Info on 78/79 Matsumoku 335 clone?

[Axeman16]

I picked up this Memphis branded 335 clone, ive been having trouble finding info on.

It appears very similar to an aria pro 2 es 700 but has some variances that dont appear on the aria models. The memphis logo and inlays are mop, it has fret edge binding, 2 screw trc, bridge posts are the abr1 type threaded directly into the body, and different pickguard bracket.

The center block looks like mahogany and is wider than the bridge posts and is completely solid inside the body, end to end. the chases for the pickup wires are small 1/4 or less drill holes there are no open channels like on some jap 335s. the mahogany center block has solid maple spacers on the top and bottom to match the curvature of the top and back they appear to taper from roughly 1/4" at the ends to 1/2" in the center. the neck is 3 pieces with a scarf joint and separate heel, and there is a volute. has a short tenon no extension or screw in pickup cavity.

The tuners are interesting they have a rotating sleeve between the gear casing and the key to adjust the tension. The bridge appears common on es clones from 77-79.

The pickups have been difficult to identify as well. I havent removed the covers however the base is stamped 180426 which matches maxons code as april 1978. There is no stamp or other markings on the back other than the date. it has a grey lead and removing one of the pole pieces it appears to have the a thin clear bobbin ive seen on some early maxon pickups 73-75 but nothing dating towards 78 that seems similar.

I have yet to measure the pickups. It has full size pots and green chicklet caps. Really nice guitar not sure on the value ive only seen one that is identical here https://reverb.com/item/4301951-vin...-quality-fretside-binding-best-335-hands-down aside from the knobs. Plays and sounds phenomenal, has the mid 60's narrow nut thats taken some getting used to.

this is the only other 'memphis' ive found that has a mop headstock logo inlay
https://reverb.com/item/2319311-mem...ar-lawsuit-jazz-box-1978-honey-burst-new-pics

If anyone has more info on this guitar or the pickups id love to hear it. Heres a few pics

 

[Wattage]

Re: Info on 78/79 Matsumoku 335 clone?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/55074615631/

Vintage Japanese Guitar Forum

 

[Tobias]

Re: Info on 78/79 Matsumoku 335 clone?

Sounds like you have found out a lot about it already. Maybe the pick ups were replaced at some time. Looks like a really nice guitar by all aspects. I had a early 80s Matsumoku built Vantage Les Paul for over 30 years. I was able to find info on everything about it over time. Including that the pickups were indeed Matsumoku MK 45s and were ceramic. I even found a full color advertisement brochure. I finally sold it last year. It was gonna need a $400 fret job by then.

 

[Axeman16]

Re: Info on 78/79 Matsumoku 335 clone?

i dont think the pickups were replaced everything looks original. the pickups date to the same period as the guitar. im wondering what lager brand these high end memphis fell under

 

[Mincer]

Re: Info on 78/79 Matsumoku 335 clone?

Well, it certainly looks really pretty!

 

[Discharged]

Re: Info on 78/79 Matsumoku 335 clone?

The innards of the p'up are hold in place solely by the wax, so don't try open'em unless you know what you're doing. But it'll be an exercise in futility... nothing inside those p'ups can be re-used or re-purposed, as they're not standard.

The magnets are most probably ceramic and the DC reading should be around 10K, which means 10,000 turns of AWG #43 wire, wound in adapted wiring machines, originally designed to wind transformers.

Tone-wise are nothing to write home about, as both the baseplate and specially the cover is made of thick brass. Plus the harness is made with the highest capacitance wire known to mankind, so it's "holding back" any p'ups you choose to put in. So making one with vintage braided wire, CTS TVT 500K pots, Switchcraft toggle and jack would lay the ground for max performance to any p'up set you choose to install. The ones that come with deserve to be properly disposed so they won't polute the enviroment.

Looking at the construction appointments, the laminated neck, the presence of a volute,the mahogany-made central block and the shape of the f-holes suggest it's been made from the '58 ES-335 building plans, so my money would be on the Fujigen Gakki factory rather then Matsumoku. The pickguard and the knobs are not original.

Everything in that instrument, construction-wise, is top notch, with the exception of the fretwire, which's a bit on the soft side, but well capable of mirror-polishing.

Regardless on the price paid, it'll be worth every penny to make a complete hardware overhaul, including a refret with SS frets. Then you'll have an instrument capable of standing tall to any Gibson Custom Shop ES and then some.

If you play music that doesn't require using over-the-top amounts of gain, then an A3-neck/A2-bridge modded, nickel-covered Seymour Duncan '59 set would work wonders with it. That pickguard fits well, but Witch Hat knobs would look more like the era of when it was made, which it's late '70s/early '80s.

/Peter

 

[Axeman16]

Re: Info on 78/79 Matsumoku 335 clone?

thanks this is the best info ive gotten so far.

i traded a 78 silverface vibro champ that i payed 600 for. it was in need of a good tune up and new tubes.

i had the frets leveled a few replaced that were bad i have about $900 into the guitar at this point.

i play anything from british blues to hard rock, i have an early set of 57 classics that would probably fit nicely, and enough spare cts and switchcraft stuff i could put a harness together.

 

[Discharged]

Re: Info on 78/79 Matsumoku 335 clone?

i have an early set of 57 classics that would probably fit nicely.

Are they both '57 Classics or a '57 Classic/'57 Classics Plus? If you want by any means to use the ones you already have, don't.

Just hear me on this: if you want to have the best possible tone for the money, then sell those '57 Classics, acquire second-hand the Seymour Duncan '59 set I've mentioned before, and do the modding. You can find'em second hand anywhere and anytime anywhere in the world. By doing so, you'll most probably end up with some change going directly into your pocket and having a better inherent tonefootprint anyway. You can thank me later!

I'm currently using such a '59 set on my ES-339, so I know exactly what I'm talking about. :cool2:

Yours very truly,

/Peter

 

[Axeman16]

Re: Info on 78/79 Matsumoku 335 clone?

the bridge is a plus. they are in my 02 les paul which is my number one, im looking to put some electric city revivals in the les paul and move the 57s to the 335 with a new harness.

 

[Discharged]

Re: Info on 78/79 Matsumoku 335 clone?

the bridge is a plus. they are in my 02 les paul which is my number one, im looking to put some electric city revivals in the les paul and move the 57s to the 335 with a new harness.

OK, I can see the logic in what you wanna do. Unfortunately, the stock '57 Classics are both muddy and harsh, specially on the neck position. The solution is to change the magnet, the slugs and screws.

Start with an A3 on the '57 Classic, then 1215 Slugs and 1022 screws for the neck. The bridge magnet can stay, but get 1215 slugs and 1010 screws for the '57 Classic +. That'll prevent the "both-muddy-and-harsh" syndrome, specially if you use an OD in front of the amp.

You can get the magnet(s), slugs and screws from AddictionFX; those are the ones I use, so I can vouch for'em.

I still think you'll be better off selling the Gibson p'ups and going with the modded Duncan '59 set I forementioned, but that's your decision to make.

Good luck with the project!

/Peter

 

[Axeman16]

Re: Info on 78/79 Matsumoku 335 clone?

i play non master vol marshalls for the most part. i have a 1974x and one of the 50th ann. 1 watt jtms.

im intrigued by the magnet pairing in the 59 you mentioned. ive never modded pickups before, but am a big fan of the a3/a4 sound. im not married to the 57 classics though, just used to them. ive had them for some time.