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NGD x2 - '60's Japanese Guitars
Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2024 6:36 pm
by Tiga
My daughter and I stopped at a garage sale today and picked up these two '60s japanese guitars. One is a Silvertone strat style guitar and the other appears to be a Zenon Audition off-set. Got both for $50. Both of them appear to be missing parts for the vibrato's - arms on both but the Zenon I believe is suppose to have a cover. My daughter is excited to get the Silvertone fixed up. Both look to be serious projects LOL.
The Zenon has quite the large neck - however it doesn't seem to have a truss rod so hopefully it can be made playable. Anyone know what model the Silvertone is? I can't seem to find it anywhere online. Any experience with any of these (or similar) models?
Re: NGD x2 - '60's Japanese Guitars
Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2024 8:20 pm
by BatUtilityBelt
Great find! I'm sure they'll be worth the work. I don't know what model it is (maybe a 1412), but here's an ebay listing with an identical Silvertone so you can see what's missing on the trem.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/334485000764 
And an old reverb listing:
https://reverb.com/item/69657856-1960s- ... 1412-japan
And a Silvertone facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/silvertoneworl ... 31/?type=3
Re: NGD x2 - '60's Japanese Guitars
Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2024 9:35 pm
by Tonray's Ghost
Tiga wrote: ↑Sat Jun 08, 2024 6:36 pm
My daughter and I stopped at a garage sale today and picked up these two '60s japanese guitars. One is a Silvertone strat style guitar and the other appears to be a Zenon Audition off-set. Got both for $50. Both of them appear to be missing parts for the vibrato's - arms on both but the Zenon I believe is suppose to have a cover. My daughter is excited to get the Silvertone fixed up. Both look to be serious projects LOL.
The Zenon has quite the large neck - however it doesn't seem to have a truss rod so hopefully it can be made playable. Anyone know what model the Silvertone is? I can't seem to find it anywhere online. Any experience with any of these (or similar) models?
Japanese Guitars.jpg
Wow vintage coolness.
Re: NGD x2 - '60's Japanese Guitars
Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 5:12 am
by guitaro
Amazing score at 25 per. I’d hit that, 2 times.
If you are on FB, there are at least 3 vintage Japanese guitar groups with quite knowledgeable people posting regularly. Might be a good place to get more detailed information. Congrats on the score. By the way, are you sure about the Zenon not having a truss rod? Most Japanese guitars since the 60’s had “Steel Reinforced Neck” as stated on the neck plate.
Re: NGD x2 - '60's Japanese Guitars
Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2024 11:21 am
by andrewsrea
The envy of every kid who walked into a department store in the 60's, having to get a pair of Toughskins and really dreaming of those guitars!
Re: NGD x2 - '60's Japanese Guitars
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2024 6:23 pm
by Tiga
guitaro wrote: ↑Sun Jun 09, 2024 5:12 am
Amazing score at 25 per. I’d hit that, 2 times.
If you are on FB, there are at least 3 vintage Japanese guitar groups with quite knowledgeable people posting regularly. Might be a good place to get more detailed information. Congrats on the score. By the way, are you sure about the Zenon not having a truss rod? Most Japanese guitars since the 60’s had “Steel Reinforced Neck” as stated on the neck plate.
I looked for the "Steel Reinforced Neck" indicator but it's not anywhere. I'm hoping that since the neck is so chunky that it's pretty stable. The plastic bridge broke in half the second I touched it- LOL. I think the first step with the Zenon is to figure out how to get it strung up and under tension to see how the neck behaves.
I tested the truss rod on the Silvertone and it's working fine. Barely getting any sound of it but I think the controls are probably corroded / dirty and hoping they can be dealt with easily. Getting sound out of the Zenon neck pickup but not the bridge - but thinking it might be a switch issue. What a couple of projects!
Re: NGD x2 - '60's Japanese Guitars
Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 8:31 pm
by BatUtilityBelt
If it had that neck plate, it would probably look like this:
Re: NGD x2 - '60's Japanese Guitars
Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 9:36 pm
by Tonray's Ghost
BatUtilityBelt wrote: ↑Wed Jun 12, 2024 8:31 pm
If it had that neck plate, it would probably look like this:4.jpg
That's hard to miss !
Re: NGD x2 - '60's Japanese Guitars
Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2024 11:40 pm
by ronnx
If nothing else on that Zenon, the pickups alone are worth the price and make a great sound. I saved a set from a Tesco some years back and pitched the neck and body as they were not worth fixing and put the pickups in a Squier Bullet.
Re: NGD x2 - '60's Japanese Guitars
Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2024 8:05 am
by Tiga
That strat looks pretty cool. Do you find the pickups to be microphonic at all?
Re: NGD x2 - '60's Japanese Guitars
Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2024 10:51 pm
by ronnx
Tiga wrote: ↑Thu Jul 04, 2024 8:05 am
That strat looks pretty cool. Do you find the pickups to be microphonic at all?
Yes, they are microphonic. But that is the reason I wanted them, for that glassy, clangy goldfoil kind of sound. Probably not a good descripton, but you get the idea.