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)
It is currently Fri 29 Mar 2024 01:55 AM

All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic
 [ 21 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: Sat 29 Dec 2007 04:17 AM 
Offline
Virtuoso
User avatar

Joined: Fri 27 Jan 2006 02:38 PM
Posts: 116
Location: Duisburg / Germany
Hi guys (and Polly of course),

I snagged this poor guitar from Evilbay :

Image Image Image

The seller says, that it was attached to a wall and that it was bought new and never used. So at least I have a unused neck and a pair of humbuckers but the rest ?!? I dont know, they ever sawed an edge off the tremolo !!! I wonder if I can put it to a use or if it´s just firewood. I thought perhaps I fill the holes in the back of the body (even the tremolo hole), than put in a fixed bridge and one humbucker only. This way I wouldn´t need a big electronic cavity and connect the humbucker directly to the output jack (which I still have no idea where to put it). Or I make a paddle out of it, like an Interceptor. Hmmm, when it gets here I will have to give it some serious thoughts. Any ideas from you ?

Oh, by the way, my almost cured collectors syndrome kicked in again, so I had to by this beauty, too :

Image Image Image

Nice color. I couldn´t find that particular Cat Series in any catalogue, as it has this slanted humbucker, known from the MegaMetal Stage I K-Pi. It´s a 1986, btw.

OK, have a good new year 2008, friends !


Oliver !


Last edited by okaspar on Sun 03 Feb 2008 05:06 AM, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat 29 Dec 2007 09:27 AM 
Offline
Virtuoso
User avatar

Joined: Sun 15 Jan 2006 04:52 PM
Posts: 2209
Location: Absolute Stupidity, Missouri
You're a glutton for punishment. :D But, those near impossible projects have some sweet rewards when the task is finally complete. :up:

Maybe someone here could trace their ZZ on a sheet so you could replace the amputated section. Either that or fill the trem cavity with a block and make it a hardtail or put a Les-trem on it.

I ran into one of the guys that sold me my first Aria Pro II at a music shop and he had a Cat like that he bought back then while they were an Aria Pro II dealer.

Not much info yet on 1986.

You and yours have a safe and happy new year as well. :D


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat 05 Jan 2008 09:32 AM 
Offline
Virtuoso
User avatar

Joined: Fri 27 Jan 2006 02:38 PM
Posts: 116
Location: Duisburg / Germany
Hehe "glutton for punishment" is a nice way to put it.....

OK, it arrived, and had some surprises inside.

I got the humbuckers out and when I removed the covers, I found 2 blade humbuckers in very nice condition (never seen the lights until now I would guess!). Nice !

Image

Then I started to sand down the painting on the headstock with very fine sanding paper and guess, which name appeared ? Aria Pro II RS Warrior. On a ZZ model. Is that strange ?!?

Image

I have no idea how this could be, but a 1985 ZZ should have another headstock I would say..... After putting a layer of clearcoat over it it looks nice again, may use it somewhere.....

I probably found out, why they did this massacre to the guitar - you can lean it to the wall now without the guitar falling over ;-)

Image Image Image

They even cut through the trem !

Image

I will now let the thing stand (yes, without neck it can stand on its own, name me a guitar that can do that, too ;-) ) around here and decide what to do. I already have a fixed bridge that would fit, so I probably fill the obsolete holes with polyresin. But first I have to get rid of that ridiculous paintjob !

Greets

Oliver !


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon 07 Jan 2008 09:46 AM 
Offline
Virtuoso
User avatar

Joined: Mon 19 Mar 2007 08:50 AM
Posts: 1588
If its a bolt on and your woodworking skills are up to it (and it sounds like they are), why not build a new body? You could either rebuild it as a ZZ or as anything you wanted.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon 07 Jan 2008 03:10 PM 
Offline
Virtuoso
User avatar

Joined: Wed 05 Jul 2006 03:40 PM
Posts: 2608
Location: Mount Hunter, NSW, Australia.
...good luck with this one, mate - looks sort of terminal, really! Why do people - and I use the term loosely! - feel the need to disfigure such items as this; are they mad, or just stupid?!

One of the mysteries of our time, I guess! I'm just surprised the previous owner didn't part it out to increase his return!! :-?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon 07 Jan 2008 07:14 PM 
Offline
Virtuoso
User avatar

Joined: Sat 25 Mar 2006 09:25 PM
Posts: 3190
Location: Grand Absurdity, TX
Maybe he was playing very small clubs. . . :-?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon 07 Jan 2008 08:28 PM 
Offline
Virtuoso
User avatar

Joined: Wed 05 Jul 2006 03:40 PM
Posts: 2608
Location: Mount Hunter, NSW, Australia.
:D :D :D


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun 13 Jan 2008 12:35 PM 
Offline
Virtuoso
User avatar

Joined: Fri 27 Jan 2006 02:38 PM
Posts: 116
Location: Duisburg / Germany
So guys, I was busy this weekend. I considered the idea of building a new body, but somehow I didn´t want to throw away to original body, 2/3 were still there ;-) So I started to get rid of the paintjob. And this was what came back to the light :

A black/white Explorer paintjob. Much better than the junk that was on top !
Image


So a friend of mine said that I might need a light guitar if I wanted to participate in a 24 hour Metal Marathon. I don´t know if I will, but if I do, I will use this guitar, because it is quite light due to the missing slab of wood. So I got my favourite material and gave this guitar some metal back :

Image Image [img]http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/5553/ariazzrestauration6et1.th.jpg[/img] [img]http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/1276/ariazzrestauration7fg3.th.jpg[/img]

To make things easier, I decided to make it a "Zero-Pot-Version" and attached the humbucker directly to the output jack ! I have a fixed bridge that will do the job, so I could route the cable via the ex-FR-cavity. To cut the metal and do the woodwork took me the better part of the day but is was fun. I will attach the bridge and give it some strings asap.

What do you think of it. I think it screams "METAL!!!"

;-)

Oliver !


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun 13 Jan 2008 01:05 PM 
Offline
Virtuoso
User avatar

Joined: Sat 25 Mar 2006 09:25 PM
Posts: 3190
Location: Grand Absurdity, TX
You saved it! Very useful for the occasional heckler as well. :D


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun 13 Jan 2008 08:34 PM 
Offline
Axe Slinger
User avatar

Joined: Tue 13 Nov 2007 09:24 PM
Posts: 47
Location: Seaham, County Durham
Hi Oliver,

Happy New Year to you and everyone else here. I haven't been around for a while so I have just noticed this now.
(I've been too busy chasing a newly bought puppy around and restoring guitars!) :hyper:

WOW! You truly are a guitar genius! :bow:
That is one amazing resurrection that you have completed there, congrats on that!
How many do you have in your collection now?

Pauline :)


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 21 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group