NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

[muttznmongrelz]

I have sold seven guitars since December so I’m due to replace at least one right? It’s a player with some wear but I like true relics and I consider the neck pickup and jumbo 6000 frets as upgrades. Seller was from VA but he stated he picked it up out of SoCal about 10 years ago. Gave me the name of a "Doc Pitillo" at Guitar Doctor in Fountain Valley, CA. Wired for Neck & Bridge Pickups only; Bridge is a "Custom Wound Seymour Duncan" so I won't know what it really is until I get it in hand. Scheduled to be delivered tomorrow, which is my birthday, so...birthday present to self!

[Mincer]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

I just love the size of the body of those NightSwans. Was that a body size they used for any other models?

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

Not to my knowledge. Never held an ESP Maverick which was their version of a Nightswan so I can't compare the two but would presume they are similar. I did note that Vivian Campbell said the Nightswan body was 12.5% smaller than a Standard Stratocaster in the below video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YFIdeoOPqo

[Snake Aces]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

I love the color!

That looks like a nice C3 in your sig too. I have driven a few C3s, I owned a C4 for a while and I have a brother who has a C5 that is nasty. Vettes are fun.

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

Thank you on both the NS and C3! BTW: Love your avatar guitar as well and remember it from a while back. Beautiful Color and a Maple Board on an LP shape = much awesomeness.

Yes Sir; '75 Convertible 4 Speed in Orange Flame. Picked it up last year after my '69 Convertible Muncie M-21 383/400hp got totaled when a gentleman pulled out in front of me. It's a work in progress as most old cars are. Runs great though so I can daily drive it whenever I want...just not the same horsepower as the '69...yet. Had a C4 40th Anniversary Ruby Edition Convertible for a minute but I'm a C3 guy at heart. And you're absolutely right about Vettes being fun!

[Snake Aces]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

Thank you on both the NS and C3! BTW: Love your avatar guitar as well and remember it from a while back. Beautiful Color and a Maple Board on an LP shape = much awesomeness.

Yes Sir; '75 Convertible 4 Speed in Orange Flame. Picked it up last year after my '69 Convertible Muncie M-21 383/400hp got totaled when a gentleman pulled out in front of me. It's a work in progress as most old cars are. Runs great though so I can daily drive it whenever I want...just not the same horsepower as the '69...yet. Had a C4 40th Anniversary Ruby Edition Convertible for a minute but I'm a C3 guy at heart. And you're absolutely right about Vettes being fun!

Thank you for the compliment on my avatar guitar. I love that guitar! It is a simple Warmoth Regal, but yes, the blue body with the maple neck is gorgeous! I am a sucker for blue gear, so I am automatically GAS-ing over your Blue Sparkle Nightswan!

A 4-speed! Yes sir, that is the only way to go! So many Vette people love their automatics, and I have no hate for them, but the best experiences driving Vettes in my book comes from a manual. I had the Nash 4+3 manual in my 1984 Corvette. Great car and interesting transmission. Good mileage. That's a sad story about your 1969, I am sorry that happened. If it makes you feel any better, my 1984 is no longer with me because a friend, actually my sister's boyfriend of the past decade, decided to do some burnouts in my C4. Ouch.

I was with him, we had the roof off and we were at a stop sign on a country road I frequently drive on. I told him: "this is a nice quiet spot, low-traffic area. I like to launch it a bit here".

He is from Cali, maybe "launching it a bit" means burning a ton of rubber out west... but here it means to get traction as quickly as possible to get up to speed like you are launching at a green light or a waving race flag...

He decided to do a 30 second burnout. Threw a rod. I thought about fixing it, then I thought about swapping a stroker in. Eventually I decided to sell the car because even with a thrown rod in the engine, it was still worth a little more than I paid for it. Really fun car though and I do miss it.

Anyway, you will eventually get the hp up on the '75. It sure is beautiful. I think the C3 may b the best visual design for Corvettes. Such a sexy body! Enjoy that Vette!

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

Very welcome; I remember that guitar from a few years back probably when you built it. Very well done.

Everything we own is a manual transmission; two FJs, my Vette, wife's GT 5.0 (505HP/6 Speed)...no automatics in our house! Bummer about your C4 but at least you were able to flip it. I had a lapse in Corvettes (Orange one is my 5th) from 1988-2018 so you can always pic one up pretty cheap in the non-chrome bumper C3-C5 years it seems.

[Mincer]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

Not to my knowledge. Never held an ESP Maverick which was their version of a Nightswan so I can't compare the two but would presume they are similar. I did note that Vivian Campbell said the Nightswan body was 12.5% smaller than a Standard Stratocaster in the below video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YFIdeoOPqo

I could deal with many Strat shaped instruments being a good 12.5% smaller all around. I think Warmoth makes a smaller Strat, but it needs a special neck or something.

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

I know Warmoth makes a 7/8 Strat. Not sure if it takes a special neck or anything. I've only dealt in the full size versions. I do know Kramer reduced their Early Mid-80s Pacer Bodies to a smaller Pacer II Body to compete with Jackson's Dinky.

[playas]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

I just love the size of the body of those NightSwans. Was that a body size they used for any other models?

I think I read at some point that it is the same body as the Pro-Axe and that the body is 7/8 size.

Sent from my Redmi Note 8 using Tapatalk

[playas]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

...mind you, having said that, and looking at your pics the Pro-axe definitely has a bevel on the lower cutaway and the upper cutaway doesn't appear to have as much wood on pics of a Pro-axe from Google

Sent from my Redmi Note 8 using Tapatalk

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

That's possibly true to some degree as the Pro Axe was a 24 3/4" scale Kramer offering in 1990. Bodies are quite different but maybe same relative size although I think the Pro Axe is thinner.

I was looking at a 1990 Kramer Catalog recently and it had a Pro Axe but no Nightswan so maybe Vivian's/Buddy's relation with Kramer had expired and the Pro Axe was a replacement for the Nightswan. Can't say that I have ever looked into that specific history.

[Mincer]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

Just looked...the Warmoth 7/8 Strat takes a special 24 fret Warhead neck. That's a no go for me.

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

I actually like that headstock quite a bit as it's very much like the Kramer USA Beak Headstock from the early 80s as well as Suhr and Anderson headstocks.

[Snake Aces]

Re: NGD: 1988 Nightswan Blue Sparkle

Very welcome; I remember that guitar from a few years back probably when you built it. Very well done.

Everything we own is a manual transmission; two FJs, my Vette, wife's GT 5.0 (505HP/6 Speed)...no automatics in our house! Bummer about your C4 but at least you were able to flip it. I had a lapse in Corvettes (Orange one is my 5th) from 1988-2018 so you can always pic one up pretty cheap in the non-chrome bumper C3-C5 years it seems.

Thank you! I finished that blue guitar around August of 2015. It is still my favorite, I am thinking of getting a few more like it but with chambered bodies.

That's awesome that you are a firm believer in the manual transmission as well. Every vehicle I have ever owned has been a manual tansmission except for a Dodge Ram and a Chevy Suburban. I love the manual transmission experience for sure!

But yeah, your Nightswan is the real purpose of this thread, so I will try to stop the Vette talk for a bit! I really love your C3 for sure though!