1980 Ibanez Iceman IC-50 Electric Guitar

Vintage Japanese axe, with original hardware and custom paint job

This is another guitar that I've owned for over 20 years and I also found this one at Westminster Jewelry and Loan. When I bought it, it was black and had many rough patches on the body, where it had been scratched and/or dinged. My buddy decided to strip it and sand it down a little to smooth out some of those blemishes and used crackle paint from the local hardware store for the paint job. A thin layer of lacquer was applied to seal it and it has slightly faded into a bit of a sweet cream color today.

The hardware was also in very bad shape, the tail piece and saddle were dipped in some sort of black coating that used to make a better grip on tools. Maybe it wasn't the best idea, sonically, but it looked cool and lasted a fairly long time.Another distinguishing feature on this guitar is the nut at the end of the fretboard, someone scalloped it at some point and that's not something you see on what is considered a mid-level guitar, at best.

I took this in to Clay at Beach City Pawn and Guitar to replace the toggle switch and clean up the electronics. He also set it up and raised the pickups. This one always played and sounded so good, that it was actually my main guitar when I first got it and I played it at my first gig over the vintage Les Paul that I've had for nearly 25 years. The pickups aren't quite as hot as the Gibson and it's a great option for laying down rhythm tracks. I'll take it back to Clay at some point to restore it further, the tuning keys have a fair amount of tarnish and the frets could use a cleaning.

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1980s J. Steele 300/301 Precision Bass Guitar

Vintage Korean Fender P-Bass copy, saw action at some of my first gigs and still going strong

Virtually everything featured here over the last few years is something that has been found within that time frame, with just a few notable exceptions. This cheap little nugget is something that I found at Westminster Jewelry and Loan around this time in 1993. I bought this for $85 and over 20 years later, there is little to no information available about the make or model. Used Price suggested the model numbers and stated that they were made in 1987, but that's all I could find.

I gigged with this and put in countless hours of practice in 1993 and 1994, but by the time I moved on to other bands in later years, I had upgraded to a mid-level Ibanez. A friend of mine cleaned up the pots a few years back when he was fostering it and it still sounds and plays great. The neck isn't quite as fast as the Ibanez Roadstar that sits in front of it on the rack, but I still pick it up every once in a while, for old time's sake.

Some of the stickers on this bass are really special, especially the ones on the back. There is a Philadelphia theme on both sides, but the Philadelphia Music Company is a now-defunct music store from that area and where I first fell in love with guitars as a kid. The White Zombie sticker was a fan club thing 20 years ago and is probably worth just as much as the bass today. Of course, the KNAC and Pirate Radio stickers are original, and those were the two main radio stations that I listened to as a teenager in So Cal in the early 1990s.

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1975 Takamine F400S 12-String Acoustic Guitar

Vintage Martin lawsuit copy, solid top 12-string, made in Japan

The quest for vintage solid tops may have ended, as this guitar is definitely an upgrade from the F-385 that I picked up a few months ago. This will require some TLC though. The body has warped and con-caved at the soundhole and one of the braces inside the body has also cracked. I wanted this guitar so bad, that I bought it knowing that I'd have to put some cash into it and I even took the train down to Oceanside to pick it up...

As soon as I got back home, I took the guitar to Clay at Beach City Pawn and Guitar to assess the damages. I was relieved to hear that giving the wood some moisture would help the body go to back to something resembling its former shape over time. After only 4 days of this treatment, I can already see the difference and I plan on taking new measurements on Saturday. There is also a crack on the bottom edge of the body, but it looks like it may only be in the clear finish.

This is something that will definitely have before and after photos, like the Yamaha FG-200 that I found last year. That one didn't really have any structural damage, but it was still in bad shape and now it looks and plays great. Hopefully, this will have a similar outcome. Clay also noted that the action wasn't bad, even though the body had sunken in so deeply and the bridge and neck are both in good shape. Hopefully we'll have good news to report in a couple of months.

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1988 Peavey Studio Chorus 210 Combo Amp

Another sweet Peavey amp is added to the collection, vintage Made in the USA

All of the pieces featured here have some sort of history and sometimes you end up with something that once belonged to a classic artist. This one seems to be an early model and was owned by guitarist Lanny Cordola, who Peavey once sponsored while he was in House of Lords and signed to RCA records in the late-80s.

This is now the 2nd Peavey amp in the vault and this one is their answer to the Roland Jazz Chorus. When I posted the photos on Facebook, someone chimed in and questioned the ability of this amp to create heavy metal sounds. As recently stated when discussing the Squier 15 Practice Amp, my main guitar is a 1977 Gibson Les Paul Custom and it's loaded with a vintage Seymour Duncan Invader and a vintage DiMarzio Super Distortion. This is probably why I'm able to get such heavy sounds out of these amps and last night, the Super D (bridge) was churning out Paranoid-era Black Sabbath and the Invader was replicating GNR and AC/DC sounds.

I bought this amp for the stereo chorus, as I prefer the sound of the effects on these old amps to what I'm getting out of vintage pedals and some rack units that I've accumulated. Another thing about this amp is that its loud. It goes from barely audible to stadium rock and there is seemingly no in between. I love it... Back to Lanny Cordola, he has a charity project where he teaches music to children in poverty-stricken countries. Lanny & The MLKs is the name of his band and the bassist/previous owner, Billy the Fist is a local player who also works as the touring bassist for legendary Hollywood glam band, London.

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1978 Yamaha FG375S Acoustic Guitar

Vintage solid top, made in Taiwan, in top playing condition with slight surface wear

Most of the guitars that I buy are purchased out of sheer curiosity. Sometimes I've never heard of the brand or its something that I've seen or heard about and never actually played, so I'll at least check it out to see if its playable and then make my decision. This is a rare case where I saw something that I had to have and it will be tough for me to let go.

Along this now 3-year long journey of testing out vintage gear, Yamaha is one of the names in acoustic guitars that has made a good impression on me. I've been able to find many FG models from the early-to-mid 1970s and even more contemporary models. I even picked up a FG400A from the early-90s during a trip home to Philadelphia a couple of years ago. All of these guitars have been very good players, especially for the price and a some of them have been absolutely beautiful.

This one falls into that category. It doesn't possess the booming low-end tone of the FG-160s and 200s, but it plays like a much more expensive guitar. The diamond inlays and thick binding give that impression and other than a few nicks on the face and headstock, she's still in very good cosmetic condition as well. Someone slapped a set of Grovers on there and probably a long time ago, as they read "patent pending" on the bottom. I'm absolutely ecstatic with this guitar. I paid a little more than I normally do for what is featured here, but it was well worth it and my arsenal of acoustic guitars just got a really big gun.

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1980s Fender Eighty-Five Combo Amp

Vintage combo amp, built in the USA and made famous by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood

This amp apparently made its debut in 1988 and the serial number on the back probably means it was made in 1988 or 1989. When I first started playing, the Fender M80 amp was a favorite among my peers and this sounds alot like those boxes to me.

In a bit of a reversal for Fender amps, the cleans on this one don't really sound all that great. Very heavy metal, but the distortion channel is actually better. When I picked this up last weekend and played through it with the Aria Pro II strat, the sounds coming out were a bit like those on the Weezer Blue Album.

That makes sense, as posted in the abstract, Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead made this amp famous when he used it to record one of their most well-known songs, 1994's Creep and those albums came out the same year. This is one of my better finds, as its a great amp and I'm probably going to end up paying around the same amount to find the original footswitch. These can go for as much as $200, thanks in large part to Mr. Greenwood's influence.

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1980s Fender F 220 SB Acoustic Guitar

Vintage mid-level dreadnought with sweet sunburst finish, made in Korea or Japan

When I found this guitar, I initially thought it was much older than it really is. Partly because of the label and headstock designs, but mostly because the back of the neck looks like it had been played virtually nonstop for about as long as I've been alive. It turns out that these were produced between 1982-88, but I haven't been able to confirm exactly when or where it was made.

I've featured a few different Fender acoustic and classical guitars over the years and while all of them played surprisingly well (Fender acoustics do not have a great reputation), this one is easily the best of the bunch. It already played great before I took it to Clay at Beach City Pawn and Guitar and after he was finished with it, it just about plays itself.

The action is nice and low and the sound it produces is better than expected. The sunburst finish and snowflake fret markers definitely make this guitar stand out from the bargain bin jobs and the natural relic look of the neck gives it tons of mojo. I'm definitely happy that I made the move to pick this one up, as it is in really good shape and is a solid guitar.

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1990s Squier 15 Practice Amp

Vintage jam box, made in Taiwan under the Fender banner

Normally the Squier brand isn't something that I would purchase, especially after spending a little time with the more recent guitars they've put out. This amp, however, carries a large amount of nostalgia with me. The 2nd amp that I ever owned was a Squier 15 and I traded a fellow classmate of mine my first amp, a Boss MG-10, because he came by to jam and I just fell in love with the old school crunch that it was pumping out through my Les Paul.

Sure enough, it still kicks and this youtube video (not me) demonstrates just some of the sounds that this little guy is capable of. That guy is playing a 50-year old Fender through the amp in that video and my Custom is a 1977, so maybe that does play a (large) role in the final sound, but I was happy to score one. These are still available all over this place somehow, I must see one or two every month. If you're an amp person and you're looking for something new to play with, you can find these for as little as $20.

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1960s-70s Crown 639 Acoustic Guitar

Vintage Japanese Gibson J-35 copycat, possible solid wood build

Despite the fact that I've been a guitar hawk for the better part of three years now, I hadn't come across many other Crown acoustic guitars since the classical featured a couple of years ago and this was the first one that I had seen locally since then. This one at least has a model number, but there is still zero information available about this guitar.

It seems to be a solid top and the guitar is about twice as heavy as any other that is currently mingling in the collection. There are no specs that can be found, so the "possible solid wood build" in the abstract is pure speculation. It is not labeled a Crown Professional, but the logo inside is very similar and the abalone inlays on the fretboard look to be of good quality.

There are some other features that stand out on the neck. For one, its a bit rounder than most and also thicker right where the headstock begins to arch back a little. It sounds super nice as well and I'm especially liking what is happening on the low end. The Carlos 240S and this now give me two really nice solid tops to record with and this one could be pushing 50 years old...

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1970s Acoustic Control 150 & 150b Amplifier Heads

Vintage solid state amps, made in So. Cal

Recently, I've made it known that Takamine is the favorite among acoustic guitars and Ibanez the preference of electric guitars. With that in mind, Acoustic Control is the brand of choice when it comes to amplifiers. The first pro rig that I ever had is an ACC 450 plugged into a Randall RB215 and that plays a large role in the interest.

Years later, I would score the ACC 230/403 half-stack that was featured in post #2 here at SCGM and the beast was unleashed. The guitar head was found at a great price just a few months after the 230 and also featured with a Sunn 412L cabinet that was picked up just down the road. One of the previous owners modified this head by adding a pot where one of the input jacks used to be and I think it was a way of controlling the level of the reverb and tremolo effects without a footswitch.

The bass head was found earlier this year by a local seller and is in great shape. The power cord has a couple of rough spots, but it still in working order. These are essentially the same amps, but the guitar version has the effects. The other cool thing is that I was finally able to find a footswitch for a decent price. These things can sometimes cost close to $100 on their own and that is just outrageous.

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1976 Epiphone Texan FT-145 Acoustic Guitar

Vintage mid-70s Japanese dreadnought in great shape

This is the first vintage Epiphone that I've been able to get my hands on and even though it seems like the low-end model for its day, its still a real nice player and is in great condition. The way the neck is bolted in like an electric guitar is odd to me, but it makes it easier to get higher up on the fretboard.

One of the great things about scoring an old big name guitar like an Epiphone, when you look for information on your new toy, you find a whole lot of it. This model was made between 1972-79 and was a total budget model job. Laminate top, sides and back and nothing special to mention on the headstock and fretboard, although the binding along the body is nice.

With the amount of gear that I have laying around, something of this level probably won't make the grade, but it is a nice enough guitar and would definitely make a good beginner. These generally run between $100-200 and for the vintage tone, coupled with the big name, that's not a bad deal. Certainly beats spending the same amount of even more money for a new bundle of plywood at the big box music stores.

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1990s Park G10 Combo Practice Amp

Vintage Marshall-designed box cranks out nice sounds, made in Korea

Another of the cheap finds that were scored during the practice amp kick, I had never heard of this brand before I stumbled upon it (literally) at the Goodwill. After reading some reviews and finding out that it was at least decent, I went back the next day and was lucky enough to find it still sitting there.

Like the Mako Piranha, this amp needs to have the electronics cleaned up. Just about all of the pots are super dirty and the overdrive really only works in a few spots. I was able to get some cool, early Pearl Jam-esque sounds in those spots when I plugged in the Aria Pro II strat and the cleans also sound nice and clear for a cheap practice amp, both the high and low end.

Also, like the Piranha, there are no effects to play with on this amp, but the ability to get those old school overdrive sounds make it worth picking up, if you can find one. Sometimes its nice to be able to just plug in and get a more natural sounding distortion than plugging in a pedal. That's the goal for recording, going forward; the option of different sounds and creating those sounds as organically as possible. Even the effects on the amps recently featured sound cleaner than the pedals that I've accumulated, which are also vintage.

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1974 Yamaha FG-200 Acoustic Guitar

An update on this 40-year old gem from the FG series, made in Taiwan

About a year and a half ago, this beauty was found about 20 miles away from me and the private owner that was selling it said that it had been sitting around for years. It had been through alot, with all sorts of dings, chips and scratches along the sides, back and face of the guitar. The original tuning keys had also had some casualties.

The first time new strings went on this guitar, the end of another tuning key snapped off, so it was time for replacements. The solution was a chrome set of Grover tuners. The screw holes matched the original set, so it was an obvious choice. The slots didn't really line up though, so new holes were made slightly to the side. The headstock does look a bit off, but its not an eyesore.

This guitar also brings about another cool story. All of these guitars have photos that are posted on Facebook and people from all over the world stop in to either talk about these guitars or ask questions that they may have. One fellow in Pennsylvania saw the photos and commented that he had broken one of his tuning machines years ago and could never find another one. Since the originals had been replaced on this one, he sent in his address and we were able to make his guitar complete again.

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1979 Peavey Deuce VT Series Guitar Amplifier

Vintage American-made 2x12 combo amp, loaded with CTS speakers

The last few weeks have seen some super sweet vintage pieces added to the arsenal and this one is probably the best combination of quality and condition. This amp was purchased from the original owner and he even gave me the original receipt and manual that he had kept all this time.

Peavey amps have generally been known for volume over the years. I won't be using it for that purpose, but mainly for the on-board effects that are installed. The reverb is very clean and I've had alot of fun with the phase effect, doing some of my best Todd Rundgren impersonations. I haven't really tried to get any overdrive sounds on this amp yet, but some youtube demos I've watched show a wide range.

This is only the 2nd amp that I've ever owned that is powered by tubes, the Carvin X-60B being the top dog among the current lineup. This one is powered by (4) 6L6 tubes and the owner had them replaced just a couple of years ago. Of course, 6L6s are very common tubes and I could possibly find a vintage set to install, just to keep everything vintage.

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1981 Carlos Model No. 249 Acoustic Guitar

Yet another Quality Product of Korea, this one in near-mint condition

Since the last few months have seen more pieces make their way to the Museum, you knew it was only a matter of time before another Model No. 249 showed up on the site. This one was found at a pawn shop that specializes in estate sales. They had some other instruments laying around their shop, but this beauty was really the only thing worth looking at.

Unlike the previous 1981 Model No. 249 that was featured last year, this one doesn't have quite as much red in the finish and is closer to the 1982 versions that were found. It plays and sounds just as nice as the others, though the bridge has started to lift just a tad at the high E. Hopefully, it's something that can nipped in the bud, as it will be difficult to find another in this condition.

Another cool thing happened when the photos of this guitar were posted, we ended up becoming friends with another guitar blog, this one dealing strictly with Carlos guitars. It's nice to know there are other people out there who love these little-known beauties.

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1990s Ibanez TR 300 Expressionist Bass Guitar

Semi-rare Korean Fender Jazz bass copy

The latest acquisition is a mid-grade gem, a solid Jazz bass copy that has seen its share of action. You can see the rust spots on the pickups; likely created by beads of sweat and the bridge also had its fair share, before I took a toothbrush and some Bar Keeper's Friend to it. My buddy Clay at Beach City Pawn and Guitar cleaned a nice layer of gunk off the fretboard as well.

The only info I could find on this model was in the 1996 Ibanez USA catalog. Its loaded with passive pups called Power Tier. The previous owner listed the color as burnt orange, but it looks like black and this cherry red finish were the only two that were produced. The catalog also brags about the dual-mount EB7 bridge that is installed on it.

I picked this up for a few different reasons. First, its an older Ibanez and second, I was looking for a bass with a rosewood fretboard, as the other basses on the rack right now have naked maple necks. I'm also looking to be able to achieve different sounds with all three basses, as one is a P-bass, one a P/J and now this J-bass. I may take out the pups and replace them with Seymour Duncan rails to get a fatter sound with it, if its even able to be done.

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1980s Mako Piranha Practice Amp

Super rare guitar amp, made in Korea. Great looking and sounding little box

Many longtime players remember the Mako name, because apparently Kaman Music made a very aggressive push with their guitars and basses in the 1980s. The first bass that I ever owned was actually a black Mako P-Bass copy with a maple neck and I remember it being a good quality instrument.

I never knew that they made amps as well. During one of my daily CraigsList sweeps, I found this little nugget in my area and picked it up for the price of an expensive lunch. There are no effects to play with, but it was definitely worth buying. The Tube Blaster function is basically its overdrive channel and it delivers a solid little crunch. This was my first purchase in a series of small amps.

The Mako logo is not made of cheap plastic, but appears to be chrome and the silver grill also gives it clean-looking vintage Fender vibe. I was surprised to find this in such great shape. Some of the pots are noisy, but that's an easy enough fix, just have to rip her open and clean her up one day.

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1986 Takamine EF-341 Acoustic/Electric Guitar

Vintage Japanese build from the pioneers of acoustic/electric preamps

Without a doubt, my favorite brand of acoustic guitar is Takamine. The first guitar that I ever bought brand new was a 1994 G334, which has seen plenty of playing time and is still in the rotation today. Since then, I've seen at least a half dozen other Takamine acoustics pass through my hands and this one is among the best.

I picked this up from Clay at Beach City Pawn and Guitar, he gave me a sweet deal on the price and did a great job setting up the guitar. The action is nice and low and it sounds beautiful as a naked acoustic guitar. I'm not really a fan of acoustic guitars that are plugged in, something just gets lost in the sound for me.

But, I bought this one because it was a great price for a vintage Japanese Takamine and I didn't have an acoustic/electric in my collection, so this will be what I take with me if I ever hit an open mic or something. One thing that strikes me is how thin the neck is. It plays fast to begin with, but when I have it hung up on the wall next to the G334, you can actually see that its smaller from a short distance. This model is still in production as the EF341SC and its a popular one that goes for a pretty penny...

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1970s Ibanez AD-230 Analog Delay & Multi-Flanger

Vintage Japanese effects unit, super high-quality pro-audio equipment

After suspecting that the GX60 Ibanez guitar amp that I've recently come across was built by Maxon, the discovery of this beauty may have confirmed it. The circuit boards inside the casing all have Maxon stamped on them and it all looks super clean as well.

This will need repair, however. It powers up fine and switches between effects, but the effects don't actually kick in unless you crank the volume to the max. Something must be shorted out somewhere. Hopefully it will be an easy fix. When I'm able to find the sweet spot and this thing works like it should, the sounds are top-notch.

This has a very large following in the collector's market, like most 70s and early-80s Ibanez gear. Famous players who used this model, which was manufactured between 1977 and 1979 are Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and Steve Miller. On top of being highly-collectable, these are also incredibly rare. I've seen it listed from anywhere between $550 and $1200 recently.

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1977 Kay Model No. K590 Acoustic Guitar

Vintage Korean Gibson Hummingbird copy with hardly a scratch on her, a true closet gem

I have to admit, I picked up this guitar just on looks alone and the fact that the seller lived about 2 miles away from my place didn't hurt either. This previous owner said that it was their grandpa's guitar and I would guess that it has sat in the case, in a closet or under the bed, for the better part of its existence.

This is a lighter acoustic, but definitely a better build than the Kay and Checkmate guitars that I've had in the past, which were produced in Japan in the 1960s. It does play and sound nice, just not quite as pretty as she looks or as nice as others that are laying around right now.

The sunburst finish, hummingbird pickguard and fretboard inlays all give it that classic look. This one not only has a vintage vibe, but is pushing 40 years old itself and looks relatively brand new. I'll slap some new strings on it and give it a shot. Worst-case scenario, it's a useable guitar that will look great on the wall...

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