Fender Showmaster

[DocNrock]

Does anyone know much about these?  I was in Guitar Center the other day and saw one in the used gear section.  It was in mint condition and the price was unbelievable for a USA made Fender.  It was like $350.  It has a Floyd Rose - like trem, two Setmour Duncan humbuckers, a 5 way superswitch, and a really nice flame maple top.  It was a set-neck, but looks like a neck-through.  A bit of online research gives the history on these.  Apparently, the first ones are from the Custom shop and were cut by Surh when he worked there.

Anyway, I put a deposit on it and will pick it up after the county-mandated 30-day hold is up.

EDIT:  It might be made in Korea; it was made in 2007.  I'll find out when I pick it up.

 

[Great Ape]

I always liked those Showmasters, and it makes perfect sense that John Suhr was involved--they're the obvious forerunners of the Pensa/Suhr guitars that he started producing in conjunction with Rudy
Pensa in New York...they were available in hardtail, a vintage type trem, and a floyd type...lovely set-neck strats--I'd forgotten about those things-never did own one...hmmmm... :laughing7:

 

[DocNrock]

I forgot that I had a few pics of it.  Also forgot that it is a carved top.  :glasses9:

http://s42.photobucket.com/user/brentjackson00/media/showmaster_zpsu65kfhxb.jpg.html

 

[zebra]

I came across one in my local guitar shop, and roughly the same price.  It seemed pretty solid.  Ultimately, I ended up going with a very similar model of Godin ("Freeway Classic") which I like very much.  I lived in Korea for a few years - besides the Korean imports we do see here, there are also MANY more Korean instruments sold in Asia that never make it to the US - many of which are very nice instruments at very reasonable prices.  I used to play this thing:

http://swingguitars.com/xe/64212 

It was beastly, too much so for me and my bad back - but a great instrument none-the-less.  My point being, there are some great budget guitars coming out of Korea. 

 

[pabloman]

I think it is Korean Doc. Still a great guitar at a good price. When I worked at GC we had a tobacco one that I fell in love with. It sold before I could buy it. In my 2 years there there were only a couple that I really wish were mine. That was one.

 

[rgand]

Very nice looking guitar, Doc. Congrats.

Anyway, I put a deposit on it and will pick it up after the county-mandated 30-day hold is up.

What's this? Do they think you're going to go commit a crime of passion with it?

 

[DocNrock]

I came across one in my local guitar shop, and roughly the same price.  It seemed pretty solid.  Ultimately, I ended up going with a very similar model of Godin ("Freeway Classic") which I like very much.  I lived in Korea for a few years - besides the Korean imports we do see here, there are also MANY more Korean instruments sold in Asia that never make it to the US - many of which are very nice instruments at very reasonable prices.  I used to play this thing:

http://swingguitars.com/xe/64212 

It was beastly, too much so for me and my bad back - but a great instrument none-the-less.  My point being, there are some great budget guitars coming out of Korea.

That T-Thru looks like a pretty nice Tele copy.  I have a couple of MIK BC Rich guitars that are pretty solid, as well.

@Pabloman:  Yes, I'm pretty sure you are correct.  Didn't know you used to work at GC.  That's cool!  Although after being in a GC for a couple hours I usually get a headache from all the people "trying out" guitars who not only have no sense of rhythm, but don't seem to know how to tune the things, either.  :laughing7:

@Rgand:  LOL!  Since it is a used guitar someone either sold or traded in to GC, the county mandates they put a 30 day hold on them before selling them in case someone comes forward reporting them stolen. 

 

[rgand]

@Rgand:  LOL!  Since it is a used guitar someone either sold or traded in to GC, the county mandates they put a 30 day hold on them before selling them in case someone comes forward reporting them stolen.

Thanks, that actually makes sense. Here in CA things often don't.

Hey, those neck-through Teles look like cool. I personally like a pickguard, though, because I grab up a finger pick now and then. In my hands it's like taking a shovel to the finish without one.

 

[DocNrock]

The pickup output seemed a bit on the tame side.  Seems they put a '59 in the neck, which I don't mind, but then a Pearly Gates in the bridge.  Might need to change out that bridge pickup...

 

[Ace Flibble]

Those Swing Teles are actually pretty nice for what they are, and dirt cheap. Goes to show that neck-through construction actually does not have to come at a premium price at all.

As for the Showmaster, they're a nice series. I believe they eventually were morphed into a Squier line. The MIK Fender/Squiers were made in one of the same factories that used to handle the better Epiphones and ESP LTD guitars. Other than general wear and tear from use, they should still be superb instruments from a technical point of view. No flashy AAAAA figured tops or gold frets or anything, but functionally they were always very consistent and faultless. They only did them as neck-through for a short while and for a couple of specific models; the vast majority are set necks with a deep tenon and sculpted heel. The ones with SD pickups came later, 2007 sounds right. Earlier ones had unique DiMarzio pickups which DM have not reissued or remade ever since and were never sold separately, and they're something of a collector's item now. The Seymour Duncan pickups are all opposite phase to normal Duncans, as they are made to match Fender phase, despite them never being mixed with Fender pickups. (SDs are usually Gibson phase.) Many owners flipped the phase again, though. The SD pickups generally were regular models though some had minor alternations, which is how we got things like the 4-wire '59 and the Pearly Gates Plus.
For the longest time I've wanted one of the set neck Telecasters from that period, but alas, anybody who owns one does not want to sell it.

Enjoy, it should be a good 'un.