Hondo II SG (cherry)- Help needed...

[smokingblue]

Hello everybody,

I wondered if you could help me. I recently purchased this guitar, I believe it to be a Hondo II SG copy. As I only paid a very small amount for it and have numerous guitars already my intention is to possibly sell it. In which case, I am looking for any information I can gather about this guitar (year- in particular, spec, MIJ, value). I have trawled the net' and ive seen everything Hondo has got to offer (335's, LP's etc) but cant find this model. Am I right thinking that this is lawsuit era? The tuners are not original, but i have an old set of deluxe machineheads that I will be putting on. It seems to be a solid build and weighs round about as heavy as a real SG. It is in great condition, apart from a ding on the left horn and various scuffs and has a 4 pin bolt on neck, there isn't a serial number but I wondered if Hondo stamped the necks (inside?) Over to you....

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Sam.

Sorry about pic quality- iphone.

[VintAxe]

Hey Sam.

I can't find an exact match for your SG in my literature, but I've seen enough to form some opinions. I'm thinking your guitar was likely built around 78-79. SGs in my 1977 literature still have the open book headstock like yours but also have a primitive electronics set-up with all the controls mounted on a panel in a very un-SG like way. By 1980-81 the SGs have a control set-up that looks more like your guitar but the headstock profile has changed to the early 80's hondo style with the divot in the center.

Your instrument seems to bridge the differences I see in the SGs in these two catalogs so I'm guessing it's a late 70's guitar.

[smokingblue]

Cheers for the information Vintaxe, it's most appreciated. I have been doing some research of my own and the Hondo era is really confusing. If your estimate is 78-79, do you think would it have been made in Japan or Korea?

Thanks

[Bassassin]

This is a model HSG-2, made by Samick in Korea. I'm uncertain about a date for it but I'd say mid 70s - it appears in an undated Hondo leaflet I have alongside other copy designs - none of the original models Hondo introduced in the late 70s feature in this leaflet.

Jon.

[VintAxe]

Interesting Jon.

Your observations sent me back to my catalogs and I noticed something I hadn't seen before. I dated my "sitting around the campfire" Hondo catalog based on a pricelist and dealer letter that accompanied it when I purchased it. The pricelist is dated January 1977. What I didn't notice before was that the model numbers in the pricelist for the electric guitars doesn't correspond to the model numbers listed for the guitars in the catalog. So in the catalog the Hondo SG is designated HEG 5006 but in the pricelist it is HSG-2.

What this suggests to me is that the catalog is earlier than the pricelist since the model designations are more generic (Hondo Electric Guitar) than the more descriptive model designations in the pricelist (Hondo SG copy).

So, what this tells me is the catalog I currently have dated as a 1977 is probably a 1976. It also suggests that your undated leaflet is probably from 1977 since we can tie the HSG-2 model designation to a dated pricelist.

I don't think smokingblue's SG is mid 1970's since I have 1975 Hondo literature from a dated Grossman catalog that shows the SG copies with a big control plate all the electronics mount to. This same setup is on the SGs in what I now believe is a 76 catalog as well. However, if the HSG-2 in your leaflet is a match with smokingblue's SG, I would now vote for a 1977 production date. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of an HSG-2 to make a comparison, but if it looks right to you, I'm convinced.

[Bassassin]

This (along with 2 other pages I have) appears to be photocopied from a distributor brochure, which probably featured other brands & products. Unfortunately apart from the model range depicted I don't really have much to go on to date it, I'd probably say 1975-77.

The prices offer a vague clue of sorts - I actually got my first bass in 1978 - it was a very low-end shortscale thing & it cost £59 - I couldn't find a cheaper one. One of the other pages I have shows a better-specified & much more accurate Hondo Precision priced at £55. I can categorically state these basses were more expensive than that by '78 - or I would have had one!

J.

[DeMontGuitars.com]