Hi there--this is my first post here, and i'm glad to join you all!
I recently purchased this guitar:
https://reverb.com/item/48174116-matsumoku-aria-ventura-electra-es-335-70-s-cherry-burstI loved the look of it, the fact that it might be a Matsumoku, and I like the challenge of having to fix it up (looks like it will need some pretty serious repair/restoration).
I have a few concerns.
1) The price: I feel as though a Matsumoku ES-335 is pretty hard to come by--especially for this price tag.
2) The blank headstock. I asked for a closer picture of the headstock (thinking there was an issue with the lighting), and I received two pictures--the headstock for this guitar up close and the headstock of an "Electra" label guitar. The seller was suggesting that the build is identical to the other two guitars that he claims are Matsumoku (one being the Electra):
https://imgur.com/a/4nmvwx23) The bridge plate (is that what it's called? Or tail piece?) has a wood inlay like the photo you'll see below. However, the shape is different--notice the squared off top of the wood inlay compared to the diagonal top of the one from the catalog below.
4) The pickups are different than those seen in the catalog.
5) The volume and tone knobs appear to be different as well.
From my research (
http://www.rivercityamps.com/electrapage/index.php?entry=entry071002-045431), the guitar I purchased looks to be an Electra 2229 Super Professional.
For additional reference/comparison, check out this one that was also sold on Reverb at some point:
https://reverb.com/item/13085825-electra-2229-super-professional-aged-spruce-flame-maple-70-s-japanese-time-capsuleI would love to hear your thoughts on this.
I would also like to know if you have any suggestions regarding the repair process for this guitar. Do you think I can get it back to 100%?
Thank you!
------------UPDATE 12/22/2021
Just got back from the guitar tech. This "semi-hollow" guitar does not have a complete center block. According to the tech, this means the guitar lacks structural integrity; the consequence is that (as Barry suggested) the neck pocket has shifted in towards the bridge pickup cavity, resulting in very high action.
Changing the angle of the bridge could be one "quick and dirty" trick to help lower the action, but, beyond that, it looks like this guitar won't be making a comeback.
I'm not (too) bitter that the seller's description was misleading (calling this guitar "a good player in the right hands"); however, I am disappointed that a guitar with alleged origins in Japan's "golden era" of guitar manufacturing would have such a fundamental design flaw.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. What do you think my take-aways should be?
It arrived today. Here are some pics:
https://imgur.com/a/ykC62OE