The elusive Zen-On 1400D!

[Michael Ambrose]

Hi all!! Here's a 1964ish Zen-On 1400D. I just did a BIG job on this one. It belongs to a bandmate of mine, whose mother found it at a yard sale (gutted) for like five bucks. She asked me to bring it back to life... it looks like someone pulled the guts from the tremolo (but left the original plate) and pulled the bridge. I routed the cavity to fit a new Jaguar/Jazzmaster tremolo... had to do some SERIOUS routing and a little cannibalizing to squeeze in the tremolo in there.

The bridge was a real problem as well. It sits on top of the PG. Only one stud was left, and I can see why it didn't last... a weak, narrow little post with very small threads just screwed into the top. I pulled and replaced it with studs that would normally screw into the base for an archtop tailpiece, popped a tune-o-matic on there...

ORIGINAL Two-tone finish... cream top, clear acrylic pickguard with chrome emblems over metallic blue silkscreen, the back and half of the headstock are sprayed metallic blue. And check out those humbuckers!!

So.... Info!! There's so little info on Zen-on out there... Plenty of ebay auctions and pics and such of Teisco-esque pieces with either the chrome or acrylic Z-shaped pickguard, but I can only find a few rare references to this particular model... got any info on this one?

[Spud1950]

Great job,as usual! What a cool paint scheme.I've never seen a Zen-On like that. It's even more rare to me to see a Japanese guitar of that era and type that has actual humbuckers.Man, those are great looking pickups. So,how does it sound?

Edit-Found this picture of another one on the Lord Bizzare guitar site. No info about it.Different style pickups on this one.

[Michael Ambrose]

[cheepaxes]

[Spud1950]

Found another one. Just like the one you have,but with what appears to the same trem,minus the cover, as the other one I found. There's a write up on it, but unfortunately it's a Japanese site.