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Fernandes MY-115S, Scratch that Sustainer itch! < Back Fernandes MY-115S No Number This MY115S was one of the really interesting looking signature models. It is the Kiyoshi (Media Youth) model developed from MY95S launched in 1997 and finishing production as the MY-Custom S in 2003, and Kiyoshi was, and still is, a very successful musician in Japan and amongst fans of Japanese modern music. He used this model of guitar in his collaboration with Hide. I bought this in as I knew it would put a smile on Keith's face when he really was up against it towards the end. His comment when I pinged him a photo of it is unbroadcastable however playing it was the second thing he would do to it. As well as the orange half sucked Firebird appearance, the sustainer function was something he was looking forward to experimenting with. Then, a thoroughly good friend of ours took it to write and record with (it's on a few Delicate Giants tracks) and now it had returned to us; it's served its purpose admirably now and this is too useful and decent an instrument to stay here when it should be out plying its trade. As far as I am aware, this model was not routinely available outside Japan and therefore they are a very rare sight. I know of a few in Australia and a couple have been shipped in to USA, but none in UK or Europe. Like the other Artist Series guitars from Fernandes in the era, the guitar is made beautifully - a real professional grade instrument. The body is maple and mahogany, the neck is maple with a nice rosewood board - flat and thin for those virtuosos, and nicely balanced for long stints on stage. The double octave neck feels good at the top and the bottom. The pick-ups are top drawer Fernandes - a VH402 at the bridge and a CD-100F with the sustainer at the neck . The bridge is a Wilkinson VS100 and in perfect condition. Like many of the signature models, the pick-ups are key to the design, and they don't bother with tone controls, so a single volume pot only. The 3 way toggle governs the pick-ups in classic 3-way fashion, and the 2 mini-switches control the sustainer circuit. The farther unit swiches the unit on and off, and the nearer 3 way switch governs the effect - a dynamic setting which responds to your picking strength; a setting that forces through a sustained note and the third setting that forces through an octave above the note you play. It is a sensitive unit unlike some others that can get overpowering and uncontrollable - this one seems to know what you want and lets you calm the effect very well. The guitar is luthier prepared and ready for studio or stage . It will definitely get you noticed! You will see some unfortunate cracking and crazing of the lacquer on the upper horn. According the previous owner, this happened on a flight and not from anything more severe. It is invisible from the first row of the audience and has no bearing on the way this looks and plays. There is a stage-bash on the lower rear back of the body - nothing remotely serious. But if a perfect finish on a 25 year old is critical, please make sure you look at the photos carefully or call us for a video call. This was sold to Glam Rock bonefide Royalty - expect to see it on stage soon. Discretion as always, but this guitar passes from professional to professional, and you could say this has gone "Full Circle". Price £££ Availability Sold Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 2000 Pick-ups Fernandes CD-100F and VH402 Selector 3 way Bridge Wilkinson VS100G Board Rosewood Weight 3.73kg, 8lbs 4oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 07:40 Play Video Play Video 01:46 Play Video Play Video 07:27 Play Video Play Video 08:53 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 06:31 Play Video Play Video 05:36 Play Video Play Video 07:42

< Back Squier Vintage Stratocaster Free Consultation Book Now Re-fret This Squier is either a 1983 or a 1989 SST50 - a model that had been on a bucket list for its owner for a while. As normal, when an example of a rarity comes along locally, it is likely to require a bit of work. These Squiers were built to vastly different standards to later versions - and they were built to last busy gigging lives. The owner is a celebrated blues player (amongst virtually every other style too) and likes to "dig in" as he calls it. After a good session trying out a variety of different fret-types on similar necks from our stock, we eventually chose a set of Jescar 45100 frets to achieve a vintage Gibson feel. Sacrilege on a Strat? Not at all - many 70's Strats were upgraded to this spec, and it was quite normal for busy musicians to have 2 Strats on stage - one skinny, one fat. These frets are finished to allow a slightly enhanced height at the top edge - every player has a style and preference, and this is what we always aim to deliver. This guitar (albeit reunited with its Tobaccoburst body) will soon be heard plying its trade on Norfolk's busy circuit, and I expect will make some appearances on future albums the owner records. Gallery ← Previous Next→

1983 Bill Lawrence Challenger 1 BCOR-55, The charm of simplicity < Back 1983 Bill Lawrence Challenger 1 BCOR-55 B30548 This is a really great example of a Bill Lawrence BCOR-55 which features a solitary S3 Black Label pick-up. Bill Lawrence's heart was in pick-ups and he had Moridaira host them in their fine quality instruments.We are putting this one at early 1983, and all original including the Lawrence stamped saddles. The maple fretboard is unusual - most are rosewood. The location of the volume control is also unusual - most catalogue photos show it close to the pick-up, but there are no signs that this is not how it left Moridaira. The neck is super skinny and has a slight V to the profile. Very unusual but perfectly comfortable. At 3.29kg (7lbs 4oz) it is as light as it is simple. Under that empty scratchplate are routings for HSS should the mood take you later, but who could argue the charm of such simplicity? Price £££ Availability Sold Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1983 Pick-ups Bill Lawrence S3 Black Label Selector N/A Bridge Vintage Tremolo Board Maple Weight 3.29kg; 7lbs 4oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 07:40 Play Video Play Video 01:46 Play Video Play Video 07:27 Play Video Play Video 08:53 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 06:31 Play Video Play Video 05:36 Play Video Play Video 07:42

Underrated and rarely seen Tokai rescued from previous fretwork < Back Tokai LS70GT Free Consultation Book Now General recommissioning We are lucky enough to have some really talented guitarists pass through our rooms here - none more talented than Ron Sayer Jr. A proper gent too. His lovely LS70GT was suffering from a previous re-fret attempt - it played OK, but not as it should. Our job was to restore his trust in the instrument - allow him to unleash the P-90s live on stage without holding back. The key to succeeding here was to make sure the neck geometry was perfect before improving the frets and ensuring they were correctly shaped and finished to suit the player. A very comprehensive set-up perfected the intonation, and a subtle tidy up of the wiring ensured the earthing was correct, and that lovely but heavy Bareknuckle APO capacitor remained connected. Re-united with its owner, there were nerves, but the beaming smile on his face as he played it was reassuring. We take enormous pleasure in not only restoring lovely old guitars, but also owners' confidence in them. Check out Ron's music - https://www.deadbeatcats.co.uk/ and https://www.sayermusic.co.uk/ Gallery ← Previous Next→

Aria Pro II ST-600D, < Back Aria Pro II ST-600D L800038 L800038 is a very late production of the "Regular Line" traditional style guitars with the Aria name - the more modern and up-market Project Series dominating production until the "ST & Others" brochure brought the traditional products back. L800038 is the perfect sibling for D800066 - identical in spec aside from the Rosewood neck. We'll forgive the massive cigarette burn on the headstock, and the chips on the horn - this guitar has a very soft and easy feel to it. Price £995 Availability Sold Recommendation Perfect donor for DreamBuild or sensitive upgrade Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1980 Pick-ups DiMarzio FS-1 Selector 3-way Bridge Vintage tremolo Board Rosewood Weight 3.5kg; 7lbs 11oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 07:40 Play Video Play Video 01:46 Play Video Play Video 07:27 Play Video Play Video 08:53 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 06:31 Play Video Play Video 05:36 Play Video Play Video 07:42

1980 Aria Pro II TS-500, Matsumoku began to go its own way < Back 1980 Aria Pro II TS-500 099095 At last we find a TS-500 we can offer for sale. The TS-500 is the mid-range model with all of the toys, but the regular grain woods. An extra 10,000 Yen would have got a choice of the premium woods, but still you needed 80,000 Yen to get the thru'neck version. Of course we all want one of these, but they are very rare and expensive now - the 500 with the set-neck gets all the functionality, and a pair of excellent Extra III (aka Protomatic III) humbuckers. These were evolutions of MMK53, and we know them the best from Westone Thunder II models. The specification on these is vast. The two humbuckers can be split into single coils with dedicated mini-switches; a third mini-switch will reverse the phase of the bridge pick-up when both are selected. A final mini-switch will activate an active booster circuit which has its own volume control. You'll make good use of this control as the boost is enormous. We have a master volume and a tone control; and the final control is a type of Varitone function with a variety of high and low passes to get some interesting tones. There is an enormous array of tones once the switches, the varitone and the booster is configured - so much to play with, and lots of genuinely useful tones. It's a guitar to be creative with. The neck is a double octave affair with a nice thick rosewood board on a maple neck. The body has a strip of maple flanked by wings of ash. The matching headstock gives this a real 80s look. This is an earlier 6 in a line model - the TS range became 3 by 3 as the earlier headstock migrated to the more expensive RS range. While the general direction for most of the big guitar plants in Nagano was to emulate as closely as possible the Fenders and Gibsons, Matsumoku never lost the spirit of adventure and looked in more exciting directions such as Alembic for inspiration. This example has just arrived from Japan, and has just been serviced, and now we can offer it for sale in excellent condition. Price £895 Availability Sold. A dark version just arrived! Recommendation Enjoy it as is. Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1980 Pick-ups Protomatic (Extra) III (Alnico) Selector 3 way Toggle Bridge Matsumoku Design Board Rosewood Weight TBC Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 07:40 Play Video Play Video 01:46 Play Video Play Video 07:27 Play Video Play Video 08:53 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 06:31 Play Video Play Video 05:36 Play Video Play Video 07:42

1978 Greco SE-500PR, A very rare version of the SE-500 < Back 1978 Greco SE-500PR J783017 The 1979 Specials Catalogues from Kanda Shokai had some real anomalies to catch out the experts 40 years later. The SE-450 with a 3 way switch (450 and 700 models were both modern 5 way switches to keep up with Fender's introduction of this in 1977) is next to a bright red SE-500 with a tortoiseshell plate on the page, called the SE-500PR. This was the first time a red Greco Strat could be ordered. If you ook up a YouTube video of Peter Frampton playing Show me the Way on the Midnight Special in late 1975, you can see him playing a red Strat with a tortoiseshell plate. This 500PR is a total copy of that guitar. Should it have been a 500PF? Typo in the catalogues? A popular opinion is that he was playing a Fiesta Red 62, a more contentious opinion is that it is a Fernandes model - forget that, there were none of these MIJ Strats in hallowed hands until a lot later in that decade. The PU-100 pick-ups are the evolution of the infamous Maxons from the early 70s - still slightly fatter dimensions to the Fender pick-ups. The 100 units had a little more power than the earlier versions, and the airy brightness does remind us of the Texas Specials - after all both of them are modelled on early 1960s tones with a bit more oomph. A little winding down of the tone pots will calm the brightness without losing the volume. The neck is a very familiar C profile - not the super skinny JV style that most associate with Fujigen produced Fenders. This feels a lot more like the early Squiers from Japan - the ones that are always 'keepers'. At 3.67kg, it is a comfortable weight. The condition of this guitar is amazing - we have changed the pots to premium Alphas to avoid having to drill the plate to accommodate them. A Sozo capacitor gets that warmth from the tone roll-off without the dullness. Everything else on this SE-500PR is original and it will add a rarity to a collection, or just serve as a really good everyday guitar - perfect to gig with. Even better if you are a Frampton tribute act and have a TalkBox. If you have a triple humbucker Les Paul because of Frampton, you ought to have this too. Price £845 Availability Sold Recommendation Enjoy as it is Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1978 Pick-ups Maxon PU-100 Selector 3-way Blade Bridge Vintage Tremolo Board Maple Weight 3.67kg; 8lbs 1 oz Modifications New potentiometers ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 07:40 Play Video Play Video 01:46 Play Video Play Video 07:27 Play Video Play Video 08:53 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 06:31 Play Video Play Video 05:36 Play Video Play Video 07:42

Westminster Competition Colors, I bet you just said "oh Wow"... < Back Westminster Competition Colors J780480 Offsets seem to be in fashion at the moment - Fender Mustangs are getting very expensive; a Mustang makes a stronger statement today than I expect Fender expected. This white, now creamy yellow 'Competition Colors' Westminster is a very unusual guitar to be seen in UK - Westminster was a mid-range brand offered mostly to the Australian and NZ market by Kanda Shokai (who owned Greco, Aria Pro II etc). Westminster Strats, Teles and other familiar styles of guitar and bass were in the same bracket as Kimbara and Pearl, but their Mustangs and Rick 4001 were of similar standard to Greco - definitely a level above the rest of the range from a materials and quality standpoint. The two original Maxon pick-ups are typically low output, and beg for a decent valve amp and/or a good overdrive pedal. Listen to the demo - they are grown up proper pick-ups - these can either whisper at you or scream at the top of their voice. This has the classic Mustang switching and the reverse phase setting is bordering on insane. Shouldn't work but does. Especially with that overdrive pedal notched up a bit. I'd buy this guitar just for that sound. I did actually. Short scale, this will feel familiar to proper Mustang players, and at 3.7kg (8lbs 2 and bit oz), has a "this is not a toy" feel to it. Those familiar with a Ben Gibbard model, may like this one - the substantial C neck is a dream. As with most Matsumoku models until the 1980's, necks remained substantial - not the skinny types. This plays as well as it looks good - timeless style and absolutely stage ready. Price £845 Availability 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1978 Pick-ups Maxon Selector 2 sliders on/off/on Bridge Dynamic Vibrato style Board Maple Weight 3.7kg; 8lbs 3 oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 07:40 Play Video Play Video 01:46 Play Video Play Video 07:27 Play Video Play Video 08:53 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 06:31 Play Video Play Video 05:36 Play Video Play Video 07:42

Aria Pro-II ST-400, Time-warp mid 1970's Matsumoku at their finest < Back Aria Pro-II ST-400 K770468 To think this was an entry model to the Stagecaster range is to understand why so many guitarists stuck with the brand and gradually upgraded to the upper end. A lovely full C profile neck, so almost impossible to put down, and never failing to bring the best out of your capabilities wherever on the scale they may be. Still featuring its tremolo cover and original arm, this guitar looks and feels almost new. There are 2 parking dents along the underside - other than that, there are new instruments hanging in Music Stores with more signs of life. The SP-II single coils are characterful; some may say this guitar deserves an upgrade, but have a listen to the video and maybe these are good enough. SP-II and their PU-100 equivalents are actually pretty damn nice sounding pick-ups - Maxons have a firm following - after a modern Strat at this price point, these will feel like upgraded already. Price FLASH SALE! Click Buy button to reveal latest price. Availability 1 only at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation See how good entry level instruments were back then Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1977 Pick-ups SP-II Selector 3-way Bridge Vintage tremolo Board Maple Weight 3.66kg; 8lbs 1oz Modifications String Tree (Gotoh) ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 07:40 Play Video Play Video 01:46 Play Video Play Video 07:27 Play Video Play Video 08:53 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 06:31 Play Video Play Video 05:36 Play Video Play Video 07:42

Fernandes STJ-80BT VH7, A left-field choice well worth trying < Back Fernandes STJ-80BT VH7 No Number Buck Tick was (and still is) a well-known post-punk rock band in Japan – both guitarists are very loyal to Fernandes and have had signature models since the beginning. This is one of Hisashi Imai’s models – they became increasingly wild as the years progressed. We have had a few of these STJs in the last year - always popular due to the power to weight ratio. A double octave super slim and slick neck, fixed bridge and simple set-up – basically a Telecaster on steroids , then a dose of something illegal. These are pro-level instruments – obvious as soon as you pick it up. As we never tire of mentioning, we sourced, made and experimented with guitars for the late Keith Levene and this particular STJ was singled out by him for us to experiment with. We replaced the FGI-T pick-ups with a pair of VH-7 hot-rails style pick-ups, added a series option for them and now this guitar punches and shouts, yet with a quick roll back of the tone, becomes creamy and smooth. This now suits virtually any style of music you need it to deliver, but relishes the high gain - even metal - settings. Price £££ Availability Sold Recommendation A left-field choice, but well worth a try. These pick-ups really make a difference. Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year Mid-1990s Pick-ups Fernandes VH-7 bridge and neck Selector 3 way Bridge Gotoh GTC102 Board Rosewood Weight 3.21kg, 7lbs 1oz Modifications VH-7 pick-up upgrade; series/parallel via tone pot ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 07:40 Play Video Play Video 01:46 Play Video Play Video 07:27 Play Video Play Video 08:53 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 06:31 Play Video Play Video 05:36 Play Video Play Video 07:42

Aria Pro II Backaroo Tele, Timeless Tele - packs a real punch < Back Aria Pro II Backaroo Tele B800002 Telecasters from Matsumoku and Fujigen from this era are always hidden gems. They were slightly in the shadow of the exciting new designs emanating from Hayashi and Toshio at this time - but there is always demand for a traditional Tele and so these models continued in production. Most of the new models in the catalogues were humbucker equipped guitars, and so to give the traditional Fender-based models a chance against them, a little "D" appeared at the end of some model names - the ST-600D and ST-850D offered much more powerful pick-ups known as FS-1 and modelled on the DiMarzio Fat Strats. Catalogues at the time offered no such enhancement for the Tele range, but as we have often seen, guitars were built at Matsumoku and other plants that didn't conform to the cataloges. Earlier this year we sourced 2 particular guitars being offered together from Japan that caught our eye - the beautiful ST-600D (B800256) and this Backaroo Tele (B800002). We are suckers for close serial numbers, especially when they appear to have been in the same hands since new. The ST-600D has FS-1 pick-ups - mightily powerful as you's expect; and the Backaroo had pick-ups that were obviously original to the guitar, but were different to the TE-450 and TL-500s we have previously had through here. These Backaroo pick-ups are not PU101 and PU-102 - they are significantly hotter; and the bridge unit has the tell-tale big magnets of a hotter pick-up. The neck unit reports 8.65kohms ad the bridge unit reports 13.82kohms. Therefore, we have a hot Tele here. All other aspects of this Backaroo conform to TE-450 and TL-500s of the time. A thoroughly well built high quality guitar that plays as well as guitars costing many times their price tag. We have given the guitar a new set of CTS250 premium pots, a Sozo capacitor, and a new CRL 3-way switch, and as it arrived with us without a scratchplate, we have produced 3 plates for the next owner to decide on the scheme. Standard Tele plates do not fit MIJ Teles from this era, so these are new plates that fit the Backaroo. Black (as original), Aged White (to match the ST-600D), and Cream. The serial number looks very interesting - it tells us nothing more than this guitar was the second guitar off the line on Friday, 1st of February, 1980; and our ST-600D later on that day. More than likely despatched to the same dealer, and given their arrival together with us, more than likely purchased together and stood in adjacent stands. Now they hang together on our wall, and if they were to leave here together then I am sure our generosity would be extended. However, on it's own, this is a fantastic Tele from the strongest era of Matsumoku production. And it packs a proper punch without losing the twang. Price £865 Availability Sold Recommendation Enjoy as it is Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1980 Pick-ups Maxon D-style Tele set Selector 3-way Bridge Original 6 saddle Tele Board Maple Weight 3.4 kg; 7lbs 7oz Modifications Your choice of scratchplate ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 07:40 Play Video Play Video 01:46 Play Video Play Video 07:27 Play Video Play Video 08:53 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 06:31 Play Video Play Video 05:36 Play Video Play Video 07:42

Maison® Junior, A real one - a Korean rarity < Back Maison® Junior No Number The little ® symbol on the headstock is the important bit - this is a genuine Korean Maison. This is not a modern Chinese house brand (even though they are actually quite good!) This is a mid 80s guitar (Pre YooJin acquisition) with a bolt on neck and a very good quality feel. The previous owner has upgraded the tail piece to get some intonation adjustability - always a decent idea on any Junior if you are soloing or chording high up the neck. The beauty of a bolt-on is that you can adjust the neck angle to your hearts content, and reverting to a traditional fixed tail is always possible. The P-90 is gritty, tamed well with the volume control, but rude as you like maxed. It is a little brighter than traditional TV Yellow, but none the worse for it - the paint is fairly thin in places as the previous owner was a keen polisher. It gives it a nice vintage look. This is simplicity and beauty combined - lovely to play also therefore a really eligible addition to any collection, or your sole guitar if your music style suits. We have a reputation for putting really fantastic pick-ups in guitars that had generic mass produced units, and getting the absolute best out of a guitar, therefore the guitar getting the absolute best out of you. From Arcane to TV Jones, from Haeussel to our own custom wound units, if more than one fundamental tone is required from a single pick-up, we have the ideas and the examples here for you to try. A set of Gotoh SE-770 at the other end would make this a proper sleeper. Price £845 Availability Sold Recommendation Perfect as is, but upgrade fun can be had... Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1980s Pick-ups P-90 Selector N/A Bridge Hosco Board Rosewood Weight 3.12kg; 6lbs 14oz Modifications Adjustable Tailpiece ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 07:40 Play Video Play Video 01:46 Play Video Play Video 07:27 Play Video Play Video 08:53 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 06:31 Play Video Play Video 05:36 Play Video Play Video 07:42