Old wave luthier

**Cochiti Don** · Jun-28-2018, 12:28pm

I just wanted to give a shout out to Mr Bill Bussmann for building my new two point. Hes a fine man and excellent craftsman

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**V70416** · Jun-28-2018, 12:36pm

Have met Bill and some of the Hassle family several times. Good people.

I let an Old Wave F-style get away from me one time. Wish I had it back!

How I miss the Land of Entrapment,home of the plauge;land of the flea.

**Cochiti Don** · Jun-28-2018, 12:50pm

Originally Posted by V70416

Have met Bill and some of the Hassle family several times. Good people.

I let an Old Wave F-style get away from me one time. Wish I had it back!

How I miss the Land of Entrapment,home of the plauge;land of the flea.

Ha! That F5 next to him is available. I was going to buy it but the two point was better

**TheMandoKit** · Jun-28-2018, 1:49pm

Originally Posted by Cochiti Don

I just wanted to give a shout out to Mr Bill Bussmann for building my new two point. Hes a fine man and excellent craftsman

I have had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Bussmann for a number of years, and have a few superb Old Wave instruments.

Bill is a good guy with a great sense of humor, a skilled craftsman, and a fine bass player to boot. And some day, I am going to get that Tele neck to him & have him build a dynamite crate electric around it.

John

**Don Grieser** · Jun-28-2018, 7:46pm

Old Les Hassle hisownself. Beautiful mandolin you have there. Love Bill's 2 points and all his mandolin-things. I've got a great octave he built for me. Bound in walnut. Just gorgeous.

**trevor** · Jun-30-2018, 3:44am

Fantastic mandolins and GOMs, and a great guy. My Old Wave 'melon' is my go to mandolin.

**Tom Hart** · Jun-30-2018, 11:50am

Love my Old Wave oval hole bought at Carter's. Loved the sound as soon as I heard it over the all the other people trying out all the guitars. I'd love to get a matching mandola at some point. When I contacted Bill for more info on the oval hole he sent me very specific descriptions of the wood and their origins.

**Roger Adams** · Jun-30-2018, 3:45pm

Bill let me play his Cheney Guitar once.....

**trevor** · Jul-01-2018, 4:27am

Cheney guitar? Please explain.

**Roger Adams** · Jul-01-2018, 9:42am

Originally Posted by trevor

Cheney guitar? Please explain.

Bill had a guitar that he had embedded the top with some buckshot....He called it a "Cheney" in reference to Vice President Dick Cheney's shooting "skills."

**trevor** · Jul-01-2018, 10:58am

Thanks for the explanation.

**Cochiti Don** · Jul-01-2018, 12:27pm

He did tell me a funny story. He makes fake labels and puts them into old double bass instruments He cannibalizes. He stuck one label that said in Italian: made by Alfredo Fetuccini. Showed it to a guy who said: “I’ve heard of him!”

**desertnight** · Jul-02-2018, 10:33pm

Bill is a fine guy and a good friend. I use one of his early Octave mandolins on stage in every show with the Tim May/Steve Smith duo and the Hard Road Trio. His craftsmanship creativity and humor are not to be missed. Drop on down to Southern New Mexico and see his shop.

**oldwave maker** · Jul-05-2018, 8:35am

Thanks Don! Keep that thing out of the rain!
Mac Suazo bought the unrestored 'Cheney' at a yard sale for a dollar, after the previous owners kids used it for bb gun target practice.I had to trade uke-fixing labor to get it. Sawed off the back, yanked the ladder bracing, rebraced with old red spruce x, reset the neck, fixed the full length side crack the cowboy way, with old fence staples and baling wire, put a shot up Nichols cowskull in the peghead, and another fake label. Sounds a lot like my 62 00-18. Folks put away their new Collings OM's when they hear it at a jam, since they don't want their guitar to even see it! Figger its worth at least 75 bucks now.....