Custom Finished 1958 Harmony Stratotone Mercury H47 just in time for Saint Patrick's Day

March 5, 2015, 5:34 pm

≫ Next: Hofner Club 40 from 1956

≪ Previous: Shergold eight and four-string doublenecked bass from 1980

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I stumbled across this nice old Harmony and thought that it was rather timely. The vintage Harmony guitars can be either pure gold or just alright enough in my experience. I've not had an H47 in my hands so I cannot speak to this model. I do like the 3 way tone selector with a one DeArmond pickup layout. That it's green endears it to me even more than the fact that it is deliberately "blarney-ed" up as much as it is.

Currently listed at $400 Canadian

R.W. Haller

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Hofner Club 40 from 1956

March 6, 2015, 11:43 am

≫ Next: Carvin Allan Holdsworth Signature HH2

≪ Previous: Custom Finished 1958 Harmony Stratotone Mercury H47 just in time for Saint Patrick's Day

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Here we have another great example of why it's so easy to love Hofner guitars. What a beautiful and simply elegant guitar. This Hofner Archtop benefits in style by not having F-holes, and I say looks pretty lively for something that is old enough to retire.

At $3599 Canadian she'll need to find that special someone to spend her golden years with.
I wish it were I

R.W. Haller

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Carvin Allan Holdsworth Signature HH2

March 8, 2015, 1:44 pm

≫ Next: Alvarez-Yairi FY-95 Acoustic Guitar with direct coupled bridge

≪ Previous: Hofner Club 40 from 1956

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I knew Allan Holdsworth's face years before I'd ever heard him play a note.
Way back in 1985 he was predominantly featured in my Ibanez catalogue of guitars. In fact, I think i played one of his Ibanez signature models before I'd heard him play. It was red and had a spider logo on the headstock. Very cool for the 14 year old me.

So when I saw that Carvin had a signature Holdsworth model it caught my eye. I really like the look of this headless guitar. I think it wold make a great travel instrument. Carvin makes great guitars. I play with a bassist who sells and buys gear all the time. The one constant is his Carvin. Something, something......... from his cold dead hands.

Currently listed for $1200 Canadian

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Alvarez-Yairi FY-95 Acoustic Guitar with direct coupled bridge

March 9, 2015, 9:29 am

≫ Next: Rickenbacker 4001 Clone Bass Made in Japan. Matsumoku? Ibanez? Greco? Snowman?

≪ Previous: Carvin Allan Holdsworth Signature HH2

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We've seen Alvarez guitars here on Guitarz before. Remember the Dana Scoop?

I'm always a fan of wacky ideas. Sometimes they amount to nothing more than gimmick, other times they can be revolutionary. I like that people keep thinking and pushing forward

I have to admit that the coupled bridge on this Alvarez-Yairi is very intriguing to me. I've never played one so i cannot speak to it's quality. I suspect that since Kazou Yairi's name is attached it must be of some level of quality. I have repaired a number of lifted bridges in my time so I can see an immediate advantage.

Has anyone played one before? How was it?

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Rickenbacker 4001 Clone Bass Made in Japan. Matsumoku? Ibanez? Greco? Snowman?

March 10, 2015, 5:41 pm

≫ Next: One of A Kind Doc Fossey acoustic Banjo. A Banjotar in reverse?

≪ Previous: Alvarez-Yairi FY-95 Acoustic Guitar with direct coupled bridge

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Here is a really nice example of a Rickenbacker clone just hanging out in the snow. I'm not sure if it's a testament to the Japanese build quality that it can endure the Canadian winter, or if the seller believes that it's an advantage to the sale. Perhaps they can throw in a set of snowshoes and a vinyl copy of Rush-Fly By Night ( By-tor be damned! ).

All in all this is a nice neck-through design that does justice to the original Rickenbacker it was made copy

Currently listed at $700 Canadian

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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One of A Kind Doc Fossey acoustic Banjo. A Banjotar in reverse?

March 12, 2015, 11:07 am

≫ Next: Handmade guitar with built in Roland Synth

≪ Previous: Rickenbacker 4001 Clone Bass Made in Japan. Matsumoku? Ibanez? Greco? Snowman?

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Here is a nice take on a hybrid instrument. With all of the 6 string guitar-tuned banjos out there its nice to see someone go the other way with the idea. An acoustic tuned to open G with a high G on top should thrill finger-stylists and banjo players looking for a different sound.

It's a very nice looking instrument as well, and I'm way less offended by the double cutaway than I normally would be. I guess it's an odd enough instrument that it's ok.

Currently Listed at $1200 Canadian.

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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Handmade guitar with built in Roland Synth

March 14, 2015, 3:14 pm

≫ Next: Dragon's Heart picks from C. Whitney Guitars

≪ Previous: One of A Kind Doc Fossey acoustic Banjo. A Banjotar in reverse?

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This hand built guitar doesn't really blow me away where quality or design is concerned. It lands somewhere between an average job by an experienced luthier or a good job by someone with some tools in their garage. I do like that they were trying to build a guitar with the built in Roland pick up, and the neck through design could lend itself well to the over all sound of this guitar.

All that said, at $300 this thing is a great deal. If it's not a player, it's easily worth that in parts.

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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Dragon's Heart picks from C. Whitney Guitars

March 18, 2015, 5:57 am

≫ Next: Blake's 12-string solidbody electric Frankenstein

≪ Previous: Handmade guitar with built in Roland Synth

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From Fort Worth, TX, in the United States come three varieties of Dragon's Heart picks by C. Whitney Guitars: Original, Pure and Hardened. They are made from Polyamide-imide with glass fibre or graphite fill respectively for the Original and Pure varieties, and offer between 1,000 and 1,500 hours playing time. These are a chunky "double-thickness" pick with a bevelled edge. This design is very easy to grip and moreover to keep hold of in your picking hand. Three different shaped corners (or "tips") allow for enough choice to cover most preferences and playing styles.

The picks are designed for faster cleaner guitar playing and also to impart tone. The Original variety offers a brighter tone, whereas Hardened gives a warmer, softer tone, and the Pure makes for a faster action.

G L Wilson

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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Blake's 12-string solidbody electric Frankenstein

March 21, 2015, 9:46 am

≫ Next: Parker P36 Leather Wrapped Guitar from 2008 with Piezo pickup

≪ Previous: Dragon's Heart picks from C. Whitney Guitars

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Here's an email we received from Blake:

This guitar was created in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The bolt on neck came from a 70s Epiphone acoustic 12 with broken bracing and poor tone. The body originated as an unidentified 60s Japanese Jazzmaster style guitar that was rescued from a dumpster. In order to combine these instruments, the neck pocket was slightly enlarged, the bridge and tailpiece were modified and relocated for proper intonation, and I designed and fashioned a pickguard from a 12" vinyl record. There are no volume or tone controls to weaken the signal output, just a Lace Alumitone wired straight to the output jack. Two barely playable guitars have been combined to form one highly playable electric 12 string. A recording of it can be heard on my bandcamp page: https://secretgeometry.bandcamp.com/

Rock on!
Blake Mandrayk

Nice job, Blake. It looks very cool and sounds great too.

Keep those readers guitars pictures coming in, folks!

G L Wilson

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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Parker P36 Leather Wrapped Guitar from 2008 with Piezo pickup

March 21, 2015, 8:17 pm

≫ Next: Hondo Deluxe 757 Tele copy from the 1980s

≪ Previous: Blake's 12-string solidbody electric Frankenstein

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I have a love/hate relationship with Parker guitars. I've played a few of them and they have all played and sounded great. I love that they are inventive with design and were one of the first, I believe, to offer piezo acoustic sounds as a standard item on their guitars.

Now for the hate: I think they are ugly.

It's that plain and simple. Though i often love "ugly" or non-conventional designs almost wholly because of said ugliness, i cannot find love for the Parker.

This leather wrapped Parker P36 is no exception to the rule. It's almost as if they found a way to make it even less attractive to me. Luckily there are only 144 of these reptile-meets-bovine atrocities out there so I'll not likely be seeing one in real life.

What do you all think? Is there love for Parker out there?

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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Hondo Deluxe 757 Tele copy from the 1980s

March 22, 2015, 8:07 pm

≫ Next: Ibanez Roadstar with Evil Ernie comic book finish

≪ Previous: Parker P36 Leather Wrapped Guitar from 2008 with Piezo pickup

guitarz.blogspot.com:

When I started playing guitar as a teenager in the 80s we all had the "cheap" knockoffs of the guitars we thought we really wanted. I personally knew at least 8 players with Hondo guitars. They were all Les Paul and Stratocaster copies. I knew they made other models, especially those inspired by the decade, but never before have I seen a Hondo telecaster.

This made in Japan Hondo Deluxe 757 looks to be in great shape and I really like the lemony sunburst.

At $150 Canadian the only thing keeping me from this awesome copy is mere logistics as it's a few big provinces away from where i am.

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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Ibanez Roadstar with Evil Ernie comic book finish

March 23, 2015, 6:03 pm

≫ Next: 1979 Gretsch Committee with a slightly modified body

≪ Previous: Hondo Deluxe 757 Tele copy from the 1980s

guitarz.blogspot.com:

We looked at the Batman Raven guitar a little while back. It looks like the seller has done it again.

Here we see a mid 1980s Ibanez get the Evil Ernie treatment. The less obscure guitar gets a more obscure comic.

The seller says it is "perfectly playable but looks good on a wall too".
Which is a good thing, about the playability that is, since $500 would be a lot to spend on guitar-art.

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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1979 Gretsch Committee with a slightly modified body

March 24, 2015, 9:10 pm

≫ Next: Shergold 6 and 12-string double neck guitar, ex Julian Cope

≪ Previous: Ibanez Roadstar with Evil Ernie comic book finish

guitarz.blogspot.com:

This poor Gretsch Committee has been modified to allow reach to the higher frets. It does look like the job was well done at least. To see what it should look like check here for an unmolested version.

I do admit though that the offset nature does not bother me that much and if it would help with negotiating a cheaper price it would be possible to get a nice Gretsch solidbody at a deal.

My "kijiji trade" wheels are turning.

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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Shergold 6 and 12-string double neck guitar, ex Julian Cope

March 26, 2015, 2:00 am

≫ Next: One of a kind Treble Clef Guitar. Thankfully

≪ Previous: 1979 Gretsch Committee with a slightly modified body

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We recently looked at a very fine example of a Shergold doubleneck 4+8 string bass. Now it's time to meet its guitar counterpart, the above pictured Shergold 6+12 string doubleneck which is currently being offered for sale via eBay UK with bids starting at £1,000.

To make it even more interesting, this particular guitar until recently belonged to Julian Cope. I'm pretty sure I've seen it played live at one of his shows that I've attended. The guitar was used on the recording of "Too Freud to Rock'n'Roll, Too Jung to Die" by Cope's power trio Brain Donor. However, the cover of that album features guitarist Doggen Foster holding a totally different doubleneck, namely a Mosrite.

Of course Cope is something of a doubleneck fan. I've seen him playing a customised Danelectrco with guitar and baritone necks, and of course he is the owner of The Beast, an unholy and unwieldy-looking customised Gibson non-reverse Thunderbird/Firebird combination.

G L Wilson

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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One of a kind Treble Clef Guitar. Thankfully

March 26, 2015, 8:08 pm

≫ Next: Vintage Kent 744 Electric Mandolin

≪ Previous: Shergold 6 and 12-string double neck guitar, ex Julian Cope

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Egads! Words. They nearly fail me. I'll try.

Honestly, I could forgive this guitar for existing if it weren't for a couple of factors:

1) Even though I much rather prefer a maple fretboard, never before has a design suffered so poorly by not being a darker wood fretboard. Continuity, anyone?

2) The seller is asking $950 for what essentially appears to be a novelty guitar built from the parts of an unknown Stratocaster copy.

For shame sir or madam, for shame.

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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Vintage Kent 744 Electric Mandolin

March 28, 2015, 6:07 am

≫ Next: Rayner Guitar from the 1960s. Not made in Japan?

≪ Previous: One of a kind Treble Clef Guitar. Thankfully

guitarz.blogspot.com:

It's a shame these pictures aren't the best quality as this looks like a great example of a vintage Kent electric mandolin.

This Vintage Kent 744 model is likely from the late 1960s or early 1970s and boasts a new custom pick up and a brass nut.

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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Rayner Guitar from the 1960s. Not made in Japan?

March 28, 2015, 9:17 pm

≫ Next: 1959 National/Supro Electric Guitar - Rare and Original

≪ Previous: Vintage Kent 744 Electric Mandolin

guitarz.blogspot.com:

There is very little information in the listing for this Rayner guitar. Just a phone number. I thought perhaps it was a lazy seller, but found that there is not a lot of information about these guitars. My first thought was that it was a Kawai with a different name but in some searching i found that it was quite possibly built in Ireland by Statsford.

Can anyone confirm or deny this?

No matter the origins I love the look of this hollow-body beauty. I feel I've seen a similar shape in another guitar, but cannot quite place it.

Perhaps it was just a wonderful dream.

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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1959 National/Supro Electric Guitar - Rare and Original

March 29, 2015, 6:22 pm

≫ Next: 1980s Yamato Model 120. An excellent looking, previously unheard of Japanese Dreadnought

≪ Previous: Rayner Guitar from the 1960s. Not made in Japan?

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This National guitar is in great shape for a 56 year old. I hope I can say the same about myself when I get to that age in a few scant years. And even better if I'm all original. ( Except the Kluson tuners )

This is a really great example of what Supro was doing in the late 50's. The seller boasts about the pickup and I believe him just based on the look of it.

Currently listed at $700 Canadian.

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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1980s Yamato Model 120. An excellent looking, previously unheard of Japanese Dreadnought

March 31, 2015, 5:44 am

≫ Next: Budweiser collector sells his guitars

≪ Previous: 1959 National/Supro Electric Guitar - Rare and Original

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I've seen and worked on a lot of 1970 and newer Japanese acoustics. They are often one of my favourite guitars to work on as a good repair can virtually resurrect a guitar an owner would have deemed unusable.

That said, I've never seen or heard of Yamato. This is a great looking dreadnought with a cedar top and lovely looking rosewood back and sides.

At $250 Canadian this would likely make a great guitar for years to come.

With a good setup, that is.

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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Budweiser collector sells his guitars

March 31, 2015, 7:47 pm

≫ Next: Vintage Kay Speed Demon from the early 1960s

≪ Previous: 1980s Yamato Model 120. An excellent looking, previously unheard of Japanese Dreadnought

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It seems that the "King of Beers" is no longer king with this collector who, along with some other Bud paraphernalia, is selling these 4 guitars.

As a fan of more "stouty" beverages I'd likely not be seen on stage with one of these but if I was feeling ironic I'd go all out and grab the Dean logo shape.

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

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