Unknown, beautiful and mysterious...what is it?

[bebenavole]

Here's my post on the HC forum with the pics n all.
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/for ... st33700996
What do you think, who made this baby?

[Michael Ambrose]

Think German/West German, late 60's, early 70's.

Russian luthiers typically used a 5-pin out, if memory serves... I have an old West German keyboard with a three-pin insert. I don't know much about those companies... I know Weltmeister made a lot of different instruments...

[cheepaxes]

I agree with the guy on the other forum who says the neck inlay work - the pairs of bands - looks very much like something Hofner did on a lot of their guitars.

-Scott

[bebenavole]

isnt it beautiful?really cool design, looks like one piece of wood.
The seller told me it has number 23 written on the trem system. hes also asking 300eur 4 it.

[bebenavole]

no one?

[Spud1950]

I sent an email with the pictures of your guitar to Jack Marchal at the Fetish Guitars site. Here's his response.

"Wow, this is very strange! Never seen anything even remotely like that.


That thing shows a strong West German parentage. In addition to the DIN output socket, the visible part of the vibrato shows clearly it's like the device used by Klira in the early 60's.
(see: http://www.fetishguitars.com/html/misc/ ... _jack.html )


The guitar is obviously very well made. Maybe a one-off concoction, but not a home-made assembly. Built to professional standards. Except for the fretboard: why only 19 frets? Only the cheapest guitars (like my Klira...) had less than 21.


As for the fretboard, the similarity with the Höfner 4575 from the early 60's is impressive. Just the same specific inlays. Except all Höfners had 22 frets...


It would be interesting to check if the binding at fretboard end shows any discrepancy with the edges along the neck. If any, it would provide a hint that it was indeed a Höfner fretboard that has been cut to a shorter length.


Pickups are a pure mystery to me. I don't remember I ever saw this model elsewhere (but I have yet to check all my photo archive).


Body construction, with an arched carved back and a flat top, is reminiscent of Eko 400 'Ekomaster' series.


There always were rumours the company Melodija Menges of Slovenia was involved to some extent in manufacturing the very first Eko guitars, which also have strong similarities with various Höfner solidbodies.


(About the hypothetic connection between Eko, Höfner and Melodija, see
http://www.fetishguitars.com/html/eko/4 ... ofner.html "

[Michael Ambrose]

Ha! Had a feeling on the West German thing...

And on that finish...

Check out this page...

http://lennyg47.tripod.com/weltmeister.html

A few Weltmeister boards use a VERY similar finish (albeit in blue... but you get the idea)...

[wietse]

i have to agree with jack, this guitar has some klira/fasan genetics in it.
i suspect fasan, fasan was closely related to klira and the most fasans have 19 or even 18 frets.
i own one with the same pickups, and on fetisguitars you will also find pictures of fasans with this tremelo in combination with these pickups.
but a set neck, or even a necktrough?
that's rare, very rare for german guitars of that era, love it, that's all i can say, btw how do you switch between pu's?
can't see a selector switch on it.

[RuppMusic]

[bebenavole]

this guitar is located in Croatia which is near Solvenia...but the guy says he got it in Germany in the 70's.
if only this axe could talk....

[johnnyb]