This one's a Style-U with the later, more functional trapeze tailpiece/almost banjo style bridge.

The early Style-R and Style-U guitars were cooler looking, but the sub bass string tension made the older bridges lift.

I didn't follow-up with you after our exchange about old violins and cases, but I shared that and the article with my buddy Ward prior to our last Wednesday night popsicle summit a couple weeks ago, but I didn't say any more. He was really concerned for a while I was about to get into a project waaaaay over my head! 😯

I did have some 'splainin' to do when he got to the shop. 🤣

About time to rotate this one out again... I call him Mister Miyagi.

There was a chain of small music stores in North Carolina back in the 70's and 80's, Don Miller Music. They went out of business leaving a bunch of unopened stock behind. Miller's imported guitars from Japan with their store name on them. The guitars were quite well-made, the electronics and hardware left a lot of room for improvement.

I got two of them, and modified both. This one received a set of Alembic activators, and a complete replacement of all the hardware with gold-plated stuff I scavenged. I did not want to debadge or deface the headstock logo with Don Miller's name... that just seemed wrong, but I had kinda' made it my own, and other than the husk, that was all that was left. So I made a little decorative plate to fasten on over it with tiny brass screws, and an ancient Japanese coin for a logo.

I love it!

Quote from: Nova Constellatio on Yesterday at 09:45:25 AMThis one's a Style-U with the later, more functional trapeze tailpiece/almost banjo style bridge.

The early Style-R and Style-U guitars were cooler looking, but the sub bass string tension made the older bridges lift.

My bad; I saw the bottom the big upper bass bout, but not the top of it, and was thinking it was more Larsonesque on the harp side instead of the Gibson stick.

Peter

For some reason, I don't think I have a full picture of it on my phone, and it's in storage at the moment.

Here was the other guitar from Miller's Music. It was a new old stock Telecaster-style guitar, but with a neck-through construction. The electronics absolutely sucked, and the frets were a bit sketchy. I didn't feel to bad about debadging this one. The label just said MILLER, and looked for all the world like it came off a beer can. I called this one "Bubba-san". He got fitted with a set of EMG pickups and electronics. I dressed up the pickguard and headstock face with some veneer and straightened out the fretwork. Believe it or not,  the brass nut was stock.

I used to keep him in the office here, and play for a few minutes in the morning... following retirement from public service, I gifted this one to the mandolin/guitar player in one of the groups I play with. As far as I know, he's still got it.

Around were these made? Late '80s/early '90s?

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on Today at 04:12:20 AM. Believe it or not,  the brass nut was stock.

I read a quote from a luthier - you'd recognize the name, if only I could remember it - a few years back:  "I see all these vintage guitars for sale listed as '100% original', and I wonder what happened to all those brass nuts I installed in the '70s."

Peter

Quote from: Nova Constellatio on Today at 06:01:13 AMAround were these made? Late '80s/early '90s?

Best information I could get about them was that Miller's closed up about that time, so it seems to be a reasonable timeline. They kinda' have that look too. Both guitars were still boxed, new stock.

The first guitar I ever made was a neck through maple tele with Bartolinis. I think I finished it in 1990. It was definitely of the era.

For my money, Barts are the 2nd-best pick-ups going, especially for bass.

Peter

Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on Today at 06:38:43 AM

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on Today at 04:12:20 AM. Believe it or not,  the brass nut was stock.

I read a quote from a luthier - you'd recognize the name, if only I could remember it - a few years back:  "I see all these vintage guitars for sale listed as '100% original', and I wonder what happened to all those brass nuts I installed in the '70s."

Peter

Scroll back up and check out the Kalamazoo KB-1 bass I posted last week. That one wasn't original for sure. Almost guaranteed a 70's mod/upgrade. No idea who.