Surfmaster guitar with "reverse" body as listed on eBay in France

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here's an intrguing guitar called the Surfmaster currently listed on eBay France. Somewhat reminiscent of the Squier and more recent Fender Pawn Shop Super-Sonic guitars, it features a "reverse" style body that looks as if it was designed for a left-handed guitar. Unlike the Super-Sonic it doesn't have the chrome control plate and the pickups are unimaginatively Strat-like in their layout. It's a shame it doesn't also feaure a reverse-style headstock so as the complete the upside-down look, but nevertheless it's an interesting design for someone after a guitar with Strat-type features but wanting something that looks a bit different. I suspect it's another guitar made in the Far East.

Currently listed on eBay France with a starting price of €149.

G L Wilson

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Teisco KB-2 vintage Japanese bass guitar from 1967

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here's a 1967 Japanese Teisco KB-2 bass, the bass sibling to Teisco's infamous ET guitar series (see here and here). It's a shame it doesn't have the striped effect metal pickguard that the guitar versions sport; it's actually quite conservative looking with only two pickups, the plain plate, and (obviously) no trem. Still, it's a great looking design if you like your basses retro-style.

And - oh look - it has a headstock with a 3+1 tuner arrangement. Yes, the very same that Ernie Ball think is their intellectual property despite the fact that this configuration was in use many years before Music Man were formed. (The first Music Man guitars and basses didn't appear until 1976, with the guitars originally using the Fender-like 6-in-a-line tuner arrangement).

This bass is currently being auctioned on eBay with a starting price of $649.99. Yeah, I know, someone has strung it up with the strings going around the tuners in the wrong direction.

G L Wilson

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The Spartan electric guitar with a big chunk taken out of the middle!

guitarz.blogspot.com:

This guitar was recently listed on eBay UK, priced at £899 but it failed to sell on this occasion. It is named "The Spartan" and comes from Deadlight Designs who are an online custom guitar workshop based in Croydon, Surrey, UK.

Naturally I am reminded of the Alvarez Dana Scoop which also had a big bite taken out of the body right beneath the strings. Allegedly with the Alvarez guitar, the body design supposedly minimized unwanted harmonics; I wonder if that's the claim here with The Spartan too? I'm guessing on The Spartan that the rod connecting the lower extremities of the body carries the wiring for the neck pickup. I think it would be a tall order for it to travel around inside the body in the other direction!

G L Wilson

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Gretsch G6131SMY Malcolm Young Signature

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I love bizarre guitars with too many knobs and too many pickups, too much chrome and awkward outlines, but sometimes I fall for simplicity in its purest form, and I can only bow before this beautiful Gretsch G6131SMY, the Malcolm Young signature version of the Duo Jet, that has nothing too much: single bridge FilterTron, wraparound bridge, two knobs, that's it - and an arched laminated maple top on a semi-hollow symmetrical double-cutaway body. Just perfect.

Bertram D

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Guitar review: cheap Chinese-made "no-name" unbranded Tele from eBay

guitarz.blogspot.com:

We've all seen these cheap guitars on eBay, often with prices that seem too good to be true. If you're like me you'll have said to yourself that one day you'll buy one and give it a whirl, see if it really is as good as the eBay seller claims (and don't they always claim they are wonderful?).

Leo Fender's famous Telecaster design is still as popular as ever after more than 60 years, and is a design that is ripe for copyists. Recently I've noticed several eBay sellers here in the UK who have been importing cheap Telecaster copies in from China and who seemed to be making quite a killing selling them on at sub-£100 prices. Checking the feedback on the sellers' accounts would seem to confirm that these guitars are worth having a look at, so when I saw this black no-name Tele offered at a special knock-down price (i.e. even cheaper than usual from this particular seller), I hit the Buy It Now button straight away.

The guitar arrived two days later, which was quite impressive, and removing if from the box, it looked to be a fairly faithful replica of the Fender original. The seller had made claims about the impressive weight of the guitar (apparently with a body made of basswood) and that it could "demolish a house". I must say I didn't quite see eye to eye with him on this particular claim, I think there's a certain amount of advertising BS that we as buyers need to spot and ignore, but the guitar did seem solid enough, nicely put together and finished. It even came complete with a (cheap) guitar cable and a pair of Allen keys, one each for the adjustment of the truss rod and bridge saddles.

The eBay listing already mentioned that "guitars may have minor assembly marks or imperfections as are a custom made item" and whilst I didn't really follow the logic behind that statement, at least it prepared me for a few minor imperfections, most notably a couple of dents in the top edge of the headstock and also the slightly erratic placement of the dots along the top of the fretboard - they were all at the correct positions, but several were not centred very well and the 12th fret double-dot was decidedly askew. But really, these are very minor quibbles and hardly noticeable. Slightly more noticeable was the discolouration of the rosewood(?) fingerboard at the 4th fret beneath the bass strings. A guitar with a fretboard like this would be consigned as a "second" with many quality guitar manufacturers, but it's only a visual imperfection and not something I could care less about. In fact I think it gives the guitar a little bit of character.

While the bridge is of the three saddle Telecaster variety, it does feature the more modern flat bridge plate rather than the "ashtray" type with an upturned lip on three sides. I must say that I would have preferred the latter as I automatically wanted to rest my right hand against the top side of the bridge but kept ending up gouging my thumb on the threaded inserts protruding from the bridge saddles. It's not really much to worry about and I'm sure I can train myself not to put my hand there.

So far, so good. I'm thinking at this point that the guitar is easily comparable to a Squier-branded Tele, and at a fraction of the price. Even the action and the intonation seem OK; I'm not saying they couldn't be improved upon, but essentially the guitar was ready to go right out of the box. Perhaps it could do with a light fret-dress, a few of the fret ends were slightly rough, but I've known other guitars costing considerably more that far more urgently needed attention in this area.

So, how does it sound plugged in?

Well, it sounds Tele-like, no surprises there. Of course these pickups are not going to be the world's best, but having said that they don't sound bad. If anything they are a little too harsh. I used this guitar at band practice this week and I found I was having to roll off the tone all the time, especially on the bridge pickup (hey, good thing this wasn't a Strat-type guitar!). But yeah, it gives a good Tele twang, and I guess the pickups could always be upgraded if so desired, although a new set of pickups could easily cost more than the guitar itself!

On a less positive note, I noticed considerable hum from the guitar, especially when I removed my hands from the strings. Uh-oh! It's that old problem of a guitar not being properly shielded and/or grounded.

I wasn't going to let this be a problem, and so I bought two sheets of self-adhesive copper foil from another seller on eBay, a very reasonably priced purchase at just over £3 a sheet, and I set about dismantling the guitar and lining the pickup cavities with the foil. Note that the cavity for the neck pickup is large enough to accommodate a humbucker should such an upgrade be required.

I was thinking I'd need to take a wire from the back of the volume pot and ground it to the bridge plate, but I found that (despite the hum) this had already been done. But just to make sure that contact was being made I spread out the individuals strands of wire and then stuck these down in place with another small piece of copper foil. By the way, that copper foil is extremely adhesive and when the backing sheet is peeled away it has a tendency to curl up and stick to itself. I found it easiest to cut and stick very small sections at a time. It was also tricky getting into the pickup cavities seeing as the pickups and controls were still all wired up together, but I really didn't want to completely disassemble the guitar, and de-solder the pickups, etc. That prospect seemed like too much work. This also meant that I had unscrewed components resting on the top of the guitar, and I did manage to make a few small dents between the bridge and the control plate - I'm not too worried about that, you could say I'd begun to "relic" the guitar. (Actually, I think a guitar with this finish would look better "worn-in", but I'm not about to take sandpaper to it, or to knock it about with screwdrivers or whatever. A few natural knocks I am not going to worry about).

I also decided to shield the reverse of the pickguard; perhaps I didn't need to do as much as that considering it's mostly the timber of the guitar beneath the plate other than the neck pickup rout, but I'm sure it can't harm. This would be a better move on a Strat-type guitar where the plate is covering three pickups. And of course, I shielded the inside of the control cavity, but I forgot to take a photo of this stage.

Plugging it in now, it's silent when you want it to be! I'm so pleased that my DIY shielding job, although not the prettiest, worked. And so what if it wasn't the neatest job, you can't see it now the guitar is re-assembled.

So... my cheap no-name eBay Tele... A good buy?

Definitely! I am really pleased with this guitar, and I'm sure it'll prove to be a very useful addition to my small arsenal of guitars. I would recommend these guitars to anyone wanting a cheap T-type, with the only proviso that you need to be prepared to do some tweaking. In my case it was shielding the guitar, but some might have other set-up issues.

As for the blank headstock, I would NEVER put a Fender logo on there. That would just be a lie, whereas I'm happy to tell anyone that this is just a cheap eBay guitar.

G L Wilson

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Fender Japan ST62-SPL Stratocaster in a choice of two eye-catching Japanese print finishes

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Although we here at Guitarz may sometimes speak a little disparagingly of the Stratocaster, it's not really because we don't like the Strat - we appreciate its place in the history of the electric guitar - rather its very omnipresence and a plethora of copies both "el cheapo" and boutique mean that the originality of Leo Fender's great design has become so diluted that when we see a Strat we find ourselves hard pressed to get excited by it. This is why we only ever feature the Strat on Guitarz if it is in some way unusual, be it customised, made from unusual materials, or if it has an unusual or particularly eye-catching finish.

Personally, I can categorically state that I do NOT hate the Strat. I have owned eight or nine of them over the years, having been a Strat player since 1987. I still own and play a Strat nowadays, although not my main go-to guitar it does have its uses and I wouldn't want to be without one. If money were no object and I was in the market for a new guitar, a Stratocaster would not be at the top of my list. However, having seen these latest offerings from Fender Japan does get me thinking, "Oh yes, I'd like one - or both - of those!"

The Fender Japan ST62-SPL Stratocaster is available in two quite tantalizing Japanese print finishes reminiscent of Fender's own pink paisley and blue floral designs, and indeed the Fender Japan TL69 SPL Telecaster which we looked at on this blog two years ago. Although I believe these particular Strats are being produced for the Japanese home market only and not for export, it does show how well Fender's marketing efforts work when someone like me sees a few pretty pictures and instantly wants one, even if underneath the finish it is a basic no-frills Stratocaster with all the usual Stratocaster accouterments. In fact, other than the finish the only unusual feature of the ST62-SPL Strat is that the output socket has been relocated onto the side of the guitar, possibly so as not to obscure some of the finish.

It's nice also, I think, to see Fender Japan issue a series of guitars that celebrates their own Japanese-ness.

G L Wilson

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Ibanez Prestige Saber 2020XAV with piezo and Floyd Rose trem

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This Ibanez Prestige Saber 2020XAV has two jack outputs - one for the regular magnetic pickups and one for the piezo pickup, something that allows a quick change from electric to acoustic  sound (don't know about you but I never find that piezo sound like acoustic - not bad, but definitely not an acoustic hollow body guitar).

This guitar was on the 2000 Ibanez catalogue, but it looks so 20th century, was it so long ago already?

Bertram D

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The one and only Richie Havens, RIP

guitarz.blogspot.com: Sad news: Richie Havens has died of a heart attack at his home in New Jersey, aged 72. He will be rememebered by many as being the opening act at the legendary 1969 Woodstock Festival. He had a completely unique guitar style, from the way he held the instrument to his very technique - just check out that left thumb in action! The above clip is from Germany's Beat Club in 1971.

G L Wilson

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ESP LTD Famous Monsters Vincent Price limited edition guitar

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Yes, I am a fan of Vincent Price's movies, but I don't think I really want a picture of him looking freaked out on my guitar though.

However, for those who would like the now legendary horror actor emblazoned on their axe, the ESP LTD Famous Monsters Vincent Price Limited Edition Guitar features the cover art of issue #254 of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine.

Currently being offered for sale on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $999.

G L Wilson

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Jeff Beck signed one-off Ford '34 Coupé Custom Electric Guitar by Steve Acworth

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here's a one-off guitar originally built for Jeff Beck in 1992 by UK luthier Steve Acworth. Jeff Beck famously has a passion for hot rod cars, so it should come as no surprise that the guitar reflects this in its design. You can find more information on Steve's website, and also info on his other guitar builds, many of which are quite intriguing (e.g. Formica-topped acoustic guitars which apparently don't like having a bridge glued on for long, sitar guitars, and an amazing looking instrument called The Multiharp).

Quite why Jeff Beck doesn't still own the Ford '34 Coupé guitar is not explained, but the man himself has signed the guitar, and it is currently being offered for sale on eBay with a whopping Buy It Now price of £21,500.

Thanks to Ken for bringing this guitar listing on eBay to my attention.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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1961 Atlas-branded Supro shortscale guitar

guitarz.blogspot.com:

This 1961 Atlas-branded Supro shortscale guitar is quite glorious in its single-pickup slab-bodied simplicity. Shredders will take one look at this beauty and scratch their heads wondering what they are supposed to do with a guitar whose neck meets the body at the 12th fret. With a 22" scale, this Supro would no doubt excel at those retro blues licks and I'd love to crank it up to play some classic garage band rock.

Currently being offered for sale on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $699.88.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Ukrainian Kobza Bass - teardrop-shaped acoustic bass

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I know nothing about this instrument other than what the seller tells us in broken English. Apparently it's a Ukrainian Kobza Bass from the Harmony musical worskhop (hhhmmmm...where've I've heard that name before?) and is supposedly based on a traditional folk instrument. To my eyes it looks like an acoustic bass guitar with a Vox-like teardrop shaped body and equipped with piezo pickups and associated electronics. Whether the "Kozba bass" genuinely has any history as a Ukrainian folk instrument, I couldn't tell you, but my suspicion is that it is a modern bass-instrument based on the design of an old folk insrument. But if you know differently, please do pipe up!

Currently being offered for sale on eBay with a Buy it Now price of $325 (plus shipping from Ukraine).

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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2011 Gibson Les Paul doublecut with bullion gold top

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Perhaps we show a certain bias on this blog, as I know we don't feature Les Pauls as much as certain other well-known guitars. I readily confess that I am not a Les Paul fan. I know they can give you THAT tone, but - as I have argued before - is THAT tone always desireable? Isn't it better to find and develop your own sound rather than just stick with what's been tried and tested by others?

However, I guess my main quibble with the Les Paul is the design. I just don't like it. Don't shoot me, this is just my own opinion. I'm not overly fond of the singlecut shape, I really don't see the point in all the controls - separate volume and tone controls for each of the pickups is overkill in my book - and what really really bugs me about the Les Paul is that selector switch on the upper bout which not only gives the impression that the guitar has a nasty pimple but also gets in the way quite spectacularly (at least when I play this type of guitar) and causes me to hit it and change pickup selection when I don't want to do anything of the sort.

Of course, with the Gibson Les Paul doublecut none of these problems exist, and OK, I'll admit it, it IS a guitar I have coveted for a good few years now.

The pictured example, currently being auctioned on eBay, has a fantastic classy-looking bullion gold top - not many guitars can carry off a gold top - and has a starting bid of $1000.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Stump Preacher - weird headless travel guitar - Made in the USA

guitarz.blogspot.com:

This Stump Preacher guitar is a weird looking critter, the weird name is rather strangely appropriate for this lumpy-looking headless design with its tuners proudly radiating around the front of the guitar body. You'd probably want a back-up instrument if this was your main stage guitar, because I can't imagine string changes are very quick to achieve. To access the tuner posts you need to open up the body which splits in half.

I remember seeing these guitars online several years ago, but the Stump Preacher website has long since vanished so I guess that the company is no longer a going concern. It also means that it's difficult to find out details of these guitars, but the seller of this example tells us that:

The one-piece body of this guitar begins with an internal core with properties similar to those of wood. This core is then wrapped with carbon fiber composite. The density can of this internal core can also be adjusted to produce different tone and sustain characteristics. [...] The neck is made of the same epoxy/graphite composite material used in snowboards, and the body is a high-impact polyurethane found on car bumpers. The only lumber to be found on the guitar is on its fret board.

This particular example is is finished in purple, but other Stump Preachers featured graphic designs which were "...actually molded into the body of the guitar between the composite and outermost layer so it won't just scratch off."

Currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $1,500.

G L Wilson

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Left-handed Höfner 4578 (Ambassador)

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Again, there've been so many Höfner models with so many variations over time that they are difficult to identify with certainty, but I have enough elements to say it's a mid-1960s 4578 - the continental equivalent to the Ambassador model sold by Selmer in the UK. 

It's a beautiful classic guitar, and like usually my heart melts for an archtop with double florentine cutaways - but I'm right-handed so this baby is not for me.

Bertram D

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German MIJ Luxor

guitarz.blogspot.com

Luxor guitars were made in Japan in FujiGen Gakki for a German company in the 1970s, and its law-suit Les Pauls are still well sought after. This Luxor model definitely has some Jaguar in its DNA - like many European guitars of the time - but its own personality, and something already 1980s in its outline. 

Bertram D

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A Pink Paisley Les Paul? Surely not?...

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here's one that could well cause you to perform a double take... it's a Les Paul with a Fender-esque pink paisley finish!

But of course, it's not a Gibson. It's a Tokai Love Rock, and Tokai of course are known for their high quality replicas of guitar designs by Fender and Gibson. They even made a Telecaster in pink paisley in the early 1980s before Fender themselves decided to re-issue the same model. (The Fender Telecaster in question was a Fender Japan guitar, and very likely came off the same production line as its Tokai "counterpart").

On a related note, the Fender Custom Shop's latest models include Telecasters in a choice of pink, blue and green paisley finishes.

Meanwhile, this Tokai Love Rock in Pink Paisley is currently listed on eBay with a starting bid of $939. Oh, and I've seen a Tokai SG in the same finish too.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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1980s Harmony electric guitar, made in Japan: any info appreciated

guitarz.blogspot.com:

From our Facebook page:

Hello my name is Juan from Argentina. I'm a big fan of your web and I have a question. A friend of mine bought this Harmony guitar and we didnt find any information about it, the seller says that is made in Japan in mid 80s; it a bolt on guitar with humbuckers but we dont know anything more. Do you know something? Thank you.

I honestly don't know, but then I never claimed to be an expert. It does look 1980s Japanese, that much I can see. But I'm going to throw this question open to the readership. Does anyone out there have any further information about these Japanese-made Harmonys?

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Rickenbacker 381/12V69 12-string semi-hollowbody electric in CopperGlo

guitarz.blogspot.com:

This spanking brand-new Rickenbacker 381/12V69 in CopperGlo looks absolutely fantastic, and of course the sound is legendary. What a pity this guitar in this finish is a one-off.

Currently being auctioned on eBay with bidding currently (at the time of writing) at $4,000.

G L Wilson

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1995 Epiphone Sorrento

guitarz.blogspot.com: 

This Epiphone Sorrento is a 1995 re-issue of the 1960s model, now equipped with chrome P-90s - a chance to admire the impeccable classicism of an archtop with a florentine cutaway (the world needs more of these...)  

And I discovered a wiki dedicated to Epiphone instruments that is a very interesting tool for guitar lovers - I've said here before how much I appreciate Epiphone's affordable quality instruments, that are meant for musicians and not lawyers or traders.

Bertram D

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Hondo "The Sting" 80s pointy headless guitar endorsed by Wonder Woman

guitarz.blogspot.com:

From the early 1980s (circa '83-'84), here we see a Hondo H-795 MR "The Sting" guitar, a relative of the also super-pointy Hondo II H-1 which differs slightly in design by actually having a headstock - and a very pointy headstock at that - thereby significantly increasing the chances of someone getting impaled on stage.

Weirder still, there was even a companion guitar to "The Sting" that looked as if it had been built from an offcut from The Sting's body. I'm not sure what Hondo's marketing people were thinking here; I guess you could stick the two guitars neatly together with velco for a doubleneck that easily converts into two single guitars (but perhaps that's going off into the realms of fantasy). And if that wasn't weird enough for you, they drafted in Wonder Woman to pose with the guitar in the ad. "Random", as the kids say.

This particular Sting is currently listed on eBay with a starting price of $899.99, which is almost unheard of for a Hondo, but as the seller points out only about 50 of these were guitars were produced.

G L Wilson

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More vintage Japanese solidbody wackiness: Zenon ZES-170

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I have no idea how this 1960s Japanese-made Zenon ZES-170 guitar might sound, but aesthetically it's a triumph ... that is, so long as you appreciate such retro wackiness.

I'd like to see a small company like Eastwood or our friends at Pure Salem, someone who specialises in producing retro guitar designs with modern playability, get to grips with a guitar design like this. Note also the curious textured finish on this Zenon. I'm reminded of the finish Ovation used on some of their Breadwinners.

Currently listed on eBay UK with a starting price of £125.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Design your guitar with Moniker Guitars

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Kevin from Moniker Guitars here. Moniker Guitars is a small/brand new Austin, TX based guitar maker. We build custom electric guitars that you can design and order at MonikerGuitars.com. No one else is doing anything quite like this and guitar players have responded to the chance to design their guitar by choosing colors, parts, and even adding text or graphics.

We're currently running a Kickstarter campaign and have some awesome deals on our new semi-hollow guitars. Early bird specials starting at $800.

Kevin

Looks great to me - head on over to MonikerGuitars.com and/or their Kickstarter campaign for more information. - G L Wilson

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1963 Fender Precision Bass with rare original factory red sparkle finish

guitarz.blogspot.com:

No it's not Candy Apple Red, this 1963 Fender Precision Bass features a very rare red sparkle factory finish. The bass is all original and comes complete with the chromed pickup and bridge covers that most players used to unscrew and lose, plus the original Tolex hard case.

Fender sparkle finishes are considered very rare, with a few appearing in the early 1960s. We have previously looked at a Duo Sonic and a Music Master (supposedly from 1959) with similar finishes. However, this silver-sparkle 1963 Jaguar was of course a re-finish.

As I already mentioned, the original Fender sparkle finishes are very rare, so you may not be surprised to learn that this red sparkle 1963 Fender Precision Bass is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $15,000.

G L Wilson

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1960s Teisco electric banjitar which allegedly sounds better than a Strat

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here's an oddity from 1960s Japan that I find curiously appealing for some reason that I cannot fathom. It's a Teisco electric banjitar. That's right, a solidbody electric 6-string banjo. With a whammy bar!

Actually, my guess is that the only thing "banjo" about it is the shape. Surely, without a resonating head on the body it couldn't possibly sound like a banjo, even if the body is chambered and the instrument has really bad sustain. To confuse matters even more, the seller claims that it "...has a better Stratocaster sound than either one of my two Strats."

Currently listed on eBay with the quite astonishing price of $1,799. Yeah, I appreciate it might be a rare model in excellent condition but I can't see it selling at that price somehow.

G L Wilson

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