Thursday, 9 January 2014

1970s D'Agostino through-neck Japanese-made electric guitar

guitarz.blogspot.com:
Here's another Japanese-made guitar, this time from the 1970s and it's of genuine through-neck construction rather than being a "faux though neck" like the Morris guitar we looked at earlier this week. It's a D'Agostino, a brand about which I unfortunately know very little (and neither does the eBay seller of this guitar). However, the DiMarzio (or DiMarzio design) pickups, the control knobs, and the brass nut, brass truss rod cover and the very particular brass fingerboard inlays are all highly reminiscent of those on the Kay K45 travel guitar (marketed in the USA as the Austin Hatchet); surely it's some relation?

Currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $600.

G L Wilson

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11 comments:

  1. bassedout12:33 am

    The appearance and color look a lot like the old Aria Cardinals ( I think that was the name) guitars. Don't remember if they were actually neck through or faux like the Morris.

    A pawn shop locally had a D'Agostino flying v for a long time. Seemed like a nice enough guitar but they wanted way too much for it.

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  2. Greguti7:58 am

    Looks a lot like a high end version of my 1984 Performer X Cort! Same design, same headstock, pickups look similar too: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greguti/10420883334/in/set-72157632290525141

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  3. Furtheron11:09 am

    As others say here looks like Aria and other Jap guitars from same period - presuming all the same factory just different headstocks and names

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  4. arzeur7:10 pm

    It looks very "Vantage" albeit the colour...

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  5. Amon10:40 pm

    Every detail of that screams Matsumoku.

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  6. Bassedout5:00 am

    Finally remembered where I've seen those inlays before. The newer Asian made Hofner coloramas. Don't know if they're related or not but here's one on ebay.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hofner-Colorama-Guitar-w-German-P-90s-w-Hofner-Gigbag-AWESOME-VALUE-/201017304498?pt=Guitar&hash=item2ecd90a5b2

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  7. Greguti11:44 am

    Check out the close up on the headstock on the eBay page: looks like the "D'Agostino of New York" is not genuine, it's just a sticker applied on it. I'm pretty sure the guitar didn't come with it.

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  8. Simon Beck3:54 pm

    I remember seeing very similar guitars to this (in a dark natural finish) being sold under either the Kay or Hondo name in the early 1980s. Same brass hardware and inlays.

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  9. g downs5:10 pm

    SD Curlee inspired. Same shape, etc.

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  10. tim gueguen9:15 pm

    I don't think it's a Matsumoku product. Matsumoku stuff generally didn't have a headstock volute. The truss rod cover doesn't look like the ones used on their products. I agree that it looks to be the same factory as the guitars sold under the Cort and Kay brand names, which I suspect was in fact South Korean. Popping the pickups might help. Obviously if they're labelled MMK on the bottom it would increase the likelihood it's a Matsumoku proeuct.

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  11. Unknown12:33 pm

    looks like matsumoku product the headstock looks slightly dfferent than my vantage vs 600 which is mint and for sale
    contact davidcynthia122@gmail.com for more info

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