Need Help Identifying a Guitar - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Berger_4_ · 01-20-2010, 09:17 PM

So, I've signed up to the UG forums (sorry I'm sleeping around CP) and there's been very little in the way of response as to what this puppy is...I'll give you the backstory first:

My grandparents used to run a couple hotels in and around the area where I live. One day this guy came up to my grandpa and asked if he could borrow some money so he could go to the hotel bar. Grandpa asked what the guy had for collateral, and he was given this guitar. I remember hearing this story in 1997 or so, but it's a fair bit older than that (I think). I've had the guitar in my possession since probably 2000 or thereabouts. I took it in to get the pickups and electronics worked on at my local guitar shop (which is another story in itself...the guy hardly fixed the thing) and he said there's no stickers or identification markings of any kind on it.

Doing a little bit of looking online, I think the body looks similar to a Silvertone, but the headstock isn't right. Is it possible it's just a replacement neck? Is it something completely different? I'd really like to find out, so any help is appreciated.

Other options put forth included a Gretsch/Fender hybrid, and Egmond. From looking around a bit, I don't think it's either of those two, or the Sekova I found earlier today either.

So CP, can you help me out? I'd really like to know what in the eff this thing is.

Yeah_Baby · 01-20-2010, 09:19 PM

Thats um a funky looking 'stain' on the back.

Berger_4_ · 01-20-2010, 09:20 PM

Haha it's just the way the picture was taken. I can assure you there is no purple cum stain on the back of the guitar.

Flabbibulin · 01-20-2010, 09:41 PM

My initial though was a Gretsch, but it looks like a frankenstein neck either way. The whammy is very gretsch

Yeah_Baby · 01-20-2010, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berger_4_

Haha it's just the way the picture was taken. I can assure you there is no purple cum stain on the back of the guitar.

Martha's was kind of a weird place. So I just assumed.

Hack&Lube · 01-20-2010, 09:44 PM

Does it matter what it is? It just matters how it sounds!

Looks like a fender repro/knock off headstock

Take the neck off the body and see what's written on the underside if anything.

Flabbibulin · 01-20-2010, 09:45 PM

Gretsch has had some one-sided headstocks, but I can't remember seeing pick-up switches like that on a gretsch

Berger_4_ · 01-20-2010, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Does it matter what it is? It just matters how it sounds!

Looks like a fender repro/knock off headstock

Take the neck off the body and see what's written on the underside if anything.

It sounds unreal for a guitar with one working pickup haha. I dunno why, I'm just curious. I don't really care what it's worth or anything like that, I'd just like to know.

How tough is it to take the neck off? Just those four screws? I don't really wanna wreck it.

Actually, that brings me to my next point...who was it on here that did guitar repairs for poops and giggles? I'd like to get some work done on it for cheapish, and I don't really wanna risk wrecking it myself, as I'm pretty new to this whole guitar repair thing.

Hack&Lube · 01-20-2010, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berger_4_

It sounds unreal for a guitar with one working pickup haha. I dunno why, I'm just curious. I don't really care what it's worth or anything like that, I'd just like to know.

How tough is it to take the neck off? Just those four screws? I don't really wanna wreck it.

Actually, that brings me to my next point...who was it on here that did guitar repairs for poops and giggles? I'd like to get some work done on it for cheapish, and I don't really wanna risk wrecking it myself, as I'm pretty new to this whole guitar repair thing.

Yes just those 4 screws. Super simple. What's the story with the lame guitar shop?

There was a CP guy who did guitar work awhile back. I should contact him too about getting something fixed.

Berger_4_ · 01-20-2010, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Yes just those 4 screws. Super simple. What's the story with the lame guitar shop?

I might have to give it a shot then.

The lame guitar shop in question is the one of the one's in Camrose. My buddy buys all his stuff there, and knows them really well. So we took this guitar in one day and gave the guy a list of things I wanted done. The pickups and the rest of the electronics weren't working, so I wanted that done. The one pickup had a stripped screw too so it needed to be reset. Also, the strings on it were pretty old so I just told him to go ahead and slap them on while he was working on it. Anyways, I picked it up from town the one day and was super busy, so I didn't have time to plug it in or anything...in fact I didn't for a while since I was working out of town over the summer.

Anyways, fast forward to when I've got time to play around with it...ends up he only got one pickup working, didn't set the loose pickup, neither of my on/off switches work, and only the volume knob works. (Although it's possible that is due to the fact that the other knob could be a volume control for the non-functioning pickup). So basically, he wiped the guitar down (it'd been in storage for a while) put a new set of strings on (the action is a little high towards the upper frets, but I can deal with it/fix it myself) and got one pickup working for 120 bucks. Needless to say, I'm probably not gonna go back there.

Hack&Lube · 01-21-2010, 02:29 AM

Make sure you loosing your strings before taking off the neck! You can leave them on but loosen them so you have enough play to move the neck.

On the back of the neck base, sometimes there are markings or manufacturer stickers.

Guitar techs can be a bit of a joke. Usually it's just a guy who knows how to play guitar and use a screwdriver. The rest he is making up as he goes along or fixing with crude tools and wood glue and crappy soldering. Unless it's a reputable guy or a big store, that's what you often get.

opendoor · 01-21-2010, 03:47 AM

I know a guy who has basically that same guitar but in white and with a different headstock (3X3 Gibson style rather than 6 in a line Fender style). The body shape, control plate, bridge, tremolo/tailpiece, and pickups all look identical to his. It also has that same bar like string tree on the headstock, so that (coupled with the matching finish) would lead me to believe that it's the original neck on yours.

From what I understand it's an older no name Japanese guitar (60s or 70s I believe). Japanese guitars from that era aren't the greatest, but they're pretty neat and kind of kitschy so they have their fans. It's similar to a Teisco (who also made guitars for companies like Silvertone and Kay) and other 60s Japanese guitars.

Taking the neck off is fairly easy and if you need to adjust the action beyond what the bridge is capable of, you can shim the neck. If the action's high towards the upper frets, you can put a small shim in the body end of the neck pocket which will adjust the neck angle slightly to compensate. With regards to the electronics, have a look and see if you can see any obvious problems. A non working pickup could just as likely be a bad connection at one of the switches or knobs. If you have a multimeter and know a few basic troubleshooting methods you can pretty much figure out exactly what's wrong.

Mad Mel · 01-21-2010, 04:25 AM

I was thinking along the lines that opendoor was, I thought it looked like a Kawai.

I found a very similar one here, the guy selling it couldn't get a model, but he thinks it's a Kawai as well. It's got some differences that I noticed offhand (jack not on front, different bridge), but sure looks like the same body, neck, and most of the hardware.

http://www.vintaxe.com/forsale_guitars.htm at the bottom of the page.

Five-hole · 01-21-2010, 07:36 AM

Yep, it's a guitar.

Berger_4_ · 01-21-2010, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Mel

I was thinking along the lines that opendoor was, I thought it looked like a Kawai.

I found a very similar one here, the guy selling it couldn't get a model, but he thinks it's a Kawai as well. It's got some differences that I noticed offhand (jack not on front, different bridge), but sure looks like the same body, neck, and most of the hardware.

http://www.vintaxe.com/forsale_guitars.htm at the bottom of the page.

Yeah, that's gotta be it! Thanks man! Now to find the pick guard for it...

Sample00 · 01-21-2010, 10:35 AM

ring up Kevanguy for guitar work.

Hack&Lube · 01-21-2010, 10:39 AM

Ah, one of the 70s Japanese pre-ban fake Fender headstock guitars on a weird EP hollow body by Kawai. Should have known

Berger_4_ · 01-21-2010, 11:21 AM

I know eh? It's the first thing that comes to mind when I look at an old guitar. I'm just glad that I know what it is know. A 70's vintage Kawai...nothing better than that :P

To be entirely honest, I think it sounds better than my el cheapo Squier Strat...that natural reverb it has just gives it such a neat sound.

HPLovecraft · 01-21-2010, 11:22 AM

Long neck. Strings. Yep, I'm pretty sure that's a guitar you got.

Hack&Lube · 01-21-2010, 11:26 AM

70s Japanese guitars are usually amazing. They are highly sought after. Height of Japanese guitar making was probably 1975-1985.