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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 766
Location: New Hampsha | Hey folks,
Does the lack of a neck skunk stripe on an early US ('77) Balladeer with a black neck, or on a Celeb, (wood looking neck) mean the neck is one of those funky Urelite thingies?
Is the presence of the skunk stripe the clear indicator of a "quality" or all wood neck? |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Around the time the K-Bar was introduced the Balladeer and Custom Balladeer lost the laminations and went to 2 piece Mahogany necks. My guess is that 70's Balladeers with a black finish neck and a truss-rod cover would be 5-piece mahogany/maple (take the cover off, you should be able to see the laminations) No offshore guitars have had multi-laminated necks. Matrix/Medallion/Applause/Ultra had Urelite and alumimum necks which appear to be one-piece wood to the untrained eye. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Paul, there were some of the Balladeer Specials that had a rosewood fingerboard and foam back. There weren't many of these. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Yep, forgot about that one. You know, the Balladeer and Custom Balladeer losing the 5-piece neck was almost as sacreligious as when Fender took away the angled input jack and second tone control on the Strat. Ah, the 80's - The Golden Years. NOT! |
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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 766
Location: New Hampsha | Thanks for the answers. What do you make of this?
How to tell a Balladeer Special from a regular Balladeer?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7410303629&... |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | The foil label is the giveaway. It's a late 70's model 1111 white top (6) Balladeer. Regular wooden neck, probably 5-piece laminate. Looks a little tatty but these were quality quitars, then and now |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | No need for a truss rod cover on a foam neck. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15678
Location: SoCal | Mitzdawg, don't buy that one. I've got a '73 (or is it a '72 -- gotta check) 1111-4 that's in perfect condition. Not a mark on her. She's about to go up on ebay. If you or anybody else is interested, the price is $300 plus shipping. Let me know if you have interest. I can send some photos. There may be some in my gallery. |
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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 766
Location: New Hampsha | moody et al,
I'm lurking on that one because it needs work, and I've got one successful bridge replacement under my belt; going for two. I've been buying fixer-uppers to practice/learn on and moving on to the next one. Love 'em, etc.
What I really want is one that's been sat on! Good bowl and quality neck, so I can try to replace the top.
I've been trying to weed out the foam necks - lack of a TRC is a good way to tell - thanks! |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Originally posted by Mitzdawg:
I've been trying to weed out the foam necks - lack of a TRC is a good way to tell - thanks! Not really. When the Balladeer and C/Balladeer went to the 2-piece neck and K-bar they lost the truss rod cover. Add Balladeer Specials and Ultras in the equation and it's not conclusive at all. |
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Skunk Stripe