The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Q&A, discussion, and information for the labels covered by The Guitar Gallery (Specifically and exclusively guitars made by Matsumoku up to 1987)
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PostPosted: Thu 21 Jul 2016 01:19 PM 
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Power Chorder

Joined: Thu 11 Oct 2012 05:41 PM
Posts: 10
Location: Omaha, NE
Looking for hands on knowledge from owners of 1979 Vantage VLP-500 Spirits. If I read various sites correctly, the 500-550's were identical except for applied finishes.

I recently purchased this guitar and the bridge pickup had been replaced with a DiMarzio K-10 or similar non split coil humbucker. I'm looking into the possibility of retro fitting back to an original bridge pickup if I can locate one.

The neck pickup is cream colored, split coil with molded "T"s on each bobbin. On a spec sheet for the guitar they are listed as "#450PF custom-engineered humbucking pickup. (Humbucker)". There are only 2 holes on the top of each bobbin that align with the mounting screws coming through the metal base. There are no markings at all on the base plate.

Every picture I find of the guitar show the bridge pickup with same 2 holes on the top of the bobbin, but no pictures are clear enough to show if the molded "T"s are there. If anyone has a known stock guitar, could they please look it over and let me know.

Also nowhere I can find any reference to the neck and bridge pickups being the same or having different pole spacing.

So could you also measure that for me. And if you've ever measured the resistance, what that was.

My neck pickup measures 52mm from outside edge of the low E pole to the outside edge of the high E pole.

I'm going to try to hunt down a replacement, so the more base information I can accumulate the better my chances to get it right.

Do parts get sold on this site?

Hope to tap into someone's insights and knowledge on this site.


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PostPosted: Thu 21 Jul 2016 01:31 PM 
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Power Chorder

Joined: Thu 11 Oct 2012 05:41 PM
Posts: 10
Location: Omaha, NE
Also the neck pickup bobbins have small molded characters opposite each other across the small hole from each other. The bobbin with adjustable poles has a 2 . The stud pole bobbin has a 4.

Both bobbins have an identical second character, The base character is a capital H, above the center horizontal bar is a P, below is a descending bar that touches the center horizontal bar.

Haven't been able to shrink down a picture that will fit.

John


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PostPosted: Thu 21 Jul 2016 01:46 PM 
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Power Chorder

Joined: Thu 11 Oct 2012 05:41 PM
Posts: 10
Location: Omaha, NE
Here's a picture of my neck pickup.


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PostPosted: Thu 21 Jul 2016 04:15 PM 
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Virtuoso
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Joined: Wed 05 Jul 2006 03:40 PM
Posts: 2608
Location: Mount Hunter, NSW, Australia.
AFAIK, that #450PF was Vantage shorthand for the MMK45 pickups, which were either made in house by Matsumoku or by Maxon - I'm not entirely sure which!! If so, on the neck pickup on the baseplate, there should be 'MMK' stamped into the metal, with the number 45 in a box painted/inked/stencilled under the stamped letters.

This could possibly make the hunt easier - though cream 45s don't turn up as often as black ones!

Hopefully, one of the others who knows much more than I will be along in a bit to clarify things!!


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PostPosted: Thu 21 Jul 2016 04:30 PM 
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Power Chorder

Joined: Thu 11 Oct 2012 05:41 PM
Posts: 10
Location: Omaha, NE
Here's a picture of the back of the plate. No markings what so ever.


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