Thursday 27 March 2014

Very unusual vintage semi... one-off or production model? Who knows?

guitarz.blogspot.com:
Here's a weird guitar that I am unable to identify. I couldn't tell you if it was an actual production model or if it has a homemade body and has been pieced together from parts from an archtop hollowbody electric (witness the Hofner pickup mounted to the top end of the fingerboard). This guitar was offered for sale on eBay UK, but the auction finished before we were able to post about it here. The seller told us the little he knew about it:
I've no idea what this guitar is. I bought it in France at a street market.

It has an Aria nameplate in metal, it needs attention to restore it to it's potential so it's sold as seen and sold as NOT Aria.

I've not tested it as it has a funny looking lead socket and the action is high. Some of the black plastic trim is loose / missing so please look at the photos...
My guess would be that it is European in origin, maybe East European, although it does look somewhere between an Egmond (from The Netherlands) and a Wandre (from Italy). If anyone could actually identify this guitar, we'd love to hear from you.

Thanks to David C for bringing this guitar to my attention.

More photos here.

G L Wilson

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6 comments:

  1. DSRC6:12 pm

    It has been relisted here at a buy now price of £125.00:

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Retro-Electric-Guitar-with-Hofner-Pickup-/310911713052?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4863c83f1c

    My guess is its Russian.

    David C.

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  2. Tony10:11 am

    Don't see tapewound strings too often these days!

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  3. arzeur2:37 pm

    It looks obviously "sovietic" but could be a mixture of several instruments; homemade body, generic neck probably with a "re cut" headstock and Höfner parts that were available in USSR during the 60's. If the neck has got a truss rod that can be adjusted, it could be a good choice and a real bargain.....The Aria logo, so strnge on such an instrument could be only a mean to say: I'm not living in USSR, I love rock n' roll and I ***** you all!

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  4. DSRC3:14 pm

    Hi Again, The logo on the head stock is not Aria but Alia written in cyrillic cursive/italic where the L looks like an n or r. If it is original to the guitar and given the 5 pin din output jack, the likely suspects are Russia, Serbia and the Ukraine. I lived in Estonia and Russia for 20 years and only saw the 5 pin din on guitars made in the USSR. Regards, David

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  5. Simon Beck1:19 pm

    Looks like a very bad copy of an Italian Wandre Doris. But who would bother?

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  6. Unknown4:07 pm

    Gotta say, if anyone has ever seen the old Donald Brosnac book on electric guitars from back in the '70s, it looks like something someone would have built from the chapter on hollow guitars.
    No idea otherwise.

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