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: Wed 27 Aug 2014 12:26 PM 
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Before I start a war here, I am NOT trying to drum up the value of the guitar. It is whatever it is. I am an Electra/Westone guy mostly, and we had our yearly electrafest celebration and I won this guitar as one of the prizes. I am not a vantage collector (at least not yet). I just want to know what this is! It isn't in any catalog - the
TD-X 38 is the closest I have seen. Tom Presley was at the show, one of the chief designers of Electra and Westone Matsumoku guitars - and was the VP of St. Louis Music - and in charge of the Alvarez line as well. Tom spent months at a time in Japan at Matsumoku and later when product was moved to Korea (he assisted with that). He knew their designers personally.

Tom saw this and stated he though it was a prototype or possibly a transition guitar. There is nothing that says where it is made. He said it very well could have been made with some parts made by Matsumoku, and some in Korea. He said when it went down with Matsumoku that companies frequently had a bunch of parts from Matsumoku that found their way into guitars with the rest being made in Korea. He said it happened at Westone. He said the bridge is basically a bendmaster with the fine tuners (a Matsumoku bridge) - very much like the ones on my westone spectrum LX and FX. It had a string lock - although it was not like the Westone products (it also had the clamps missing, so was just the shell). This is VERY CLOSE to a Vantage TD-X 38 model - color, look, shape, everything but the pickups on this model are three on/off/on switches (one for each pickup, the bridge humbucker being a single, off , humbucker switch, and the singles appear to be low output, off, higher output - but not humbucking). The pickups look sort of like EMGs but are not active, and in the corner there is (or was) a greek omega symbol in a red triangle - those were the Vantage pickups. The T38TD is the same except it has a 5-way style switch. This isn't a converted or modified guitar, because the guitar has no pickguard - and the finish is stock and in good shape.

I decided to make the guitar all that it could be. I removed the stock bridge pickup and put a replacement in it. I removed the non-functional string lock. I got a missing fine tuner from a good friend down under (very hard to find). I had to get a replacement bar, a 6mm black floydrose bar works perfectly. I decided to remove the non-functional lock and put in locking keys. I am waiting two strat sized humbuckers to arrive (dual-bladed), that will be wired single, off, hum on their switches along with the new one already installed. Now without the lock, it needs string trees - and I have some roller ones ordered (not yet arrived). I did a ton of setup work - including some fine dremeling in the trem route so that it would float properly. Now it looks and plays great. I will keep the stock pickups for it, but the new ones - well - at least the new one I installed so far is a LOT BETTER. Oh yeah, it had 250K volume pot (original) I changed to a 500K. Here it is, tell me what you think - prototype? or does anyone know of a model produced with this wiring? I am pulling my own image from my photobucket.

Image

Thorny


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PostPosted: Wed 27 Aug 2014 04:47 PM 
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Welcome here, Thorny!!

I forgot to comment before now that the individual on/off switches for the pickups is a early Korean Westone thing, too; 2 of mine are so equipped; an 88 Clipper 4112 and an 87 Spectrum 1012.

That muddies the water even more, eh!! :D


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PostPosted: Wed 27 Aug 2014 06:28 PM 
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Looks like the basis for a great guitar Thorny. I'm a big Vantage/Avenger fan.
Have a look (if you haven't already) at the "New Avenger" cat: http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4985 Some design echoes there methinks.

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PostPosted: Wed 27 Aug 2014 09:55 PM 
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Serial number stamped on neck plate appears to be E6 (so possibly 86)? That would put it right at the time of transition wouldn't it? That matches Corsair's time line. Does anyone have a picture in a catalog of a similar pickup switching config on a Vantage? Anyone have 1986 or 87 catalogs? I didn't see one, but I may not have been looking in the right place.

I listed it in this section because frankly I don't know. If it were 86, I suppose that is the time they transitioned. The models in that catalog (had the model 38 in it) were supposedly a year or two earlier and Matsumoku? If that were the case, it could be made from parts from both. I guess it does not matter. Still a great guitar. Only a couple very picky complaints - this particular one is fairly HEAVY. Also the strap button not positioned at the tip end of the upper cutaway. After the setup it really plays nice, and will be even better with the new pickups and string retainer. I can get a little less sustain and a bit of buzz off the small E string because there isn't enough tension without a retainer (not the nut slot, both that and the bridge saddle were the first things I checked).


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PostPosted: Thu 28 Aug 2014 03:16 PM 
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Hi Thorny, welcome to the board!

All Vantage electric guitars were made at Matsumoku until 1984. (Probably june/july)
The fall of '84 brought a new line of MADE IN JAPAN guitars with avenger bodies, trem Units and Omega pups.

This is what Peter Patrick (Erikson Music/JAM) has told me:
The Chushin factory in Matsumoku also started building electric guitars for the brand as demand was such that other sources were needed..
(source: 2011 email)

85/86/87 Vantage models (and model names) remained the same, but the guitars went through some modifications. (source: FACHBLATT Music Magazine)

From my POV you're owning a 5/1986, MIJ-but non-Mat Vantage TD-X 38 model with "Vantage TD 1000 fine tune Tremolo unit". Obviously it has another switch configuration than it's 1985 predecessor.

We're missing catalogs from the transition years inbetween Mat era and Samick/Korea, and (other than 1979 - 1984 Matsumoku models) these guitars are not well documentated.

cheers, Johann

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