![]() These were all imported from Japan under different brand names. Here is a typical selection of 1970’s Fender and Gibson copies. To avoid the same problem happening again, Gibson bought Epiphone and started building some very nice Imported Copy Guitars! Fender opened facilities outside North America under different brand names like Squier. This allowed some elbowroom for Gibson and Fender to rethink and retool their operations to fortify their position in the market. Late in the seventies, Gibson Guitars won a legal battle for patent infringements, which over time, shut down all but a few “copy” guitar manufacturers worldwide. That is why we hear so much about the “Lawsuit ERA” guitars. Towards the end of the 1970’s, Fender and Gibson were loosing market share. The lawyers at Gibson started to get restless, and young guitar players like myself were also getting restless… I could not wait to go out and buy a UNIVOX Les Paul for 1/5th the price of the real thing! Damn, it was so inexpensive that I could almost afford to smash it on stage! Cool! But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Not only was the manufacturing quality improving, but the quality of the REPLICATION was reaching new highs. Univox, Kawai, Silvertone and Domino were starting to deliver guitars that – from a price / quality point of view – were beginning to eat into the markets that Fender and Gibson dominated. 1) Companies outside North America vastly improved the quality of their guitar manufacturing and 2) Companies inside North America – namely Fender and Gibson – took their eye off the ball and did exactly the opposite.īy this time, many guitar manufacturers from the Far East had 10+ years experience under their belts, and the improvement in quality began to shine through. Two major issues defined the progress of electric guitars for most of the seventies. I can send you photos and even a video I recorded using it 17 years ago.Led Zeppelin helped to popularise the Les Paul in the 70’s, when many great copies were made It is in great condition except for dirty rocker switches. The back of the headstock had a small metal Made in Japan tag held on with tiny nails. It has the Guyatone G logo on the headstock and the truss rod cover says Tokoyo Sound Co. Where it is different from all the others I have seen is the two 3 position rocker switches on the upper horn. It has 2 single coil pickups with massive slugs, trem arm, 1 vol and 1 tone knob in the usual spot. I am wondering if I have one that was not mafe for export. I have been searching the web for a couple weeks, and can’t find a single photo, drawing or ad for this one. ![]() I am trying to identify a Guyatone that I got at a swap meet in the S.F. ![]() ![]() I have had many guitars over the last 47 years. Even in its original state its value is only about 1,500 at best. Now before someone has a hissyfit that i’ve ruined a “vintage” guitar, and diminished it’s value, remember it had already been painted five times before. An outstanding job! Shoot, ol Wilson Picket hisself played this guitar back in 66 or67. I just wish he could have seen the finished guitar. passed and he did get to see the oak veneer and he really liked it. I had started the refinish project before Charles. Never stripped! Just sanded and a new color applied. This guitar had been re-painted five times previously. I replicated the pickguard in carbon fiber. I refinished the guitar by veneering the top in oak and a sunburst finish was added. I’m a short fella, as are my extremities. I’ve been aquainted with this guitat since 1965. I have (and cherish) a1957 Fender Duo-Sonic, that was “willed” to me by a very dear friend who passed on a few years ago.
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