Nope, they're definatley straight then. I assume that the original J200's were staright braced then?
From what we've come up with I'm also happy that this is a late 70's build.
Lovely looking guitar though for 30 years plus. The usual buckle rash and wear and tear but structurally sound.
I'm a 'lefty' and bought this in the hope that I could convert it, knowing the only sticking point would be the scratchplate.
Couldn't really tell until I had it delivered but as feared, it's a pretty thick, heavy one so a clean removal will be tough. Left handed floral scratchplates are rare as rocking horse poo so I'm out of luck there. Plus I think there'll be a significant sun-tan there too due to the age & wear.
Think I might spend some time restoring it and re-sell - could make a few £'s too as there aren't too many (new) J200 copies in the market these days other than Tangelwood & Epi's
Thanks very much for your comments and help.
James
Statistics: Posted by JamesB — Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:06 am
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Not sure how good my knowledge is of scalloped and non-scalloped. Just had a look, and they seem like straight braces to me. They do taper down at both ends to a thinner point but are straight in the middle.
That's a helluva turn over for 12 months production!
Cheers
James
Statistics: Posted by JamesB — Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:41 am
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The Hondo II brand name was introduced in 1974. I've got a 1975 Hondo catalog in the acoustic guitar section and all models are designated by an H and 2-3 numbers so your guitar isn't one of the very early models. This is a good thing since it took a few years to get the quality of the instruments up to snuff.
Based on your research, I think you are safe in concluding you have a late 70's model. The fact that your guitar is stamped Made in Korea and from the late 70's indicates it was most likely made by Samick. Take a peek inside the soundhole and see if your Hondo has scalloped bracing. This type of construction would be consistent with late 1970's Samick techniques. Here is an example of what I mean:
Just as a bit of trivia, in 1979 over 790,000 Hondo instruments were sold worldwide. They were busy.
Statistics: Posted by VintAxe — Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:19 am
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