Eastwood Mark IV Kurt Cobain

[101Volts]

What is the price of this Hallmark Gospel Reissue ? I can't find it on the page

The last I heard is that it cost $999, with the hard case included.

- Austin

[davewire]

thanks for the answer I can't find a video on Youtube to see how it sounds, does one of you who own it have a clue or a possibility to show what it looks like aesthetically and sound-wise? Thanks to you!

[101Volts]

thanks for the answer I can't find a video on Youtube to see how it sounds, does one of you who own it have a clue or a possibility to show what it looks like aesthetically and sound-wise? Thanks to you!

Here's a link to Hallmark's page for their Gospel model:

http://hallmarkguitars.com/guitars/gospel.shtml



I don't own a Hallmark myself, but I do have an original that it's based on, though mine is an earlier version of the Mark V that has a different name (though I still count it as the confusing older name on the headstock, and also as a Mark V. "The Ventures Mark V" is the most common name for it.)

The Hallmark will sound very close to the original, but not quite the same.

Mosrites tend to sound somewhere between a Telecaster Bridge Pickup (or maybe a Jazzmaster Pickup) and a Gibson P90. Mosrite had their own pickups, despite how some of them look a lot like a P90.

Here are the specs of the original Mosrite Mark V, and then of the Hallmark, to compare:

Mosrite Mark V:

Wood: Indian Rosewood Fretboard, Maple Neck, Basswood Body (the body can dent very easily,)
24.50" Scale Length,
Neck Width: 1.550" or 1.560" at Zero Fret
Neck Depth: 0.860" from frets 2 to 12 (doesn't taper up in depth, stays consistently the same)
Neck Profile: Not sure how to describe.
Kluson Deluxe Tuners (probably a 15:1 ratio)
1 Way Truss Rod that can be removed easily if it breaks by loosening it and pulling it out,
Mosrite Moseley Tailpiece & Mosrite Non-Roller Bridge,
Mosrite-spec 2 Bar Magnet (per pickup) Single Coils with AWG 43 or AWG 44 Wire (I'm not sure which) with various amounts of wire. Ohm Ranges vary; early ones from 1965 - 1966 seem to be about 10k to 12k or 8.5k to 10.5, while later ones from 1968 seem to be 7.5k to 8. These Mosrite Pickups are not potted. The magnets seem to be Alnico V, but they're a "break to size" version that has not been made for decades. It doesn't seem to alter tone much to have a regular Alnico V bar, since those are the kind that are in my 1966 model, and were made by Ed Elliott in 2012. (Ed worked at Mosrite in the 70s.)
500k Pots.

Hallmark Gospel:

Wood: Indian Rosewood Fretboard, Maple Neck, Alder Body,
24.75" Scale Length,
Neck: 1.580" Width at Zero Fret (assuming it's the same as the specs given to me for a different model)
Neck Depth: Tapers up in depth from about 0.790 to 0.880" from frets 1 through 12, if I remember right.
Neck Profile: Not sure.
"SIT deluxe tuning keys" (I'm not familiar with that type,)
2 Way Truss Rod (I'm not sure if it can be easily removed if needed,)
Hallmark "Shade" Vibrato Tailpiece & Hallmark Roller Bridge
Hallmark Pickups that closely replicate Mosrite 2 Bar Magnet Pickups, but the Ohm Rating is unknown to me, and these pickups are potted,
350k or 500k Pots (Probably the latter.)

Hallmarks seem to, in general, sound a bit darker (more Gibson-ish) than a Mosrite because of the potted pickups that are on a Hallmark. They'll also have a bit more string tension than a Mosrite due to the quarter inch extra of a scale length.

Again, I don't own a Hallmark myself. I got the neck measurements for a different Hallmark model from Hardly Ramone, who owns a Johnny Ramone Signature.

- Austin

[davewire]

I don't own a Hallmark myself, but I do have an original that it's based on, though mine is an earlier version of the Mark V that has a different name (though I still count it as the confusing older name on the headstock, and also as a Mark V. "The Ventures Mark V" is the most common name for it.)

The Hallmark will sound very close to the original, but not quite the same.

Mosrites tend to sound somewhere between a Telecaster Bridge Pickup (or maybe a Jazzmaster Pickup) and a Gibson P90. Mosrite had their own pickups, despite how some of them look a lot like a P90.

Here are the specs of the original Mosrite Mark V, and then of the Hallmark, to compare:

wow I really thank you for all this information and details. However, the sound of the microphones seems very different from what I understand as well as the manufacturing. People with a Hallmark seem quite satisfied with their purchase from what I have read and that the manufacturing is good. I was rereading the topic on the history of Hallmark, if I understood correctly Bob Shade also worked in the Mosrite company and rubbed shoulders with Moseley?

[101Volts]

wow I really thank you for all this information and details. However, the sound of the microphones seems very different from what I understand as well as the manufacturing. People with a Hallmark seem quite satisfied with their purchase from what I have read and that the manufacturing is good. I was rereading the topic on the history of Hallmark, if I understood correctly Bob Shade also worked in the Mosrite company and rubbed shoulders with Moseley?

Hallmark Pickups are supposed to be very similar to Mosrite Pickups, except they are "potted." That means they were placed in a pot of Hot, Melted Wax (like Paraffin Wax, or Wax from Bees) and the pickups were allowed to get hot, then the wax went into the pickups and surrounded the Wire. This is to prevent feedback. It can be a useful feature, but I've heard that it does alter a pickup's tone. How much, I don't know.

I do know that Hallmark originally started around 1966 - 1968, but Bob Shade isn't that old to have started it, and Bob restarted the company around 2000. I don't know whether or not he met Semie Moseley or not.

- Austin