So a couple of months back I picked up an interesting guitar from good ole GC Used for under $200...it was sold to me as a "D'Agostino" but when I got it I noticed a mother of pearl logo peeking out from behind the D'Agostino decal so I peeled it off carefully and found out it was actually a Matsumoku-built Cortez LP Custom that (according to the serial) dates to 1980. Beautiful set neck LP with lots of nice specs...fret nibs, fully bound, etc. Also came with a Dimarzio Air Classic in the bridge and a Faber USA bridge. Quickly became one of my favorite LPs and I sold off a couple others I had because this one just bested 'em all.
Last week I was browsing GC again as I tend to do and lo and behold I spotted another one of the same exact guitar, just a different finish. This one was a bit more than the last ($300) but being a sucker for a killer LP and knowing how rare these are, I just had to grab it. Real John Sykes vibe here!
Arrived today and happy to report it's just as good as the first one I got months ago. It needed a thorough cleaning but shined up nicely and plays great with nice low action and no buzzing. Will need to get the frets polished but other than that I think we're golden!
Here are a few pics:
NGD - Vintage Matsumoku LP #2!
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slowhand84
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They really are, that's why I didn't hesitate to scoop up this second one! If this had mother of pearl blocks instead of the acrylic you would be hard pressed to distinguish it from a Gibson LP Custom (except this one has the volute on the back of the neck, so it's a smarter design
). These particular ones are a bit of a rare find, the majority you see are the lower end bolt-on ones. There's one identical to mine for sale on Reverb but this guy is on crack with his asking price given the condition...let's just say I prefer mine for the $300!
https://reverb.com/item/34499492-cortez ... 70-s-black
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slowhand84
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Doing some recording with both Cortez guitars so I'll post some clips later, but here are the twins for now 
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