daan
New member
http://www.matsumoku.org/models/skylark/skylark_info.html (background info)
OK so when I was 12, we lived out in the middle of nowhere, no guitar stores for more than an hour away. So, I had to do "gear shopping" in the Sears and JCPenney catalogs. I saw these Skylarks and HAD to have one, but since they cost $340 in 81/82, obviously I never got one. They did have a "JCPenney OUtlet Store" that my (cheap-a**) dad would go to, which is where my actual first guitar came from. (It was a $5 3/4 nylon string acoustic that was so warped, it literally couldn't be tuned.) They had a Skylark (a red one) for $100, but "No way are we spending ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS on a guitar for you, boy!" THat was the first and last time I saw a Skylark in the flesh. (A friend had an Aria Pro II that was pretty similar, and I've played lots of Cardinals and Westones at stores, but could just never deal with the ugly headstocks on them.. stupid, I know) ONce I started going online, I was searching for them, but either nobody had one, or I never had enough $ for them. Well that and I got distracted by other guitars (OK why do I have five JB Players and 3 Hondos again? Stupid nostalgia...) So anyway my wife and I were discussing our 10th anniversary coming up this year, and what we were gonna do. I had mentioned these guitars to her, and she said "If you've wanted one THAT long, and they're "only" $800 (the same $ as the Apple laptop she wants interestingly enough) just go ahead and get one and we'll pay it off." Have I mentioned my wife is awesome? :bigok:
Anyway, I ordered it off of Reverb (just ridiculously easy, I told the guy my stupid story and he knocked $ off the price and threw in the case, and shipped it out right away. I'd TOTALLY use Reverb again, if there was anything else I still wanted to buy...)
Just as I was leaving for work today, the delivery guy was pulling in as I was leaving. I pulled a U-ey, grabbed my box and headed for work. I JUST unboxed it, and if I had brought my tuner I'd be playing it right now, instead of working (I mean, instead of posting stuff on the internet :biglaugh: )
It's a maple/walnut neck-thru guitar, with ash "wings". It's got Matsumoku pickups that are basically copies of "Super Distortion" pups (Most likely MMK45's but some got 53's, I don't wanna take it apart to find out yet) It also has a 5-postition Varitone, an active pre-amp booster, phase switching and coil taps for both pickups. And since it's totally early 80's, it's got a brass nut. I've seen pictures of these that have gold hardware, but mine seems to be all chrome. Or the bridge and tuners got changed out, but I'm OK with that.
OK so when I was 12, we lived out in the middle of nowhere, no guitar stores for more than an hour away. So, I had to do "gear shopping" in the Sears and JCPenney catalogs. I saw these Skylarks and HAD to have one, but since they cost $340 in 81/82, obviously I never got one. They did have a "JCPenney OUtlet Store" that my (cheap-a**) dad would go to, which is where my actual first guitar came from. (It was a $5 3/4 nylon string acoustic that was so warped, it literally couldn't be tuned.) They had a Skylark (a red one) for $100, but "No way are we spending ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS on a guitar for you, boy!" THat was the first and last time I saw a Skylark in the flesh. (A friend had an Aria Pro II that was pretty similar, and I've played lots of Cardinals and Westones at stores, but could just never deal with the ugly headstocks on them.. stupid, I know) ONce I started going online, I was searching for them, but either nobody had one, or I never had enough $ for them. Well that and I got distracted by other guitars (OK why do I have five JB Players and 3 Hondos again? Stupid nostalgia...) So anyway my wife and I were discussing our 10th anniversary coming up this year, and what we were gonna do. I had mentioned these guitars to her, and she said "If you've wanted one THAT long, and they're "only" $800 (the same $ as the Apple laptop she wants interestingly enough) just go ahead and get one and we'll pay it off." Have I mentioned my wife is awesome? :bigok:
Anyway, I ordered it off of Reverb (just ridiculously easy, I told the guy my stupid story and he knocked $ off the price and threw in the case, and shipped it out right away. I'd TOTALLY use Reverb again, if there was anything else I still wanted to buy...)
Just as I was leaving for work today, the delivery guy was pulling in as I was leaving. I pulled a U-ey, grabbed my box and headed for work. I JUST unboxed it, and if I had brought my tuner I'd be playing it right now, instead of working (I mean, instead of posting stuff on the internet :biglaugh: )
It's a maple/walnut neck-thru guitar, with ash "wings". It's got Matsumoku pickups that are basically copies of "Super Distortion" pups (Most likely MMK45's but some got 53's, I don't wanna take it apart to find out yet) It also has a 5-postition Varitone, an active pre-amp booster, phase switching and coil taps for both pickups. And since it's totally early 80's, it's got a brass nut. I've seen pictures of these that have gold hardware, but mine seems to be all chrome. Or the bridge and tuners got changed out, but I'm OK with that.
