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Why aren't cheap guitars interesting like this Decca anymore?
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Thread: Why aren't cheap guitars interesting like this Decca anymore?

  1. #1
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    Default Why aren't cheap guitars interesting like this Decca anymore?

    I was visiting a friend and tucked in the corner of his dining room was this old guitar. When I went to look at it, it was a Decca and had these interesting switches on it. He said it was in his dad's barn and got all wet so the electronics are shot, but it was fascinating to look at. It seems nowadays all cheap guitars are basically Stratocasters.

    Oh, and what is this thing sticking out of the bridge? It seems to be where the strings are so they would have to go around it?








    Guitars: Epiphone Les Paul Ultra; pretty red Squier Acoustic;
    Amps: Vox VT30;
    Pedals: Dunlop Fuzz Face; Dunlop Crybaby Wah
    My kids have: Squier Affinity Stratocaster MII; Fender G-DEC; Squire Acoustic; Jay Turser Strat-copy, Roland Cube amp

    "I am a sworn enemy of the saccharine, and a believer in grace over karma." Bono 2001

  2. #2
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    That Decca, when it was new, was a total piece of crap.
    But now that its old, it's a rusted vintage piece of crap.

    If you like interesting-looking guitars, Google some Russian guitars. Cheap and interesting. They have all the tone of limp cauliflower, and play about the same as said cauliflower. Lots of switches and gizmos, though. Saw one with 6 pickups once. A real tone-monster

    Edit: Here ya go: http://www.junkguitars.com/pictures.html

    2nd edit: Here's one on eBay with the same weird trem - http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1960s-Au...94902459847479
    Last edited by Zip; July 26th, 2010 at 09:39 PM. Reason: Added awesome linky
    "Always go heavy on the effects and try to blind the audience with expensive gear." - hubberjub

    I mean, no offense, but I don't really see why, like guitar players from Creed, or something like that, are on the cover of guitar magazines. Almost anybody can sit down and learn to play those songs.
    Dweezil Zappa

  3. #3
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    The bridge looks like a Jazzmaster type tremolo bridge. That thing sticking up would be where the tremolo bar is inserted.

    Rondo Music has some pretty interesting shapes for inexpensive guitars. They have the standard Strat and LP types, but also some odd ones now and then.

    Edit: Is that a chunk of wood serving as saddles? Nice. Did it come that way stock?
    Last edited by FrankenFretter; July 27th, 2010 at 02:12 PM. Reason: Just noticed something in the photo...
    -Sean
    Guitars: Lots.
    Amphs: More than last year.
    Pedals: Many, although I go straight from guitar to amp more often lately.

  4. #4
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    I like the funky look of that guitar. They don't make 'em like that because they tended to be made cheaply, didn't last and guitarists generally wanted the more conservative shapes of Fender and Gibson.

    However, Eastwood guitars makes a bunch of different models, inspired by some pretty funky designs. Plenty of switches to mess with here! http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/
    Guitars:
    Fender 2006 MIM Fender Stratocaster HSS in 3TS
    Ibanez RG 570 with a bridge Invader
    ESP M II Deluxe with a Tune-o-Matic bridge
    Eleanor, the magical, mystical Road Worn wonder Tele
    Blackstar HT Club 40

  5. #5
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    Nice woodgrain on that 'burst.

    The rest....... not so much.
    Guitars
    Wilburn Versatare, '52 FrankenTele(Fender licensed parts), Fender USA Roadhouse Strat, Fender USA Standard B-bender Telecaster, Agile AL 3000 w/ WCR pickups, Ibanez MIJ V300 Acoustic, Squier Precision Bass,
    Amps
    Ceriatone Overtone Special, Musicman 212 Sixty-Five, Fender Blues Jr., Peavey Classic 30, Fender Super Reverb, Traynor YCV-40 WR Anniversary w/ matching 1x12 ext. cab, Epiphone SoCal 50w head w/ matching 4x12 cab (Lady Luck speakers), Avatar 2x12 semi-open back cab w/ Celestion speakers
    Pedals
    Digitech Bad Monkey, Digitech Jamman, DVM's ZYS, Goodrich volume pedal

  6. #6
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    I've often considered getting a Russian guitar/bass like the melted potato Tonika's, but now I want either an Ural or Aelita asap, preferably both! You can't beat a commie hockey stick for a headstock, and you just know whomever played those got ALL the least unshaven girls in town... Rock on, comrade!

  7. #7
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    I still have my first electric guitar, a ca. 1970 Heit. Single pickup, crappy paint, but still an interesting relic.


    Guitars: '06 Les Paul Classic Goldtop, '07 SG classic, '79 ES335TD Blond, '88 Telecaster, '08 Custom Shop Strat 57 NOS, Framus '69 Goucho Acoustic, '72 Framus Caravelle hollow body, '09 Hagstrom Swede, '10 Ibanez AG95 and '69 Heit

    Amps: Fender Blues Deluxe Tweed, Marshall JCM 900 50W full stack, Roland Cube 20XL and '69 Checkmate!

    Pedals: (all DVM) Tremolo, "Rabid Rodent" distortion, "Zonkin Yellow Screamer" OD/Boost, "Gee Ain't That Swell" volume swell, and "Mega Muff" fuzz

  8. #8
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    Perfect guitar to learn electric guitar repair and maintenance on.

    Crown and polish frets, learn truss rod adjustment by putting say 9's, adjust truss, move to 10's, re-adjust, etc.....

    Good for electronic work as well......buy some new, cheap pots, and a jack, rewire the guitar. Install a standard pickup toggle switch, say a 5 way, and learn to rewire that thing bypassing those cheesey switches.....
    http://tubeworks.mortality.net - Tube Works / Mosvalve Fan Site

  9. #9
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    "Saw one with 6 pickups once. A real tone-monster"

    Saw a 5 pup decca or tiesco; 4 between the neck and bridge and one between the bridge and tremolo, go figure.

  10. #10
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    I like Moander's suggestion. I'll pass that on to the guy who owns it.
    Guitars: Epiphone Les Paul Ultra; pretty red Squier Acoustic;
    Amps: Vox VT30;
    Pedals: Dunlop Fuzz Face; Dunlop Crybaby Wah
    My kids have: Squier Affinity Stratocaster MII; Fender G-DEC; Squire Acoustic; Jay Turser Strat-copy, Roland Cube amp

    "I am a sworn enemy of the saccharine, and a believer in grace over karma." Bono 2001

  11. #11
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    Talking

    Actually although not the bottom-rung hundred dollar variety, in the $200-$500 range you can find all kinds of cool and offbeat guitars today. Maybe not quite as offbeat as the one in the OP, but certainly not the ho-hum Strat/LP shapes. And the modern ones are actually playable, unlike many of the old bottom-rung Teiscos, Deccas, Kays, and Harmonies.

    A few cases in point from my personal stable, eh?

    This DeArmond Jetstar (bought new for $225 iirc) is an obvious choice, based on the old Guild Thunderbird (see headstock inlay):



    Schecter has a lot of cool shapes in addition to their more pointy stuff. The Tempest, seen here impersonating an LP Special (bought used w/ohsc for $250), is neither Strat nor LP:



    The Danelectro reissues are inexpensive and bring back their own late '50's and '60's designs, plus the occasional new design like my Hodad (used $250), which borrows from Mosrite for its shape:



    One which did cost me only a hundred bucks (used) is this Brownsville Choirboy, vaguely LP-shaped, but with a Dano-type thinline semi-hollow construction (bolt-neck), and 3 ab fab single-coil toasters with Strat-style 5-way switching:



    Toward the higher end (I bought mine like new for $400) of the inexpensive guitars, the Fernandes Ravelle is a great shape:



    I've gigged all these modern offbeat guitars in church and with my various rock bands.

    Eastwood has already been mentioned, they do "reissues" of old guitars, one of which is the Ovation Breadwinner. I actually have one of the originals from the early '70's:



    Eastwood's version is rather pricey, probably about what the originals are going for. I bought mine c. 1980 for ~$225 w/ohsc.

  12. #12
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    Now those are cool!
    Guitars: Epiphone Les Paul Ultra; pretty red Squier Acoustic;
    Amps: Vox VT30;
    Pedals: Dunlop Fuzz Face; Dunlop Crybaby Wah
    My kids have: Squier Affinity Stratocaster MII; Fender G-DEC; Squire Acoustic; Jay Turser Strat-copy, Roland Cube amp

    "I am a sworn enemy of the saccharine, and a believer in grace over karma." Bono 2001

  13. #13
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    Thumbs up

    Quote Originally Posted by Retro Hound
    Now those are cool!
    Thanks! We are truly living in the Golden Age of Inexpensive Electric Guitars!

    As for the funky variety, Schecter has/had a batch of models that I haven't owned but that are not expensive and retro-inspired:





    Hellcat:



    And don't forget DiPinto guitars:


  14. #14
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    Oh, and the old Ibanez Talman:





    And the former and current Ibanez Jet Kings:






  15. #15
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    I'm still kicking myself for not picking up one of these Schecter PT Custom Diamond Series when MF was closing them out a few years back.
    Ah, nothing relieves the discomfort of GAS pains like the sound of the UPS truck rumbling down your street. It's like the musician's Beano.

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