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Thanks for dropping in. My name is Michael Robinson.
I've been collecting VINTAGE oddball guitars for most of my life. Perhaps the high prices of "non-oddball"
guitars - 1958 Gibson Les Paul or a 1959 Fender Jazzmaster - kept me focused on the weird stuff, but after many years
of buying/selling and restoring these babies, I decided to put together a WEBPAGE where people like me can gather
to learn more about them. That is why www.myrareguitars.com
is here. I've assembled hundreds of photographs under the Guitar Pics and Stories heading. Need to figure out what
kind of guitar you have? Check out the pictures. Need a walk down memory lane to see that first guitar you ever owned?
Check out the pictures!
Recently I've begun collecting NEW oddball stuff from outside USA. Why? Many of my old favorites from the 1960's
have begun re-issuing their guitars. Four years I re-discovered EKO of Italy, 3 years ago
Burns from London. Two years ago I discovered
DiPinto Guitars>. Wow! Then the
Italias came on line. I am constantly on the lookout
for more guitars that fit into this vein. As I find them, I negotiate with the manufacturer to make these
guitars available in the USA and Canada. I handle all the importing issues so you can buy them here at
www.myrareguitars.com.
A couple of years ago I decided it was time to start my own brand to re-create some of my favorites
like Mosrite, VOX, Airline, UNIVOX Hi-Flyers, Coral Hornets, etc. That was the start of
EASTWOOD Guitars. In our first year we sold over 500 guitars
and built up a huge list of great reviews at Harmony Central
. Thank you to all who contributed! Our goal is to develop 5-8 new models every year - in limited quanties -
recreating many of the gone but not forgotten classics from the 60's and 70's. If you have any suggestions,
let me know. Keep an eye on the "coming soon" page, where we post pictures of the upcoming prototypes.
Many of my newer guitars are sold on EBAY simply because of the wide audience. If you want to see what other buyers
have experienced in dealing with me, take a look at my EBAY FEEDBACK
. I always have a wide variety of guitars on sale there, but the cream of the Vintage crop can be found here
on the Affordable Vintage page. If you are looking
for a deal, I have some guitars that are available in our
DEMO section. These pages are updated weekly,
so please drop by often. PLEASE send your feedback and comments
!!! This page is a work in progress. I want to find ways to make your experience a better one. Let me
know what you need to see here and I will do my best to accomodate!
Sincerely,
Michael Robinson
P.S. SIX years ago I posted some info on EBAY about my quest for guitars that are "Even Better Than The Real Thing"
to illustrate my passion for otherworldly guitars. I think this piece is still valid today, so I've included it here. Enjoy!
Even Better Than the REAL Thing!
The Ultimate Reproduction Vintage Guitar Collection
I have been collecting guitars for 25 years. Although I have had many different guitars over the years, my preference
is for Vintage guitars, which makes EBAY a good place to trade because of the wide audience. So consequently
you are probably reading this because you saw one of my guitars for sale on EBAY. Welcome!
So, what's up with the phrase, Even Better Than the REAL Thing!???? Read on.....
In Search of Mosrite: The Mosrite Ventures Model circa. 1987
For the past few years I had been looking for a really nice Mosrite Ventures Model Vintage guitar. Prices ranged
from $1,500 to $4,000 depending on the year and the condition. Last year an angel descended on EBAY with 35 NOS
Mosrite guitars that were built in 1987. These guitars were all brand new and were never sold. They were
stored in a warehouse for 14 years. Unbelievable! They were auctioned off one by one, week after week, until they
were all gone. I bought the 13th one that sold. I was not disappointed.
The first day I stared at it, the second day I touched it and on the third day I played it. The fourth day I
told the family. The fifth day I told the neighbors. The sixth day, everyone came to look at it. The seventh day I
rested. What an incredibly beautiful guitar! In fact, I soon realized that it was TOO beautiful! How could I risk
pulling it out of the case every day and playing it? It was like having a bad addiction! I needed a fix! It drove
me crazy to know that it sat right over there in the corner, taunting me, yet at the same time I could not
risk opening the case for fear of damaging such a wonderful instrument! I needed a solution. Then it hit me...
Buy a REALLY nice reproduction Mosrite that I could play everyday! EBAY on: search: MOSRITE.
I started with this UNIVOX pictured above. Nice looking copy but the neck was typical of any reproduction 1970's
guitar and anyone who has played a Mosrite knows, the neck is what it is all about. Next I tried a Teisco model (below).
Much better quality than the Univox, much better neck, and a good deal for a $300-$400 vintage guitar,
but I decided to keep looking.
This is an early seventies Silvertone. A two notches below in looks, one notch above in feel, but not
quite there yet. I also found another Silvertone, different headstock, body a little smoother, similar
neck with a white pickguard. I suspect this one was makde by Kawai in the early seventies. Curious how
the body and headstock are different, but all the hardware is identical! Here it is...
So, after a significant amount of research, and a great deal of time justifying the outrageous price,
I purchased the Japanese made reproduction Mosrite, the one with the “excellent” tailpiece. Here is a picture....
This guitar retails for $1695 and you can get them for around $1000. Pretty pricey for an reproduction
Vintage guitar, I must say. Anyway, I'll be damned if this Japanese Mosrite isn't one of the nicest guitars
I have ever owned! It looks GREAT, the neck feels GREAT and dare I say, it even sounds BETTER than the
1987 Mosrite! Brighter, crisper, it sounds just GREAT. All of this is fine with me because after all, it is
NOT a real Mosrite. No sir, I have one of those over there in the corner. The REAL Mosrite is not for playing,
so it doesn't matter anymore what it feels like and what it sounds like, it only matters what it LOOKS like.
And so it should be. Who in their right mind would start bashing away on an instrument that can never be replaced?
So, when I looked at the situation in this light, it occured to me that the Japanese guitar is arguably...
Even Better Than the REAL Thing!
...and so started my quest.
I don't think I would ever part with the '87 Mosrite, but I think I have found a way to live with my addiction,
and that is to supplement my REAL Vintage Guitars.... with guitars that feel, look and sound REALLY good,
but at a price point that makes it a no-brainer. It's almost like buying insurance for the '87 Mosrite. Now I
am not playing it as often as I normally would and consequently I'm maintaining the integrity of the Vintage
instrument and allowing it to appreciate.
Since then, I've been on a quest to find the ultimate in reproduction Vintage guitars that are qualified to
add to the list. In so doing, with my efforts and those of others, I hope that this page can serve as a tool
for people that are looking for “everyday player” guitars to supplement their Vintage Collection
and also for people who would never buy a Vintage Guitar but want The Ultimate Reproduction Vintage
Guitars on the Planet.
PLEASE send along your Even Better Than the REAL Thing! guitar stories, along with pictures if possible,
and I will include them. Here are a few examples:
NOTE: The rest of this page will no longer be updated after April 1, 2002. All content here, along with future
updates, has moved to www.myrareguitars.com Thanks you
for visiting!!!
Coral Hornet 1960's
For me, love at first sight. A while back I found one in San Diego. That is a picture of it above, a beauty.
Unfortunately they wanted $2,000 for it. They probably still have it today. I've played one and they are a
lot better looking than playing, primarily because the tailpiece is lousy. The intonation cannot be adjusted
because it is a vibrato tailpiece with a piece of wood for a bridge that slides around. Every time you change
the strings, you wrestle with it to keep it in tune. That aside, I could not get it out of my mind, so I found
one on EBAY that had been refinished and needed a little TLC. With a little work, about $200 in parts
(Bigsby and Tune-o-matic bridge) and a few hours of guitar love, I ended up with a real nice looking
(some say wierd!?)AND a really nice playing 60's Coral Guitar. The Gibson Bridge combined with
the Bigsby Vibrato make this a NICE player. Stays perfectly in tune for days. Compared to an original at $2000,
this one cost about $350. Here is a picture of it.
SOLD
Comments from Buyer: "WHooo--it got here! I was jumping up and down, and I was so excited that I dragged it
over to a friend's house last night. Thanks SO much!!!" Ann from CA.
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