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1980 Aria Pro II ST-500, Fine example of a Matsumoku-built Strat. < Back 1980 Aria Pro II ST-500 C801650 This is a fine example of a mid-range Strat built by Matsumoku. Many of the 500s we find end up being transformed into DreamBuilds with stellar specifications. We kept this one back to remind ourselves just how good they were and really enjoy the side-by-side comparisons with MIM and MIA 'real ones'. This surprises a lot of people. Instead of the usual SP-II or PU-100 pick-ups, this one was ordered from new with FS-1 pick-ups. They are 13.24k, 12.47k and 13.25k, and pack a real punch. Stealthily hiding under those standard white covers, they drive an amp beautifully. For many, an older MIJ "pretender" makes for a better playing experience than a brand new Vintera, or Player grade Fender - raw material quality control ethics and diligence was a great deal higher in Japan during this era than it is now. Body: Ash Neck: Maple Bridge: Vintage vibrato with arm Pick-ups: FS-1 (yes, really!) Controls: 3 way selector ; Master volume, Neck and Middle tones Weight: 4.01kg (8lbs 13oz) Price £££ Availability Sold Recommendation Perfect Donor for DreamBuild Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1980 Pick-ups 3 x FS-1 Selector 3 way Bridge Vintage tremolo Board Maple Weight 4.01kg; 8lbs 14oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 04:37 Play Video Play Video 03:15 Play Video Play Video 05:58 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 02:27 Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13

Get those ZZ Top riffs ready... < Back Matsumoku Junior Price £899 | SOLD Add to Cart Chat with Us Missed out on this model? Talk to us for a rebuild! We have a soft-spot for the simplicity of a single pick-up guitar, but also enjoy versatility. A single pick-up guitar needn't be the compromise you expect - OK, you're not going to be Wes Montgomery on this, but roll the tone back, adopt the Keith Richards strum position and there is more to this than meets the eye - and that is before you play with the push-pulls. This was a Korean Maison Junior - Maison were a very highly regarded small Korean manufacturer taking advantage of the stampede out of Japan in the 1990s. Not imported here in large numbers, you could be forgiven for hearing about them for the first time. They are solid, good quality guitars and beg for an upgrade. Out came the generic P-90 and in went a TV Jones PowerTron Plus - the hottest most vicious pick-up available from TV Jones. We hit the high gain channel and lost a few hours discovering how incredible this pick-up is. On a clean setting, we needed to take action. Action was taken with the addition of 2 CTS push-pulls - one to split the humbucker into a single coil, the other to give us both coils but in parallel. The coil split provides a very angry punk sound - tameable with the controls, but this is for those who don't want country twang, and don't need refined Marvin. In parallel, we calm things a little; add a tiny amount of scoop, and achieve a less aggressive tone but with no loss of presence. So many Juniors and their ilk are compromised for intonation - playing chords up the neck requires a little string bending occasionally to sound vaguely in tune. The addition of the Hosco adjustable bridge solves this issue very well and takes nothing from the tone (despite having plenty to spare!). At the other end, we have fitted a set of very premium Gotoh SE-770 - lovely high quality open back tuners to give a nod to unaffordable Gibsons, but indicating to Gibson how good an open back tuner ought to be on an expensive guitar. We have designed 2 scratchplates for this guitar, and the lack of neck pick-up makes swapping from one to the other a matter of minutes - just a few screws. We can't decide which one we like the best so include them both. The guitar looks, feels and plays as new - it probably could do with a few signs of life - over to the next owner for that. The weight is 3.95kg, 8lbs 11oz. This was an experiment - we used this guitar to test some crazy ideas, and however much we love it here, it really should go to someone who will use it properly. Details The Look A bit of single pick-up shiney style - 2 designs of plate included in sale Headstock A set of beautiful open back Gotoh SE-770 keep this in tune no matter how hard you play. Neck Chunky chunky! Not too much, but a proper handful. Pick-ups This is a TV Jones PowerTron plus - Tom makes these for Billy Gibbons Bridge To make the most of this guitar, the fixed stop bar has been replaced with a Hosco adjustable unit - intonation is now achieved. Controls Master Volume which when pulled up splits the PowerTron Plus to a single coil. Master Tone which when pulled up sets the Tron in parallel mode Gallery ← Previous Next→

70s Maya 3252 Electric Bass, A truly retro-cool pair. < Back 70s Maya 3252 Electric Bass No Number Price £325 Availability Sold Recommendation Beginning or improving in a truly retro-cool way. Gig with the bass though. Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1970 Pick-ups Nisshin Onpa Single coil Selector N/A Bridge Early Gotoh twin saddle Board Maple Weight TBC Modifications New Output Jack ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 04:37 Play Video Play Video 03:15 Play Video Play Video 05:58 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 02:27 Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13

That perfect combination of old vintage feel, and modern everything else < Back Matsumoku SE-500 Price £1,600 GBP | SOLD Add to Cart Chat with Us Missed out on this model? Talk to us for a rebuild! My love of early 1970s Matsumoku Strats is well known around here - I just can't get enough of them. After 50 years many have developed their own character from the styles and treatment they have received by previous owners. As much as the Maxon single coils have their own soul and character, occasionally it seems sensible to have the modern options such as being quieter and louder when you need them to be, and having more than just 3 sounds at your disposal. This SE-500 was another rescue from Japan - thoroughly used by a busy musician from new until his retirement 5 years ago. Instead of gathering dust and being quietly forgotten about, I brought it to join the fleet here - another 1974 as it turns out. The pre Serial Number 1974/5 Grecos are special - they are all good, but these ones are special. Maybe the consignment of timber, maybe everyone had had a pay rise - whatever the reason, when I see one available, I get it. The Maxons were weak - long had the wax disappeared from them. They are away for rewinding and re-potting so shall return in full working order to accompany the guitar wherever it goes. In their place is a set of Monty's Guitars '62 Strat which are AlNiCo 5, and 5.8k, 6.0k and 6.3k from neck to bridge. The bridge has a baseplate as I like the thickness these bring to the bridge tone. Monty uses heavy Formvar wire for these and only partially potted. We are going for an early 1960s tone here so these seem to be the best choice. The bridge is now a Gotoh 510NST - a very high quality unit that adds a lot of sustain to the guitar, and has incredible tuning stability. Tuners are new Gotoh SD91 units. And another resounding success. This is a guitar that you just don't want to put down - a guitar you actively look for an expensive US Fender relic'ed Strat to show off in front of. All the patina is real, the sounds are phenomenal, the comfort for long-hauls is there. This could so easily be your main working guitar, and a real genuine alternative to that relic'ed Strat or re-issue that you will have me upgrade the pick-ups on anyway... Details The Look Looking old where it appeals and new where it matters. Its like the Sean Connery of guitars... Headstock Gotoh SD91 Chrome tuners and trees Neck Geometry and fret adjustment - luthier prepared for life on the road Pick-ups 3 x Monty's Guitars '62 Stratocaster single coils. 5.8, 6.0 and 6.3k from neck to bridge. Bridge pick-up has steel baseplate Bridge Gotoh 510NST Chrome Controls 5 way selector, standard Strat configuration with OIP caps to get a little closer to that 60's vibe Gallery ← Previous Next→

1974 Greco SE-430, Last of the 430s < Back 1974 Greco SE-430 Pre Serial Number This is a very rare opportunity to have an early Matsumoku Strat with the engineered neck and the added bonus of new Jescar 55090 frets - another 10-20 years of just routine servicing for this one. If you haven't experienced one of these Harayama necks yet, I urge you to give them a try - people of all tastes in neck seem to love them. Even Caleb likes them, which is a relief as he bought 2 of them. Obviously this looks amazing - timeless faded white with 20 a day Marlboro Red stained plastics. No wheezing and wheeling around an oxygen tank for this one though - the Maxons are still doing their thing - bright and airy, and cutting through in all positions. There has been a DM-50 out of an Early Sixties SE-700 on my desk for about a year - waiting for a worthy candidate for retro-fitting. This is it. No doubt. So we have all the traditional Strat tones, and you can quack and cluck as well as bite and snarl. The 9.5 radius neck feels a little flatter then it is, but that is the neck shape making itself known. The rest of the hardware is original and in rude health. The tremolo bridge may look a little pre-historic, but it works every bt as well as the Fender style ones that followed. Great looking, great sounding, fastidiously restored and prepared for another 51 years. Maybe more. These were made to last. Price £995 Availability Sold Recommendation Find a place in the rack for this one Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1974 Pick-ups Maxon Selector 5-way Bridge Original Matsumoku Vintage Board Maple Weight 3.76kg (8lbs 5oz) Modifications Re-fret (Tall Narrow) and 5-way switch (DM-50) ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 04:37 Play Video Play Video 03:15 Play Video Play Video 05:58 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 02:27 Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13

Aria Pro II PB-1500, Nobuaki Hayashi's 'Masterpiece Prototype' < Back Aria Pro II PB-1500 078082 The Prototype Range was launched by Matsumoku in 1977, and the majority of these models are 6 string guitars. The brains behind the idea was a bass player - he still makes basses today with his Atlansia company. The SB and TSB ranges are more well known, and very highly regarded; used by many professionals in the 1980s. Prior to the launch of these SB basses, a small number of PB-1500 basses were produced to accompany the PE-1500 and PE-1000 models that showcased Matsumoku's capability of designing and producing new basses, not just making high quality copies of the Precisions and Jazz basses. The bass version was only available in ultimate 1500 spec and featured the DiMarzio pick-up on the amazing neck-thru' (Transmit neck was the original term), and the finest choice of woods and luthiers to craft them. Well before Fender had its Custom Shop facility, Matsumoku had a special section of the production line to experiment, create and generally set the scene for the coming decade. Fender had tried to court Matsumoku for a partnership but Matsumoku were not interested in such a co-operation as they wanted to forge their own way and shape the future, not just prop up the past, although they would do that quite well also. Matsumoku seconded several of their master luthiers to Fujigen to enable that partnership to flourish, and as the Fender cost accountants infiltrated the production lines, Matsumoku continued to create and produce high quality guitars with the volumes to enable very competitive pricing. This PB-1500 is a very rare example of the early Masterpiece Prototype Series - produced alongside the 6 string guitars that featured in the brochures. Very rarely coming to the market, this one has had a busy life - earning its living admirably and continues to do so in a condition that will enable that for many more years. While less well known than the SB-1000 and Elites, this bass is a worthy contender and has a timeless design - one of Matsumoku's real skills was to create designs that would stand the test of time. Nobuaki Hayashi was a true artist AND a very good engineer. With its single DiMarzio pick-up and simple Master Volume and Master Tone, this is a very purposeful instrument - like the poshest Precision possible. It tips the scales at 4.69kg (10lbs 5oz) and has a lovely balance to play sitting or standing. Early versions of Gotoh GB707 are original Aria stamped units and are in perfect working order. They are future proof as current GB707 would fit straight in - no need to ever redrill this headstock. The Gibson style 3 point bridge and is in perfect working order - and again, futureproof as Hosco units fit straight on the posts. The Rosewood neck, brass nut and the fat frets are all in magnificent condition - the only indication of its age is the wear to the familiar places such as thumb rest and from the previous players' wrist just above the bridge. All natural wear and proof that this was a busy instrument - busy instruments are the good ones. Currently strung with tape-wound strings with plenty of life left, this is serviced and ready to keep plying its trade and is a discerning choice for a bassist who appreciates quality and simplicity, but something a little different from the normal Precision Bass. Price SOLD Availability Sold Recommendation A piece of Matsumoku history - enjoy it Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1978 Pick-ups DiMarzio Selector N/A Bridge 3-point Gibson style Board Rosewood Weight 4.69kg; 10lbs 5oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 04:37 Play Video Play Video 03:15 Play Video Play Video 05:58 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 02:27 Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13

1977 Greco SE-700W Early Sixties, Earlier weightier Early Sixties model < Back 1977 Greco SE-700W Early Sixties I774760 The Greco SE-700 was the premium big-headstock model of the range in the 1970s. In 1977, there were 2 SE-700 models in the range, a small headstock maple neck version with PU-100 pick-ups and a 3-way switch - these were built in tiny numbers. This is not one of these, it is the more familiar and highly regarded Early Sixties model, with the PU-119 (Excels) and the 5-way switch. These are every bit as good as their well deserved reputation suggests. Each of the 5 positions (including the middle on its own) has a distinctive character and there is no weak position amongst them and all respond well to subtle control changes on the guitar and the amplifier. The controls and switch are all original, in fact everything on this guitar other than the strings remains original - the bridge and tuners are all in great aged condition - most importantly perfectly functioning. At precisely 4.40kg (9lbs 11oz) this has, despite the Early Sixties moniker, a very 1970s weight and feel to it - the aged white finish fading to cream gives it that authentic vintage touch too. It isn't completely flawless, there are signs of life, but nothing to detract. 1977 Grecos regularly seem to have a lot more weight to them that earlier and later years - we'd class this as a 'heavy strat' - there are other lighter models here if this is a deal-breaker. The serial Number on this one is I774760, a late November 1977 Fujigen build from the time they were really showing off to impress the boys from Corona prior to the partnership. A Fender guitar from this CBS era is hit and miss - there were some real howlers, and even the good ones are likely to have been upgraded by now. During this era, Fujigen and their contemporaries were just the opposite - getting better and better. We adore all SE-700 models, and have a special soft spot for this one as it bucks the trend and has its extra kilogram and wears it very gracefully indeed. There is scope for further work to this guitar - even though the frets have plenty of life left in them, a set of Tall Narrow on this neck; together with a Gotoh 510T tremolo upgrade turns this already fantastic guitar into Custom Shop eater - but without the catastrophic price tag. We don't see the need to upgrade the amazing PU-119 pick-ups, the only worthwhile upgrade would be a set of Haussel Desperados but definitiely give these Excels a chance beforehand. Their reputation is well deserved. Price £1,195 Availability Sold Recommendation Lovely as it is, but there is scope. Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1977 Pick-ups PU-119 x3 Selector 5-Way Bridge Vintage Tremolo Board Rosewood Weight 4.4kg; 9lbs 11oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 04:37 Play Video Play Video 03:15 Play Video Play Video 05:58 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 02:27 Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13

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. Gallery ← Previous Next→

Ultimate spec of Greco with added modern twist < Back Matsumoku DB-600 Price £1,195 | SOLD Add to Cart Chat with Us Missed out on this model? Talk to us for a rebuild! 2 things really stand out about this 1979 Greco - obviously it is a glorious looker - a proper stunner of a guitar with that deep lustrous finish, and the glorious wear on the fretboard. Many 45 year old guitars don't take a polishing particularly well, they wear their hazy lacquer with pride. Not so with this one, you would be forgiven for thinking this was an SE-800. The second stand-out quality is the versatility - we'll come to that in a minute. In 1979, the SE-600 had the small headstock, the slim C neck profile, and PU-119 Excel pick-ups. Catalogue geeks will spot an 8-hole guard where a 1979 model would have an 11 hole guard. Are we sure it isn't an 800? The neck profile and lack of brass cavity liner tells us otherwise - the spec really resembles the 1980 catalogue SE-600 model, the date stamp on the guard is 23rd December 1978, but is prefixed with a 1, so quite possibly a specification being developed. When the guitar arrived into UK from Japan, it was looking tired - exhausted would be a better description. The board wear and parking knocks are never an issue, but the cracked and broken pick-guard, the sweat-eroded and seized saddles and tuners had obviously spelled out 'final retirement'. But removing the worn out hardware and a gentle clean revealed that this guitar should and will go on for many years to come. Guitars in that condition give us the opportunity to transform them into range-topping specifications, and add some modern versatility missing when new. The guitar looks so damn good, plays so comfortably, and has 3 Excel Maxons in rude health. So, here is what we have done: New 'close as possible' colour pick-guard with spring cover, and a selector slot to accommodate a DM-50 5-way selector to get the full Strat tone palette; new CTS premium pots and a redesign of the controls to provide Master Volume, Master Tone and a Power Dial. A what? A power dial. This works on the neck setting and bridge setting. With the knob set to zero, you will hear the PU-119 with all its high definition chime and clarity, as originally intended. Roll to 5 and you will reduce a section of the mid-range frequencies to remind you of an earlier low-output Maxon; and roll up to 10 for a mid boosted tone, knocking on the door of a humbucker. No batteries, no preamps complexity, just some imaginative wiring. An evolution of the Matsumoku PEQ controls perhaps. The bridge is a new Gotoh 510 unit - these are fabulous units and fitted to mega-bucks boutique guitars from Japan. The arm is a screw-in type, and the free-swing can be set with a grub screw. Tuners are new Gotoh SDS510 units to match the bridge. Only the best for this. Everything else is restored and original; once again we declare the best of new and old in perfect harmony. Details The Look Don't think we have ever seen a better looking sunburst. Headstock Small headstock with new Gotoh SDS510 tuners Neck Slightly slim C and wear all natural - keep adding to it Pick-ups Original PU-119 Excels Bridge A brand new Gotoh NS510T - our very favourite tremolo bridge for these old Grecos. Controls DM-50 5-way selector; CTS premium pots; lower Tone control is a passive power boost Gallery ← Previous Next→

Greco SE-800N, Putting the real thing to shame < Back Greco SE-800N A773467 Back in 1977, the really well-heeled could open the Project Series catalogue and order an SE-800, SE-1000 and SE-1200, but the SE-800 was the discerning choice. A real 50's style replica - very slim C neck, light as a feather, small headstock and bright airy tones from the 3-way. SE-800s were 2 piece bodies, the one piece bodies being reserved for 1200 models; but you have to look very hard to see the join - these were master-built. Just a couple of minor parking knocks and belt buckle marks to give its age away, this has obviously been cherished. It even has its original case, the little yellow tie straps intact. It has the SE-800 engraved into the neck plate. So, it looks fabulous, it feels fabulous - all the parts and components are original. The pick-ups are good old PU-100 units, so bright and airy and very keen to clip that AC30 or equivalent. The grade of steel used for the bridge and more importantly the block, is higher than that seen on lower models - the ringing sustain from this guitar needs to be experienced to be believed. This guitar has had a couple of wires reconfigured (still using the original wire) to enable the Bill Lawrence configuration that deploys the lower tone control as a middle pick-up blender. Therefore you sacrifice the middle on its own in exchange for the Hendrix tone palette. All the components are still original. These SE-800 models were tributes to the early 50's style - a shallow V neck, a 7.25" radius, 8 hole plate - this is one of the collection, or that special one you daren't take on the road. Or take it, that's what they were for after all. But finding a 1977 Project Series guitar in this condition that feels this delicious, for this kind of price is nothing short of miraculous. Price £1,495 Availability 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation Enjoy it as it is Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1977 Pick-ups Maxon PU-100 Selector 3-Way Bridge Vintage Tremolo Board Maple Weight 3.43kg; 7lbs 9oz Modifications Bill Lawrence Hendrix wiring ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 04:37 Play Video Play Video 03:15 Play Video Play Video 05:58 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 02:27 Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13

That perfect combination of old vintage feel, and modern everything else < Back Matsumoku DB-500 Price £1,695 | SOLD Add to Cart Chat with Us Missed out on this model? Talk to us for a rebuild! My love of early 1970s Matsumoku Strats is well known around here - I just can't get enough of them. After 50 years many have developed their own character from the styles and treatment they have received by previous owners. As much as the Maxon single coils have their own soul and character, occasionally it seems sensible to have the modern options such as being quieter and louder when you need them to be, and having more than just 3 sounds at your disposal. This SE-500 may have a few knocks on the body and age-related cracks on the lacquer, but has obviously been cherished. Pre Serial Number 1974/5 Grecos are special - Greco guitars were always good both from Matsumoku and the pre-Fender Fujigen days, but these ones are, we think, special. Whilst Maxon pick-ups are soulful and characterful, they are of their time, and the idea for this guitar is to combine the vintage feel with up-to-date sounds and playability. These guitars were faithful to contemporary Fenders and featured 3-way switching. We have unlocked the potential of this guitar and fitted a set of Clausen Alnico 5 single coils governed by a 5-way CRL switch, and a neck/bridge blend function. These pick-ups are modelled on a David Gilmour specification - the neck and middle coils are 5.5k DCR, and the bridge pick-up is wound to a phenomenal 13.5k DCR. This hotter winding does not boost the volume and unbalance the units; instead it thickens up the tone and adds a huge helping of mid-range growl that behaves in a civilized manner when clean, but drives an amplifier to perfection. It handles gain just as you need for that Numb solo, and the neck pick-up will provide that glassy chime for the cleaner tones. It will handle most styles you ask from it and any signal path you feed. Blending the neck pick-up with the powerful bridge provides a very airy scooped tone, but never loses presence, the power of the bridge unit keeps you in the mix. You may go full Communiqué Knopfler in positions 2 and 4 with the full blend function. Extremely versatile. Further tone trimming is offered with the master tone which uses a SoZo PIO capacitor to govern the high frequencies. The bridge is now a Gotoh 510TS - a very high quality unit that features a large stainless steel block which adds a lot of sustain to the guitar, and gives the guitar an unplugged acoustic ring that will probably encourage you to play for half an hour before you even plug it into an amp. It also has incredible tuning stability. Tuners are new Gotoh SDS510 units - we love the SD91 range, but only the very best for this guitar.. A few folk find pleasure in having a guitar from their birth-year - we are still in 2024 as I write this, so what an amazing 50th birthday present for you and the guitar! The price of this guitar is determined entirely by the specification it is now built to - there is no premium due to the brand as there may be for a Fender of this vintage. Matsumoku and later in the decade, Fujigen, were truly scaring the hell out of Fender - if you can't beat them, join them gave us the MIJ Fenders. Strat copies from Japan in these years were comparable quality to CBS era Fenders - some go further and braver in their opinions... Details The Look Looking old where it appeals and new where it matters. The lacquer has 50 years worth of dinks and cracks, but relic is a dirty word here. Original is best, and with this one there is no headstock tax. Headstock Brand new Gotoh SDS510 Chrome tuners. SDS510 are the premium range from Gotoh. Neck A beautiful looking maple fretboard - the finest looking woods were reserved for this model in early1974. This one was always put down gently. Pick-ups 3 x Clausen single coils to David Gilmour specification. 5.5, 5.5 and 13.5k from neck to bridge. That bridge pick-up provides more mid-range growl but there are plenty of interesting ways to tame it. Bridge Gotoh 510NST in Chrome - this is the best non locking tremolo unit we can find - extremely sensitive and precise - and no threads to wear loose. From Marvin to Gilmour - even folk who say they never use the tremolo change their minds with this one. Controls 5 way selector, master volume, master tone and neck blender control. This blender gradually brings in its opposite pick-up to expand the range of amazing tones from this guitar. Blending a tiny bit of neck with the powerful bridge pick-up lowers the mid-range without removing you from the mix. Gallery ← Previous Next→

Fernandes GM-85, Maximum stage presence < Back Fernandes GM-85 Signature model This rather subtle shy and retiring guitar was a signature model for Kenichi Ito, lead guitarist for the Japanese electro-pop outfit Iceman. He had a proper rock sound and if only he'd come to me I could have given him extra crazy sounds for his solos. This may look ungainly, but actually is very comfortable to play, and has a mighty fine quality spec as did many signature model Fernandes guitars. This one arrived with a refusal to make any sound at all, but a malfunctioning mini-switch and a confused Japanese guitar technician who somehow managed to make a simple problem very complex allowed this to come to us having been given up on. Never give up on guitars. The original spec for these was a single volume, a 3 way pick-up selector, a kill switch enabler and a kill switch. As both of these Fernandes pick-ups are 2 conductor units, don't believe any claims of coil-splitting. This other switch was a standby / on / on with killswitch. But it was damaged anyway so in went a chicken head over a rotary to enable the craziness Kenichi needed a floor pedal for. Now we have a 3 way pick-up selector, a kill switch on that arcade button which is active at all times, and the crazy-chicken which when rotated, provides that thin (yet still powerful) cutting icey raspy tone that Kenichi wanted for his solos. Should have come to me! No batteries, just a little wizardry on how the pick-ups talk to each-other. The tremolo is divine - very slick and accurate - the guitar plays surprisingly comfortably and is genuinely more than just a gimmicky weird shape. You could take this one a little more seriously than you perhaps thought. If you need stage presence; if you do the occasional Prince cover, if you glam-rock seriously, if you just want to get noticed, then this is a great useful guitar that will deliver on those fronts too. Price £895 Availability 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation go crazy Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 2000 Pick-ups Fernandes VH-7 and VH-1 Selector 3-way Bridge Wilkinson Gotoh Board Rosewood Weight 3.6kg; 8lbs 1oz Modifications Chickenhead craziness ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 04:37 Play Video Play Video 03:15 Play Video Play Video 05:58 Play Video Play Video 03:26 Play Video Play Video 02:27 Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13