MR Han Solo EE ANH blaster

Originally posted by Prop Runner+Feb 23 2006, 05:51 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Prop Runner @ Feb 23 2006, 05:51 AM)</div>
<!--QuoteBegin-Betamin
@Feb 22 2006, 09:18 PM
It kind of ticks me off to have ANOTHER version of the supposed "limited edition" replica I shelled out a lot of money for years ago being made by the very company that I bought it from.  I'm sure the value will plummet now.
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Would you rather have preferred see MR rest on its laurels with a grossly inaccurate replica despite all the recent discoveries? Should they not have released the Luke ANH saber because Icons had alreayd done it? C'mon, man... You can't even say that the two blasters will be even COSMETICALLY similar, like with the EE sabers - we're taling a complete and total overhaul of this prop, startign with the Mauser itself, and I can't think of ANY other Star Wars prop that has undergone this many changes from the LE to EE. In fact, not a SINGLE element of the EE will resemble the LE. NOT ONE. Will people say the same thing if MR one day releases an EE Obi ANH saber showcasing the recent discoveries of the emitter and gear found items? :p

I can't think of a better reason to release an EE of any prop if it has undergone significant accuracy improvements since the last release. And Betamin - I doubt your LE will take anywhere NEAR the nose dive in value you predict, because the EE will be an EXTREMELY limited edition and the general public probably won't even get wind of it before it's sold out. I'm VERY confident that your investment is sound and will only appreciate over time. :)

- Gabe
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I'm not doubting that there will be distinctions. But are you sure you're not overstating the differences a little? To say not a single thing will look even slightly similar? To me, that would mean it's as different as the Han ESB is to the Han ANH. Or even the Greedo-killer to the hero. From what I can see, the LE was pretty darn close already.

I'm just waiting to see comparison photos of the two (EE/LE) before I decide. I just don't see how the LE could be *that* wrong. Blurry, zoomed-in screencaps and production photos from different angles really aren't helpful for me- I need identical, side-by-side comparisons.
 
Trust me when I say that not a SINGLE component on the EE - except for maybe the front/rear thumb screws - will be identical to the LE. Similarities? Sure, from 5 feet away, maybe. But line the parts up next to each other and the differences will just POP out. On the LE, dimensions were off on practically everything. Details were missing or misinterpreted. And most importantly, the parts were scaled to match the Denix, which is wrong on so many levels that I don't even know where to begin. :p The retooled Mauser is dead-on accurate to a real one and so all the parts are scaled correctly to match it. Not since MGC has the C96 been replicated so faithfully.

I spent so many hours and sleepless nights torturing myself over the minutest details, like whether an edge round or fillet was 0.25 mm or 0.5 mm, whether knurl grooves were 60 or 90 degrees, whether the cut-back flanges on the cradle were just the right depth or maybe 0.1 mm shallower due to the slight perspective angle, whether the pin on the scope knob was at the right angle, whether the taper on the front grill's 5 upper fins was 3 degrees or 5, that during the project I had dreams and nightmares about it all - I kid you guys not. :lol

Anyone less fanatical than I am would have settled for "looks ok." But those who've witnessed my obsession with this prop will tell you that I will not compromise - ESPECIALLY if my cad skills, research creds, and forum rep are to be showcased on a LICENSED replica, for God's sake. :p

Even if MR doesn't make a semi-functional Mauser or use gunsmith-quality manufacturing methods to fabricate the parts, they will still be more accurate than any fan-made interpretation ever attempted. I recognize that I stand on the shoulders of blaster replica pioneers like Bobadebt, Gavidoc, Wakal, Moffeaton, Corellian Exports, and others, and I've always been inspired by their dedication to accuracy and upgrading older versions based on newly-found reference materials. If it's the way we approach replicas, why would anyone criticize MR for adopting the same philosophy? :)

- Gabe
 
Originally posted by Betamin@Feb 23 2006, 01:18 AM
It kind of ticks me off to have ANOTHER version of the supposed "limited edition" replica I shelled out a lot of money for years ago being made by the very company that I bought it from.  I'm sure the value will plummet now.
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yes sadly now that the news is out about the EE, you old blaster is only worth 5$ :(


luckily im a sucker and just happen to have 10$ so thats double what you will get anywhere, so PM me for my address and shipping instructions and ill take that innaccurate piece of junk off your hands. :unsure


cmon guys, if people buy MR stuff as an investment (which i find a little absurd) then they should see that its still a sold out original piece... so therefore if it was ever a good investment for what it was... it still will be.


awesome stuff gabe.

cant wait to see this thing i hope they find a way to have the working trigger, also any idea how they will attatch the antenae? does it kinda shim under the suppressor?
 
Originally posted by oldken@Feb 23 2006, 02:07 PM
also any idea how they will attatch the antenae? does it kinda shim under the suppressor?
:love

Let it NOT be said that MR no longer has creative in-house designers and project managers... They did an amazing job all around. :) Please refer all questions regarding pricing, edition size, materials, finish, functionality, and display options to MRBryan in the Rebel Scum EE thread - I'm not authorized to disclose that kind of info.

By the way - even if you're a CS member, I wouldn't sell your LE yet if you have one, because with a low edition number, chances are some people won't get in on time. So start saving your pennies, because this will be the Holy Grail of all blasters. :D

- Gabe
 
Originally posted by Prop Runner@Feb 23 2006, 05:34 PM
this will be the Holy Grail of all blasters. :D

- Gabe
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Gabe...you're trying to hurt me right....you wanna inflict pain into my collecting soul....to suck the very blood of my Star Wars prop entity.....

It's a mad house....a MAD HOUSE. :lol

Steve
 
I don't doubt your dedication to the details, Gabe. I respect and admire it.

For me, I look at the LE and I go "Hey, that's Han Solo's blaster from Star Wars. Cool."

I don't look at it and go "Wow, what a piece of junk."

From what I've been hearing about the EE, it makes it sound like it is :cry , which is why I'm desperate for some direct comparison shots. I want to see how much of a piece of junk mine is before I shell out more $$$ :angry
 
Sorry, Riv - I may have come off a bit overzealous earlier. Notice I never knocked the quality or workmanship of the LE, but it was, after all, one of MR's first props and until very recently visual references were limited at best. They did the best with what was made available to them by LFL and the fans, and at the time, it WAS the most accurate replica out there. And MR wasn't responsible for the Denix - it was also the best affordable replica out there at the time, and still is.

I cried myself to sleep for months after missing out on the LE release and over the outrageous markups they were going for with retailers and on eBay. It was in fact that led to my passion to make my own. :) It's funny how things work out like that...

Bottom line, proudly display either your LE, favorite fan made blaster, the upcoming EE, or all three, because you're one of the few who will ever have that opportunity. :)

- Gabe
 
Any clues as to how much $$$ it'll be? I've thought about getting a MR membership, but not being a fan or collector of their tiny sabers, :p I don't know if I want to get one just to find the blaster is out of my price range or is sold out in 30 seconds.
 
Yeah I don't want to sign up for it to just sell out.


Originally posted by Betamin@Feb 23 2006, 07:56 PM
Any clues as to how much $$$ it'll be?  I've thought about getting a MR membership, but not being a fan or collector of their tiny sabers,  :p  I don't know if I want to get one just to find the blaster is out of my price range or is sold out in 30 seconds.
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Originally posted by Hirohawa+Feb 24 2006, 03:33 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hirohawa @ Feb 24 2006, 03:33 AM)</div>
Yeah I don't want to sign up for it to just sell out.


<!--QuoteBegin-Betamin
@Feb 23 2006, 07:56 PM
Any clues as to how much $$$ it'll be?  I've thought about getting a MR membership, but not being a fan or collector of their tiny sabers,  :p  I don't know if I want to get one just to find the blaster is out of my price range or is sold out in 30 seconds.
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Don't worry, if they stick to their usual routine, typically they send out an announcement with the info well in advance of the ordering. So there's time to sign up if you decide you want to get in on the EE.

That's what I did last year for the Obi-Wan EE. I had no reason to sign up until the official announcement- and I had about a month between signing up and the order date.
 
I'll probably get the EE but just out of curiosity, why not put all that time and effort into an accurate Han ROTJ or a Luke ESB? Something new.
 
No worries Gabe. All you're doing is making want to buy the darn thing :p

I am one of the saps who did pay the outrageous secondary market price for it, because I (apparently mistakenly) thought it was the best and only option. So the EE is kind of a blow to me. While I love my LE, I really only need 1 version of Han's blaster. So I'm just waiting to see more concrete info about it before I decide what to do.

I imagine since you worked on it for MR, you'll probably getting some kind of compensation, if not a big "thank you" item from them. Like, maybe an Artist Proof of the final product? :love At least, I'd hope so. You'd certainly deserve it.
 
I'm sure this has already been posed, but it is a little smarmy that new reserach keeps popping up that leads to more accurate reproductions. What in the heck was the MR team doing when they researched the FIRST Solo pistol? Geesh.

I suppose someone will provide a rationale explanation, but it just seems a LITTLE funny that this NEW information suddenly presented itself.

Tell you what would be nice -- a CE edition of the Solo Pistol that is accurate and costs $200. That way the people with first editions can be happy with quality and fans can have something for costumes or general foolin' around that doesn't cost close to $1000.

My feeble two cents.
 
Ted: your comments are disrespectful to the non-MR affiliated RPF members who busted their asses on the research discovery threads back in October and collectively made some major discoveries. Re-read them if you need to. Heck, two MR affiliated members were among the nay-sayers at first until conclusive evidence came along to correct the conventional wisdom. I admit it: I rode those threads' coattails as much as I participated in them, and MR came to me, not the other way around. But if you're implying some sort of conspiracy, I hope you realize how ridiculous it sounds... :confused

Riv: thanks. :) I'm quite certain that had it not been for the recent suppressor and scope bracket discoveries, there would have been no cause to create the EE version. With regard to your other question, MR graciously paid me for my hours, and I'm pleased to say they were very honorable and business-like in that respect. But if a gift of appreciation comes my way, I certainly won't reject it. :p I just hope my skills will be needed once again on another project, but like I said, MR has very capable and professional designers and project managers on the Star Wars line. So the way I see it, I've already been given a reward *MUCH* more valuable than an artist proof: an opportunity to be a small part of prop replica history. If my house burned down tomorrow and all my replicas with it, this is something nobody could take away. :D

And the process of upgrades and new releases shouldn't surprise anyone, really. Let's look back at the sabers, for instance. How many people here started off with an Icons Vader, Luke, or Obi-Wan before eBay and vintage flashguns were discovered, and Yoda's House made it possible to own 99.9% accurate reproductions at a fraction of the retail? And when Parks and Larbel and RE and DH and SD Studios sabers (to name just a few) came along, everybody scrambled to unload their previous sabers and get in on the new, more accurate runs. Then came MR and started the cycle all over again. 50 years from now a new company will rise called "Historical Cinema Replicas" and do it again, pissing off your great grandchildren who had hoped their prized licensed prop heirlooms would retain their antique value... :p

So it really never ends, and all we can be grateful for is the low edition numbers of the high-end replicas. :)

- Gabe
 
No conspiracy theories intended. And no disrespect meant towards anyone. A thousand pardons if I pissed anyone off -- geesh.

I own many MR pieces and love them.

I admit I haven't followed this thread or intricate discussions of how MR developed first Solo piece and what led them to offer new piece, so perhaps it wasn't fair of me to comment.

However, I find it frustrating to buy a piece that claims to be painstakingly accurate only to have someone discover later on how inaccurate it was -- or rather how much more accurate the new piece is. Not just with the Solo piece, but any prop repro.

I don't typically complain on this forum -- and I will gracefully bow out of future commentary as I don't know the entire history behind all this.

Simply expressing honest frustration over someone saying they have an accurate prop for sale only to keep discovering things were overlooked.

As I said in my first post, just my feeble two cents.

Curious -- how does one "bust one's ass" researching a Solo Blaster? Sounds painful. Or illegal. :)
 
I cant wait to see how the EE will look. Thanks for your hard work prop runner, im sure we will all be blown away.
 
Is your involvement with MR the reason that last thread about the suppressor angle and attenna's stopped before any final conclusion was made?

Congrats on working for MR, must be a great feeling. I don't own a Han blaster yet and the thought of a real wood handle one sounds great.
 
Originally posted by RKW@Feb 24 2006, 12:57 AM
Is your involvement with MR the reason that last thread about the suppressor angle and attenna's stopped before any final conclusion was made?

Congrats on working for MR, must be a great feeling. I don't own a Han blaster yet and the thought of a real wood handle one sounds great.
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Thanks for the props, and good question. But the simple truth of the matter is that that thread exhausted me. :lol

The fact is I inadvertantly proved with my CAD model and the Official Pix photo that there "was" something on the bull barrel in some of the production stills, and the top view Chronicles photo indeed also confirms that "something" was there, even though Chris Trevas and I still have a difference of opinion in our interpretations of what the actual barrel greeblie "remains" look like. I still maintain, as does gavidoc, that Jason's photo was heavily retouched around the suppressor and bull barrel, and when it became painfully evident that I could not convince Chris and others who insisted it was not, I basically gave up. :p

At the time I wasn't aware that MR was considering a compromise solution designed to appease both sides of the debate, and I thought it was an "all or nothing" deal. I haven't seen the final MR version of the greeblies, but they probably resemble the mockup I made in that thread. Still, I'm impressed and surprised that Lucasfilm bought the compromise idea and I'm behind it 100%. :)

And if anyone cares, I'll be putting my antennae greeblies up for sale in the Junkyard with a photocopy of the EE COA. :D

- Gabe
 
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