1974 Greco SE-500, Another truly great Matsumoku Strat < Back 1974 Greco SE-500 Pre-serial number model This is very late Gneco - the clarity of the spelling increased very soon after this was made. This mid-range model of Greco was a popular work-horse instrument and many arrive here with an amazing road worn patina, but still perfectly functional. This SE-500 has led a fairly charmed life - only a few signs of life on the finish, and the tobacco stained pick-up covers give away its age. The original Maxon pick-ups are in rude health - providing that slightly scooped yet biting tone - they sound amazing with a little crunch. As with all vintage guitars in original states, the potting may have deteriorated. We know that repotting these pick-ups will bring back some warmth - that is an option for the next owner; but until that decision is made, they stay as they are. They don't squeal, and we tried singing through them, but to no avail. Have a listen to how it sounds through a few of our amps here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmYCdOxzts By this time, Matsumoku was fitting a more accurate version of the vintage style tremolo , and producing them at 25.5" scale unlike many of the earlier versions which are slightly shorter in scale and have the earlier bridge design. Whilst this guitar is in fantastic original condition, we feel this guitar could be an ideal donor for a DreamBuild upgrade project - several previous projects have used a 74 SE-500 as a donor Price Availability £695 Sold Recommendation Great as it is but also perfect donor for DreamBuild Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1974 Pick-ups Maxon Selector 3-way Bridge Original Vintage Board Maple 3.71kg; 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

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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAzyTDt98BA Price Availability £895 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 3.6kg; 8lbs 1oz Modifications Chickenhead craziness 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

Squier DiM, Have a sound in mind? It's probably in here somewhere < Back Squier DiM IC040827312 As stated in the demo video that explains the guitar better than words can, we would recommend you view this as a loaded scratchplate conveniently supplied on a guitar – the guitar is a host for the idea; but is decent enough to use in a studio. Indonesian Squiers can be fine – what it lacks in headstock-credibility, it more than makes up for as an adequately constructed host for the tones that are available. The bridge humbucker is a DiMarzio Gravity Storm model – a medium output unit with Steve Vai in mind. The neck humbucker is a DiMarzio Air Norton model which has been embraced by many a recording artist and has been highly enough regarded to survive in DiMarzio’s core range for 30 years. On their own, as regularly installed pick-ups they as good as you should expect, but that’s just the starting point of this guitar. We like the Air Norton model as it is one of the few humbuckers that splits to single coil effectively. We like the harmonics and the dynamics it offers. The chickenhead in place of the lower tone control governs this pick-up configuration. It is a 6-way rotary switch that delivers every possible combination of the north and south coils – each individual coil, parallel connected coils in and reverse phased, and series connected coils in and reverse phased. We like the Gravity Storm model as it retains a clarity often missing from hot bridge pick-ups. There are clean opportunities as well as heavier overdriven power. The master volume knob pulls up to configure this humbucker in parallel which opens up the sound, gives it a hot single coil character without the mid growliness of a P-90 sound which usually fails the clean up completely. Mixing the 2 pick-ups offers a massive array of parallel connected tones – each with a specific character, there is definite audible difference with each configuration. You have the single coils, and varying degrees of grind depending on how each humbucker is configured. Selecting the neck pick-up and pulling up the master tone control will connect the 2 pick-ups in series, and another huge array of stronger growlier tones is available. The reverse phase options on the neck humbucker now begin to make perfect sense as combining it with the bridge unit in series provides you with the kind of sounds that battery powered pre-amps can offer. A brightness, a sparkle; almost piezo like especially if the neck humbucker is parallel reverse phased. It is another huge area of tonality to explore. I think this is the main point of this guitar. It encourages exploration. Thankfully without the need for batteries. The Squier guitar was a victim of some failed DIY – these models have thinner bodies than most Fenders, and someone didn’t put tape around the drill bit to remind them of that. That is a hole in the rear of the guitar. Just a little one, but we really don’t see the point of spending time fixing that, and we can’t justify writing a guitar off for this. It’s priced to cover the parts and a portion of the (too many to admit to) hours it took to design, test and hook up. None of the major brands are interested, resourced or passionate enough to make a guitar this versatile. Those boutique luthiers who have the necessary commitment to produce this will likely have an Alembic sized price tag and insist that rare woods and hours of carving are paid for too. This is just about the sounds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy2tZSGj3g0 Price Availability £495 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation Experiment and have fun Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 2004 Pick-ups DiMarzio DP253 and DP193 Selector 3-Way Bridge Vintage Board Rosewood 3.18kg; 7lbs 0oz Modifications Entire control system Weight ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 03:33 Play Video Play Video 06:07 Play Video Play Video 07:01 Play Video Play Video 02:33 Play Video Play Video 03:30 Play Video Play Video 07:44 Play Video Play Video 02:41 Play Video Play Video 03:08

Greco JB-600N, Hardy vintage bass ready for another 50 years < Back Greco JB-600N Pre-Serial Number These were the basses that were traded in for Fenders when funds allowed, and then bitterly regretted as they realized paying double for a name on the headstock was a lousy decision. There are subtle differences between the Fenders and this Greco - notably the pancake construction style that MIJ guitars and basses had until 1976 and the super strong engineered laminate neck that they had until late 1975 . Brochure geeks may question why this is a 600 and not a 500. The specifications were almost identical, but the 600 and 720 models were built at Matsumoku; the 420 and 500 were Fuji - the neck plate giving those details. This proudly has Matsumoku on it. Vital stats then: the nut is 40mm and the 12th fret is 55mm; the weight is 4.46kg (9lbs 13oz). A very nice comfortable and balanced bass, and the wider nut making it a little easier to play than the 36mm nuts on the earlier models from Fujigen. This bass now has new frets so ready for another 15 years at least - the original Maxon pick-ups are in rude health, the bridge is also original; a little pitted and showing its 50 years of service, but still thoroughly functional so we have elected to keep it. We can easily upgrade it to a current Gotoh unit which will be shinier, and could even install a High Mass version if huge sustain and Grand Piano tones are required. The previous owner decided to swap the old white scratch plate to a black one - this was and remains a popular decision - again we can get it back to catalogue spec, or even apply a fancy such as those you see in our DreamBuild section. But, this is good to go as it is - perfectly aged great quality dependable Jazz Bass, a fraction of the price of the equivalent Fender and likely to be built to a superior standard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3G8EJ532aw Price Availability £995 Sold Recommendation Press into service Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1974 Pick-ups Maxon J6/J8 Selector Jazz Bass blend Bridge original Gotoh Board Maple 4.47kg; 9lbs 13oz Modifications New Frets; Black scratchplate 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

1973 Fujigen Greco EG420 No.3, War-horse ready for battle < Back 1973 Fujigen Greco EG420 No.3 Pre-serial Number Model Another fine example of a very rare1973 Greco EG-420 is now available at Matsumoku. The 420 retains the dimensions and playing character of the 360, but these 420 models have the benefit of the involvement of Narumo san, who knew a thing or two about the real things. The Maxon pick-ups are controlled through the original pots (250!) and have none of the scratchiness of many 50 year old examples. These 420s were produced in the Fujigen factory and there are plenty of folk who have the opinion that the quality control operatives overseeing these guitars were more diligent than those working at Gibson at the time. These are not pure faithful Les Paul copies - those didn't appear until 1975, but these earlier ones are still lovely to play and have character of their own. E to E on the saddles is 50mm, the nut is 41mm instead of the 43mm you may expect. The 12" radius will seem familiar, the bolt on neck may not. The original saddles and tail piece have succumbed to the effects of time, and are no longer shiny and new. We can replace these with equivalent Gotoh units if this is an issue. There are some very obvious age-ralted marks on the top by the saddle and tailpiece - this is pure wear and tear - not a Bigsby scar! It has put its knees through its jeans but remains extremely solid and healthy underneath. Just contact us via the website to discuss any modifications you might like. The original tuners function very well and the guitar generally has that run-in vintage feel, and significant signs of being 50 years old. I bet a ECL/CMI '72 out of Kalamazoo would be well over 3k now. Ironically a new one with this relic finish would be even more expensive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLT68xzqDAk We have given it a thorough service, careful nut and bolt rebuild, and a fresh set of strings and now it's ready for anther 50 years. You don't have one of these instead of a Gibson, you have one on the way up to one, or next to one in the rack. Price Availability £585 Sold Recommendation Enjoy as it is Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1973 Pick-ups 2 x Maxon Selector 3 way Bridge ToM style Board Rosewood 3.56kg; 7lbs 14oz 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

Fujigen Greco SE-700 Early Sixties, A perfect example of why Fender assumed that if you can't beat them, join them. < Back Fujigen Greco SE-700 Early Sixties C783427 The Greco SE-700 was the premium big-headstock model of the range in the 1970s. It has a 2 piece body and the rosewood board gives it a real 70's look (despite the model name). The guitar now features a set of Clausen A3 pick-ups - similar to the SuperBlues spec, but each position has been wound and potted precisely to release the full soul of this guitar. It's original PU-119 (Excels) accompany the guitar in the case pocket if required. They are still fully functional, but these Clausens unlock the potential of this guitar. 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 now also upgraded to CRL and CTS. Everything else on this guitar remains original - the bridge and tuners are all in great aged condition - most importantly perfectly functioning. We have wound the bridge pick-up to give it a bit more bite and aggression than normal - no need for that 'lil 59 in this guitar. At a fraction over 3.5kg (7lbs 14oz) this has "that perfect Strat" weight and feel to it - the aged but not cracked nitro finish gives it that authentic vintage touch too. There is a small bit of natural aged wear down to the wood on the outer edge and evidence of some minor cosmetic repairs to cover up parking knocks it has picked up over the years. Study the photos, and contact us if you want to see this in more detail. The frets are run-in, but not low and according to the 2 gentlemen that attend to frets here, are of that perfect age and state to be your best friend, and remain so for a fair few years before the inevitable re-fret. The serial Number on this one is B783427, a late February 1978 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. This guitar feels like one of their very best. This SE-700 will put guitars twice its price to shame. Have a listen to the video - Tony is playing through the Blackstar, I am through the Milkman first, then the Blackstar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXXK5YK64sQ Price Availability £955 Sold Recommendation Enjoy as it is. Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1978 Pick-ups 3 Clausen Custom Wound Selector 5-way Bridge Vintage Tremolo Board Rosewood 3.45kg; 7lbs 14oz Modifications Upgraded pick-ups and controls 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

1973 Greco SE-500B (RW), Rare spec time-warp Matsumoku < Back 1973 Greco SE-500B (RW) Pre-serial Number This is a rather rare opportunity to have a rosewood neck on a Matsumoku built Strat from the early 1970s. This guitar fundamentally dates from late 1973 - the bridge and the tuners are perfect for this period. Rosewood necks were an 18,000Yen option on these guitars - quite a chunk of money in the 1970s. Under the rosewood board is the engineered 5 piece maple neck - held in very high esteem by MIJ enthusiasts. A departure from the Fender style, but Matsumoku were always trying to improve on tradition - facsimile copies were not the objective despite the talk of Lawsuit era etc. This one arrived from Japan in almost time-warp condition - the frets were, however, almost worn to nothing so a fresh set have gone on, and the rosewood board refurbished to take a slight hump that the rod couldn't cope with. It's now as good as new and ready for another few decades of service. The pick-ups are classic short fat Maxon singles - 4.5k, and the sort of output that makes you braver with the gain knob on the amp or the OD-3. Bright, airy but digs in and makes sure it is heard in any mix. With the neck refurbishment, this guitar feels and plays like a very premium model; and will happily sit alongside a modern Fender in a rack - it may even put it to shame. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIDT4nmF4Tg This guitar still has its original case, its original strap is still in the pocket. Price Availability £895 Sold Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1973 Pick-ups Maxons Selector 3-way Bridge Vintage tremolo Board Rosewood 3.68kg; 8lbs 1oz Modifications Re-fretted Weight ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 03:33 Play Video Play Video 06:07 Play Video Play Video 07:01 Play Video Play Video 02:33 Play Video Play Video 03:30 Play Video Play Video 07:44 Play Video Play Video 02:41 Play Video Play Video 03:08

Aria 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMwv2mdHB-Y Price Availability SOLD 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 4.69kg; 10lbs 5oz 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

Getting the absolute best out of a late MIJ Tokai Breezy < Back Tokai ES-T Price £££ | SOLD Add to Cart Chat with Us Missed out on this model? Talk to us for a rebuild! Tokai Breezy Sounds are held in very high regard by Tele-addicts and they often reside side by side with the Fender originals. This is one of the last MIJ Breezies before production headed overseas and that MIJ soul and quality character was lost. By the time this guitar was produced, there was a choice between an ATE50 or an ATE70 - alder or Rosewood respectively. Ceramic pick-ups were standard fayre for the ATE50, and we felt the bridge unit was lacking that brittleness and depth. We choose Evil Sheep for our Dreambuild Teles - Mark truly understands the characteristics we need for these MIJ guitars. An Evil Sheep tapped Alnico 5 pick-up now provides the bridge tones - either traditional tele, or a fuller mid-boosted hotter tone that works clean as well as driven. It's neither P-90 nor humbucker - it retains the tele characteristic but thickens up the sound. Unlike coil split humbuckers, there is no dramatic rise or drop in volume between the normal and hot outputs - just a thickening and introduction of more lower mid frequencies to provide a fuller sound - ok, and yes, a bit louder on the clean channel. We had a 920d black chrome control plate just waiting for an upgrade project like this - the mini-toggle between the controls selects the output of the bridge pick-up. ATE-50 Breezies had modern but disappointing specs for controls, so we binned the mini-pots and the sealed switch and replaced them with premium CTS pots, a Sozo PIO capacitor, a CRL switch and a Switchcraft output jack; all connected with proper Gavitt. Also, gone is the TE-VBK bridge plate, and in its place is a new Gotoh Ti-TC2 chrome flat plate - no more uncomfortable palm muting. The titanium barrels provide a very clean and defined attitude to the sound - we love brass and titanium equally, but titanium always provides a definition that brass struggle with, a little tweak on the tone knob will get you back to what brass will deliver. This is all very subtle variation, but that is what Dreambuilds are for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FRaqAoEp0c Everything else is pure Tokai - the weight is substantial at 3.9kg (8lbs 10oz), but not overly heavy. This extra few lbs is disguised very well with a slim C neck profile and fatter frets - not the super skinny profiles and narrow frets seen in most MIJ teles of the 90s. This Tokai is stage ready - a very giggable guitar with the little sonic tricks up its sleeve will probably get you through a whole set without the need to swap guitars. Why stop here? We can upgrade the neck pick-up too, make it into a Cornwell tribute with an interesting middle pick-up - most things are possible, but this level of upgrade keeps the price manageable and gets you a reliable, fantastic playing and sounding, premium looking Tele for less than the price of an MIM Player Plus. Details The Look Original bound and pearlescent white finish, we now have a black control plate and new Fender knobs Headstock All original Neck All original maple with Rosewood board and a barely used feel to the original frets - a little fatter than a Fender. Pick-ups Original neck unit combines perfectly with an Evil Sheep Alnico 5 tapped Tele unit with 7.58 on normal wind and 11.52 on the hot wind. Bridge Now features a new Gotoh Ti-TC2 bridge plate withe the Titanium barrels. No sharp ashtray edges here. Controls New premium CTS potentiometers, Sozo PIO capacitor, CRL 3-way switch and mini toggle to select the output of the bridge pick-up. Gallery ← Previous Next→

Arnold Phoenix Electro Acoustic 2020, Sensational sounds, timeless class. < Back Arnold Phoenix Electro Acoustic 2020 No Number This is a very rare chance to sample the delights of an Alan Arnold acoustic guitar. Made in very small numbers by an internationally renowned luthier, Alan Arnold, this special Phoenix model is one of the finest he has ever built. This is one a handful he built with the Indian Rosewood body which gives it a lot of presence - all the Phoenix' are loud, but this has an incredible volume acoustically. The bass response is remarkable, but the one property that springs out immediately is the responsiveness. It can whisper, it can know its place in a line-up, but also bang out an amazing solo - your fingers really decide. This is the same plugged in - this is equipped with a Headway pick-up. Only the best for Alan. Tuners are Gotoh 510 in gold. The guitar suits a soloist perfectly - the neck is perfectly shaped for upper fret work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsViZ1p0O2Q We have this guitar at the Hall now, and it will reside here until the next owner collects, or we ship it out. The guitar comes in a sturdy case and we would pack it with utmost care, and unless the buyer wishes otherwise, use an insured service. Price Availability £4,195 Sold Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 2020 Pick-ups Headway Selector N/A Bridge Ebony Board Ebony N/A Modifications None Weight ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 03:33 Play Video Play Video 06:07 Play Video Play Video 07:01 Play Video Play Video 02:33 Play Video Play Video 03:30 Play Video Play Video 07:44 Play Video Play Video 02:41 Play Video Play Video 03:08

Greco SE-500N - 3 piece, Stunning vintage Matsumoku < Back Greco SE-500N - 3 piece Pre Serial Number At the time this guitar was built Matsumoku was listening to exporters and distributors claiming they could max out the production lines with orders - Nobuaki was quite cautious about it and was still playing around with the Strat style concept to hone it and refine it to the Japanese players' requirements. Between 1972 and 1975 production demand met the wild proposals from the exporters and all the factories were flat out barely able to keep up with demand. 1973 often delivers some lovely oddities - some nice surprises that can only be defined as non-catalogue models even if they aren't sufficiently different to be pure custom shop "order made" models. This beauty is an SE-500 when the SE-480 was still in the range. The difference is the adorable 1 piece top for the pancake construction. 2 pieces of Sen ash at the back and a luxurious single piece on top. Even the later SE-550, 600 and 800 models were mostly 2 piece tops. We're not pretending this will have any effect on the sound, but there are those out there for whom a single piece body is a thing of absolute beauty. They tend to cost thousands of pounds, so let us offer a tremendous compromise and offer a single piece top for a much smaller price. Everything else about this SE-500 is as you would expect - 3 deliciously bright and airy Maxon single coils, the satisfying DM30 selector switch and the lovely C-profile engineered construction neck with the 9.25 radius. Frets were always tiny and low on these, but this one retains more than most at this age. So slick, so easy and a many years to go before any remediation required. If you need a fat or tall fret on your neck, head over to the DreamBuild section. This would make a superb donor for a DreamBuild, but some guitars arrive begging us to keep them standard. This is one such example. This guitar is from the era before the better known Ibanez, Edwards (ESP) and Fender JV Strats - without this era, none of those would ever have happened. Back then, it was this or a US Fender and despite the incredible build quality and fantastic character of these "pretenders", they were a quarter of the price of the US original. Now they are less than a quarter of the price of a contemporary Fender - and that just seems wrong. But that's how it is. Take advantage of that while it lasts. Get this vintage MIJ beauty in your collection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=870p3V8lQq8 Price Availability £795 Sold Recommendation Enjoy it as it is, or go nuts and let's make a monster Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1973 Pick-ups Maxon Selector 3 way Bridge Vintage Tremolo Board Maple 4.4kg; 9lbs 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

1973 Greco SE-500, Fully unleashed vintage Matsumoku < Back 1973 Greco SE-500 Pre-serial Number This is another fine example of a pre-serial number Matsumoku Stratocaster destined for the home market in Greco guise. Despite being significantly cheaper than the imported US equivalent, this guitar represents incredible value for money compared to the “real thing” from 1973. The neck profile is a substantial C, unlike the later and better-known JVs, the scale is as you would expect unlike some very early Strat clones, and an interesting 10" radius to that beautiful maple fretboard.. The pick-ups are pure Maxon – bright and airy and the previous owner has converted the selector switch to a 5 way unit so accessing the velvety in-between settings is now no longer a function of luck and making everyone wait 3 bars while you find them. The guitar has had a recent refret, and a very nice job too. New frets on a Harayama 5-piece neck is usually DreamBuild territory,and makes an already fabulous feeling guitar into a perfect one. The bridge pick-up is now controlled by the lower tone control, the upper tone control now taking care of the neck and middle units. Maxons were always a bright sounding pick-up, and the ability to tame that bridge tone is very useful. Have a listen to it in the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UoQRe0o_n0 And look at the beautiful fretboard - this kind of quality is usually reserved for Masterbuilt guitars! The 500 was the premium model back in 1973; the 550 and 600s were still a year away so the 500s from 73 really had the pick of the timbers. Price Availability £845 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation Enjoy it as it is Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1973 Pick-ups Maxon Selector 5-way Bridge Original Vintage Board Maple 3.77kg; 8lbs 5oz Modifications 5-way switch and reconfigured tone controls 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