New axe, but what the hell is it? PICS!

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

Well the other day at school, our music teacher was going through a long list of all the gear in the music room, which was pretty much 'here's a serial number, find the instrument'. There has always been this guitar in the music room that has a kinda kramer-ish shape, but I can't tell what it is because some douchebag has tried to sand the finish off and mod it, so now whats left is a partially sanded off finish with no trace of manufacturer markings but one serial number, E608383. Since it's electronics, which feature a humbucker and two singlecoils with two pots and three mini toggles (I suspect were the failed mods), don't work she was just gonna chuck it. So I said i'll take it as a fixer-upper. I really just wanna practice finishing on this thing.

I've taken it apart and stripped all the hardware off it and cannot find any markings, anywhere.

PICS! (They're not very good)

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

More

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

..And the rest

 

[reinhold]

Just looking at the headstock shape makes me think it's not probably a real Kramer, and it's more of a cheap copy of one.

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

Just looking at the headstock shape makes me think it's not probably a real Kramer, and it's more of a cheap copy of one.

Yeah, It thought this too, but more because of the general quality of most of the music equipment that out music teacher buys is shiteeee, hehheh.

 

[m4rk0]

I like it..
my guess is that it is probably a Vantage.. either (late) matsumoku or more likely a korean one... they are not bad guitars after all!
seems like a fun project either way.

 

[mayfly]

Hmmm - usually vantage guitars have a stylized 'V" on the neck plate.  Could it be a copy of a vantage of a kramer?

 

[erogenousjones17]

I thought Vantage as well. But a copy of a Vantage? Why would such a thing exist? Are they that good? I always thought they were one of those pawn shop brands.* :icon_scratch:



*Maybe it's a local thing, but every pawn shop I've ever been to in Québec is stocked with stuff by Aria, Vantage, Barracuda and the like. Barely even a Squier or Epiphone to be found. Where's my cheap, dusty, miraculous pawn shop find?  :laughing7:

 

[m4rk0]

the matsumoku Arias, Vantages, Westones are great guitars!! and I never see them in pawnshops

I am fairly sure it is a Vantage.. check out the Vantage AV or Avenger..  the knobs are different, but the shape and headstock are the same:

http://www.matsumoku.org/models/vantage/avenger/avenger.html

 

[erogenousjones17]

Westone...That's another one. Are there varying levels of quality within these makes, or are you saying I should be snapping them all up?  :icon_biggrin:

I will admit to being tempted by this on more than one occasion:

But at $999, it didn't seem like much of a deal. And it's HEAVY! The Aria website lists it at 12 lbs. Isn't that a lot for a hollowbody?  :icon_scratch:

Great colour though.

 

[graceshredder]

:doh:  Wana . . . You friggin' IDIOT !!!  Don't you EVER study guitar history?  When I saw this thread I nearly died of a heart attack!!  Don't you realize you've stumbled upon the most sought-after guitar in History?  It's the fabled "Lost Jimi Guitar" from Woodstock!!  Guitar collectors from everywhere have searched in vain for this one-of-a-kind insrument.  Christ!  Now you've dorked up it's multi-million dollar value by taking it apart . . . AUUGGHH!!  :doh:  :doh:  :doh:

 

[m4rk0]

Westone...That's another one. Are there varying levels of quality within these makes, or are you saying I should be snapping them all up?  :icon_biggrin:

But at $999, it didn't seem like much of a deal. And it's HEAVY! The Aria website lists it at 12 lbs. Isn't that a lot for a hollowbody?  :icon_scratch:

Great colour though.

Only the ones made in Matsumoku have a great reputations, which is basically up to 87. I also have a late 80s Westone from Korea, which is really good..
a lot of those brand names have been recycled and are now basically crap made in  China..

 

[Firebird211]

:doh:  Wana . . . You friggin' IDIOT !!!  Don't you EVER study guitar history?  When I saw this thread I nearly died of a heart attack!!  Don't you realize you've stumbled upon the most sought-after guitar in History?  It's the fabled "Lost Jimi Guitar" from Woodstock!!  Guitar collectors from everywhere have searched in vain for this one-of-a-kind insrument.  Christ!  Now you've dorked up it's multi-million dollar value by taking it apart . . . AUUGGHH!!  :doh:  :doh:  :doh:

One of these things is not like the other...One of these things don't belong. :laughing7:

 

[Alfang]

My first REAL guitar was a westone phoenix. I still have it, I played the shite outta that axe and the frets are almost gone, and i screwed it up with a crappy paint job. Theres a full restoration in the future.....

I love that guitar. A couple years ago I did a search online and found that many of them westones were, or are now concidered to be a lower or mid level collectable guitars, and the list of famouse people who own, have played or collect them is pretty impressive. I dont recall the website.

http://www.westone.info/indexguitars.html      I like your guitar , it's probably here somewhere

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

the matsumoku Arias, Vantages, Westones are great guitars!! and I never see them in pawnshops

I am fairly sure it is a Vantage.. check out the Vantage AV or Avenger..  the knobs are different, but the shape and headstock are the same:

http://www.matsumoku.org/models/vantage/avenger/avenger.html

I actually stumbled upon that site last night and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of some of those guitars. I especially Like the 355 copies, very nice.

 

[m4rk0]

I love that guitar. A couple years ago I did a search online and found that many of them westones were, or are now concidered to be a lower or mid level collectable guitars, and the list of famouse people who own, have played or collect them is pretty impressive.

Famous Person:

and hence, my westone:

my soon to be restored westone bass:

some of my other westones..

Westone is one of my other 2 fetishes besides Warmoths..

the Villain is really thin and extremely comfortable.. I need to get new pickups for it and play it more.. even better would be a nice exotic W neck...

 

[crash]

A Westone was my first guitar also  :toothy11:

http://www.westone.info/dimension.html

Mine was black.

 

[Jusatele]

Not tohijack, but it seems some guys here know obscure brands
was wondering
I owned an Aria Pro 2 ES335 clone once I loved
Had a Memphis guitar in the late 80 that rocked, (memphis music co I think)
and there was a brand in the 60s or 70s, Bartell, that a friend of mine father was the owner of the company.

 

[OzziePete]

I love that guitar. A couple years ago I did a search online and found that many of them westones were, or are now concidered to be a lower or mid level collectable guitars, and the list of famouse people who own, have played or collect them is pretty impressive.

Famous Person:

Westone is one of my other 2 fetishes besides Warmoths..

You forgot to mention your fetish for short shorts, Hawaiian shirts and wearing sunglasses inside Marko! :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Orpheo]

I love that guitar. A couple years ago I did a search online and found that many of them westones were, or are now concidered to be a lower or mid level collectable guitars, and the list of famouse people who own, have played or collect them is pretty impressive.

Famous Person:

who is that?