Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

daan

daan

New member




So I was at what used to be our local Radio Shack. Now it's a tobacco/phone/pawn shop with what was leftover from when it was a RS-with a guitar section... (Go figure.) I went in looking for cable TV cables, saw this guitar and walked out with it (for a hundo!) and totally forgot to get cables. They have strings, amps ("Kona" brand, I'm sure they're MIC whatevers, but they worked and sounded fine for practice amps) parts, etc.
Anyway, I thought this was some sorta weird 60's MIJ Teisco-type thing, but the more I look at it, the more I think it's home made. All the fasteners are slot-head (NON Philips), the neck looks and feels like a gigantic baseball bat (love it) from a Kay/Teisco/Silvertone etc acoustic guitar, all the electronics look suspiciously like what you'd find in a LP-Special (2xP90, 2vol/2tone/3-way) and the tuners (3 onna plate) are Kluson Deluxes... Whoever made this, used nice stuff.

More inna minute!
 
Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

I really dig that! Hows it play? If it plays like a$$, it can be made to pl;ay better, which of course u know. Actually looks like quality wood, 2 piece body( that is , i think i detect a center seam-no wait, its freakin' 1 piece!!), and a killer nitro paint job. I'd get a set of Mosrite repros -if they make such a thing-in there and surf away.Ur in luck cause i'm gonna give u 25 more than you paid for it and pay actual shipping.(Dancing Bananna);

Did it come with that strap? If thats an old Ace strap, that could be worth what u paid for that guitar or more!
 
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Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

Anyway, this thing sounded GREAT thru the little practice amps at the store. It sounds HUUUGE thru my VHT- just awesome p90 rawk sound and nice, fat middle position chords. I wanna take it apart to see what it's made of, but it just sounds SO good, I don't want to touch anything.
It's got a stop-tail


the scale length is right at 25.5", so it's intonated just fine. The body looks to be pancaked

the top and back look like "real" wood, with the finish sinking into the grain


It's a fairly accurate Strat shape, with arm and belly contours. It's heavy, too. I don't know what it's actually made of, but I don't THINK it's all plywood. If it is, it's definitely not the soft. "dent-it-with-your-fingernail" stuff my $99 Epi's were made of.
The neck is a real V shape, and HUUUUGE


which if you described it to me, I'd think it would stink, but it feels great. The fret board looks like the weird card-board-y stuff I've seen on cheap Kay-type acoustics

Everything LOOKS old, but I know it could be 8 days old, and just aged... but man, this thing feels and sounds great.
The neck joint is nice and tight, and there's ferrules instead of a plate

I've seen Kay guitars that have 3 neck bolts, but not 4 like this one... Overall this thing looks like one of those cheap, MIJ junk store guitars from the 60s (like, way before the "copy" era) but I've never seen one with P90s, or such an accurately shaped Strat body, or decent tuners... It's a real mystery.
Oh yeah, it came with a home-made case


It's all plywood, with some kind of foam inside and piano hinges. It says "URST" on it, and had mildew all over it, so it also looks old. I don't know if the letters were for "SunbURST", Hurst, Bratwurst, or what...but I want to call this thing "Urst" now.
 
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Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

It came with a strap marked "KINGSTON", which I've seen cheap Teisco-type guitars branded with. I did image searches, and didn't see any "Kingston" stuff shaped like this.

The tuners really look like ones I've seen on Jr's, Melody Makers, and such. They're tight, but not bent- if they're old, they weren't broken. And I've aged tuners (with vinegar and muriatic acid) and these don't look like new ones that got aged... unless by somebody a lot better than me.
So what I'd LIKE to think is this is somebody's 70's wood shop project, where they bought a broken LP Special, their dad's old Kinsgston acoustic neck, and some Ash from the wood pile (and maybe some floor tiles or bathroom shower enclosure for the guard) and had some help from somebody who knew what they were doing, or just got really lucky. Honestly, I don't care what it actually is, because I really dig what it sounds and plays like. All I really want to do to it, is maybe lower the bridge down a little (I'm not sure if the neck actually has a truss rod- something's on the end of the neck

it seems straight, it doesn't buzz. It's not "slide-only" high, just too much for me.
 
Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

That's awesome, I love it ! Great score. Big neck, P90s and hardtail is a recipe for a big fat sound.
 
Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

OK so it was time to change the crusty strings, and try to clean up the frets. I had to take it away from one of my daughters first:

It was hard, taking it apart because it just sounds SO GOOD, even thru my crummy practice amp.

So upon opening it up, it's definitely homemade (or at least not from a factory)

The pickguard is some kinda wood, painted white on top

I was hoping for some pot codes I could try to decode, but I can't see any numbers on anything. It all looks like "real" components, and put together by someone who knew what they were doing.

All the pup routing looks really neatly done, but the control cavity looks kinda unfinished.

THe input jack area wasn't quite finished, I had to unsolder the wiring to get it out (and I only did that so I could turn the guard over to see underneath, the wires are REALLY short)

I broke out the Forstner and Dremel router to clean it up a little.

I got the cleaner and polish out to try to clean the metal stuff up a little. THe frets are NASTY, and aren't getting much better. I might have to break down and get fret files (or maybe just some sandpaper) to try and clean them up. THe stop tail (which is definitely Aluminum) is all corroded,and my polish isn't really getting it better.

The bridge was screwed all the way down onto some nuts, and I wanted to lower the bridge a little. I was afraid I'd have to recess the bridge, but the nuts just came off. The bridge studs are really corroded... Maybe I should get some new ones? And get a "lightning bolt" or intonatable stop tail bridge...? (Repeat after me: I MUST NOT TURN THIS INTO A PROJECT! I MUST NOT etc)

I really think this was made out of old Gibson parts, but I don't know if I'd be able to prove anything- "real" Gibson pups aren't marked as such, are they?



I like the way this sounds enough that I don't actually want to sell it or anything, I'm more curious than anything. Of course now I'm paranoid it won't be the same now that I took it apart... All I gotta do is reconnect the wires to the output and re string it though. WIsh me luck!
 
Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

Oh yeah, a bunch of the tuners are really stiff. I've never lubed a tuner before, will Mineral Oil work, or do I need something special? I already have a quart of MO but I can get the appropriate stuff if MO will damage the tuners or something.
 
Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

I'd keep the action high and use that puppy for slide. Coodercaster meets Mosrite meets strat meets Les Paul Special. With that chunky neck and P90s, I bet it would ROAR for slide!
 
Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

Whoever made that knew what they were doing. Look at the orientation of slanted bridge pickup. Cool guitar.
 
Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

Seeing how this guy knew what he was doing, it's quite possible those p90s are Gibson. They seem quite old too.

Btw, graph tech makes a killer adjustable wraparound.
 
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Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

Looks like you've got NOS bumblebees in there! I wouldn't rewire it. Just clean it up a bit and put it back.
 
Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

daan said:
The bridge was screwed all the way down onto some nuts, and I wanted to lower the bridge a little. I was afraid I'd have to recess the bridge, but the nuts just came off.
Click to expand...

Just find some slightly thinner nuts, or file the existing nuts a bit thinner, or use some washers to achieve the desired height.

Did you try some steel wool with metal polish to clean the frets ?
 
Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

daan said:
Oh yeah, a bunch of the tuners are really stiff. I've never lubed a tuner before, will Mineral Oil work, or do I need something special? I already have a quart of MO but I can get the appropriate stuff if MO will damage the tuners or something.
Click to expand...

Mineral oil should be fine. Some kind of penetrating oil first might be needed if they're really tough ... or, if you can wait a few days ... take the tuner strips off and soak them in an appropriately-sized container or tray for a few days, completely submerged in the some of the oil you have. Maybe stand the strips on edge so the buttons don't get oil on them ... old buttons like that may be prone to crumbling when they're really old, but if that happens, you can buy new buttons for them or replace the entire strips.
 
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Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

Very cool. The body looks like sen ash used on so many MIJ guitars from the 70s onwards.
 
Re: Unexpected NGD (like I need another one...)

Ashurbanipal said:
Very cool. The body looks like sen ash used on so many MIJ guitars from the 70s onwards.
Click to expand...

Wow, yeah, it really does ... I have a 1982 Tokai Strat, it's sunburst, Sen Ash, and it looks exactly like that. Well spotted ! And my Tokai is a really great guitar, so if this one is Sen Ash, that's another big plus.
 
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