First post - new "old" guitar

[Toadlc]

I picked up this Univox last week. Looks like everything is original & complete. Pots were scratchy so I pulled them all & cleaned them. The switch was bent, pulled that & straightened it out. Pulled the tuning machines, cleaned, polished & lubricated. Everything works great now. Pickups are microphonic but that's to be expected. The only thing I'd like to find is a tone knob. One is cracked & missing a small piece.

If anybody knows an approximate value of this guitar I would be interested to know that.

[VintAxe]

Hi Toadlc.

I've been looking around for some recent price information on your guitar but so far I haven't found a guitar similar to yours that has sold recently. This is a fairly common instrument so something will probably turn up soon.

I can tell you that your guitar was made by Aria in the early 1970's and was imported by Univox to be sold under their brand name.

If you are still searching for a price, check Aria 335 copies as well. I can tell you back when I watched these guitars about 4 years ago they typically sold for around $300. I'm just not sure where the prices are today, but my hunch is that they are not that much different. Millions of Japanese 335 copies were imported in the 1970's.

[Toadlc]

Thanks, I appreciate the info.

[Bassassin]

Hi - according to the Univox site, it looks like your guitar's a model HR-2, from around 1965-66:

http://www.univox.org/guitars/hr2.html

It looks identical to the sunburst pics, apart from having a fixed tailpiece. Is the headstock of yours the same as the pictured examples?

Univox as a brand seems to have been contracted through Aria/Shiro Arai Co - however it's unclear where the early examples were manufactured - opinion's divided as to whether Arai Co used Matsumoku that early, or whether they actually had their own manufacturing facility.

Jon.

[VintAxe]

Thanks for the correction on the date Jon. I was too lazy to actually look it up. sb

[Toadlc]

Yes, same headstock. It has a face that matches the pickguard.

[cheepaxes]

I've always wondered whether the holes under spacers for the pickups on those guitars were large enough to accomodate a humbucker, mini-humbucker or P-90.

-Scott

[Toadlc]

[Toadlc]

Okay, I played it for a while & after fooling with the pots & switch it was just not up to snuff. The tone controls were barely working. Basically one tone. Pickups were very microphonic & would feedback at any decent volume. I got rid of the pickups & replaced them with a set of P90's. I had to cut the rings to fit & do a slight amount of clearance work on the body. I replaced the switch, pots, caps, jacks and all wiring. I also replaced the bridge with a TOM and put on a new trapeze.

What a difference! This is what I was hoping this guitar would sound like. This guitar has some balls now. I liked the fact it was mostly original (I think) but since it wasn't a big dollar vintage guitar I decided let's make it a player. Here's a picture of it now.

[Spud1950]

Excellent modding. Looks really great!

[cheepaxes]

Nice. I'd love to hear it. :)

-Scott