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→

Fender 1972 Custom Deluxe Telecaster NOS, < Back Fender 1972 Custom Deluxe Telecaster NOS R85216 This 2016 Greg Fessler crafted beauty is a mind-blowing example of how guitars create a first impression. Conversations stop when it is noticed - even non-players gravitate towards it and appreciate it. Capri Orange cannot fail to impress. It is a NOS model so appearing brand new - no false aging or slightly insincere grain. Two similar ones to this recently came onto the market in California - both sonic blue. Unsurprisingly neither stayed on the market for long. So, a Capri Orange Tele Deluxe with a Bigsby, built by Fessler probably is all you need to know in order to want it in your life, but let's do the details anyway. This has a solid Mahogany body, so not the lightest guitar in the world, but familiar to fans of Teles with serial numbers between 250000 and 500000. The 9.50" radius quartersawn maple neck is a "60's style Oval C" style at 0.820" to 0.930", the board is AAA EI Rosewood into which sit Sanko 6105 frets (medium jumbo). The larger Strat and colour coded headstock is another great feature of this Deluxe. This is proper twenty-six inch Elephant Bells and Poet Collars stuff. Cuban heels provided by Bigsby with a B-5 vibrato . That enormous tortoiseshell scratchplate is the disco ruffle shirt. Capri Orange? This ought to be collected in a Capri 3000GXL. But beyond the exaggerated tributes to the exaggerated early 1970's, there is a serious guitar here. Fessler looked beyond the Fender pick-up drawers for some (not all) of these Deluxes. This one features a pair of Lollar Charlie Christian pick-ups . With dedicated controls, there is a very wide range of useful and soulful sounds from this Deluxe. Roll the tones down for some big bodied jazzer tone, and set the bridge pick-up free on a slightly driven valve amp for proper 70's rock sounds . Through the simulators and Airbus A380 DAW packages, you get a responsive and expressive set of Tele tones to do what you wish with, and they stay silent when they are asked. A guitar that does most things you need brilliantly, and looks good enough to eat. And, no-one else will have one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSWI-QhgCFk Price Availability Sold Sold Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 2016 Pick-ups Lollar Charlie Christian Selector 3 way Toggle Bridge Bigsby B-5 Board Rosewood 4.07kg; 9 lbs 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

K-Line Truxton-SP, British Racing Telecaster! < Back K-Line Truxton-SP 170056 Yet another glorious Telecaster to tempt you with - K-Line is perhaps not the household name that Fender is, but like many of the 'boutique guitars' we have had here, this one feels like a traditional tele, well, a Cabronita style Tele, but has refinements and design details that are justified improvements. The Truxton range can be customized to your heart's content - Chris Kroenlein will always make sure departures from the standard specification work perfectly. Ordered by the previous owner to his ideal specification, this is a British Racing Green finish, and the darker hue similar to the Williams Grover Bugatti, rather than the D-types and Blower Bentleys. The light catches it and gives it an almost Kingfisher emerald sparkle. The Alder body has the upper body Strat-like contouring and belly cut which makes this such a comfortable guitar to play sitting or standing. The 21 fret Rosewood fretboard has a 10" radius with Dunlop 6125 frets (medium jumbo) on a maple neck and the familiar K-Line take on the Tele headstock shape. The nut is 1.65" and the neck profile is a Medium C. For sounds, a traditional 3-way selector provides the normal Tele configuration for the Lollar pick-ups. The neck has a Goldfoil unit with a 6.09kOhm DCR and a P-90 Soapbar with a 9.06kOhm DCR. They have a great deal of character individually and mix together perfectly. A slight departure from a traditional Telecaster, but that's the point - the goldfoil has a bright airy sound with plenty of presence, and the P-90 has a warmth and definition. It is a very expressive guitar. The Hipshot bridge provides a lot of sustain and a solid feel to the guitar. This will withstand heavy strumming with the saddles staying put against the side wall of the base unit. Standard master volume and tone govern the output in traditional Tele style. This Truxton-SP tips the scales at a nicely lightweight 3.29kg (7lbs 4oz) and is accompanied by the Certificate of Authenticity and specification label in its original G&G case. Available to try here at Ketteringham Hall, this is a very rare guitar in a possibly unique specification. It is virtually unused - in flawless condition. A new custom order equivalent build from Chris is likely to require a budget well in excess of £3,000 before the taxman has a look, so this is a great way of adding a K-Line to the collection without the wait and with a big saving too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMVIboijMq0 Price Availability ON SALE! Click Buy button to reveal latest price. Sold Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 2017 Pick-ups Lollar Selector 3-Way Bridge Hipshot Board Rosewood 3.29kg (7lbs 4oz) 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

Ibanez Studio ST924 1979, < Back Ibanez Studio ST924 1979 J804511 A rare opportunity to acquire an Ibanez ST924 – the super-versatile bass from the best ever era of Japanese production. The bass features the quadra-lock bolt system and the construction is Maple, Mahogany and Walnut, with a very nice Rosewood double octave board. It comes with a fairly road-worn but perfectly functional hard case. Pedro is still featuring on the headstock, but this can be removed for the next owner if required. The red tape on the side is to protect the bass as it was quickly placed in a stand and swapped for a Rickenbacker for the next song. The Super T-4 pick-ups are genuine dual coil humbuckers and have an excellent reputation. In passive mode, they are not the loudest pick-ups you will hear compared to modern Delano etc, but the tone is sublime, and reacts extremely well to all 6 tone pre-selects from that chicken-head. If you need more power and growl, then dial up the active circuit. The active and passive modes could be blended, and all governed by a master volume and tone control. Unlike many modern active basses, the passive signal is always in play. The bass is heavy - it tips the scales at 5.5kg (12lbs 3oz) so a good strap recommended. It will deliver most tones and characteristics that you would ever need, so a heavy bass needn't be a problem if this is the only one you take with you. (The Roadies' problem right?). It is a one owner guitar and he is reluctantly parting with it as part of a collection thinning exercise. These don't come along very often. This one is ready to go right now, and can be sampled here at the Hall by appointment, or on a videocall if necessary. Price Availability £1,925 No longer available Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1980 Pick-ups Ibanez Super T-4 Selector 3-way selector switch, 6-way chicken-head tone preset, preamp on/off Bridge Original Ibanez Board Rosewood 5.5 kg; 12lbs 3 oz 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

Full rescue! < Back Aria Pro II LS600D VS Free Consultation Book Now Restoration Most folk only realise how great these guitars are after they have traded them in for Gibsons. Sure, the brand doesn't have the universal aspirational appeal of the Gibson, but the actual guitar itself punches well above its weight - back in the 1980s, these were actually obtainable; not a huge volume available, but at a price that could be saved up for. Functionally, this was the model with all the toys - massively powerful pick-ups that blow hot T-Tops into the weeds, 2 albums worth of tones, and that probably unnecessary booster, but always nce to have even more on tap. Silky smooth to play, a decent weight and materials that compare favourably with any high end contemporary Gibson - everyone that traded theirs in eventually regretted it. This one had undergone a very traumatic attempt to recommission - I think the technician probably came off worse than the guitar - these are complicated beasts. No reliable formal technical guides exist for them, and you either know how these go together or you don't. Luckily we do - it is what we exist for. With only the bridge pick-up making any noise, and the mini-toggles behaving like kill-switches, a valiant attempt had been made to re-install the original pick-ups. This really was a rip it up and start again full re-wire, and now we have the coil splits and the phase reversal doing their jobs, and that lovely creamy neck pick-up is back. The booster and Varitone are now configured correctly again, all the little details are right. This now feels like its a few years old - beautifully played in; but most importantly has all its functions again. They really don't make them like this any more. It's hard to believe, and easy to fall for all the super-slick marketing efforts of modern brands, but until you play one like this, you don't have the right benchmark. They were built to outlast us all, maybe provide a nervous breakdown for Gibson worshipping technicians, but look after them and they'll look after you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7df_5ijWDsg Gallery ← Previous Next→

Fender Special Run Deluxe Vintage Player '57 Stratocaster, Great value versatile rare Strat < Back Fender Special Run Deluxe Vintage Player '57 Stratocaster V144352 Amongst the various Mary Kaye style Stratocasters that Fender has produced over the decades, this one is possibly the most comprehensively equipped. V144352 is a 2005 Fender Special Run DLX 57 Mary Kaye. FSR models are dealer specials – this one has the Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pick-ups; also the S-1 switch with very useful series connected tones when activated. Usually Fender used S-1 switches to offer one or 2 extra parallel tones – this uses the switch’s capability to the max. Unlike many 57 style Strats, this one has a regular C profile neck with a 9.5 radius; the 22 frets show no signs of wear. All the gold hardware is in excellent unpitted condition, the tremolo arm present and the single ply scratchplate free of cracks and warping. This guitar has been part of a cherished collection – played regularly, but always kept clean. The nitro finish has yellowed gracefully and the ash grain looks very nice if you peer through it. The electrics are all fully functional – this guitar was regularly serviced. For any geeky types interested, the wiring schematic is #010 -1400/02 – most commonly seen in the American Deluxe series from 2004. With the S-1 switch in normal mode you have the traditional 5-way options – the SCN pick-ups providing a very full chime. Push the S-1 in and a higher output results – not a typical humbucker mid-heavy compression – each position retains a single coil clarity, but adds some very useful mid-range frequency. Position 3 is an almighty “cluck” reminding us of a pair of parallel connected P-90s or Wide-Ranges. They are the sort of tones that may wonder how you managed without them. These non-standard pick-ups and configurations were from the genius of Bill Lawrence. The guitar weighs 3.5kg (7lbs 12oz) – great for longer sets. The appeal of this guitar will be justifiably limited to the purist collector as the case and the documentation that once accompanied V144352 is sadly missing. This is therefore priced to reflect that, and will hopefully still appeal to you if you want a great playing, classy looking lightweight versatile Strat. Have a listen to the demo to get a feel for the tones offered by the S-1 switching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdkHEfxwkk4 Price Availability £1,825 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation Probably a keeper Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 2005 Pick-ups Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Selector 5-Way Bridge Vintage Gold Board Maple 3.5kg; 7lbs 12oz 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

The best value way into Vintage guitars < Back Matsumoku DB-500N Price £££ | SOLD Add to Cart Chat with Us Missed out on this model? Talk to us for a rebuild! This lovely old warrior arrived with us as a long retired but one previous owner late 1973 Matsumoku built Greco SE-500. As normal with long retired guitars, the electrics were very worse for wear - and the neck was bordering on fretless. Low frets on guitars mean it has been played and played - it is usually a sign of a very nice guitar. Tipping the scales at 4.5kg (9lbs 15oz) this is a proper late 1970s Northern Ash weight, but not quite a boat anchor. The 5 piece necks on 1973 models were always a little heavier than later one piece skinnier models so the balance seems fine. The SE-500 bridge units were the first units that genuinely resembled the Fenders, and this one is original with the solid steel block and it sustains beautifully - a combination of the weight and the bridge working together perfectly. There are 2 odd saddles - the E and B are saddles from an earlier SE-430 bridge, and 2 of the fixing screws are different from the rest. With the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality, I have kept this as it is - it works absolutely perfectly, and keeps the costs down to get this to you for a friendlier price. Not everything survived though - the tuners had seen a lot of work and were loose beyond repair. In there place is a set of Chrome Gotoh SD-91 with black buttons - a bit of collars and cuffs for the scratchplate and string guides. The frets were almost completely gone, and were a proper challenge to remove; but in their place is a fresh set of Jescar 55090 Tall Narrow which always works on an old full C Harayama style neck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfkbXp_eTh8 The pick-ups were sadly shot to pieces - and these have been replaced with a set of Maxon Excel PU-119 units from a 1979 SE-700 which gave them up for a set of Haeussel Desperados. PU-119 pick-ups enjoy a great reputation for a true Fender-like chime and clarity - we have in the past upgraded a few Player Plus Fenders to PU-119 instead of the often disappointing noiseless coils they come with. Some folk would rather have the soul and character of an older pick-up rather than the results of more brutal cost cutting by the 'big boys'. These PU-119s are 5.8-5.9k, and as they are from an SE-700 that had a 5 way switch, the middle is RWRP - quite rare as the vast majority of PU-119 were governed by 3 way selectors. The pots are new CTS250k, the selector is a CRL, and the knobs are the premium comfort knobs as found on the very top end USA Strats. A small design difference but a magnificent one. Precise changes easy and accidental changes unlikely. We mounted this all on a black sratchplate, and cut the scratchplate with the little access cover for the truss rod - a design detail seen on 1973 Grecos. The lower tone control governs the bridge pick-up, the upper tone control looks after the neck and middle. The lower tone control is a push-pull that when pulled up will put the neck and bridge pick-ups into series when the neck pick-up is selected. When the neck and middle are selected, the bridge pick-up joins the neck in series, and the series pair in parallel with the middle. 2 more very useful tones. The outcome of these modifications is a fine sounding guitar with the traditional configuration, renewal of the critical components that spell reliability, and renewal with premium items usually found on guitars costing many thousands of pounds. Not many vintage guitars of this era will have new frets - once this level of expenditure is made, its usually a keeper! It purposefully doesn't have a new guitar look as it isn't one - it's 51 years old, and probably the best value route into the vintage/giggable/'no need to separately insure' area. Quality out of Matsumoku back then was really worrying the CBS boys - a few hours with this one, and you'll see why. We can always continue with the modernization and upgrading now or in the future, but this one is good to go as it is, and has as friendly a price as we can given the love it has had in the last month. Details The Look Naturally aged natural Ash with black scratchplate - a real 1970s vibe here. Headstock Old school Gneco decal but all new hardware on it - new SD-91 tuners, trees and nut. A splash of black to match the plate. Neck This is a classic full C Harayama 5 piece neck - again, right in the 1970s. Pick-ups 3 glorious PU119 units from 1979 - donated by a premium SE-700 that went onto even greater things. Bridge The original Matsumoku produced unit with all its little modifications since new. Not pretty, but in keeping with the character of the guitar, and most of all perfectly functional. Controls new CTS pots and CRL 5-way with soft-touch Fender knobs. A push pull on the lower tone puts the neck and bridge pick-ups into series when the neck pick-up (and neck and middle) is selected. Gallery ← Previous Next→

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→

1978 Aria Pro II ST-500, A rare Olympic White and Rosewood combination. < Back 1978 Aria Pro II ST-500 F780745 This ST-500 is 45 years old so has a couple of scars on the bodywork, but if you can live with that, you could have a friend for life here. The small headstock, Olympic White and Rosewood combination is quite rare - rosewood was a pricey option back then. The 3 PU-100 single coils are bright and punchy and work well clean and driven. The 7.25 radius board and shallow C neck will be familiar to MIJ fans, and a large part of the popularity of these Mats/Fuji models. Not everyone needs the hallowed name on the headstock - and the prospect here is a simple one: a really well built Strat from the 1970s, from the extremely highly regarded Matsumoku plant, in a timeless white/rosewood combo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_5iWnMtizE Price Availability £795 Sold out - Contact us if you want us to find one for you Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1978 Pick-ups 3 x PU-100 Selector 3 way Bridge Vintage tremolo Board Rosewood 3.7kg; 8lbs 3oz 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