NGD: Pan/Univox Hi-Flier

[StevenO]

NGD! Actually, thishappened the other day... But I found it at a local thrift store that I always donate to. $70 later, I had it at home and strung up and ready to go.

Well, kind of... It had a bunch of horrible stickers on it, the bridge pickup mount was cracked and broken, the bridge pickup itself does not work, and the guitar had two strings on it. A little bit Goo Gone, some Super Glue, a spare pack of strings, and a thorough cleaning later and well, here it is!

Today I actually slapped some 12-60 strings on it and tuned it to a baritone tuning and it honestly sounds quite beautiful. And in May, when Peter Leonard/Pickup Wizard gets back from vacation, the bridge pickup will be rewound and ready to go!

Here's a quick little video clip: https://youtu.be/tb7y3CCRHi0

And a couple of quick pictures while we're at it:

[Con-Tiki!]

Frick man.
That is a great buy.
There was a set of those pickups on ebay for like $100 last week.
Might still be there...
The rockers and tortoise plastic make it the pan version of univox's "custom"model.
Best of the best in 'hi-flier land.'

Keep me in mind if you lose interest.

[StevenO]

Right? I've been trying NOT to buy anything gear-related as financial priorities are elsewhere currently... BUT, for $70 in Canadian money? How can I literally not buy it?

I don't see those pickups listed anymore, but that's fine. I'll get the pickup rewound and, if anything, it'll wind up sounding better than it ever did.

I'll definitely keep you in mind if I lose interest, though.

Now just to find a vibrato arm for it...

[infiniteposse]

That's lovely. The fretboard wood is just beautiful.

Are you sure the pickup's properly dead and it's not just a soldering issue? I've seen so much shit soldering on older Japanese guitars... Regardless, amazing find. You would have hated yourself for life if you'd not grabbed that.

Is the trem a Jazzmaster style with a collet? If so, could you pull the old collet and use a JM one and arm? That's what I ended up doing to an older Yamaha trem a while back and it worked well. It was easier than finding a vintage arm.

Congrats!

[zhivago]

What a score!!!!!

Sounds great, looks great! Is this like the one Kurt Cobain used to play back in the Bleach days?



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[StevenO]

That's lovely. The fretboard wood is just beautiful.

Are you sure the pickup's properly dead and it's not just a soldering issue? I've seen so much shit soldering on older Japanese guitars... Regardless, amazing find. You would have hated yourself for life if you'd not grabbed that.

Is the trem a Jazzmaster style with a collet? If so, could you pull the old collet and use a JM one and arm? That's what I ended up doing to an older Yamaha trem a while back and it worked well. It was easier than finding a vintage arm.

Congrats!

You know, I've been meaning to check the pickup with a multimeter to see if it works, but I keep forgetting to. Maybe even reflow the solder joints leading to the switch. The switch is quite crackly, despite only working for the neck pickup. Maybe I'll do that!

And you're right about the Jazzmaster trem. I have a screw-in import strat trem arm and that kiiind of fits and it certainly proves that the trem works really well. So I'll prob either find an arm or do the Jazzmaster collet and arm switcheroo.

I'm not sure if I'd hate myself for life, but knowing what I know now, that this guitar is as good as it is, I'm certainly glad I jumped on it! The clincher for me, more so than the looks of it, was the fact that it had an adjustable truss rod neck. If it hadn't had that, I'd have left it. It was in sorry shape when I got it, I should have taken a picture. It looked like crap, to say the same least, so it would have been easy to overlook. Glad I have it in any case.

[StevenO]

What a score!!!!!

Sounds great, looks great! Is this like the one Kurt Cobain used to play back in the Bleach days?



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Thanks Yannis! I just made that account yesterday just for this video, but maybe I'll post more videos in the future and hopefully with something other than my phone.

I think this is an earlier version than the one Kurt played. His had Humbuckers and a maple neck, which I think makes it a Phase III model. I kind of prefer this one, to be honest. Looks more Mosrite-like.

[zhivago]

Thanks Yannis! I just made that account yesterday just for this video, but maybe I'll post more videos in the future and hopefully with something other than my phone.

I think this is an earlier version than the one Kurt played. His had Humbuckers and a maple neck, which I think makes it a Phase III model. I kind of prefer this one, to be honest. Looks more Mosrite-like.

Cool! this makes sense...I got a pretty good Mosrite vibe from yours...it just rang a distant bell on the Cobain front.

I'd love to have one of these Univox guitars...they are so impossibly rare on our British shores!!

[Con-Tiki!]

here's the one i just picked up.
it's the last of the hi-fliers, wrap-around and the HBs.
I posted an ebay link in your wanted ad, btw. It's a repro, but I've bought other things from the same guy.

[Fiddy]

Great score. Is the body super thin?

[StevenO]

here's the one i just picked up.
it's the last of the hi-fliers, wrap-around and the HBs.
I posted an ebay link in your wanted ad, btw. It's a repro, but I've bought other things from the same guy.

That looks great! I had no idea you had one. Very cool.

I'm considering getting one of those repros. A bit expensive, as they're around $50 or so Canadian, but probably worth it. I have so many projects going on right now that I need to prioritize my spending.

[StevenO]

Great score. Is the body super thin?

Thanks! Yeah, the body is quite thin, but it's also because of the German carve it makes it seems even thinner than it is. It's comfortable, none the less.

[sumlin]

Niiiiiiice

[Ursa Minor]

Thats a beauty. Nicest looking Hi Flier I think I've seen. Well done!

[StevenO]

Thats a beauty. Nicest looking Hi Flier I think I've seen. Well done!

Thanks Nick! I think it looks great, too. It really didn't look good when I got it, have to stress that. It took little effort to get it looking nice, though.