More Japan weirdness, Epiphone SC-550
An Epiphone made in Japan with a German carve, scroll and a 24-fret 25.5" scale neck? Oh yes, this happened.
Odds are you have never seen one of these in person, and that's because this guitar was made in the 1970s for just four years, 1976 to 1979. It is Epiphone branded, but the Japanese company who built the guitar was the Matsumoku company. In addition to some Epiphone guitars, they also made guitars for several other brands. Some examples are the Aria Pro II TS-600, a whole bunch of Greco guitars, some Vantage, some Washburn and several others. Matsumoku was a busy company back in the day with their woodworking...
...but this Epiphone really stands out. You want bold and different? You want an SC-550.
The design is the first thing you see, so let's talk about that first.
It does look like a guitar that would fit perfectly within an orchestra setting or Renaissance Fair, and has that "before 20th century" feel, so to speak. The skinny headstock, while looking slightly weird, does complement that top horn. The gold plated hardware does work well with the natural finish, where you can see wood grain easily. The fingerboard is dark and the block inlays offer some very nice contrast.
And the scroll. Yeah, that thing. Said honestly, it doesn't look garish. I sort of like it, but am certainly not in love with it.
The best compliment I can give to this guitar is that it absolutely does not look like it came out of the 1970s, even though it absolutely did.
Nothing about this Epiphone says "I'm from the '70s" at all, which is a very good thing. Does that make the design timeless?
Concerning the color options, the only two available were Natural and Ebony. I think Natural is the better choice.
Supposedly, there was an original option where certain models have Gibson humbuckers in them. The only way to know that for sure by model name is if it had -G at the end. Natural had a model name of SC-550N-G, and Ebony was SC-550B-G. Did that make any difference at all in the tone? No idea. But it's probably true those are the most prized models given the Gibson humbuckers used were quite upscale (they had gold plated pole pieces and were copper-wrapped, very highfalutin stuff!)
What does "SC" mean in the model name? Scroll, of course.
Does anybody make an electric guitar with a scroll now? No, or at least not that I've seen. But if you like the weirder stuff, the go-to guitar is usually Schecter Synyster Gates, as that's a big, swoopy weird one for sure.
The Blacktop Stratocaster Fender got right, FSR Mahogany HH
Blacktop Stratocaster. Remember that one? Probably. Remember the FSR Mahogany version? No? It exists, and it's cool.
Blacktop by Fender came in three flavors. Stratocaster HH, Telecaster HH and Jaguar HH. Look at any of those and you'll think, "Meh. They're okay."
But then there's the Fender FSR Mahogany Blacktop Stratocaster. Okay, this is better.
The two colors available are Black with gold hardware, and Crimson Red with chrome hardware.
As far as I can tell, Black versions get the rosewood fingerboard and Crimson Red ones get pau ferro. Both, as it states in the name of the model, do feature a mahogany body instead of alder.
Both models are literally the only Blacktops I've ever seen where I've said to myself, "Yeah, I like that. These look right."
What makes the two FSR versions look better? They just look meaner, which was part of the whole point of the Blacktop series to begin with. A lot of that has to do with the black headstock and black pick guard on both of them. Both of these things suit the overall look of the guitar so much better compared to the standard Blacktop.
Oh, and yes, the headstock does in fact have "STRATOCASTER" on it, but it's black like the headstock is so you can barely see it. That's weird, but it also adds to the meaner, menacing look of the guitar.
I never liked the Blacktop, but I like these. Fender should have made them all look like this to begin with.
Is there a modern version made new?
Fender doesn't at the time I write this, but Squier definitely does. See the Squier Contemporary Stratocaster HH.
Jackson JS11 Dinky, the ultimate project guitar?
When it comes to ready-to-mod guitars, it doesn't get much better than this.
Some guitars you buy just to mod, and the best kind have three things going for them:
1. Must be new. When the guitar is new, that means no unexpected age related problems (such as old warped/cracked plastics).
2. Must be cheap. Money will be spent on other things (pickups, potentiometers, nut, tuners, etc.), so the initial cost must be as low as possible.
3. Must be easy to work on. The guitar has to be as anti-complicated as possible so you can get your mods done quick and easy.
The Jackson JS11 Dinky is cheap (as in well-under-$200 cheap), it can be bought new at the time I write this, and it's easy to work on. On the top of the guitar, the pickups are easy to unmount. On the back, all it takes is loosening 4 screws to get to all the control electronics. The guitar also has a Strat style tremolo system with easy access from the rear. Also note that each tuner is held in by a single screw on the back of the headstock.
When you want new, cheap and easy to work on, Jackson JS11 Dinky is a very simple build that you can mod yourself with hardly any fuss at all.
You'll see listings for this guitar in blue, black, white and red. They all have a dark fingerboard with dot inlays.
Is the Jackson easier to work on than a Strat? Yes. Cheap Strats don't feature single-screw tuners, the pickups are mounted within the pick guard, and getting that guard off usually requires loosening 10 screws just to get to the electronics. You will have a much easier time modding the Jackson.
On a final note, if you want something slightly better within the Jackson brand, see the JS22 Dinky. That one has a 24-fret neck, arched top, shark fin fretboard inlays, and natural is a finish option for those that like the woody look. You'll spend about $50 more for this guitar over the JS11, and it's just as moddable.
Gibson L6-S, a Norlin era beast from the 1970s
Oh, no... not another Norlin era Gibson.
Yes, I'm going there again.
Obviously, I'm not a fan of Norlin era Gibson electrics. However, this guitar exists, has some quirky history to it, and in all honesty it's not that bad of a guitar. Not great, but not bad.
Typical to Norlin era Gibson electric guitars, resale value on the L6-S is low when compared to more established Gibson models. This is actually not a bad thing, because it means you can get real-deal vintage Gibson for a fraction of what you would pay for a Les Paul, Flying V or SG.
Oh, and BONUS - the L6-S has 24 frets! The first Gibson electric of its kind. This is very easy to miss because the neck has a single dot marker at the 24th fret instead of double, but yes, an actual 24 frets on a Gibson guitar.. from the '70s!
How many L6-S models?
Three. L6-S Custom, L6-S Deluxe and Midnight Special. However, there's a problem. Given the L6-S is one of the lesser known Gibson models, sellers of these will sometimes lump all these as just "L6-S" and that's it. Some guys list a Custom as a Deluxe, a Deluxe as a Custom, and so on. You'll see this in listings for this guitar. It's understandable given that not many sellers know all that much about the instrument.
Fortunately, it's very easy to tell which model from which.
L6-S Custom: Pick guard with rounded corner, black headstock.
L6-S Deluxe: Pick guard with sharper "claw" corner, black headstock.
Midnight Special: Natural finish headstock.
Concerning the Midnight Special, you'll see most of these with maple fretboards, but darker fretboard models also exist. It's the headstock you need to pay attention to. If you see natural up there, it's a Midnight Special. Or at least it should be.
Wacky electronics to avoid
Some L6-S guitars feature a rotary control knob within the pick guard, while others have just regular control knobs, and others have control knobs and mini toggle switches. Models with a rotary knob are interesting in that it is a 6-position phase switch. Switch from to/from what, specifically? Treble rolloff, series, parallel and so on. Gibson was trying to give this guitar as wide of a sonic range as possible. The idea with the switch was to make it sound like a Les Paul or a Telecaster or a Stratocaster or anywhere in between.
If you fancy one of these guitars, I'd actually recommend getting one without that switch just in case you want to swap the pickups out with minimal fuss.
How much does it weigh?
Shockingly, this is not a heavy guitar. It's a beast of an instrument, but not heavy for a '70s Gibson electric. The L6-S is usually around 8 to 8.5 pounds in weight.
It's probably true ones with the darker fretboards are slightly less in weight, but just slightly.
They all cost the same
There isn't any appreciable difference between models on the used market from one to the next regardless of which version you get.
What does affect the price more than anything else is color. Natural finishes are typically on the lower end of the price range while painted models are typically higher.
Did anybody famous ever play the L6-S?
Yes. Al DiMeola and Carlos Santana both endorsed this guitar, Keith Richards was known to play one at some point, and Paul Stanley of KISS played one on stage for a time.
It is the fact Paul Stanley of KISS briefly performed with the L6-S Midnight Special on television that sells this guitar today more than anything else. Some KISS fans are crazy enough to want an example of every single guitar Paul ever played, and the L6-S is one of them. It's similar to how some KISS fans will buy an Ovation Breadwinner because there are photos of Ace Frehley with that guitar from the early-early days of KISS.
The L6-S Midnight Special is the guitar a KISS fan gets before going after that Ibanez PS4-CM Paul Stanley Signature Cracked Mirror Gold model.
Even if you're not a KISS fan, a Gibson L6-S is a really easy way to get an American vintage Gibson - with 24 frets!
Is there an alternative sold new?
Let's be honest here. Nobody is making a copy of the L6-S because it wasn't exactly a popular Gibson model. The Guild Bluesbird is probably the closest thing you'll get to it, as it has that "over-roundy" shape the L6-S had. Aside from that, more or less all Epiphone Prophecy models have 24 frets on them, and those are certainly built better than any Gibson of the '70s.
Fender Musicmaster might be the ultimate retirement guitar
It's real-deal Fender vintage, it's available, and there's one other rather nice advantage to owning one of these.
My reading audience goes all over the place as far as age is concerned. This one in particular is for the older gents with hands that don't work as well as they used to.
Take the Fender Musicmaster. You can find a bunch of them to choose from easily.
Fender Musicmaster was Fender's student guitar. The vintage ones are from 1959 to 1964. While true the guitar was made all the way up until 1982, of course the best ones are the pre-CBS era '59 to '64 models.
What makes the pre-CBS Musicmaster possibly the ultimate retirement guitar is that it has a super short 22.5" scale. This guitar was designed from the start to be a very easy player. What that means is you get real Fender, real vintage, and something that's easier to play than a Stratocaster or Telecaster.
As far as I'm aware, all the vintage Musicmasters are top-loaders, meaning that in addition to the super short scale making it ridiculously easy to play, the top-loaded strings lessens the tension for even easier play. You could load heavier gauge strings on a Musicmaster and still have a very easy-playing guitar.
This guitar is obviously meant for cowboy chord playing and not soloing, especially considering it has a 7.25" fingerboard radius. The Musicmaster is the very definition of a no-fuss guitar. One volume control, one tone control, one pickup. Plug in and play.
I have to admit the Musicmaster is an endearing and even lovable guitar. It's just a small, light and simple little thing, which is something older gents appreciate a lot because they don't like complicated stuff.
I think the only kind of guitar that's even easier to play than the Musicmaster is a classical guitar, meaning a nylon string acoustic. But of course that's not an electric. Okay, that's technically not true. Acoustic-electric nylon string guitars certainly do exist, such as the Cordoba GK Studio or the highfalutin Takamine TH90 (which is gorgeous by the way), but that's still altogether different from an all-electric guitar using steel strings.
Concerning price of a pre-CBS Musicmaster, this is what I have to say about that:
The pre-CBS Musicmaster is far less in price (by literally tens of thousands) compared to a Stratocaster or Telecaster of the same vintage. Yes, you will spend some coin for a pre-CBS Musicmaster, but it is one of the most accessible Fender vintage electrics you can buy simply for the fact it's not the price of a new car.
And remember, the Musicmaster is the easier player for the reasons I stated above. It's a simple little vintage Fender guitar of joy that's actually attainable.
Is there an alternative that's new and cheap? Of course there is. Not by Fender but by Squier, the Classic Vibe Mustang. That's a short scale (24.0" scale, specifically) electric. Not a Fender, but it looks cool and is a very easy player.
"I don't want a kid's guitar!"
Fair enough...
...but you still do want something very easy to play. Not a problem. That's what a classical guitar is for. Yes, I'm talking about the nylon string kind. Whether you go student-sized or full-sized, that guitar right there is the absolute easiest thing for your fingers.
Just remember that if you do play a classical and want to use a pick (which you can do no matter what anybody tells you), it has to be a pick with a very soft strike. Wooden picks are the best option there.