The Great Guitar / Gear Show -part deux

Open discussion on anything - guitar mods, the weather, guitar links, parts ... just keep it clean!
User avatar
mikedem
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 5:22 pm
Location: Ottawa

Re: The Great Guitar / Gear Show -part deux

Post by mikedem »

I have a Classic Vibe 50's model and it is unreal. So many of my friends pick it up and fall in love with it. Far superior to a MIM and I think rivals a MIA.
User avatar
Barry
Posts: 1038
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:31 pm
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Contact:

Re: The Great Guitar / Gear Show -part deux

Post by Barry »

Yup, the Classic Vibe series is outstanding value for little money!
The ones we have in the shop rival the real thing. They're not perfect but they're head and shoulders above the majority of stuff out there and a lot of guys pick them up as a backup for their gigging guitar.
User avatar
Barry
Posts: 1038
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:31 pm
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Contact:

Mini Update

Post by Barry »

Just for fun I replaced the original witch hat knobs with some chicken heads!
Image

Now I can do the Funky Chicken! :mrgreen:
User avatar
Barry
Posts: 1038
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:31 pm
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Contact:

One More Time!

Post by Barry »

Well, what can I tell ya?
I've been on the lookout for a number of guitars for some time, including the Hummingbird "mate" to my ED Dove, and, an affordable 12-string.
Didn't come across any ED brands that I liked BUT, I did find an outstanding Vantage brand that I love. (Vantage is one of the MIJ/Matsumoku related era guitars that I collect)
It was cheap too, relatively. The main reason being that there is an action problem which I must spend some time this winter correcting.
It's a stunner otherwise but playable only in the first position at present.

Here then, number 27!
Image Image
Image Image
Image Image

(Note the arched back)
1982 / MIJ / Mahogany body & Neck (antique cherry sunburst) / Spruce top / Indian Rosewood Fretboard
Above pictures taken in "as received" condition. I've not yet done any refurbishing, and in addition to the mechanical work to be done there are some dents and dings to look after. Oh, and the previous owner had strung her with a set of nickel (electric) strings. Even with those she still sounds impressive.
User avatar
charles
Site Admin
Posts: 1709
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:00 pm
Contact:

Re: The Great Guitar / Gear Show -part deux

Post by charles »

Beauty!
I started ElDegas.com many years ago to help celebrate and inform about El Degas instruments. It all started with a used Ric 4000 bass copy I bought in circa 2000.

El Degas stable as of 03/2022: 42 :shock: (13 bass, 26 electric, 3 acoustic)
User avatar
Barry
Posts: 1038
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:31 pm
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Contact:

Re: The Great Guitar / Gear Show -part deux

Post by Barry »

Well...I have let this thread whither away quite a bit haven't I ? :lol:
I'm not even sure if all my "herd" is represented anymore, but for those who care, here are at least 4 more that I picked up in 2013:

Westone Thunder IA (1983)
Image Image

Westone Spectrum X125 (1986)
Image Image

Westone Spectrum SX -Trans Blue (1986)
Image Image

Vantage Avenger AV325 -Trans Blue (1983)
Image Image

For those keeping score at home, the total is now 31, but the acquisition pace has slowed down considerably, if not stopped altogether. These last 4 represent unusual opportunities and/or prices too low to ignore.

For example the Thunder came to me via a customer who walked into the shop one day looking to sell a badly beaten up guitar. I bought it for $50; the pickups alone were worth $200! Now fully restored, it's a bloody awesome guitar.

The X125 (a single pickup guitar by the way) was courtesy of a generous Westone Forum member who had 3 of them and offered me one for $100 plus shipping from California.

The beautiful SX belonged to a young man who sold it to me with the OHSC for $100! It needed its bridge posts and neck angle attended to which he obviously didn't know how to repair.

And the Avenger was the most expensive of the four at $140. I bought it in a weak moment to complement my stunnningly beautiful trans red Avenger. Unfortunately it reads more like black than blue and is very scuffed and scratched. I was hoping it would have more life in it, like the SX, but alas, not so. However, it rawks!! And that's the main thing eh?
User avatar
charles
Site Admin
Posts: 1709
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:00 pm
Contact:

Re: The Great Guitar / Gear Show -part deux

Post by charles »

I really like the body shapes on those new acquisitions.
I started ElDegas.com many years ago to help celebrate and inform about El Degas instruments. It all started with a used Ric 4000 bass copy I bought in circa 2000.

El Degas stable as of 03/2022: 42 :shock: (13 bass, 26 electric, 3 acoustic)
User avatar
Barry
Posts: 1038
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:31 pm
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Contact:

Re: The Great Guitar / Gear Show -part deux

Post by Barry »

Thanks Charles.
I've developed a love (obviously) for the Westone Spectrum and Thunder lines as well as the Vantage Avengers. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing but wonderful to play.
User avatar
Barry
Posts: 1038
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:31 pm
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Contact:

Re: The Great Guitar / Gear Show -part deux

Post by Barry »

I just realized that I haven't included my latest guitar which i picked up last year About this time!
A 1980 Vantage VP710.
Image Image Image Image Image Image

You can read more about it here; http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewto ... 01&start=0
User avatar
Barry
Posts: 1038
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:31 pm
Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Contact:

Re: The Great Guitar / Gear Show -part deux

Post by Barry »

Hmm, I'm slipping again. I didn't add my last acquisition from January 2015!
The brief back story:
• saw a Kijiji ad worded backwards..."wanted" rather than the expected "for sale"--I ignored it several times 'cuz I assumed the dude was looking to buy the items
• one day I stopped to read it more carefully and realized he was selling the guitar plus a bunch of other related things
• I emailed him and confirmed he was indeed selling--since it was out of town but near my brother, I asked him to pick it up for me

So, what did I get?
A circa 1998 MIK Danelectro DC-59 in retro purple PLUS a Nifty Fifty solid state Danelectro amplifier PLUS two Danelectro pedals, an Echo and a Tuner, both solid metal, not plastic! :P

Image
Image
Image

Everything was in mint condition. The DC-59 makes a nice companion to my 56-U2, and that amp! What a great sound. You'd swear there was a tube in there! The only thing missing was a gig bag, but as luck would have it I had an extra Dano branded bag just waiting for this baby.

Oh, the price? $300 for the lot!! Happy, happy, happy! :mrgreen:
sambonee
Posts: 82
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:59 pm

Re: The Great Guitar / Gear Show -part deux

Post by sambonee »

Now that's a steal Barry. I'm looking forward to catching up man. send me a PM and I'll call you sometime to say hi.

S
Post Reply