Vintage Guitars & Gear | MyRareGuitars.com

OMG!! It’s Back!! MRG 1960 SOLO KING Replica

By Mike Robinson

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November 21, 2013

| 1960's Vintage Guitars, Eastwood & Airline, Guitar Talk, News, Vintage Guitars

Since 1998 myrareguitars.com has been sharing its knowledge and history of the bizarre guitars from the late 50’s and early 60’s. As we approach our 15th anniversary, we’ve been looking for something unique to mark the “brand” and create some historical goodies for all those passionate about weird guitars. We’ve decided to issue one or two new models each year – focusing on the real “fringe” bizarre – branded with the MyRareGuitars label. These oddball collectables will feature top quality, professional materials and construction, but will keep the prices at a fun and friendly level – a thank you to all who have supported us over the years. We especially look forward to your suggestions for future models! Our initial release – the Solo King.

Back Catalog Memories – El Degas Ricky Bass

By Mike Robinson

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October 7, 2013

| 19 Comments

| Basses & Bassists, Guitar History, Vintage Bass Guitars

Growing up outside Toronto in the early 1970’s, El Degas was a very popular brand in most guitar shops. Made in Japan, the quality was great, the price was right, but that is about all we know about them. The internet is surprisingly thin on threads to the origins of El Degas. I’ll take some educated guesses from owning a few.

Peachy Keen (Vintage 1967 EKO Condor Electric Guitar)

By Michael Wright

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October 7, 2013

| 4 Comments

| 1960's Vintage Guitars, Guitars & Guitarists, Vintage Guitars

Even though I don’t frequent them often, I love classic car shows. The sight of those two-tone jobs—often done up in exotic colors like pastels or turquoise—always raises a smile of nostalgia, a glimmer of my youth when they were new and I had dreams of being able to hit the road. Kind of like how I feel when I look at this very nifty EKO Condor.

Wizard of the Strings (Vintage 1968 Harmony Roy Smeck Lap Steel Guitar)

By Mike Robinson

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September 3, 2013

| 3 Comments

| 1960's Vintage Guitars, Guitar History, Vintage Guitars

Among the popular performers of Hawaiian (and most other types of) music on the Vaudeville music hall circuit was Roy Smeck (1900-1994). Smeck was a talented instrumentalist who played guitar, banjo, ukulele, and lap steel guitar, earning the sobriquet “Wizard of the Strings.” Smeck made quite a few recordings and starred in part of the first “sound on disk” movie that was released in 1926. Like many other performers, Smeck endorsed a number of instruments by various manufacturers over the years, but is probably best known for the line of Harmonies introduced in 1927 with the pear-shaped Vita-Uke. Smeck’s name would be associated with Harmony instruments until near the end of the company’s run in 1973.

Ugly Betty (Vintage 1983 Hondo H-2 Electric Guitar)

By Mike Robinson

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August 25, 2013

| 5 Comments

| 1980's Vintage Guitars, Guitar Talk, Vintage Guitars

First of all, let me confess that, despite my affinity for electric guitars, I’ve never been much of a rock ‘n’ roller. Truth to tell, I’m more likely to pick up an acoustic guitar or banjo. But I love the “art” of electrics, and they are fun to play, I admit, especially pushed through my old Rat distortion box. But sometimes that “art” goes somewhat awry. At least, in my aesthetic opinion, that’s what happened with the ’83 Hondo H-2 featured here!

Back Catalog Memories: Vintage 1960’s Conrad Guitars

By Mike Robinson

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August 1, 2013

| 19 Comments

| 1960's Vintage Guitars, Guitar History, Guitar Talk

As much as I would like to, I can’t really shed a lot of light on this brand. What we do know, is they were from Japan, mid 60’s to early 70’s. All the typical copy-era models that you would see from Teisco and a handful of other brands. Slightly better than average quality, similar to the Domino guitars. So, likely an American importer that found a niche and filled it for as long as he/she could. Rather than ramble on about it, I’ll simply offer up a bunch of photos so you can let your imagination run wild!

Back Catalog Memories: Vintage 1960’s Domino California Rebel CE82 Electric Guitar

By Mike Robinson

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May 1, 2013

| 8 Comments

| 1960's Vintage Guitars, Guitar History, Vintage Guitars

In the 1960’s Maurice Lipsky Music Co., a prominent importer and distributor in New York City, developed the Domino brand of guitars. One of my favorites from them was the Californian Rebel. Lipsky was also the company that offered the Orpheum brand of guitars from the 1950s on. Many Orpheum’s were made by United Guitars of Jersey City, NJ, the successor to the Oscar Schmidt Company. There is some evidence that Lipsky’s Orpheum name was used on some Italian Wandré guitars, as well.

Back Catalog Memories: 1960’s Airline “Jetsons” 2P Red Res-O-Glas Guitar

By Mike Robinson

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May 1, 2013

| 2 Comments

| 1960's Vintage Guitars, Guitar History, Vintage Guitars

Airline guitars were being made in USA from 1958-1968 by Valco Manufacturing Company and sold primarily through the Montgomery Ward catalog company. Valco also made other popular brands like Supro and National. Today they are being made through Canadian company Eastwood Guitars. By the early 1960’s Airline were producing many different models – most in those early days were solid wood designs like the Town and Country, but the more valuable vintage models were made of res-o-glas. This model is often referred to as the Jetsons model.

Catalog of Dreams (Vintage 1965 Silvertone Teisco 1437 Electric Guitar)

By Michael Wright

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May 1, 2013

| 12 Comments

| 1960's Vintage Guitars, Guitar History, Vintage Guitars

One of the highlights of life back when I was a youngster was the arrival of the latest Sears or Montgomery Ward catalog. Anything you desired could be delivered right to your door. A lot of my early knowledge about guitars (and lingerie) came out of those “wish books.” One piece of that knowledge, however, wasn’t about this Sears Silvertone because when it was made in 1965, Sears only sold Japanese-made guitars through its retail store outlets, not through its catalogs!

Back Catalog Memories: Vintage 1980’s Aria Pro II ZZ Bass Deluxe

By Mike Robinson

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May 1, 2013

| 9 Comments

| 1980's Vintage Bass Guitars, Basses & Bassists, Vintage Bass Guitars

Aria was formed in Japan in 1953 by Shiro Arai as Arai and Company. They began retailing acoustic guitars in 1960, although the company didn’t actually start manufacturing their own until 1964. Aria arranged for Matsumoku, the musical instrument maker, to build the guitars for them under contract. Arai and Matsumoku started building acoustic guitars in 1964, and then electric guitars in 1966, using Arai, Aria, Aria Diamond, Diamond, and much less frequently, Arita brand names.