Semi-Requested Topic Lots of pics!

Sorry it's long and image intensive but I wanted to paint a whole picture of what someone with a little too much time and not the right tools can do to anotherwise priceless guitar. Anyways, I'm a massive explorer body style fan because they sit well, they're cool and they're the least expensive guitar "they" offer! So I was doing my usual pawn store search when I came across this guitar, I had seen them before because of Carlos Cavazo of Quiet Riot. I didn't yet know about the more elegant ones with the flame top and everything, but for $200 I couldn't pass it up! It only had an EMG 85 at the bridge and a single volume and tone control, was covering in some krylon green granite paint from headstock to body (minus the fretboard) and played really well, sounded ok but something was missing. So curiosity got the best of me, as always and I started to take the paint off and this is what I found:


A neck pickup route, 2 more control holes, a switch hole and the logo was missing!

Well I kept going and sadly found this:


Seems someone took and drilled a hole looking to make a tremolo cavity and failed, so they took bondo (yes car body filler) and filled this up and painted over it.

Now here is what the actual body looks like:




It is a 1980 Matsumoku A20, because the serial number in still on the back of the headstock. And I'm not sure where I want to go with it, I've bought veneer to retop it but all the work involved scares me mostly because of the binding. So it sits in it's cardboard coffin awaiting me.

Who in their right mind would do something like that to such a beautiful guitar??

I can tell you which pawn store I found it in and if we can find the previous owner we'll have a little talk with them.

you know and i know that when that was new and before it was altered that it was a really really nice guitar.. i know they had an A5 and an A10 so i am guessing the A20 was the top model of that style.. makes me wonder if the top on it would be salvageable.. it looks kinda cool with the wood grain.. might look a lot scratchier in person though.. some cream humbuckers would look good too.. makes me wonder if thats what it came with originally.. it looks like you are on the right track fixing it up.. serious rescue mission there..

Those Matsumoku Washburns were on my "Want' list for the longest time but my chances of ever seeing one down here are non-existant but should I get the chance to get an Wing series or an A10, I shall be all over it!
Do it up, man - it deserves to be treated kindly for a change!!

catonine wrote:makes me wonder if the top on it would be salvageable.. it looks kinda cool with the wood grain.. might look a lot scratchier in person though.. some cream humbuckers would look good too.. makes me wonder if thats what it came with originally.. it looks like you are on the right track fixing it up.. serious rescue mission there..

The top is beyond salvageable, it wouldn't look right if I filled it in with anything and I wouldn't want a massive plate or cover under the bridge. You can see in the second to last pic how big the hole is in relation to the bridge size and location. As far as the pickups I can't get any straight information, Washburn says they were DiMarzio but DiMarzio emphatically denies ever working with Washburn on such a large scale, they look like cream super distortions. I've never personally seen them as they weren't in the guitar when I bought it. My biggest issue with the total restore is getting the headstock logo, Washburn has reissued the A20 with the original headstock logo but told me they can't get their hands on any even for custom shops.

I think that a Kahler tremolo would cover the bridge hole ...

my 2 cents
JP

As soon as I seen the hole I thought about a Kahler and I don't think it will fit. I had a friend measure his and it came up a few inches short from front to back. But that wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility if it would have.

It may require some kind of adjustment, but I really think it's possible
JP

The base plate would have to be 4" wide by 3-3/8" tall to cover the hole. The 7330 looked promising but it's too small.

Nah, the headstock logo is the lest of your problems; you just get someone to scan in the logo and get a waterslide transfer made. Easy peasy!!

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

That is madness! It's a really neat looking guitar too - Where did you say this shop was again???

GRRRRR!!!!!

Pauline :flower: :queen:

(Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me! Yikes! Am I really that old?)

I have to extent massive thanks to Hyperion!! I did some research and emailed Kahlerparts.com and found they make an extension plate that will infact cover the hole and hold the 7330!

what a beautiful guitar.. i can't imagine why anyone would do all that to a guitar...! great news about the bridge/extension plate, though!!!

you must post pics when you get it all sorted. can't wait!

i still say we find the guy who 'modified' it though, and teach him a lesson, though!

Please post some shots as soon as you can

Cheers
JP