Let me sweep pick your brain: who made this guitar?
December 7, 2010 9:42 AM Subscribe
Help me identify this vintage electric guitar I found. There are no discernable markings of any kind, save what appears to be a serial stamped inside the control cavity.
Photos are here. I've got a soft spot for cheap 60-70s catalog guitars, but this one has me stumped. My first thought was that it was a Frankenstein of some sort, but the headstock wood matches the body. A robust Google image search hasn't turned up any hits, although it looks similar to a few models in the Guyatone family. The full-body pic isn't an optical illusion, the body is definitely small. The neck felt full scale, though.
It's only $40, but in pretty rough shape. The pickups are pretty awesome, but the bridge is missing most of the hardware and all the electronics and pickguard are gone. At this point, I'm half-tempted to buy it, just to have the strange thing. Does anyone have a clue as to what this is?
Photos are here. I've got a soft spot for cheap 60-70s catalog guitars, but this one has me stumped. My first thought was that it was a Frankenstein of some sort, but the headstock wood matches the body. A robust Google image search hasn't turned up any hits, although it looks similar to a few models in the Guyatone family. The full-body pic isn't an optical illusion, the body is definitely small. The neck felt full scale, though.
It's only $40, but in pretty rough shape. The pickups are pretty awesome, but the bridge is missing most of the hardware and all the electronics and pickguard are gone. At this point, I'm half-tempted to buy it, just to have the strange thing. Does anyone have a clue as to what this is?
alternately, it looks a lot like a kit-built guitar my neighbor built way back in the 60s or 70s. You send away for a neck, body, and electronics, and they give you a wiring diagram, etc.
Anyway, still buy it.
posted by Jon_Evil at 10:02 AM on December 7, 2010
Anyway, still buy it.
posted by Jon_Evil at 10:02 AM on December 7, 2010
Mr. pineapple also agrees buy it, with caveat:
"Based on its shape and lack of any discernible markings or brand name, I'd suspect it was made in one of the countries behind the iron curtain like Poland or Czech Republic, etc. but 'inspired by' something recognizable like a Guyatone ... It certainly would be fun to work on but buying it would mean a significant commitment to MacGyver it, as replacement parts would be virtually impossible to find."posted by pineapple at 10:07 AM on December 7, 2010
Response by poster: Very interesting! A friend also suspected it might be a kit-built, too. That Hoyer guitar is insane. Check out that neck plate!
I'm still on the fence as far as buying it goes. I'm not really a fan of those tiny vintage bodies, and it would be tough to bring up to playable condition. The neck pickup is higher than the fretboard, for example. It's hard for me to justify buying a guitar like that for the sake of having a weird display piece.
If anyone happens to live in Massachusetts, the guitar is - or was, as of last weekend - at Jennie's in Haverhill. I won't have a chance to head back up there until the end of the month (leaving the state for the holidays) so if someone else wants to grab it, be my guest. If it's still there next time I make it up there, I'll consider it fateful.
posted by SamuelF at 10:50 AM on December 7, 2010
I'm still on the fence as far as buying it goes. I'm not really a fan of those tiny vintage bodies, and it would be tough to bring up to playable condition. The neck pickup is higher than the fretboard, for example. It's hard for me to justify buying a guitar like that for the sake of having a weird display piece.
If anyone happens to live in Massachusetts, the guitar is - or was, as of last weekend - at Jennie's in Haverhill. I won't have a chance to head back up there until the end of the month (leaving the state for the holidays) so if someone else wants to grab it, be my guest. If it's still there next time I make it up there, I'll consider it fateful.
posted by SamuelF at 10:50 AM on December 7, 2010
I come from East-Germany and I've seen a couple of Eastern-European guitars. The pick-ups don't look familiar. The East-German guitar brand was "Musima" and the Czech were called "Jolana". Maybe this helps searching.
posted by arf at 10:52 AM on December 7, 2010
posted by arf at 10:52 AM on December 7, 2010
I haven't found yours yet (that headstock for some reason screamed kit build to me - but thats a complete gut feel) but there's a fun list of Eastern Eurpoean Guitars here:
http://www.cheesyguitars.com/guitars.html
You're killing my work day.
posted by bitdamaged at 10:56 AM on December 7, 2010
http://www.cheesyguitars.com/guitars.html
You're killing my work day.
posted by bitdamaged at 10:56 AM on December 7, 2010
Response by poster: arf: No luck with those two brands, but I'll keep looking. Thanks for the info.
bitdamaged: My thoughts exactly. The curves seem too...off. Apologies about your work day, but rest assured you're not the only one.
posted by SamuelF at 10:59 AM on December 7, 2010
bitdamaged: My thoughts exactly. The curves seem too...off. Apologies about your work day, but rest assured you're not the only one.
posted by SamuelF at 10:59 AM on December 7, 2010
Found it!
it's a "Lafayette" made in Japan by Guyatone. Sorry about the eastern europe red herring (buy hey, they like their herring over there).
posted by Jon_Evil at 11:05 AM on December 7, 2010
it's a "Lafayette" made in Japan by Guyatone. Sorry about the eastern europe red herring (buy hey, they like their herring over there).
posted by Jon_Evil at 11:05 AM on December 7, 2010
The "found it" link isn't working for me, but it matches the Teisco "'63 MJ-2" on this page, though missing some stuff, obviously and someone's trimmed the head.
posted by cmoj at 12:12 PM on December 7, 2010
posted by cmoj at 12:12 PM on December 7, 2010
Response by poster: Weirdly enough, neither of those guitars, while close, is an exact match. The Lafayette has a different headstock and more frets, though the pickups and bridge look like a match and the pickguard + electronics could work too. The '63 MJ-2 is also close, but the bridge doesn't look like a match and the fretboard is off. Could be a modified version of either of those, or a knock-off made to look like either.
What a mystery.
posted by SamuelF at 12:19 PM on December 7, 2010
What a mystery.
posted by SamuelF at 12:19 PM on December 7, 2010
Not a huge expert by any stretch, but it sort of looks homemade. The quality of the wood just looks more like an amateur job.
posted by gjc at 3:46 PM on December 7, 2010
posted by gjc at 3:46 PM on December 7, 2010
It's the 'Lafayette' or similar.
It's had the finish stripped, so the body shape is a little irregular compared to the photo. Headstock is mutated as well. It's quite a bit like this Teisco as well but the pickups on the Lafayette are very distinctive and give it away. The fret markers definitely put it in the Teisco family, and by similar I mean it could be any of a number of Guyatone / Teisco brand names, but definitely from one of those factories. I think it's highly unlikely it's a knockoff- for one, relatively high quality knockoffs/counterfeit Fenders were being made at the time, why would someone copy a department store guitar?
The bridge/tailpiece have been changed. Someone put a trapeze device OVER the original bridge mounting plate. You'd have to buy, at minimum, a bridge and an output jack. To make this thing look nice you'd need to have a pickguard made. Pickups might be actually cool though.
posted by tremspeed at 5:18 AM on December 8, 2010
It's had the finish stripped, so the body shape is a little irregular compared to the photo. Headstock is mutated as well. It's quite a bit like this Teisco as well but the pickups on the Lafayette are very distinctive and give it away. The fret markers definitely put it in the Teisco family, and by similar I mean it could be any of a number of Guyatone / Teisco brand names, but definitely from one of those factories. I think it's highly unlikely it's a knockoff- for one, relatively high quality knockoffs/counterfeit Fenders were being made at the time, why would someone copy a department store guitar?
The bridge/tailpiece have been changed. Someone put a trapeze device OVER the original bridge mounting plate. You'd have to buy, at minimum, a bridge and an output jack. To make this thing look nice you'd need to have a pickguard made. Pickups might be actually cool though.
posted by tremspeed at 5:18 AM on December 8, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
2. 40 Dollars!?!? Freaking buy it! It looks awesome. (as long as the neck is straight)
posted by Jon_Evil at 9:55 AM on December 7, 2010