Bernd 's Klira Patricia 196X jazz box renovation project

guitarz.blogspot.com:  Bernd writes to tell us about his renovation project as follows:
I am Bernd from Straubing in Bavaria, Germany. I found a 196X Klira Patricia Archtop at an auction and decided to "restore" it to a blue Jazz-Machine with abalone-celluloid inlays.

Some people think, those old Kliras (and Lindbergs and Triumphators) should stay in the cellar - others think, they have some worth. As I didn't have such a Jazz-Box, I was ready to invest a few Euros and some elbow grease. The lacquer and the whole finish was very bad, and it seems to have been in a very humid environment for a few years. But the neck was straight and the frets were OK.

The headstock inlay was already dissolving - what looks like a kind of pearl inlay was in fact some kind of laquer, also in a very bad shape. The guitar looks much better on the images, as it was in reality.

Problem: I don't have a workshop, don't have any woodworking tools and I don't have any woodworking experience ...

So I stripped her and gave her some new abalone-celluloid inlays and also an abalone headstock and some "new clothes" - a RAL 5005 stain.

Added a little make-up - two sheets of teak oil (I will add some more in the future ...) and some Grover like tuners from a Guild F130, a Gretsch bridge and her old tailpiece.

Now she sounds very loud and clear ... Great tone ...

As she is a modern girl now, she gets some electronics - a Schaller Vintage 44 floating single coil and a volume and tone control. With a Yamaha THR 10c, she sounds absolutely stunning.

OK. This is in no way a perfect restoration. I did a lot of mistakes and everbody who takes a closer (and even a not so close) look will find some. But I like her, wife and daughter like her, people like her and she has great sound ...

Already looking for the next old guitar ...

Bernd

Many thanks to Bernd for sharing his guitar renovation project with us. I'd like to congratulate him on tastefully bringing an old guitar that has seen better days back to life. - GLW

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Mahogany Fender Toronado

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With its natural finish on mahogany and minimal gear, this mid-2000s Fender Toronado makes me think of these stern but desirable Japanese guitars from the 1980s that arrived after the copy era, and made the sound of early metal. But the Seymour Duncan P90s make it clearly a contemporary guitar, and not a mere attempt to sneak into Gibson's market (both company regularly release unsuccessful models using their competitors' pickups/scales/headstocks/...)

With their straighten Jaguar outline, Gibson scale, humbuckers and four knobs, the Fender Toronados were introduced in 1998, renewed in 2004 and discontinued in 2006, and existed in many different designs - the most remarkable being the big tortoise-shell pickguard or the L-shaped racing strip on metallic finish. They had a kind of Ibanez simple cool - you know when Ibanez is not losing its time going all pointy) and it's a pity Fender didn't leave it time enough to settle down - 10 years is too short to go standard.

Bertram D

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1970s Made In Japan Bigsby-equipped Mustang-like three-pickup wonder

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I'm afraid I am unable to identify this 1970s Japanese-made electric which seems to be an amalgam of guitar designs from Fender and Gibson with perhaps a little nod to Hagstrom too. The 3-a-side headstock shape is slightly at odd with the almost Mustang-like bodyshape, but somehow it works. The guitar appears to have three humbuckers (but you can't always tell simply by looking with Japanese guitars of this vintage - they could be single coils in disguise) but apparently only a three-way switch, which is weird. The icing on the cake is the Bigsby (or what might be a very close approximation of a Bigsby) vibrato.

Auction on eBay UK ending today in just under 8 hours time at the time of writing with bidding currently at £78.89.

G L Wilson

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Mosrite Mini

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here at Guitarz we love Semie Moseley's creations; there is nothing too conservative about a Mosrite guitar, there's always something quirky about them.

This Mosrite Mini although discontinued isn't a vintage instrument, but it's a beautifully formed baby and is much in the spirit of the original Mosrite guitars; early Mosrite doublenecks often combined a regular 6-string neck with an octave "baby" 6-string or sometimes a mandolin neck.

Currently listed on eBay with a reduced rate Buy It Now price of US $550.

G L Wilson

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New Complexity (part 2): the Contra

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Yesterday we had a look at New Complexity's Harmonic Master, this is their Contra, a more regular model - with its strat-like 3 single-coils - but no less creative in its minimal classicism. 

I like the transparent pickguard showing the clever pickup routing, the string-through/tune-o-matic combination, the reduced controls, the minimal headstock and the sober yet imaginative outline. You have to admit that it is not easy to compete with the Stratocaster and reach such an interesting result! 

Bertram D

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New Complexity (part 1): the Harmonic Master

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I often have the feeling that Australia is where things happen nowadays when it comes to our favorite subject: guitars! Several of my favorite websites / blogs / Facebook pages emanate from Oz, and they show passionate innovative people busy with improving guitars, when other countries that once ruled are just stuck in a bygone golden age…

Take New Complexity, a one man company in Melbourne, and its Harmonic Master, a 12-string 'third bridge' guitar with a pickup behind the bridge that catches harmonic resonnance, a fully adjustable 12-saddle gizmo as a stop-tail to tune it and 3 different outputs. This is not a guitar with mere cosmetic modifications or sophisticated gear, it's a rethinking of the instrument! 

If you wonder what it's all about, this video explains and demonstrates what the Harmonic Master does. Definitely an instrument I'd love to try!

Bertram D

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Bassix bizarre one-off foldable headless upright bass

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I think the photos say it all here! I've never seen anything quite like this allegedly unique Bassix foldable headless upright bass before. It's actually quite a clever way of making an upright bass portable, however, looking at the bridge position I can't believe that is the usual 42" scale length you'd expect on an upright. It looks more like a bass guitar's 34". Which begs the question, why not just use a fretless bass which would be even more portable than this?

Currently listed on eBay UK with a £0.99 starting bid.

G L Wilson

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1960s Kay Speed Demon hollowbody electric guitar

guitarz.blogspot.com:

This 1960s Kay Speed Demon is certainly quite a looker and is in fantastic condition for a guitar of its vintage. I get the feeling this was produced as a "poor man's Gretsch"; I don't mean that to its detriment, it is what it is, a low budget electric hollowbody.

From the eBay description it sounds as if this guitar has one or two minor issues that could be sorted out by anyone competent in guitar maintenance. It is currently listed on eBay with a realistic Buy It Now price of US $450.

G L Wilson

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Fender Custom Shop Sub-Sonic Baritone Stratocaster

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Fender baritone guitars are rather thin on the ground with the company only offering the Telecaster Blacktop Baritone and a Jaguar baritone model (which I believe has now been discontinued) as production models*. Of course, with the Custom Shop operation you can have whatever you want, such as this Fender Sub-Sonic from 1999. It's essentially a baritone hardtail Stratocaster. Unfortunately, the seller doesn't give any specs so I can't quote you scale-length, tuning, etc.

Mind, a Fender Custom Shop guitar will cost you. This previously-owned example is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of US $2,195.

* I'm deliberately not including the Fender Bass VI in this category. A Bass VI is NOT a baritone.

G L Wilson
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Vox Phantom bass - rare left-handed model

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Here's something you don't see very often, a left-handed Vox Phantom Bass. This particular instrument has been custom built from original 1960s New Old Stock vintage parts. Like the doubleneck Eko we looked at a few days ago, I'd wager that this Vox was pieced together by Brandoni Guitars. Remember that the Eko factory in Italy also produced Vox guitars in the 1960s after production was outsourced, Vox guitars having previously been built in Dartford, Kent, in the UK.

This bass is currently listed on eBay and has a Buy It Now price of £1,500.

G L Wilson

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Batman "Ker Pow" knock-off Precision Bass

guitarz.blogspot.com:

This Bat bass features quite a neatly executed home-made finish, with a decoupage of Batman comic strips on the body itself. It's a bit of a pity about the counterfeit decal applied to the headstock when the bass isn't actually a Fender but consists of a Squier body married to a no-name copy neck. Yes, I appreciate the details are fun what with the wholly appropriate serial number and the "Made in Gotham City" legend, it's just a pity that the Fender logo was used. The etching (if that's what it is) of the Batman logo on the pickguard is a nice touch though.

Currently being auctioned on eBay UK with a low starting price.

G L Wilson

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Eko doubleneck guitar / mandolin solidbody

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Whilst it's neither as cool nor as radical as this other Eko doubleneck, the above-pictured Eko guitar / mandolin doubleneck does at least seem to be of practical proportions and shouldn't break your back having to gig with it. However, of course, Eko of Italy never made such a doubleneck guitar/mando combination. This is a Brandoni creation. Roberto Brandoni acquired Eko's remaining stock when they closed down back in 1987. Stock included bodies and necks and other assorted parts from vintage 1960s Eko and Vox guitars and from Eko models produced into the 1980s. Eko in the early 1980s produced two solidbody mandolins - an 8-string and a 12-string "mandoguitar" model. This Brandoni-customised Eko doubleneck would appear to have been made by joining together two separate mandolin bodies.

Currently listed on eBay UK with a Buy It Now price of £635.

G L Wilson

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Shonky Mako Prototype Guitar

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It can happen with these kind of experimental designs, I can't tell if this Shonky prototype is ugly or brilliant… Some part are quite ergonomic, some aren't, some details are even awkward, but all in all it's a nice try - hundred times better than the average clone… What do you think?

Bertram D

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steel bodied Loic Le Pape Mustang

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Loïc Le Pape is one of these French guys who makes übercool guitars out of steel - here is his take on the Mustang. Simple and raw, it looks like the ultimate nu-garage rock guitar, isn't it? 

Also it has interesting pickups, the SP Custom (also a small French company) Trinity humbuckers based on coupled hand-wound Telecaster and Jazzmaster single-coils - 3 sounds in one pickup - plus a piezo...

I'd definitely play this guitar!

Bertram D

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Can you help identify this 1950s vintage hollowbody electric?

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here's an unidentified 1950s electric guitar about which we know little. Ther seller tells us:

It's a vintage 1950's electric guitar from an unknown maker. It is clear that the builder was attempting to copy the work of Paul Bigsby and the homemade pickups are very similar to an early R.C. Allen guitar that I own. The only other clue I have is a friend of mine who has a guitar that was clearly built by the same guy. His is made out of much fancier birdseye maple but has the same body, headstock and construction as well as the same homemade pickups and tailpiece. So we know that this builder made at least two guitars. I assume that he probably made a few more. This is crude but pretty great.

As you can seen. A previous owner removed the back!!!! He also re-wired the guitar with new pots and mostly new wiring. Currently only one pickup is hooked up and it has a ground buzz but actually sounds really cool. Somewhat Strat like only with a more refined, hi-fi sound. The guitar is playable right now but you would obviously want to have a back put on it, the wiring gone through and a new bridge made for it. It's being sold as a project or just as a collectable for the early vintage electric guitar collector. If anyone has any more info on the builder, please let me know.

Does anyone out there have any further info on this guitar?

Currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of US $650.

G L Wilson

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Framus Missouri 5/60

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This Framus Missouri 5/60 has the typically Framus metal pickguard / control plate / pickup ring that can turn an acoustic guitar into an electric one (the 5/60 was sold with or without) and a wide cutaway that allows the easiest access to upper frets. A sexy old lady in my opinion!

Bertram D

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Lucite-bodied "Vote for Nixon" bass guitar project

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here's a real curiosity of a project bass guitar with a crude home-made see-thru plexiglass body, which probably dates to the late 1960s/early 1970s based on the evidence of both the parts used and the Nixon sticker applied to the front of the body. The neck is probably Japanese (the seller claims it's a Teisco but I don't see any particular identifying features to support that), and the pickup looks familiar too although I can't pinpoint where I've seen one before.

Whilst I love old oddities like these, I doubt it'd be much of a player if it was fixed up. I suspect that the Nixon sticker might be worth more than the whole guitar.

Currently listed on eBay with bidding at US $10.50 at the time of writing.

G L Wilson

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cool Welson with retrofit DiMarzio pickups

guitarz.blogspot.com:

This double cutaway asymmetric florentine semi-hollow-body Welson looks kinda cool - this is not a design you see everyday, even if it is not as radical as their inevitable very 1960s Italian solid bodies. 

This model - I couldn't put a name on it - was also distributed in Germany as Dynacord - and in general Welson guitars were more sought after in the rest of Europe than in Italy - and they also released instruments in the USA under the Wurlitzer and Orpheum brands.

You'll have noticed that the pickups don't look like 1960s Italian ones, they have been replaced by later DiMarzio ones that look a little bit out of place on this guitar, but to me it says that the guitar is a player, and it's meant to keep playing music, not be a decoration on the wall of a collector!

Bertram D

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