night. I had my camera as well, but I wanted to have more footage available if I ever needed it.

After some other chats, the event promoter got up on stage, introduced the bands and soon music started blasting through those amps. I cannot remember the name of the first band on stage, but I do remember their very experimental style. It was a couple of DJ’s with their consoles playing over some of their original tracks and improvising to them. I also remember they had a projection behind them with different environments and landscapes that I think really added to their show.

Anthony Peeples and Max Owen from The Matter Animatic - Live @ The Drunken Unicorn 05/07/15

The night went on and it was time for The Matter Animatic to get on stage. I had already heard their songs, so this time my attention went elsewhere. This time it was all about the atmosphere and their performance. I remember them starting to play and their bass player, Matt, going crazy on stage. He is quite a performer. The lights were all red, so the whole band was blended together. However, I remember the moment Max brought up my guitar. They started playing and soon he turned it on. While I recorded, I turned my attention to the crowd and remember everybody talking to each other and going crazy about Max’s guitar. Then the music got loud and the crowd got wild. Max’s head started bouncing while his hair danced all over his face. Matt kept jumping up and down and made sure that the crowd stayed wild. Again, their act was quite a unique experience and I was very grateful to be a part of it.

Matt Pierson, Anthony Peeples and Max Owen from The Matter Animatic - Live @ The 529 10/22/15

From that show on, things started to look very well. The Matter Animatic got booked for larger gigs and started recording their new EP. As for me, I was preparing to present my new line of guitars for my thesis show at SCAD. One of best parts of this, was that I was also creating a custom guitar for The Matter Animatic at that time. Max, Matt, Anthony and I started a group text and discussed what their guitar was going to look like. After going back and forth a couple of times, we had a good idea of what we wanted, so I just started to build it. It took a little over a month to put it all together, but in the end I was very glad that I got to collaborate with such a talented group of artists.

Max and The Matter Animatic played at my thesis presentation with their new guitar. It was quite a rewarding experience. After that, Max and I kept in touch and I continued to go to his shows. Now that I have relocated to Boston, I cannot help but to remember all of the good times we spent doing art and growing together. Him and The Matter Animatic will always be part of my story and I cannot wait for what the future has in store for us.

- Jose Gallo -

Max Owen from The Matter Animatic - Live @ The 529 10/22/15

Guitar Demos Update

Hey there. So we've been working hard here at Gallo Guitars to bring you the best of the best. Many of you have reached out and asked about the sound of several of the guitars we offer in our page. Since then, we have uploaded several demo videos to our Instagram page and your response has been wonderful.

Nevertheless, we wanted to go the extra mile and give you guys a more detailed look into the actual setups that we include in our guitars. During the month of June, we met up with some of our friends here in Boston and asked them to review our guitars and play for a couple of demo videos for you guys. All the content was being edited during the last few weeks and now we are ready to share it with you!

In the videos you can see two featured setups: The 'standard' setup that all of the guitars in our 2015 edition include and a custom setup Jose has put on several custom guitars. Here are the specs:

- Standard Setup (Bridge + Neck): Seymour Duncan SH 4 + SH 2N
- Custom Setup (Bridge + Neck): Seymour Duncan SH 11 + Vintage P-90

From the left: 'One' Standard Setup, 'Strawberry Sundae' Custom Setup, 'Vanilla' Standard Setup.

The 'standard setup' is installed in our Gallo One, Pink Runner and Vanilla guitars, still available on our web-store. The 'custom setup' has a more versatile tone between pickups and has been used in several of our custom guitars, such as Max Owen's 'TMA' and Jose Gallo's 'Anti-gravity Strawberry Sundae'.

Bellow are the Demos. You can also find them in our demos tab. Enjoy, share and Light up the World!

- The Gallo Guitars Team -

Gallo 'One' - Clean

Gallo 'One' - Distorted

Gallo 'Strawberry Sundae - Clean

Gallo 'Strawberry Sundae' - Distorted

Foreword

Thank you for visiting What's New, the blog for Gallo Guitars! Read about what's new with our company, our recent projects and vision. Pretty much everything that has to do with our interactive guitars. Also find some articles by our own Jose Gallo. Make sure to share if you find something interesting, and keep lighting up the world!