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by niedermee » Wed Aug 12, 2015 6:10 pm

I just purchased two MIJ guitars. One is a Knox, which I've researched to find out that they were once made by Kay in Chicago, but in 1968 the Knox name was bought by an importer and they were then being made by Teisco in Japan (can anyone corroborate this for me?). The Knox model is still unknown, so if anyone knows that, it'd be icing on the cake.

The other guitar that I know nothing about is the hollow body. If anyone can help ID this one, it would be appreciated.

-niedermee
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by niedermee » Wed Aug 12, 2015 6:15 pm

By the way, does anyone know where a guy might find the whammy bar for the hollow body? And a name plate, that I assume was attached to the hollow body's head stock using the two screws that can be seen in the photos?

Many thanks.

-niedermee
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by Phizix » Wed Aug 19, 2015 6:29 pm

The Knox definitely appears to be a Teisco made in Japan guitar. It looks like a distributor (knox) custom order body shape and hardware configuration on an otherwise fairly typical Teisco guitar. It may have not really had a model number itself but the similar Teisco would be ET-200. Yours looks clean and has the desirable gold foil pickups.

The hollowbody looks like about a 65-66 Fujigen guitar judging by the pickups which appear to be maxon. A 2 pickup version is on page 29 of "The history of Japanese guitars" book by Frank Meyers. Model is "Heit HBD-2S" , I'm guessing yours would be HBD-3S. There were also versions of this guitar branded "Fiama" with the same model #. Its a neat well constructed guitar that should play and sound pretty good.

Try "EZPZ parts" on ebay for a replacement whammy bar / nameplate
http://www.ebay.com/sch/ezpz-parts/m.ht ... pg=&_from=
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by niedermee » Wed Aug 19, 2015 7:31 pm

Ive done a bit more research and My best guess is that I think the hollow body is an Apollo and the other is a Knox by Teisco or Kawai.
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by Phizix » Thu Aug 20, 2015 5:37 pm

That Hollowbody shape was likely sold under many different brand names, Apollo is just one such brand name, like Heit and Fiama...The brand name can tell you who distributed it and where it was imported but they did not "make" the guitar, they basically just special ordered it from Japan in the configuration they wanted... I believe Apollo = St. Louis Music as the distributor. Yours has a different neck and fender style headstock vs the 3+3 gibson style on the Heit and the pickguard is black instead of white.

Here is a demo video of the guitar I'm talking about...some different parts but basically the same guitar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL-vGIPCpZ4
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by niedermee » Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:05 pm

Yup. Looks like that definitely it. Thanks for all the help.
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by BadPenguin » Sun Nov 01, 2015 8:57 pm

I question the Tiesco/Kawai/Apollo connection. From the “X” on the pickguard, it looks to be an ELECTRA. Now, before I get yelled at because it doesn't look like the typical Matsomuko Electra, There were two variations. One, is the typical Matsomuko, distributed by SLM (St. Louis Music.) The ones with the “X” were distributed by PCM (Pacific Coast Music). The PCM ones were made by different manufacturers because SLM didn't sell on the west coast of the United States. So to capitalize on the success of the Electra brand, PCM came about .They asked companies in Japan, “Who can build this for 29.95?” (or some such number.) Who could, got the contract.
Hope that helps.
Some of my guitars: 64 or so Domino Beatle bass; 73 Ibanez 2398; 79 Epiphone Genesis; 79 Manoman; 78 Gibson L6S; 95 Ibanez JS-700; 04 Samick Lasalle JZ3: 05 Ibanez AS73; 06 Gibson SG Faded, 07 Gary Kramer Simulator T and quite a few others.
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by niedermee » Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:06 pm

Do you have any pics of similar guitars with the "X"?
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by BadPenguin » Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:02 am

Some of my guitars: 64 or so Domino Beatle bass; 73 Ibanez 2398; 79 Epiphone Genesis; 79 Manoman; 78 Gibson L6S; 95 Ibanez JS-700; 04 Samick Lasalle JZ3: 05 Ibanez AS73; 06 Gibson SG Faded, 07 Gary Kramer Simulator T and quite a few others.
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