I really dig weird knock-offs and cheap guitars like Teisco and Harmony. Does anybody remember some of the brands that just seemed to pop up in the 80s to make knock-off shredder guitars? So far I can think of:
Hondo
Series 10
Lotus
Aria
Harmony
I know there were others. Charvel and BC Rich made some pretty cheap stuff, as did Kramer. What else you got?
Westone?
not so much a weird brand but I rmember that two of my friends had this cheapo grestch back in the 80's.
I had a hondo II les paul.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/turquoisemoleeater/guitars/GretschModel7624.jpg)
My first bass was a Hondo II Ric
I have never stumbled upon, nor do I remember ever seeing a Gretsch like that. I want one now ;D
I've got two Westone Dimension IV's, and my main bass is a Westone Thunder 1A.
Bet that Gretsch ain't cheap now.
Jedson. Utter shit.
Hamer?
Quote from: deaner33 on January 19, 2012, 08:36:23 PM
Bet that Gretsch ain't cheap now.
Is that a Beast? The Gretsch fans are purists and hate anything non-traditional, so you could probably buy one of those relatively cheap for an old Gretsch.
This is a beast (BST 1000) and I nearly bought one a few years ago at a guitar show but the dealer was a dick.
(http://www.2ndstringguitars.com/Testimonials/IMAG029A.JPG)
How about a Hyundai? I had one. Strat copy.
(http://www.guitar-museum.com/uploads/guitar/999/57268-2.jpg)
GTX
Memphis
Fame
Univox
I've owned all of these. A buddy of mine still has a Harmony Explorer copy, and we've never seen any others. The V's yes, but the explorers.
I mean, Guild was a weird one, IMO.
I love my/lordfinesse's Guild.
That Gretsch can go for a lot of money. At least that's what a local shop decides to sell it for. $950.
my first guitar is a harmony copy body with new everything else replaced. i'd actually never sell it and it sounds really good.
Yamaha had some cool ones aside from the SG & SBG... SC, MSG, SHB
Not to mention my favorite sounding P-bass ever... My BB-800
(http://www.zachhegwood.com/images/yamaha.jpg)
(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n207/spaceace2001/IMG_0431.jpg)
(http://www.hillmanweb.com/g707x3.jpg)
The Westone stuff is exactly what I'm talking about. They kinda came about at the dawn of the 80s and were gone at the end. I think Series 10 hung in abit longer.
Memphis is the rebranded import Harmony stuff. I think there were a couple of other brands too that were the same guitars as the Harmonys with different brand names. I have seen a few of those Harmony Explorers over the years, but they are usually trashed. The one I'd love to have was the one with all the push button built in effects.
My first electric guitar was an el Degas strat knockoff.
Quote from: Chovie D on January 19, 2012, 07:54:15 PM
not so much a weird brand but I rmember that two of my friends had this cheapo grestch back in the 80's.
I had a hondo II les paul.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/turquoisemoleeater/guitars/GretschModel7624.jpg)
I so want that, very cool!
I had a Pan Les Paul in the 80's but it was prolly from the 70's. My buddy had a Hurricane that I thought was the shit. I think it was made by Aria Pro II
Ahh Series 10..... I remember my local shop carried these and my friends would drool over them. They had a neon yellow one that was hideous looking but at the time(mid 80's) thats what you got. All the rich kids parents bought them BC Rich Warlocks (usually hot pink). I was the odd ball. My first one was an Ibanez EX series (very early EX series BTW) in purple. I still have it but she needs work. I would love to get it fixed up.
Other than Series 10 , i can only remember Carvin, Hamer, Kramer(sp?), and BC Rich being top names, but there were always some weird off brands floating around.
Oh the Peavey Falcon (if i remember right ) was a pretty decent guitar. Strat style.
(http://gamesnet.vo.llnwd.net/o1/gamestar/objects/237104_main.jpg) ???
Quote from: hayseed on January 20, 2012, 11:11:30 AM
Ahh Series 10..... I remember my local shop carried these and my friends would drool over them. They had a neon yellow one that was hideous looking but at the time(mid 80's) thats what you got. All the rich kids parents bought them BC Rich Warlocks (usually hot pink). I was the odd ball. My first one was an Ibanez EX series (very early EX series BTW) in purple. I still have it but she needs work. I would love to get it fixed up.
Other than Series 10 , i can only remember Carvin, Hamer, Kramer(sp?), and BC Rich being top names, but there were always some weird off brands floating around.
Oh the Peavey Falcon (if i remember right ) was a pretty decent guitar. Strat style.
My guitarist had a white Series 10 with a Dimarzio Super Distortion pickup that I learned to play guitar on. Then I bought a sparkle black BC Rich "platinum" super strat with a Khaler trem. Those '80s guitars always had that crazy thick plasticy car paint on them. Super durable.
Quote from: RAGER on January 20, 2012, 11:08:46 AM
Aria Pro II
Yes Aria ProII ruled my 80's and
VANTAGE WHITE STRAT W BLACK PICKGUARD WAS HEAVY AND AWESOME GOT STOLED
My first guitar was a Harmony explorer. I thought was awesome. I am sure it was crap. My favorite guitar I owned in the 80's was a 1983 BC Rich warlock. It has the 3x3 headstock and sounds awesome. Heavier than a Les Paul. I got it in 1987 and I still have it.
My first guitar was a Hondo strat copy. I also had a "shredder" type guitar with a locking nut, I think the brand was "Starforce." I kid you not.
I remember a no name explorer some of the dudes in school had. A furniture store sold em.
Quote from: cat shepard on January 20, 2012, 09:39:19 PM
I remember a no name explorer some of the dudes in school had. A furniture store sold em.
Did they make basses too?
Quote from: Hemisaurus on January 20, 2012, 10:23:29 PM
Quote from: cat shepard on January 20, 2012, 09:39:19 PM
I remember a no name explorer some of the dudes in school had. A furniture store sold em.
Did they make basses too?
man I don't know. Everybody just played the guitar except the one kid who played bass, it was a headless cort and there was a drummer with no set and a drunk drummer who would always cry drunkenly about his problems before practice ended or could even get started sometimes. The explorer guitars had green tint in the finish it seems, not predominantly green though, just a little. More than one kid had em. It was a small town and the store was a small ( i think) chain called heileg myers, I can't remember how to spell it. A bass like that would've been cool. I must know, why do you ask? Was there possibly one in your neck of the woods? Do you remember the gtr? Did you see the bass? The gtr. literally had no name or information that I can remember and I would always file all that kind of info away in my brain. Hey you are always knowledgable, do you remember the Vantage gtr.s? Maybe some of this stuff was regional. At the time that Vantage was bad ass. Sorry to be long winded, I get so bored.
Heilig-Meyer was a pretty big chain, I think, I recognise it anyways ;)
No, I just thought a cheap Explorer or something pointy bass would be nice, reverse headstock for extra fun.
(http://www.jhs.co.uk/metalaxxe/VWR999HBF.jpg)