#1
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NGD, sort of…
A while ago, I asked for pickup recommendations for a 40-year-old Hondo Pro copy of a Fender Lead II
Long story short: I bought this guitar new in 1982, gave it to a dear friend in the UK when I came to the US in 1984, and his wife sent it back to me in 2015 when he unexpectedly passed away. The original guitar had two single coil Strat-style pickups. Soon after I bought it, I replaced the bridge pickup with a Mighty Mite humbucker, complete with a push-pull coil-tap switch on the tone control. IMG_1918.jpg I recently got the urge to give it a bit of a spruce-up. I visited the Sweetwater store in Fort Wayne, IN a month or so ago, and saw a real Fender Lead II on the wall, and decided that that was the direction to go. So - with a new pickguard from WD Products, a pair of GFS Lipstick pickups, and a GFS wiring harness, I feel like I’ve got a brand-new guitar. It sounds terrific. IMG_2177.jpg Next, tuners and bridge. Maybe - I’m having too much fun playing it ‘as is’
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Martin 0-16NY Emerald Amicus Emerald X20 Cordoba Stage Some of my tunes: https://youtube.com/user/eatswodo Last edited by David Eastwood; 05-08-2022 at 08:43 PM. |
#2
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What a cool old guitar. And what wonderful connections over your lifetime.
I am sorry about the loss of your old friend from the UK. Time has a habit of taking people away, I'm afraid. Thank you for your story! - Glenn
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My You Tube Channel |
#3
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Quote:
The fact that it’s a joy to play, and sounds terrific too, adds to the pleasure. It’s a Japanese Hondo - Matsumoku-made, most likely - and has a lovely neck.
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Martin 0-16NY Emerald Amicus Emerald X20 Cordoba Stage Some of my tunes: https://youtube.com/user/eatswodo |
#4
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Hondo! Side Note here:
My second electric guitar was a Hondo (Explorer Body) with Cheap Trick (Rick Nielsen) black/white checker board with a tremolo. Bought during high school in TN 1982-83. Lost this guitar while working in Germany 1992. Sniffle + tear. 40 years later, I am wondering if I will ever learn to play guitar. More tears. TBD. |
#5
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David, great way to keep a guitar in your hands, do some mods. Looks like a sweet Hondo.
I recall you mentioning how you got the guitar back in your hands. Although unfortunate circumstances with your friend's death, it's amazing that you now it have it back. Enjoy! |
#6
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Good stuff! The pickups look like lipstick pickups.
Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#7
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They are indeed, Bob - GFS Lipsticks, designed to fit into a regular Strat-style cutout. They’re also designed for a Strat - neck, middle and bridge. I chose the middle and bridge versions, for a little more oomph, and the fact that the middle one is reverse-wound, so that the combo is hum-canceling. Turns out that that works really well, but the individual pickups are remarkably quiet for single-coils. They sound great too - not bad at all for $60 for the pair.
I also have to give a thumbs-up to WD Music for the pickguard. They were skeptical as to whether the Fender version would fit, but sent me a drawing for me to print out and check. It turned out to be near-perfect - it needs a little relief around the neck, and the mounting holes didn’t all match. I also need to cut out a notch for truss rod access, but that’s easy. All for about $35. All in all, a very cost-effective refresh for an old friend. John would be well chuffed.
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Martin 0-16NY Emerald Amicus Emerald X20 Cordoba Stage Some of my tunes: https://youtube.com/user/eatswodo |
#8
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I understand the situation of loosing an overseas friend. My best friend in high school was an immigrant from Glasgow, Scotland. We spent hours together exposing each other to music and talking philosophy. After college he decided to move back home. He began a sort of vagabond existence, moving back and forth across Europe and eventually back to the U.S. His mother informed me of his moves, but I usually learned with a with a time lag so my attempts to contact him always seemed to arrive at his last address after he left. He eventually died of an alcohol-related disease without my ever having contacted him.
I've got a few of his albums to remember him by. Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#9
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The early Hondo Professionals were built in Japan, and I think later ones were from Korea. From my memory of back in the day the Hondo brand (a US importer, not a manufacturer) had an image of being cheap and low-end quality-wise, but at least with examples I've seen and played and even owned of the "Professional line", very good for the time (It's not like circa 1980 Fender Strats are all coveted expressions of goodness).
Some of them shipped with DiMarzio pickups from the factory. DiMarzio pickups (again in that time) were identified with of the Super Distortion high output humbuckers, but the Fender single coil type ones I played in a Telecaster copy were quite nice I thought then.
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----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses.... |
#10
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That looks great!
I remember seeing an ad for a Fender Lead model in an old Guitar Player magazine featuring Steve Morse… |