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 Post subject: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:49 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2011 3:52 pm
Posts: 3
First name: Joshua
Last Name: Tovo
City: Alton
State: Illinois
Zip/Postal Code: 62002
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I recently bought this guitar for a restoration project. It needs very few things (New nut, bridge and tuners; but that's it) Really my only question is what kind of guitar this is. It doesn't have a brand name and I would have no idea where to start looking. The only markings on it that I've found are the silver "P" logo on the headstock and the serial number 272 stamped where the neck joins the body. If any one has any information on this thing, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks


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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:33 pm 
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Contributing Member
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Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5827
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
I used to refer to those as "horrible, wretched, plywood nightmares".

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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:42 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo
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Joined: Mon May 03, 2010 2:19 pm
Posts: 262
First name: Al
Last Name: Darned
City: Toronto
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Zing! wow7-eyes

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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:47 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2011 12:43 am
Posts: 1326
Location: chicagoland, illinois
City: chicagoland
State: illinois
Country: usa
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
fingerboard looks like a nice piece of rosewood, and the dots look like they might be real MOP?
i bet 99.999% of people couldn't hear the difference between a plywood body, and a curly birdseye burl rottenwood aged free trade organically grown high altitude jujubinga one.


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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:10 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2011 3:52 pm
Posts: 3
First name: Joshua
Last Name: Tovo
City: Alton
State: Illinois
Zip/Postal Code: 62002
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Hah, given that I only payed five bucks for it at a local flea market I guess I can live with it not being a diamond in the rough(potentially). We'll see how it sounds.


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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:23 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 3:27 pm
Posts: 213
First name: Alex
Last Name: Takacs
State: Illinois
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
appears to be a brandless knockoff of a fender


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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:36 pm 
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Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5827
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
I guess I should add that I've owned and enjoyed certain cheap guitars, but hated working on them for clients (who usually had expectations that were too high).

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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:26 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 10:32 am
Posts: 2616
First name: alan
Last Name: stassforth
City: Santa Rosa
State: ca
Zip/Postal Code: 95404
Country: usa
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I just worked on a Harmony "Rocket",
the whole time thinking it was a pile of junk.
When I fixed all the broken grounds,
replaced a pickup with an original one my friend paid $130 for,
I was surprized at how good it sounded!
Single coil pups @ 11k ohms.
Can you measure the ohmage of the pickups with an ohm-meter?
Good luck, I hope it sounds/plays nice.


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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:36 pm 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:21 am
Posts: 783
First name: Virgil
Last Name: Mandanici
State: FL
Focus: Build
I believe that is an original 1972 Walgreens Thunderbird Special. It came with a pint of Thunderbird, 3 pics and some Alka Seltzer. Correct me if I'm wrong everybody - idunno My guess is you can still make it sound kickarse - as long as you can get the action good and replace some electronics/pups - looks like a fun project regardless - enjoy!

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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:39 pm 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:21 am
Posts: 783
First name: Virgil
Last Name: Mandanici
State: FL
Focus: Build
PS - this guitar may take the cake for "Largest Pickguard" in history! :D

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar


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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:06 pm 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:15 pm
Posts: 529
First name: Mark
Last Name: Sorrentino
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Old pieces of junk can be fun. A friend of mine gave me Lotus Strat copy that was taken apart with some parts missing, a tuner gone, no neck plate, one bridge piece. I've since added the necessary parts and re-fretted it and man, it sounds pretty good. I rigged a bridge to make it basically a hard tail and the sustain on it is actually pretty impressive. The only thing left I wanna do with it is change the neck pickup. I was playing with it and accidentally broke the thin copper wire connected to the lug and since I've resoldered it, it sounds like it has half the volume. I'll probably just put another pickup in there, I've got a few lying around.

The friend that gave me that guitar has a Fender Mustang that somebody found in a dumpster. Totally trashed, looks REAL old. Paint job is cracking all over. Frets are ground almost down to the board. Had most of its electronics missing. Rusty old bridge. He fixed it up and it plays just fine. He put some of those re-issue Mustang pickups in there and a new pickguard (totally doesn't match the trashed guitar at all) And I don't think they sound that good, but maybe it was the miniature amp I played it on.

Anyway, good find.

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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:18 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2005 1:47 am
Posts: 504
Location: United States
Teisco and/or Kawaii made most likely. Poorly built for the most part but awesome sounding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V818_mi-mwA


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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 12:53 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:35 pm
Posts: 2561
Country: USA
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
Looks like it was made in the same factory as the old Ibanezes from the 50's.

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 Post subject: Re: Mystery Guitar
PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 4:45 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo
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Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:27 pm
Posts: 313
Location: McKinney, TX
First name: David
Last Name: Morris
City: McKinney
State: TX
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
For $5, that was a steal. I've always wanted to restore one of these old MIJ's. I'd assume that's what it is, anyway. Don't be surprised if those pickups are a little craptastic though. Good find! Please post more pictures as the work progresses.

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