guitarz.blogspot.com:
Sad news... Scottish folk musician Bert Jansch, a founding member of the band Pentangle and a well-known guitarist in his own right, has died at the age of 67. Jansch, who had cancer, passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning at a hospice in Hampstead, north London. (More...)
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
1960s Italian Dega Safari bass by Bartolini
Following on from our previous post, here is another example of 1960s Italian luthiery.
From what I am able to work out, Bartolini produced guitars under the brandname Dega on behalf of Alberto Morbidoni, accordion-makers of Castelfidardo, for export into the USA.
This Dega Safari Bass appears to be a model that not even Fetish Guitars have pictured on their excellent website. In fact, stylistically it is more similar to the Eko Cobra than any of the other Bartolini guitars pictured.
This particular bass, still located into Italy, is currently listed on eBay with a starting price of €499.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Wandre Doris: an eccentric 1960s Italian original
guitarz.blogspot.com:
Wandre Guitars were designed by Wandre Pioli (1926-2004) and built in his factory in Cavriago from 1959 to 1969. The Wandre Doris is a beautifully eccentric example, featuring Wandre's aluminium neck covered in polystyrene coating. Note the 6-in-a-line timber and aluminium slotted headstock and note also how the neck is almost parallel along its length, which is common on Italian guitars of this vintage. The moulded pickguard is resplendent in 3-dimensions and incorporates pushbutton pickup selectors and and angled output jack. These guitars were from a day and age when you didn't see the same old generic components on each and every instrument. The tremolo is quite a wonderful affair looking as if it's been assembled from motorcycle parts.
The Doris model has been re-issued by Eastwood Guitars (and kudos to them for reviving all those retro designs) but you wouldn't really mistake it for the real thing unless seen from a distance.
This original 1960s Wandre Doris is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $5,500.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
The Doris model has been re-issued by Eastwood Guitars (and kudos to them for reviving all those retro designs) but you wouldn't really mistake it for the real thing unless seen from a distance.
This original 1960s Wandre Doris is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $5,500.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
1962 National Studio 66
guitarz.blogspot.com:
I recently bought a GuitarKits USA National Supro Res-O-Glas guitar body on ebay and have been seeking out some suitable parts to go with it. The one thing I didn't want was to end up with was a kit guitar that looked like everyone else's.
That's point of a kit guitar I guess.
So, I've been searching "pickup rings", "vintage pickups", "vintage pickup rings" and a myriad of similar and dissimilar terms on ebay and elsewhere. I bid on a nice 50s Framus pickup and pickup ring combo but it went out of my range. I searched through listings with bewildering amounts of information and listings with little more than a fuzzy picture and a ludicrous BIN price (uploaded with my iPhone).
I searched for Art Deco plastic (and wood and aluminium) handles that I could modify into a bridge base and/or funky pickup rings to take a couple of new/old Ovation Viper pickups or old/old Gibson Marauder pickups that I've had floating around for years. Anyway, still no luck so I'll keep looking. One thing I did unearth with the "Art Deco - Guitar" combination was this beautiful guitar from 1962. The most obvious stand-outs are the scratchplate and Art Deco pickup. Now that would suit me fine!
This is what the sellers are saying:
I've always been a big fan of Res-O-Glas guitars since seeing one in a second hand shop in East London when I was a teenager, and have been coveting one ever since. They also had a pale green Microfrets guitar which was the dustiest guitar I've ever seen.
But, coming back to this guitar, I especially like the Art Deco pickup and the eccentric scratchplate and pretty much everything else (except the price. Ouch!). And, that's a good enough reason to post it. Now, if I could find a pickup like that...
STOP PRESS: I just found that we posted one of these a couple of years ago but I hope Gavin doesn't mind if I let it ride as it is a beautiful guitar and the ebay pics are stunning. Well worth checking out.
I recently bought a GuitarKits USA National Supro Res-O-Glas guitar body on ebay and have been seeking out some suitable parts to go with it. The one thing I didn't want was to end up with was a kit guitar that looked like everyone else's.
That's point of a kit guitar I guess.
So, I've been searching "pickup rings", "vintage pickups", "vintage pickup rings" and a myriad of similar and dissimilar terms on ebay and elsewhere. I bid on a nice 50s Framus pickup and pickup ring combo but it went out of my range. I searched through listings with bewildering amounts of information and listings with little more than a fuzzy picture and a ludicrous BIN price (uploaded with my iPhone).
I searched for Art Deco plastic (and wood and aluminium) handles that I could modify into a bridge base and/or funky pickup rings to take a couple of new/old Ovation Viper pickups or old/old Gibson Marauder pickups that I've had floating around for years. Anyway, still no luck so I'll keep looking. One thing I did unearth with the "Art Deco - Guitar" combination was this beautiful guitar from 1962. The most obvious stand-outs are the scratchplate and Art Deco pickup. Now that would suit me fine!
This is what the sellers are saying:
Description: 1962 National Studio 66 electric guitar finished in Sand Buff.
Cosmetic Condition: Various minor nicks, chips, dents & dings; some scuff marks on the body & light weather checking on the neck.
Neck: Bolt-on maple neck with rosewood fingerboard & pearloid dot inlays. Frets are in great shape with no wear. Original Kluson Deluxe tuners are a little rusty, but are in perfect working condition.
Body: Single cutaway, Res-O-Glas body with nickel trapeze tailpiece & fixed wooden bridge.
Pickup: Art deco bridge pickup with single volume & tone controls. 8.87K ohms.
Set Up: Professionally set up by our guitar tech & strung with brand new Ernie Ball .10-.46 gauge Slinkys.
Playability / Sound: Nice, low action; smooth playing neck; cool vintage tone!
Case: Vintage chipboard case included.
I've always been a big fan of Res-O-Glas guitars since seeing one in a second hand shop in East London when I was a teenager, and have been coveting one ever since. They also had a pale green Microfrets guitar which was the dustiest guitar I've ever seen.
But, coming back to this guitar, I especially like the Art Deco pickup and the eccentric scratchplate and pretty much everything else (except the price. Ouch!). And, that's a good enough reason to post it. Now, if I could find a pickup like that...
STOP PRESS: I just found that we posted one of these a couple of years ago but I hope Gavin doesn't mind if I let it ride as it is a beautiful guitar and the ebay pics are stunning. Well worth checking out.
David in Barcelona
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Monday, 3 October 2011
Shock Horror! Fender release (nearly) all-new guitar design!
guitarz.blogspot.com:
Fender have just released the Modern Player Series comprising seven instruments (four guitars and three basses) which they describe as "Unconventional Takes on Classic Fender Designs".
A couple of these aren't entirely new. We've seen the Jaguar Bass before (nice to see it back though) and the Fender Telecaster Thinline Deluxe which combines elements from the Thinline and Deluxe Teles and is equipped with Fender MP-90 pickups.
I do like the new take on the Fender Telecaster Bass which now has TWO humbucking pickups, plus I'm sure a few here will enjoy the sleek stripped-back MP-90 equipped version of the Jaguar.
However, the most interesting design, as far as I'm concerned, is the Fender Marauder (pictured above) which is an almost new design, having been based loosely on a prototype circa 1965-66. The original prototype featured hidden pickups beneath the pickguard. The Modern Player Marauder, however, is equipped with a Jazzmaster neck pickup and a "volcanic-sounding" three-coil Fender Triplebucker bridge pickup. Most intriguing. I'm a little dismayed to see a Fender Strat-like tremolo system; I would have preferred to see a Jazzmaster or even Mustang trem. Oh well.
The Modern Player series are being marketed as "entry-level instruments of remarkable style and substance", although I'm sure they'll appeal to more seasoned players too. Priced at $399 for the Marauder, Telecaster Plus, Jaguar and Jaguar Bass, $449 for the Tele Thinline Deluxe, $499 for Jazz Bass, and $599 for Tele Bass, this range looks very promising.
And isn't it interesting that Fender could make a whole range of guitars WITHOUT yet another Stratocaster variant?
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
A couple of these aren't entirely new. We've seen the Jaguar Bass before (nice to see it back though) and the Fender Telecaster Thinline Deluxe which combines elements from the Thinline and Deluxe Teles and is equipped with Fender MP-90 pickups.
I do like the new take on the Fender Telecaster Bass which now has TWO humbucking pickups, plus I'm sure a few here will enjoy the sleek stripped-back MP-90 equipped version of the Jaguar.
However, the most interesting design, as far as I'm concerned, is the Fender Marauder (pictured above) which is an almost new design, having been based loosely on a prototype circa 1965-66. The original prototype featured hidden pickups beneath the pickguard. The Modern Player Marauder, however, is equipped with a Jazzmaster neck pickup and a "volcanic-sounding" three-coil Fender Triplebucker bridge pickup. Most intriguing. I'm a little dismayed to see a Fender Strat-like tremolo system; I would have preferred to see a Jazzmaster or even Mustang trem. Oh well.
The Modern Player series are being marketed as "entry-level instruments of remarkable style and substance", although I'm sure they'll appeal to more seasoned players too. Priced at $399 for the Marauder, Telecaster Plus, Jaguar and Jaguar Bass, $449 for the Tele Thinline Deluxe, $499 for Jazz Bass, and $599 for Tele Bass, this range looks very promising.
And isn't it interesting that Fender could make a whole range of guitars WITHOUT yet another Stratocaster variant?
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Westone Cutlass designed by Sid Poole
guitarz.blogspot.com:
On seeing the Westone name you'd be forgiven for thinking that here was another Japanese Matsumoku-made guitar. However, as part of Westone's 1990s-era Prestige series, the Westone Cutlass was actually made in the UK by Status, known for their Status Graphite basses which started out as a headless design in the 1980s.
(The Westone Cutlass pictured here however, is not headless. It's just a bad photograph. I do wish that eBay sellers would always include at least one photograph of the entire length of the guitar, face-on, and not cut parts off, e.g. the headstock as in this case.)
The design, which appears to be somewhere between a Fender Lead II and a G&L SC-2, was by legendary British guitar maker, Sid Poole.
This is a quality British-made guitar, which would have orignally retailed at around £500. The auction for this example is ending very soon; with bidding currently at less than £100 at the time of writing, someone could end up with a very nice guitar at a very nice price.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
(The Westone Cutlass pictured here however, is not headless. It's just a bad photograph. I do wish that eBay sellers would always include at least one photograph of the entire length of the guitar, face-on, and not cut parts off, e.g. the headstock as in this case.)
The design, which appears to be somewhere between a Fender Lead II and a G&L SC-2, was by legendary British guitar maker, Sid Poole.
This is a quality British-made guitar, which would have orignally retailed at around £500. The auction for this example is ending very soon; with bidding currently at less than £100 at the time of writing, someone could end up with a very nice guitar at a very nice price.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Krozka Sharpe - rare handmade guitar from the UK
guitarz.blogspot.com:
I've not heard of Krozka Guitars before. According to the seller of this Krozka Sharpe with handwound P90 pickups, Bigsby vibrato and relic gun metal finish:
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Krozka Sharpe Guitars of Northumberland, England [were] manufacturers of electric guitar originals. Founded in 2004 by Joe Krozka and Dave Sharpe, the two designers/luthiers have produced some of the UK's most original and exciting guitar designs including the Atom Ray, Raider and the Scar. All Krozka Sharpe Guitars are designed and handmade personally by Joe Krozka and Dave Sharpe, featuring their own handwound pickups.Sad news indeed; we here at Guitarz are always keen to celebrate the original designs of the "little guys" of the guitar world.
Sadly Krozka guitars went bust and so no more of these fine instruments will be made.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Maccaferri TV Pal 1950s plastic acoustic guitar
guitarz.blogspot.com:
Way before this modern age of MP3s and digital downloads, before CDs even, we listened to music on records or "vinyl" as it is called now. I remember back in the late 1970s following the advent of punk rock and new wave, the music was much spikier and the records themselves were often pressed in various shades of coloured vinyl rather than the usual black. I recall in the music press there was a big noise when it was announced that the new Generation X single, "Valley of the Dolls", was to be issued in multicoloured vinyl. Of course when the record came out, the colour was a sludgy swirl of brown. As any kid that has played with Plasticine modelling clay could have told us, if you mix a whole bunch of colours together you end up with brown with little swirls of colour in it.
Which is a very roundabout way of saying that I think that may the same thing must have happened with this plastic Maccaferri TV Pal guitar. It was probably intended to be multi-coloured but ended up a brown swirly mess.
Mario Maccaferri was, of course, best known for the Selmer gypsy jazz guitar he designed. He also had a career in the production of plastic consumer goods. Believing that plastic had a previously untapped potential he produced the world's first plastic stringed instrument, the Islander plastic ukulele in 1948. By 1953 he had branched out into the production of plastic guitars. These were not intended solely as novelty items; they were supposed to be serious highly functional instruments. The TV Pal model was one of the round-hole designs which also included the Islander and Romancer guitars, but possibly the Maccaferri plastic gypsy jazz guitar with cutaway and f-holes is better known.
This Macaferri TV Pal is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $195.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Which is a very roundabout way of saying that I think that may the same thing must have happened with this plastic Maccaferri TV Pal guitar. It was probably intended to be multi-coloured but ended up a brown swirly mess.
Mario Maccaferri was, of course, best known for the Selmer gypsy jazz guitar he designed. He also had a career in the production of plastic consumer goods. Believing that plastic had a previously untapped potential he produced the world's first plastic stringed instrument, the Islander plastic ukulele in 1948. By 1953 he had branched out into the production of plastic guitars. These were not intended solely as novelty items; they were supposed to be serious highly functional instruments. The TV Pal model was one of the round-hole designs which also included the Islander and Romancer guitars, but possibly the Maccaferri plastic gypsy jazz guitar with cutaway and f-holes is better known.
This Macaferri TV Pal is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $195.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Saturday, 1 October 2011
So-called "handmade model guitar" built from el cheapo Encore Strat copy parts
guitarz.blogspot.com:
I'm curious as to why this so-called "handmade model guitar" is described as a "model" when it uses bona fide guitar parts, albeit those from a basic cheap Encore Strat copy. My guess is that it doesn't actually play. It may have been intended to be a playable instrument, but perhaps the maker didn't realise about one of a number of things, such as correct bridge placement or how to wire it up properly. Or maybe it was intended just as a prop all along. Those volume and tone conrols could be glued on for all I know.
Currently listed on eBay UK with a starting price of £20, which might be OK if you want a few cheap parts although the shipping cost is a bit on the high side.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Currently listed on eBay UK with a starting price of £20, which might be OK if you want a few cheap parts although the shipping cost is a bit on the high side.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Fernandes FV-85MS Japanese-made Michael Schenker Flying V replica
guitarz.blogspot.com:
For some reason I find myself drawn towards the Flying V shape, especially when its on a guitar as beautifully finished as that pictured above, but despite the fact that the shape is totally impractical. The Flying V is really a stage guitar. It's not really a guitar for playing at home, or for playing when seated.
Strangely, this particular V appears to be anonymous, although it is actually a 1980s Japanese-made Fernandes FV-85MS. Usually Fernandes guitars based on Gibson designs were given the Burny brandname, and this guitar is unusual in having no name (and what are the bets that some owners applied Gibson decals?). The MS in the model designation naturally refers to none other than Michael Schenker - as if you hadn't guessed from the two-tone black and white finish.
Currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $899.99.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
Strangely, this particular V appears to be anonymous, although it is actually a 1980s Japanese-made Fernandes FV-85MS. Usually Fernandes guitars based on Gibson designs were given the Burny brandname, and this guitar is unusual in having no name (and what are the bets that some owners applied Gibson decals?). The MS in the model designation naturally refers to none other than Michael Schenker - as if you hadn't guessed from the two-tone black and white finish.
Currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $899.99.
G L Wilson
© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!
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