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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 Post subject: New additions
PostPosted: Sat 19 Jan 2019 11:57 AM 
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Axe Slinger

Joined: Sat 29 Sep 2018 02:17 AM
Posts: 38
Hello everybody,

Just before the end of the year I could help myself and went on a shopping spree. This is the result:

Attachment:
TELE DELUXE F.jpg
TELE DELUXE F.jpg [ 67.18 KiB | Viewed 1327 times ]


I bought this beauty in Belgium. It's got a chunky neck, which I like, but I think I will have to shimmy it's neck, because the action is not quite right.

Attachment:
CS-400F.jpg
CS-400F.jpg [ 96.38 KiB | Viewed 1327 times ]


I bought this one close by. It's in really great condtition and came with it's ohsc. It complements both my cs's and my B'nG's.

In an earlier post I mentioned that I was in the proces of buying a Vantage VSH-445. Sadly the deal fell through, but to compensate for the loss, I was able to find this one.

Attachment:
FS-750F.jpg
FS-750F.jpg [ 73.42 KiB | Viewed 1327 times ]


As you can see it's missing its supermatic bridge and its original pickups. The knobs are wrong and the pickup switch is broken, but it will make a nice project for the future. Who knows what the internet wil turn up and I'm a patient man.

Always happy to share with you, Rob.


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 Post subject: Re: New additions
PostPosted: Sat 19 Jan 2019 02:38 PM 
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Virtuoso
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Joined: Wed 29 Apr 2009 12:32 PM
Posts: 3938
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Beutiful Rob, congrats!

I love a Tele but I'm more of a traditionalist, gotta be single coils for me with the bridge pup on the wrap around metal plate eh?

That CS looks killer, and since I always love a semi acoustic F-hole that 750 has to be my favourite, even with the mods. But please don't tell me those are active pups in there or I'll cry!

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 Post subject: Re: New additions
PostPosted: Sat 19 Jan 2019 11:15 PM 
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Virtuoso
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Joined: Sat 25 Mar 2006 09:25 PM
Posts: 3190
Location: Grand Absurdity, TX
Oh my!! :love:

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 Post subject: Re: New additions
PostPosted: Sun 20 Jan 2019 01:15 AM 
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Virtuoso
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Joined: Wed 05 Jul 2006 03:40 PM
Posts: 2608
Location: Mount Hunter, NSW, Australia.
Ooooh... plush!!

Love the Tele Custom, complete with 70s big headstock.... yummy!!


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 Post subject: Re: New additions
PostPosted: Sun 20 Jan 2019 10:41 AM 
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Axe Slinger

Joined: Sat 29 Sep 2018 02:17 AM
Posts: 38
I guess you better take out a handkerchief, because this is what the control cavity looks like:

Attachment:
FS-750CC.jpg
FS-750CC.jpg [ 108.77 KiB | Viewed 1315 times ]


Besides being made active, it's got two push/pull pots. I don't know if these are for split coil or to switch between active and non-active. The pickups are EMG, but I haven't lifted them to see what type they are. I had to crank my amp all the way up to get some sound out of the guitar. It could be that the battery is dead, or the wirework is shoddy. At least no holes were drilled for an extra switch.
About the tele. They don't come up for sale that often so I had to buy it, when opportunity knocked. But if I ever get the chance to buy a classic tele and the price is right, I won't hesitate. I'm really chuffed with this one and beside the nice neck, the pickups sound really nice and clear.

Rob.


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 Post subject: Re: New additions
PostPosted: Sun 20 Jan 2019 01:22 PM 
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Virtuoso
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Joined: Wed 29 Apr 2009 12:32 PM
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Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
:cry: No-o-o-o! I hate active pups, especially EMG's. :evil:

In my experience they add nothing to a guitar, you can nail 'em to a piece of barn board and they'll sound just the same.

I've related this story before I think, but when I was a tech, I had a young player come into the shop with a beautiful Les Paul that had EMG's installed. It sounded like junk compared to what it should have sounded like.

After some discussion he admitted that he was disappointed in the sound too, and we agreed to take the EMG's out and put in some decent humbuckers. Night and day! And we had a happy player again.

In your case you are losing the nuances and natural resonance of the guitar's structure and substituting it for an electronic sound.
I'd rip those things outta there!

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 Post subject: Re: New additions
PostPosted: Sun 20 Jan 2019 02:11 PM 
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Gallery Friend

Joined: Tue 08 Jan 2019 12:16 PM
Posts: 3
Nice haul! That 750 is nice but yeah I'd replace the pickups. I'm learning the same, the actives just do what they do, doesn't matter much what they are in. I'm sure you can put them up for sale no prob.


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 Post subject: Re: New additions
PostPosted: Tue 22 Jan 2019 04:37 AM 
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Axe Slinger

Joined: Sat 29 Sep 2018 02:17 AM
Posts: 38
I never understood that urge to replace the pickups upon receiving a guitar. You could still do a lot by playing with the height of the pickups and the magnetic poles. This is not the only guitar I have that came with active EMG's, only with the other one, the seller never got around with replacing them. Got the EMG's though. I particularly dislike the way they look, with their plastic covers.
But the plan is to replace all the electronics. I hope to find some nice mmk's, preferably a set of 75's, but 61/53 or 53/53 will do, to replace the EMG's. If push comes to shove, I could get the guitar near original, but then I have to cannibalize a few of my own guitars and at that's not something I'm willing to do.
At the moment I still got a very long list of guitars I have to work on, so for now the FS is gonna go on the backburner. It pains me to put it back in the attic, but I think it's gonna take some time before the right pups come up for sale somewhere on the internet.
I will be posting finished projects, including the FS, in the future. I got a sneaky suspicion that that's gonna be the tele. I doesn't need a lot of work, but I like to take my guitars apart and to clean them thoroughly, so they are like new again. It gives me the feeling that they are really mine.

Rob.


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 Post subject: Re: New additions
PostPosted: Tue 22 Jan 2019 10:44 AM 
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Virtuoso
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Joined: Wed 29 Apr 2009 12:32 PM
Posts: 3938
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Westtwo wrote:
...EMG's... I particularly dislike the way they look, with their plastic covers.
Really, they look like something from Toys R Us, eh? These things seem to appeal to young players who want to be shred masters or Metal heads. I don't think I've ever met a mature player who wants to install them.
Quote:
I hope to find some nice mmk's, preferably a set of 75's, but 61/53 or 53/53 will do
75's would be outstanding, if you can find 'em. But yes, 61/53 is a great pairing too.
Quote:
...I like to take my guitars apart and to clean them thoroughly, so they are like new again. It gives me the feeling that they are really mine.

Yup. I do the same thing, I think most of us do.

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 Post subject: Re: New additions
PostPosted: Wed 23 Jan 2019 06:49 AM 
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Axe Slinger

Joined: Sat 29 Sep 2018 02:17 AM
Posts: 38
Hi Barry,

When you're young, you want to imitate your heroes. But the seller of the other guitar I mentioned (coincidentally I posted a picture of it in the Torchy-thread) who wanted to put in EMG's was more of my age (I'm 50 btw) and the only reason he didn"t was because he bought a "better" Gibson. I made me silently think: a better guitar doesn"t make you a better player.
I still have hope for the young though. I got a young nephew who is quite a good player. I have given him a nice Vantage AV-315 when he got accepted in a music school and a nice 12-string Aria for his 18th birthday. I also give him guitars on loan and I try to roulate them in the hope to kindle a love for Matsumoku.
A few months ago I bought a Vantage VP-7120 bass from a young girl who was into vintage Japanese guitar. She bought guitars that needed some TLC and did them up to sell them on. So I think there is still hope for the younger generations.
I really love my hobby. You can do it alone, while you tinker with your guitar, trying to make it like new. It gives me a zen-like experience. And if I'm out buying another guitar, I meet a lot of interesting people, who have the same affliction as me in one form or other. It has enriched my life.

Rob


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