He built a guitar for Clapton and ABBA and cabs for Zeppelin - and muscle cars

[Disturber]

Göran Malmberg is a legendary Swedish guitar builder. But not much is known about him. Not much information on the internet.

He built the famous ABBA star guitar. He built a guitar for Eric Clapton and guitars for Bill Haley. He constructed his own 4x12 cabs that were used by Led Zeppelin. He built guitars for the Swedish blues musician Rolf Wikström. He also built muscle cars and became a world champion in bench press. Quite a character by all means. 

Here is his own web page. His english is not the best (don't make fun of him). But quite a life. I thought some of you might find this interesting.

https://www.hemipanter.se/

 

[DaveH]

Awesome site, he's a very well rounded dude! I personally find the hemi's and Cleveland more interesting than the Abba guitar, although the SG-ish bass is pretty cool.

[specialk]

4 hours ago, DaveH said:

the SG-ish bass is pretty cool.

[velorush]

I have to confess I never knew there was an ABBA star guitar.  It would be interesting to know which came first, the ABBA or Bootsy's Space Bass.

[hamerhead]

Talented guy! Where do you find that many hours in a day??

[Disturber]

1 hour ago, velorush said:

I have to confess I never knew there was an ABBA star guitar.  It would be interesting to know which came first, the ABBA or Bootsy's Space Bass.

 

ABBA had the star guitar when they won Eurovision with Waterloo in 1974. Bootsy got his first Star Bass made in 1975. So ABBA was first.

Bootsy: “The first Space Bass was made in 1975 by a guy named Larry Pless, at a place called Gus Zoppi Music in Sterling Heights, Michigan. I took a drawing in there and he was a young and up-and-coming guitar maker. Gus Zoppi Music store was an accordion store—it wasn’t even a guitar store where I found this guy. I just happened to go in there, I started talking to the owner, I asked him if he had any suggestions, and he said, ‘Yes. I’ve got a young guy that’s working for me in the back that might be interested because he’s always been wanting to make guitars.’ So that’s how I found this guy.”

[hamercrab]

super cool guy!

[Cboss]

Impressive af, this is why I like the hfc

[Biz Prof]

That ABBA star guitar is....interesting.  That era seemed to produce several one-off builds from guys like Lobue.

The Hemipanter is a kind of a wild, left-field venture that hot rodders often pursue.  Those Clevelands were pretty awesome mills in stock form and could be mildly tuned to be absolute screamers, so I'm kind of surprised to read how often Pantera owners dog it. For pure racing purposes, most experienced wrenches I've known are split in opinion on the best big block platform for sustained high-RPM performance, but nearly all agree that the Cleveland was, by far, the best small block platform.

[HSB0531]

50 minutes ago, Biz Prof said:

That ABBA star guitar is....interesting.  That era seemed to produce several one-off builds from guys like Lobue.

The Hemipanter is a kind of a wild, left-field venture that hot rodders often pursue.  Those Clevelands were pretty awesome mills in stock form and could be mildly tuned to be absolute screamers, so I'm kind of surprised to read how often Pantera owners dog it. For pure racing purposes, most experienced wrenches I've known are split in opinion on the best big block platform for sustained high-RPM performance, but nearly all agree that the Cleveland was, by far, the best small block platform.

If you mean the Ford 351, Yes, I heard exactly what you did. It was the 351 Windsor that everyone panned (back in the early-mid 1970's).  The 351C was a great motor. 

Edited August 28, 2024 by HSB0531

[RobB]

I wonder where he sourced parts for his hot rod builds? OEM mail order? There couldn’t have been that many muscle cars around Europe in the 70s…

Edited August 28, 2024 by RobB

[crunchee]

I'm surprised that nobody has posted this video yet, featuring the 'Star' guitar:

This looks to be the latest news on ABBA:

All Four ABBA Members Reunite to Be Knighted at Ceremony in Sweden (variety.com)

[Biz Prof]

On 8/28/2024 at 12:07 PM, HSB0531 said:

If you mean the Ford 351, Yes, I heard exactly what you did. It was the 351 Windsor that everyone panned (back in the early-mid 1970's).  The 351C was a great motor. 

Yeah, def the mighty 351C.  What I meant was amongst Pantera collectors, there seems to have long been a small yet vocal bunch who sneered at the choice of the American 351C and who suggested a superior mill (read:  European) should have been spec'd for the supercar.   Hell, I'm not sure how there could have been a more logical choice.  If the gas crisis and smog control laws of the mid-'70s hadn't been so severe (forcing milder compression ratios), the 351C would have been a viable high performance option well into the late 1980s.  Ford got more involved with providing production pieces as the model years progressed, including providing 351W and 302 engines once Australian 351C production ended.  Gear heads know that, naturally aspirated and race-tuned, a 351W cannot hold a 351C's jock, but it was likely on par with some of the tiny Euro mills en vogue in that era.  Alas, there was a time when American muscle meant "junk" to the supercar crowd.  It took the Pantera with its 351C, the Viper with its V10, the original modular-based Ford GT, and the more recent iterations of Corvettes to get some of the cork sniffers to acknowledge that there was merit in the performance of hi-po American powerplants.

Edited August 30, 2024 by Biz Prof

[Hbom]

On 8/27/2024 at 12:30 AM, DaveH said:

I personally find Cleveland interesting.

I think anyone that finds Cleveland interesting should consult their doctor about adjusting their meds.

[HSB0531]

41 minutes ago, Biz Prof said:

Yeah, def the mighty 351C.  What I meant was amongst Pantera collectors, there seems to have long been a small yet vocal bunch who sneered at the choice of the American 351C and who suggested a superior mill (read:  European) should have been spec'd for the supercar.   Hell, I'm not sure how there could have been a more logical choice.  If the gas crisis and smog control laws of the mid-'70s hadn't been so severe (forcing milder compression ratios), the 351C would have been a viable high performance option well into the late 1980s.  Ford got more involved with providing production pieces as the model years progressed, including providing 351W and 302 engines once Australian 351C production ended.  Gear heads know that, naturally aspirated and race-tuned, a 351W cannot hold a 351C's jock, but it was likely on par with some of the tiny Euro mills en vogue in that era.  Alas, there was a time when American muscle meant "junk" to the supercar crowd.  It took the Pantera with its 351C, the Viper with its V10, the original modular-based Ford GT, and the more recent iterations of Corvette's to get some of the cork sniffers to acknowledge that there was merit in the performance of hi-po American powerplants.

Well put.

And do you remember the 1971 Jensen Interceptor with the Mopar 440/6 or 440/4BBL?

[DaveH]

1 hour ago, Hbom said:

I think anyone that finds Cleveland interesting should consult their doctor about adjusting their meds.

You took that entirely out of context. That was a reference to the Ford 351 Cleveland that was on the site (and you left out the hemi's).

[Hbom]

No worries Dave, I've been to Cleveland. and Windsor too.

Biggest difference I remember is that the girls were more friendly in Canada.

Edited August 29, 2024 by Hbom

[DaveH]

As happens, the humor went straight over my head. 😂

[Biz Prof]

6 hours ago, HSB0531 said:

Well put.

And do you remember the 1971 Jensen Interceptor with the Mopar 440/6 or 440/4BBL?

Oh yeah. Long-hooded British coupes with rather severely detuned Mopar big blocks.  Never felt like the Jensens were ever in the same league as the Pantera, but they were odd in a cool way. I rarely see one at car shows.  Better chance to find to find a Yenko S/C or a Boss 429 out in the wild than to run across a Jensen.

ETA:  It was Jay Leno that once said of the Interceptor: "It’s like a Dodge Coronet that went to college at Oxford."

Edited August 30, 2024 by Biz Prof

[HSB0531]

"with rather severely detuned Mopar big blocks".....Love that very accurate comment.  I thought it was cool that they used the big block American engines, but wished they would have upped the H.P.

I did see a Jensen every day when I was in college in the late 70's.  Someone on the faculty owned it, I think.   A Boss 429 yes! Saw one at a car show/swap meet in Englishtown NJ back in the early 1990's.  Love those cars. Massive heads on that motor!

 

 

[HSB0531]

On 8/27/2024 at 1:49 AM, Disturber said:

Göran Malmberg is a legendary Swedish guitar builder. But not much is known about him. Not much information on the internet.

He built the famous ABBA star guitar. He built a guitar for Eric Clapton and guitars for Bill Haley. He constructed his own 4x12 cabs that were used by Led Zeppelin. He built guitars for the Swedish blues musician Rolf Wikström. He also built muscle cars and became a world champion in bench press. Quite a character by all means. 

Here is his own web page. His english is not the best (don't make fun of him). But quite a life. I thought some of you might find this interesting.

https://www.hemipanter.se/

 

"Swedish blues musician"  I don't know but, there just seems to be something 🤣 about that statement.

Something a little fishy...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Fish

Edited August 30, 2024 by HSB0531

[Cboss]

33 minutes ago, HSB0531 said:

"Swedish blues musician"  I don't know but, there just seems to be something 🤣 about that statement.

Something a little fishy...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Fish

I know, they knock off blues, they knock off heavy metal, haven't they come up with anything original with those long Winters, alcohol and frisky blonde women?!

[Disturber]

 

43 minutes ago, HSB0531 said:

"Swedish blues musician"  I don't know but, there just seems to be something 🤣 about that statement.

Something a little fishy...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Fish

9 minutes ago, Cboss said:

I know, they knock off blues, they knock off heavy metal, haven't they come up with anything original with those long Winters, alcohol and frisky blonde women?!

We have a lot of pop music. Half of worlds greatest songwriters have been coming here since the 1990's to try and write hits with Swedish songwriters. Max Martin, Deniz Pop, Andreas Carlsson, Bloodshy, Tim "AVICII" Bergling, the list goes on with Swedish writers that topped the Billboard one hundred, with artist such as Britney Spears, Pink, Westlife, Backstreet Boys, N'sync, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, 

Swedish Max Martin now solely has the most No. 1s among producers in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

He tallies his 24th career leader as a producer on the latest, Jan. 27, 2024-dated Hot 100, as Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?” blasts in at No. 1. He surpasses the late George Martin – who produced 19 of The Beatles’ record 20 No. 1s – for the most leaders among producers over the chart’s 65-year archives.

https://www.billboard.com/lists/max-martin-most-hot-100-number-1s-producers/

[HSB0531]

1 minute ago, Cboss said:

I know, they knock off blues, they knock off heavy metal, haven't they come up with anything original with those long Winters, alcohol and frisky blonde women?!

You forgot the Volvos. Lots and lots of Volvos

[HSB0531]

11 minutes ago, Disturber said:

 

We have a lot of pop music. Half of worlds greatest songwriters have been coming here since the 1990's to try and write hits with Swedish songwriters. Max Martin, Deniz Pop, Andreas Carlsson, Bloodshy, Tim "AVICII" Bergling, the list goes on with Swedish writers that topped the Billboard one hundred, with artist such as Britney Spears, Pink, Westlife, Backstreet Boys, N'sync, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, 

Swedish Max Martin now solely has the most No. 1s among producers in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

He tallies his 24th career leader as a producer on the latest, Jan. 27, 2024-dated Hot 100, as Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?” blasts in at No. 1. He surpasses the late George Martin – who produced 19 of The Beatles’ record 20 No. 1s – for the most leaders among producers over the chart’s 65-year archives.

https://www.billboard.com/lists/max-martin-most-hot-100-number-1s-producers/

Isn't Max Martin one of the hit-maker writers that Taylor Swift uses?