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: Vantage 650 Re-build
PostPosted: Sun 02 Oct 2016 08:48 AM 
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Axe Slinger
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I bought the remains of a Vantage VS650 recently - It had been largely pulled apart and came, rather surprisingly with a couple of Peavy T60 pick-ups.
Image

It seemed a good contender for a bit of a project so a was duly bought.

I've decided to refinish it in a transluscent black across the whole guitar, without keeping the central faux "neck-through" detail in the lighter wood.

So out came the belt sander to remove the original, thick, poly lacquer and sand out the various small dings and dents from the edges. And then a few coats of sanding sealer to get a nice flat base ready for the tinted black lacquer.

The original yellow stain just seemed to have penetrated deep into the original wood and as can be seen, I gave up trying to sand through it all around the edges of the horns as can be seen. I think it won't notice once it's been "blacked"

Image

More to come in the next few weeks....


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 Post subject: Re: Vantage 650 Re-build
PostPosted: Sun 02 Oct 2016 02:49 PM 
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Virtuoso
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Location: Mount Hunter, NSW, Australia.
Good-o!! Lots of pics and enjoy the rebuild!


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 Post subject: Re: Vantage 650 Re-build
PostPosted: Mon 03 Oct 2016 07:00 PM 
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Location: Grand Absurdity, TX
I dig it!! :rockwoot:

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 Post subject: Re: Vantage 650 Re-build
PostPosted: Mon 21 Nov 2016 07:42 AM 
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Axe Slinger
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OK, so I decided against the trans black option after putting a couple of coats of tinted lacquer over the guitar body. The grain was so indistinct that I deceided to just lay on a laod more coats
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I also decided against using the Peavey T60 pickups that came with the guitar as the lead was too short on the neck pickup, and I didn't want the agro of pulling it apart to install a longer one. So the T60 ones got sold.

And I now have a nice new set of Tonerider Rocksong pickups instead.

Here it is starting to come together
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and here with the pickups dropped in for effect. The headstock has been painted black to go with the body. Not sure what I'm doing about the transfer yet. I may just leave it.
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I started to do the wiring, but needed a new threeway and micro switch, so this is as far as that job has got...
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The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that they are only 250K pots. I had already decided to wire it up as the Peavey T60 - they have variable coil taps on both pickups. The Peavey circuit diagram shows 250k pots, so that's what I got.

Anyway, new bits should turn up in the post this week, so "I might" get close to completion next weekend. We'll see!


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 Post subject: Re: Vantage 650 Re-build
PostPosted: Mon 21 Nov 2016 04:21 PM 
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Virtuoso
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Location: Mount Hunter, NSW, Australia.
Yep... gonna be a good 'un!!

Nice p'up choice....


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 Post subject: Re: Vantage 650 Re-build
PostPosted: Mon 21 Nov 2016 06:29 PM 
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Virtuoso
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Looking good.


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 Post subject: Re: Vantage 650 Re-build
PostPosted: Mon 21 Nov 2016 11:16 PM 
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Ordinarily I like to see the mix of wood "stripes", but on these earlier builds the walnut looks rather lost and wimpy. They didn't quite get the wood contrast optimal. And the grain on the body is almost non-existant, so using a solid colour was ultimately a good choice. :up:
Almost a Rainbow now. :D

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 Post subject: Re: Vantage 650 Re-build
PostPosted: Tue 22 Nov 2016 04:02 AM 
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Axe Slinger
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I had been hoping to get a finish with the centre stripe still showing through the tranlucent finish with the wood grain showing through on the wings.

I should have realised really, that with the very bland grain of the guitar, it wouldn't work. As it is, I quite like the all black look now. I just wish I had gone for that initially, and avoided lots of the early prep. :-?


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 Post subject: Re: Vantage 650 Re-build
PostPosted: Tue 22 Nov 2016 08:38 AM 
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Virtuoso
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Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Yeah, I would have wanted to do that too. I suppose you could mask off the walnut stripes but that won't be easy and without a nice piece of maple to contrast with them it would not have worked well either.

Look at it this way, it's all experience. Nothing is lost in the grand scheme of things. :)

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 Post subject: Re: Vantage 650 Re-build
PostPosted: Sun 27 Nov 2016 06:39 AM 
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It's back together and works!

Image

I shielded the cavity to see if it makes much difference over other guitars I've got that aren't shielded
Image

Headstock now black and blank
Image

Still got the original knobs and truss rod cover in cream. I might change them, I might not...
Image
Image

It still needs a few adjustments, and I found out, after I had strung it all up, that one of the allen screws to adjust the bottom E saddle has been bodged for one with a different thread and hex size, and is jammed in there. I've dropped down the side that adjusts, and it's just about OK, but I'll have to sort it out.

But not just yet....


Last edited by splodger on Sun 27 Nov 2016 06:46 AM, edited 1 time in total.

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