Would love assistance identifying my Frankenstein Guitar's parts

[furyisgeorge]

So, this is my first post here but I'm really loving reading through the threads. I recently picked up a guitar and I have no idea what's going on with it. The headstock is cut short, the pickguard has been removed and the identifying label has been scraped away (the remnants suggest that the label was white or off-white).

I've been searching all night and it's driving me crazy. Maybe you could help identify the various bits on my new and very ugly duckling guitar. Let me know if you'd like additional pictures. Thanks!

[pjmacd]

Wow, this is an interesting conundrum! The body shape, rosette and fretboard inlays remind me of Harmony guitars, but the headstock shape is all wrong for a Harmony. And the scalloped nut - I can't help but wonder if that was a player modification. Good luck identifying it - I suspect that we'll be scratching our heads over this one.

[ToneSrchin]

I agree with last poster...Wow, conundrum ...I'd even go so far as to say you've got yourself a quagmire of features on this one.

With that said, I like your post (welcome to the forum), and I find the guitar fascinating.

Scalloped nut...advanced concept and thinking on someone's part, and well fitted string slots. Trying to achieve a maximized sound transference from strings to nut...someone really cared...on the other end you have a low grade, 1970's adjustable saddle, the WORST design ever made for sound transference. Only two screw points touch the guitar top under the saddle thus providing horrible string to top connection.

Never saw that pick guard shape before. (Looks like your stuck replacing it with a similar shape due to the outline.)

Headstock looks Ovation for sure (or Ovation copy) with ugly/pretty (depends on who you're talking with) top cut off. (I'd prefer it cut ).

Never saw that bridge shape before. The pin placement (semi-circle) is interesting and probably a hint as to the manufacture. One might think a luthier (or wanna-be luthier) modified the guitar but I believe the bridge is factory because of the adjustable saddle feature.

(I had a 70's Terada once that had that same fret board inlay, for what it's worth).

Honestly, I kinda like it and am kinda disgusted at it at the same time.

Interesting thread....I will follow this one....thanks again for posting!

Tim

[roylor4]

Yeah, that's an odd one alright - right down to the strap pin in the side

Hopefully some of the long-time players will chime in w/ancient wisdom.

[ToneSrchin]

(Bump'in this one back up to see what others have to say.)

[jaybones]

When I saw the headstock, I though Ovation with the top cut off. But the body and everything else reminds me of an Asian.

[Goat Mick]

When I saw it I first thought Daion but the Google images I'm finding isn't showing the fluted nut. I remember seeing a line of Asian guitars in the late 80's that used a fluted nut as a signature but I can't think of the name.

[Monsoon1]

maybe get an extendable mirror and see if there's any other identifying numbers inside the body?

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by jaybones

When I saw the headstock, I though Ovation with the top cut off. But the body and everything else reminds me of an Asian.

My guess is that someone took an Ovation neck and stuck it on a 1970's-vintage plywood Japanese guitar. The original headstock shape has obviously been butchered into what's on there now.

So, to me it appears to be somebody's shade tree mechanic guitar conversion project.

It's a definite possibility, if not the definitive explanation.


whm

[furyisgeorge]

I have been scouring sites like Reverb and can't find anything that matches the pickguard shadow or the bridge but I do have some important updates!

First, it's a solid top which is great and it's got a pretty unique (and not totally horrible) sound to it.

The strap buttons are definitely added after the fact and are off-center. The busted wood inside also shows consistent grain patterns, which make it look like I'm rocking solid sides as well!

Also, while digging around inside, I found several things of interest. Someone has signed their name all over this guitar (twice inside, once on the back, once on the headstock and once, scratched into the back of the headstock). I've done some research on the name and haven't found anything interesting. I'm not sure if it's appropriate or not to post the name, but I'm pretty sure that the man is dead (which matches the story of the seller). a tiny scrap of paper that matches the left-over label and has 3-4 symbols on it. They appear to be Japanese. My Google translate app thinks it says "Ltd. L" which isn't super helpful but I think it's get us the Country of Origin for the body. I'll post a pic when I get home from work. I can't see any identifying marks inside the body but I haven't tried with a mirror yet. I'll pick one up on the way home.

I had a similar thought (that it might be an ovation headstock) but the tuner keys on ovations aren't lined up horizontally (at least, not with the images that I've seen) and the keys are definitely horizontally level on this guitar. My current working theory is that it's a flying-v style headstock from some knock-off brand.

[ToneSrchin]

furyisgeorge:
The busted wood inside also shows consistent grain patterns, which make it look like I'm rocking solid sides as well!

Ahhh... the back & sides look like Brazilian Rosewood to me, not all that uncommon to find Brazilian laminate acoustics from the 70's...but if you've got a solid body Brazilian...you've got a nice find.

[Bill Yellow]

I'd say no way that was ever an Ovation headstock. The tuners (complete with their white plastic bushings) look to be in line with each other on each side, whereas O's have them further from the nut on the treble side.

[Goat Mick]

Originally Posted by ToneSrchin

Ahhh... the back & sides look like Brazilian Rosewood to me, not all that uncommon to find Brazilian laminate acoustics from the 70's...but if you've got a solid body Brazilian...you've got a nice find.

From the early 80's back Brazilian Rosewood was known as just rosewood. If it's solid it's the real deal.

[furyisgeorge]

Alright, after digging around in the guitar with a mirror I have sad news. The back and sides are laminate.

The rosette pattern and binding matches some of the rosettes and bindings on Tokai Cat's Eyes from the 70s but Tokai never seems to have used quite the same bridge or pick guard. In fact, I can't find the pick guard anywhere. I did find a similar bridge on Ventura dreadnoughts on the 70s as well as in 2 Yamaha custom catalogs from that same time. Also, my boss was a little confused about my lack of productivity today.

In any case, the promised label fragment found inside the guitar (I believe that the orientation is correct):

[Geof S.]

The headstock and rosette look similar to those of some vintage Aria guitars.

For example: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_nrqOSQZKo...aria+front.jpg

However, your guitar looks nicer. Maybe a higher end vintage Japanese guitar of some kind.