Massive versatility and inspiring tones < Back Matsumoku Greco HH Price £1,795 | SOLD Add to Cart Chat with Us Missed out on this model? Talk to us for a rebuild! This Matsumoku built white 1973 Greco SE-500 arrived in a fantastic condition - it had obviously been loved and cherished. Unusually, it was sporting a humbucker in the neck position with a little mini-switch to access a single coil sound. Having already been routed for one humbucker, and having a pair of new DiMarzios in the drawer, I did a little more routing and mounted them in a new plate. The tremolo routing had also been extended for a replacement unit, although the original one was present on delivery. The original finish was so nice, I complemented it with a shiny new Gotoh vintage style unit. The blocks on these Gotoh tremolos never fail to provide a glorious sustain and harmonic ring and this encouraged me to get a little creative with the wiring and tone options for this guitar. Keith and I used to talk about piezo pick-ups for electric guitars and often found ourselves with a Graphtech basket full of technology, only to bottle out at the check-out page - the cost had got ridiculous. And we don't like batteries in guitars unless absolutely necessary. We didn't want the electric guitar to sound like an acoustic - we had a room full of amazing acoustics - we just wanted that "sparkle"; that high frequency accompaniment to the guitars inherent tones. We just needed to hammer a Fender Mustang over a Strat somehow. The Mustang reverse phase tones are interesting but more often than not useless in a serious delivery requirement. Time to experiment... The second tone control is now replaced with a 6-position chicken-head. This is NOT a Vari-tone - no rats nest of capacitors and resistors here - just regular wire to configure the coils of the DiMarzio Air Norton in every possible way. Both individual coils can be voiced, they can be voiced together in series or parallel, and in phase or reverse phased. 6 tones in all - 4 that stand on their own as viable tones, an the reverse phase tones that are there to work together with the bridge humbucker. The Master Volume knob is a push pull that configures the Gravity Storm bridge humbucker in series as a regular humbucker when pushed down, and into parallel when pulled up. 2 distinct and characterful tones on their own - the parallel setting is our chosen alternative to the traditional coil split which more often than not does not complement the humbucker at all, and doesn't have the teeth of a regular Strat unit - certainly not the ones we use! In parallel, the tone is full of bite, but loses the compression that humbuckers deliver. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztE6tSPC514 Combining these two pick-ups together offers a myriad of tones as each individual pick-up is configured differently. This is where the reverse phase neck pick-up settings get really interesting and rather than a word-soup of subjective terms, just have a listen to the demo. The Master Tone knob is also a push pull that configures the 2 pick-ups into series with each other regardless of how they are individually configured. The pick-up selector needs to be in the neck position to enable this function - life starts at the neck pick-up with ut!!. Making them operate in series essentially turns them into one pick-up. This function delivers a whole new palette of tones - again, I urge you to persist with the full demo to hear how this sounds as no-one will take me seriously if I start talking about filtertron tones on your DiMarzio equipped Strat... I appreciate that there are many guitarists out there who worship simplicity and tradition - we love this too, but we just can't stop experimenting and trying things out with the condition that we don't fill the scratchplate with more knobs, buttons and switches. If you are a guitarist that feels that the capability of the guitar is important to the creativity and that different tones encourage a different sense of how you play or write, this is aimed squarely at you. The controls do require a fair amount of familiarisation, but I still think this is easier than a Jaguar, and there is a lot more in the drawer to play with. If you fancy the versatility and design philosophy here, but want a different style of guitar, or a different colour etc, we can repeat this basic specification in a Les Paul style guitar, or any other style of Strat - our stock of worthy MIJ donors is quite comprehensive, and we can quickly find the donor instrument of your choice. Or upgrade your own guitar - just talk to us. Details The Look Possibly unique to see 2 humbuckers on a 1973 Greco SE-500. Original white finish - totally timeless in all other apsects Headstock All original apart from our little decal Neck Sublime 1973 Harayama 5 piece - full C and as comfortable as they get. Pick-ups A DiMarzio Air Norton at the neck and a Gravity Storm at the bridge Bridge Brand new Gotoh GE-102 in Chrome for the vintage look and feel Controls Master volume with CTS push pull for bridge humbucker control, Master tone with CTS push pull for parallel / series option, and a chicken head to control the neck humbucker. CRL 3-way pick-up selector. Gallery ← Previous Next→

1970 Fender Precision Bass, No chance of avoiding the term Mojo with this one < Back 1970 Fender Precision Bass 285152 The serial number 285152 and the 7270 stamp on the pick-up indicate that this is a July 1970 build - the neck stamp is a format occasionally seen between the late 60s and mid 70s, and deprive us of a simple date of construction. The pick-up leads have been repaired by us, and it reads 10.48k which is inline with contemporary instruments. The pots are original and work quietly and smoothly, but we have replaced the output jack. The hardware is also original and in great order - just some age related tarnishing on the tuners. The covers and rest are long gone unfortunately, but the case appears to be original, or at least period correct. The frets display signs of wear - this has been a busy instrument, but are still serviceable and have a few years left before any action needs taking. There is a tiny split in the input jack section of the scratchplate, which we believe to be a later replacement as I would expect a tortoiseshell guard in 1970. The thin sunburst nitro has various dings and buckle-rash, but has that wonderful crazing that no re-issue or relic exercise can achieve. This is no case queen, not part of a cherished collection, it is a 55 year old bass not getting enough stage-time since the retirement of the previous owner. It is way too good to put away and forget about; it begs for more use. Apologies for the well-worn cliche, but this bass has mojo. Not all late 60s and early 70s Fenders meet expectations, but this one will not disappoint. A really comfortable 3.66kg (8lbs 1oz). Price Availability ON SALE! Click Buy button to reveal latest price. 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1970 Pick-ups Original Selector N/A Bridge Original Board Rosewood 3.66KG; 8lbs 1oz Modifications None Weight ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 03:33 Play Video Play Video 06:07 Play Video Play Video 07:01 Play Video Play Video 02:33 Play Video Play Video 03:30 Play Video Play Video 07:44 Play Video Play Video 02:41 Play Video Play Video 03:08

1976 Greco SE-500, Some say the pre-Fender ones are the ones to have... < Back 1976 Greco SE-500 J763331 Always a firm favourite here, a white Greco SE-500 - this one is a very early Fujigen built; the production of these Strat copies had moved from Matsumoku a few months earlier and had evolved slightly to be more faithful to the feel of a 1960s Fender while Matsumoku concentrated on a more 1970s style with their Arias. The necks on a 76 are a much slimmer C than the earlier models from across town. The pick-ups are original to the guitar and are the earliest fitment of Excel stamped units we have ever seen. Even though these pick-ups appeared in brochures in 1977, they were on the options list for buyers the year before. These Maxons are extremely well regarded and never disappoint. The action is particularly low on this one, but can come up if need be. The original 3-way switch remains and some careful positioning can tease out the in-between settings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08uvEODk9ks Many of our DreamBuilds use these SE-500 models as the basis for upgrades - talk to us directly to discuss any ideas or if you want us to recreate a previous DreamBuild Price Availability £795 Sold Recommendation Enjoy it, or let's upgrade it Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1976 Pick-ups Maxon Selector 3 way Bridge Vintage style Board Maple 4.38kg; 9lbs 11oz Modifications None Weight ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 03:33 Play Video Play Video 06:07 Play Video Play Video 07:01 Play Video Play Video 02:33 Play Video Play Video 03:30 Play Video Play Video 07:44 Play Video Play Video 02:41 Play Video Play Video 03:08

1995 John Le Voi S-Style Dreadnought, Very high quality British made acoustic heaven < Back 1995 John Le Voi S-Style Dreadnought No Number John Le Voi is a UK luthier most well known for his amazing Selmer Maccaferri style acoustics - most Django Reinhardt festivals will feature Mr Le Voi and several of his guitars. No grande or Selmer style petite bouche on this model - he will produce a more traditional style of acoustic guitar when asked. This guitar was part of a larger Le Voi collection - gypsy jazz was not the only style playing style the owner enjoyed, and this guitar was commissioned out of loyalty to a great luthier. This model is the S-Style Dreadnought as you can find on John's web-site. With 12 frets to the body, there is slightly warmer tone, and a much slicker feel - the nut is 43mm unlike the colossal neck on the other one we have for sale. This guitar has a very nice snappy finger-picked sound, you'll struggle to be Paul Gilbert up the neck, but that isn't the point of this one. Purely acoustic, possibly a singer's dream partner, it seems to have a sound similar to smaller body parlour guitars. More delicate and defined than our Taylors and never overpowering bass, but people will always hear it Le Voi guitars are already rare and hard to separate from their owners, but a standard flat top is even rarer and this is an opportunity to have some Le Voi quality without nailing your colours to the Gyspy Jazz mast. It is in very good condition - it has seen a lot of playing, but has minimal fret wear - it feels a lot newer than it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swdbOV-XxO8 It comes with its hard case, and has had a thorough service. It is part of a deceased estate, the only circumstance apparently that the owner would have parted with it. Price Availability £1,995 Sold Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1995 Pick-ups n/a Selector n/a Bridge Std pin Board Ebony n/a Modifications None Weight ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 03:33 Play Video Play Video 06:07 Play Video Play Video 07:01 Play Video Play Video 02:33 Play Video Play Video 03:30 Play Video Play Video 07:44 Play Video Play Video 02:41 Play Video Play Video 03:08

Aria TE-400 Backaroo, Punching well above its weight < Back Aria TE-400 Backaroo E780363 This butterscotch entry-level beauty is the sweet-spot of MIJ teles for many as it retains the slightly more substantial neck profile of the early 70s Harayama models whereas TE-5 and 600s, and the TL series Grecos were getting skinnier and skinnier. This entry level model retained the early style pick-ups which is ideal at the neck - these short fat Tele pick-ups are the secret sauce for blues solos. The bridge units were always a little weedy in comparison - very brittle and icy. Usually I replace these bridge units by putting a suitable modern version into a Gotoh semi-cutaway bridge, and get the best of both worlds, but add a chunk of cost. Not everyone has that budget, so this one has a rewound bridge pick-up meaning we can retain the bridge plate, just add rewinding cost, but most importantly, rewind it to an inductance that delivers a traditional Tele output. Take a listen to the demo to hear how plucky and eager this one is. It can sit alongside a refined gentrified modern MIA Tele and be there for when things need to get a bit nuts, or more fun. This one kind of makes you venture out the comfort zone a little. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70MjmkLT7Ng Arias, even the entry level models, were strung through the back, not top loaded like the early Grecos. This feels like an "old pal" Tele, sounds better than a regular Tele when a modern just isn't raucous enough. We could use this as a basis to extend further into modernization - a set of Gibson (yes really) frets would be a great idea; and a set of modern SD-91 tuners would cure all the little foibles that mark this out as an entry level Backaroo; but before we do any of that and increase the price, just make sure these characteristics don't give it the "mojo" you'll adore. All of that stuff can be done later. Price Availability £795 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1978 Pick-ups Maxon Selector 3-way Bridge Original Aria Board Maple 3.95kg; 8lbs 11oz Modifications Rewound bridge pick-up Weight ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 03:33 Play Video Play Video 06:07 Play Video Play Video 07:01 Play Video Play Video 02:33 Play Video Play Video 03:30 Play Video Play Video 07:44 Play Video Play Video 02:41 Play Video Play Video 03:08

Greco EG-480S (patina), Affordable Vintage Soul < Back Greco EG-480S (patina) Pre Serial Number A timeless alternative to a new Epiphone - there is a lot of sense in affordable vintage guitars over brand new ones; and yes this is bolt on neck and therefore a much smaller appeal to a traditional set neck Les Paul. If this isn't a complete turn-off, this guitar is a wonderful example of how well Fujigen were producing guitars in the mid-1970s. This one has been busy - we have refurbished it appropriately. As with many guitars of this era and from warm climates, the finish has a proper relic look, except this is all natural. Just the lacquer that is cracked - the top beneath it is fine. The 480 was the top of the range for the bolt-ons, and has superior hardware to the lower order 360s and 420s. The tuners are the the evolution of the well regarded and reliable "star-tuners" - these have an action and feel missing from all but the most expensive tuners today. The body is a chambered sycamore topped pancake mahogany construction, the weight is a medium 4.00kg (8lbs 15oz); and the acoustic resonance is very pleasing even before you plug it in - it does a decent impression of a National. The maple neck is capped with an ebony fretboard - the scale is faithful and the neck has a substantial 50s-style C-shaped profile carve, measuring .890” deep at the 1st fret and .975” at the 12th. It has the feel of a far more prestigious brand. The Maxon pick-ups are never a disappointment, and have a soul, a warmth and can be as smooth or growly as you wish with the controls. This is the type of guitar you can lose hours and hours with, and it defies its price tag, and hopes you'll give it a chance despite the presence of a neck plate. A 1974 Gibson will set you back many thousands of pounds or dollars - this one will be a tiny fraction of that and is a very viable alternative to a brand new Epiphone. 50 year old guitars built by the big manufacturers in Japan are a bit of well kept secret - nothing new of a comparable price will play like these, and while the top end Super Real and Mint Series Grecos now approach the astronomical price levels that rival the Gibsons themselves, make the most of this well kept secret while it lasts and bring an EG480B into your life before the market pulls these prices up too. If you like a bit of heft to your Les Paul, prefer the company of an older guitar that looks like its been around the block a few times, give this one some serious thought. They are getting rarer in this condition - this one is in excellent condition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYY58JZal9I Price Availability £845 Sold Recommendation Play it forever Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1974 Pick-ups Maxon Selector 3-Way Toggle Bridge ToM Board Ebony 4.00kg; 8lbs 15oz Modifications None Weight ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 03:33 Play Video Play Video 06:07 Play Video Play Video 07:01 Play Video Play Video 02:33 Play Video Play Video 03:30 Play Video Play Video 07:44 Play Video Play Video 02:41 Play Video Play Video 03:08

< Back Hohner B2A Free Consultation Book Now Pick-up Upgrade A very good friend and Matsumoku client has been spoilt by having Qtuner pick-ups in a spectacular 6 string bass - after Qtuner sounds, most other basses sound flat and soulless. Lugging that 6 stringer around everywhere isn't always appropriate and he presented us with a mid-80s Hohner headless that serves as the workaday instrument. B2A basses have that active boost which is great, but passively, the Select by EMG pick-ups are not great. They make a sound, but not a particularly pleasant and useful one if you don't need the presence and power of the active circuit. Qtuner have long gone unfortunately, so we drew up a shortlist of characterful appropriate sized pick-ups and discussed the implications with the owner. In the running was Lace Alumitone, the obvious EMG, and a left-field choice I had stumbled upon while down a few rabbit holes. Near the harbour in Coney Island, NYC, is a chap called David, and he will happily produce a set of neodymium guitar humbucker sized bass pick-ups when asked. No more discussion required! These are not the first units he has produced - many Steinberger owners have swapped out the EMGs for his products. He doesn't shout about it - maybe he ought to! We joined a small queue and waited with baited breath. At this point I would like extend my immense gratitude to and respect for David who delivered this order despite enduring the worst possible calamity imaginable at the start of the build. Thanks David. The results are outstanding - in passive mode there is power, clarity, dynamics - the lot. Boosting this with the active circuit is almost unnecessary, but adds a new dimension. Can all this sound be coming from this tiny box? No wonder EMGs got swapped out for these. This is phase one for this Hohner - we have even more plans for it: watch this space... Gallery ← Previous Next→

The journey of putting the name of Matsumoku legitimately and deservedly on a guitar headstock. Our Story Matsumoku as its original iteration likely needs no introduction to many - it is an iconic subject for the history of Japanese Guitar production. If it's a new subject and of interest, Google Frank Meyer for some informative pages covering the rise and sudden fall of the plant. As this project develops, we may uncover more information and anecdotes - they will be appropriately recorded here. We think it is time that the name appeared legitimately on a guitar headstock, not confined to the neck-plate. Many of the celebrated brands produced at Matsumoku are still alive and kicking; some retaining their original brief, others heading in new directions. Some previous employees and creators are still producing guitars - they are very special indeed. We are developing some exciting prototypes to be produced in Japan for limited commercial runs. Matsumoku Guitar and Bass Ltd was established to celebrate the guitars, restore the guitars, create evolutions of the models , and try out configurations that open up their potential yet retain the soul that make these guitars so special, cherished and respected. The primary focus is on Matsumoku produced models, but we have many other models from other contemporary manufacturers. The collection is constantly changing, but always interesting. We are based at Ketteringham Hall , just south of Norwich, and easily accessible from the A11. We are not a guitar store - not a shop at all, but we are open to visitors, and have a small showroom where our ever evolving collection of guitars is displayed; and a small studio where they can be played and explored. Some are for sale, some will always stay with us. If, as sometimes happens, a visitor falls so spectacularly in love with an instrument that isn't for sale, a case may be made for us to bid farewell to it and frantically search for an appropriate replacement. We can chat about guitars, have a look at yours (regardless of brand), find examples you may be looking for, serve decent coffee and tea. Matsumoku Guitar and Bass Ltd is driven by Tom and Steffie . We have a healthy stock of Matsumoku and other Nagano products that could form the basis of exciting projects - we have our own ideas on what they could become; your ideas might be better so if this concept interests you, pay us a visit either in person or virtually. We have a remarkable team of luthiers and recording artists who all contribute their amazing skills to these guitars and we can offer restoration and recommissioning of your favourite guitars too. We have one of our workshops open to visitors to discuss projects, or to drop off and collect. This workshop is close to Snetterton Racetrack - happy to give directions by appointment. Find Us ADDRESS Matsumoku Guitar and Bass Ltd Ketteringham Hall, Church Road, Wymondham NR18 9RS FOR INQUIRIES 01953 686861 tom@matsumoku.rocks

Greco SE-500N (Excel Pick-ups), Best pal spec upgraded timeless classic < Back Greco SE-500N (Excel Pick-ups) G772357 For many, the SE-500 is the sweet-spot of the range - it may miss out on the little details that emulate the iconic Fenders from various eras, but it is essentially an evolution of the original 430 range which was what Matsumoku suggested a Stratocaster ought to be. By 1977, the range of Grecos was very well defined - Fujigen was producing a complete range of Strats to appeal all budgets and styles - the 500 was still the mainstream offer to folk who were not too focussed on era details, and just wanted a great quality comfortable guitar. These are ideal donors to create a really perfect spec - combining a lightweight body with some higher specification pick-ups and interesting wiring options. Some colour schemes just work without trying - a beaten up old black plate on natural body rarely fails to get the head nodding in approval. The original faded knobs and purposeful uncovered pick-ups make for an iconic stage guitar, or the one you hold for the album cover shot. The pick-ups in this guitar are a set of PU-119 Excels from a 1979 SE-600J and have that powerful definition they are so well known for. 5-way switches were about to become the default for Strats - getting the in-between sounds either involved fishing for the precise position with a 3-way and hoping it stayed there, or repurposing one of the tone controls to fade in the middle pick-up, sacrificing its presence in the sound palette for a tele-esque bridge and neck sound for the middle position. The lower tone control makes it very convenient to fade in the middle into each of the 3 positions and tailor the degree of blend. Rolling the control all the way on and off is the work of a split second so it can resemble a switch, but has the very useful function of finding the precise amount of middle inclusion you need. You may know this as the Hendrix, or the Wild Bill wiring (Bill Lawrence). It is a relatively straight forward modification and allows the majority of the guitars original wiring to be used and existing original components can remain with the guitar. What that ultimately means to the player is that the wonderful action of the original DM-30 switch remains - modern switches, even Fender branded CRL switches do not feel as precise. The degree and quality of engineering of these old Japanese components is sadly missing in today's market. If we can keep them, we do; and this one does. Beyond the timelessly appealing aesthetic of this guitar, the performance it offers is phenomenal. PU-119 tones, the Hendrix circuit, the perfect balanced lightweight comfort (3.43kg 7lbs 9oz), and the comfort of the early 70s style neck profile will not disappoint. The cheque will not bounce - it's all there. You may appreciate the soul of this guitar before plugging it in - the acoustic ring and snap means this is the guitar you pick up and play even when the amp can't be switched on. Vintage guitars of this era tend to be many thousands of pounds - not so this one. No headstock tax, just a phenomenally great guitar from an era and country that understood quality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mzWcZyjui0 Price Availability £1,195 Sold Recommendation a proper keeper Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1977 Pick-ups Maxon PU-119 Excel Selector 3-way Bridge Original Vintage Board Maple 3.43kg (7lbs 9oz) Modifications Hendrix wiring, PU-119 pick-ups on black plate Weight ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 03:33 Play Video Play Video 06:07 Play Video Play Video 07:01 Play Video Play Video 02:33 Play Video Play Video 03:30 Play Video Play Video 07:44 Play Video Play Video 02:41 Play Video Play Video 03:08

Never forget your first... < Back Framus Strato 6 10230 Free Consultation Book Now Recommissioning Unfairly ranked amongst the 1970s starter guitars such as Guyatone, Satellite and Teisco - the ones sold in department stores, the Framus models were a cut above. Like Kent, Avon and a few other cheap but good guitars from the era, they were eventually relegated to the attic when the Fender came along, or the adverts in the Guitarist magazine lured you into the world of Hohner Professional, or in this case, Washburn. Those that didn't get dumped at the charity shop eventually become victims of parents downscaling; attics cleared and reunions happen - usually, they just need mild recommissioning as Framus guitars were built to survive. Good quality electrics mean a forensic clean, a bit of joint reflowing and a gentle appointment with a can of Silvo will remove the tarnish. This Strato 6 simply needed a nut and bolt rebuild, a deep clean and some adjustments to join the collection of posh moderns on the wall - it joins them and stands proudly next to them. The pick-ups have such character, the mystery of the lower tone control solved and now it dials in and out the lower mid-range frequencies to suit. Take a listen to the video to see how these can and should live amongst the modern stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygLjmlZGzsg Since these photos were taken, the one and only weak-spot of these models has been addressed - the tuners are now replaced with Gotoh SG-381 - the only quality (affordable) products that fit the headstock design. Gallery ← Previous Next→

Stormshadow GuitarWorks XII Custom Shop, Rare, brilliant and British < Back Stormshadow GuitarWorks XII Custom Shop 0005 Built in October 2015 in Sheffield, UK, this sensational and rare guitar is here at the Hall and offered for sale. It has been a busy guitar for a very talented local player whose styles have changed (with age!!!!) and who feels he cannot do the instrument justice any more. This is a shredder's paradise - that 25th fret can be bent to the 27th! We saw this guitar a few years ago in a road-worn and tough-life state and have spent the last year gradually and sensitively restoring it back to near original condition. The full spec for this guitar can be found on the Stormshadow GuitarWorks website in their archive section - despite that company ceasing to build guitars any more, they keep a great database of their builds. This has a Walnut body with a slim C Maple neck and Ebony fretboard. We have recently dressed the original frets and the guitar is so slick. The FU-Tone Floyd Rose tremolo brings out the hooligan in you. This guitar lost its original pick-ups, but we have just re-fitted brand new Seymour Duncan pick-ups faithful to the original specification: Hot Rails at the neck and an Alternative 8 humbucker at the bridge. An IronAge killswitch (the best ones!) is the control you don't recognise from the Stormshadow website. The rear control cavity cover has been replaced with a clear plastic one, and we can cut a new black one if that is a deal breaker. This is an interesting alternative to an Nuno (with 2 more frets and even more exclusivity), and this has that handmade feel to it that tells you it is special as soon as you pick it up. This is one of 16 XII models ever produced - grab a piece of history that happens to be a mind-bendingly good guitar as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaZv7dVzK_A Price Availability £1,620 Sold Recommendation Enjoy as it is. Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 2015 Pick-ups Seymour Duncan Hot Rails & Alternative 8 Selector 3 way Toggle Bridge FU-Tone Floyd Rose Board Ebony TBC Modifications Killswitch addition Weight ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 03:33 Play Video Play Video 06:07 Play Video Play Video 07:01 Play Video Play Video 02:33 Play Video Play Video 03:30 Play Video Play Video 07:44 Play Video Play Video 02:41 Play Video Play Video 03:08

Our signature Sao Paolo Solution < Back 1995 American Standard Strat Free Consultation Book Now Full Electrics Upgrade In walks a chap with a beaten-up case and a conundrum. Always a good sign of an exciting project. This was a case of someone having a guitar they adore, have owned for years but as the musical tastes and styles evolved, the guitar couldn’t keep up. This is a frequent story. And as usual, single coil pick-ups can’t achieve the sonic brief of humbuckers. I lent him a couple of humbucker-equipped guitars to take away to explore and drew up a list of options for his beloved US Strat. A second meeting soon followed with his own DAW and set-up, and a line of guitars with different styles of pick-up to play through ready for him to explore the realities of the options. Many types and designs of single coil, P-90 and humbuckers fed his tracks and the nearest we could get to what he needed was a pair of VH-7 Fernandes dual blade single coil sized humbuckers. High powered ceramic pick-ups such as the VH-7 are ideal for the heavy distortion sounds but lose their advantage with softer clean tones, where the original Fender AmStd coils delivered that perfectly. What this chap really wanted was everything and all in between! A few conversations with some of the industry’s finest brains later and we draw up a plan that takes a few risks, but we think will deliver. A set of custom wound AlNiCo 8 blade single coil sized humbuckers was ordered from Harry Häussel – Germany’s finest pick-up winder. I will set them low in the plate and find that pick-up height that gets the “sweetness”, yet has all the power and definition expected from a hot ceramic. The pick-ups would be 4-conductor so he can obtain true single coil tones from all 3 – this guy uses all 5 positions on the selector but left the TBX control alone, keeping it just on the bright side. The upper tone knob had nearly seized up through lack of use. This gave me ample room to develop a wiring and control philosophy to really unlock the available tones from these pick-ups. A criticism of all the single coil guitars in the DAW experiment was the buzz – especially with saturated signal paths. A criticism of master coil split functions is the usual volume drop and essentially changing the whole guitar from one set of tones to another. A limitation of the traditional coil split function is a coil removed completely from the palette. A criticism of traditional designs to overcome all of this is a guitar full of switches and knobs – usually hard to identify in the dark, and a messy looking guitar. My control philosophy would therefore attempt to unlock as much of the tonal palette from 3 humbuckers as possible without changing the fundamental look of the guitar. The neck and bridge humbuckers are controlled by the lower tone control. At zero setting, the pick-up is a single coil with 15% of the adjoining coil in the circuit. Turning the knob increases the percentage of the adjoining coil until a true humbucker is reached at 10. This is a push-pull pot and the position of this determines which coil is permanently in the circuit. Pulling up the knob selects the coil nearest the bridge as the permanent coil; pushing it down swaps this to the adjoining coil. This does a decent job of migrating the humbucker tone towards a Tele or a Strat tone – not exactly emulating a Tele obviously, but the brightness of that coil gives it an extra treble edge. The middle humbucker is split in half by an S-1 switch on the master volume, and the upper tone knob is a master tone control with a Centralab PIO 0.022μf capacitor. The range of tones is vast, while still behaving, feeling and playing like a Stratocaster. As with all upgrades that take a departure from the original control philosophy, this takes a few hours to get used to, and probably a few months to discover what the guitar can deliver for you, but this achieved and exceeded the initial brief. A few raised eyebrows expected with the AlNiCo8 spec, but set them at the right height from the strings and you will be rewarded by the best of all worlds. This particular specification suited this project – but the fundamental design would be applicable to many others with different types of pick-ups and budgets. This was not a cheap project, but when the inspiration and thinking is taken to this level, this investment has saved the customer money in that he doesn’t need to buy another guitar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw29LA2TI7o Gallery ← Previous Next→