Its not a Jazzmaster,Jaguar,Mustang,Starcaster, it's a PIECE OF CRAP & I keep it

[theworkoffire]

I guess the good thing about it is that someone has played the hell out of it, so it should fundamentally be a really good guitar. If it was useless it would never have been used that much.

And the other good thing is you have nothing to lose - it's not like restoring a '59 JM where you're forever worrying about the lost dollars every time you polish the frets or re-solder a loose wire.

[k o y l]

Thanks a lot for your support guys !  I would have given up on lots of things without you. 

You're both very right when you say it could be a killer. I played it and even with all the flows, I can say it will be a real killer: the sound is awesome and this little switch you see ! I don't know exactly what it does but it's great. I 've read it cut bass but it's more than that: you can actually go from a P90 meets Jazzmaster sound to a Jaguar sound by  switching it !
The pickups are awesome and I know I'll like the neck (I wasn't sure about it being a short scale but it feels very good because it's not thinner than a Jazzmaster neck for example)

I'm definitely considering to keep it and fix it or make it fix.
After writing to the seller he proposed me to give me some money back (50 euros) but what still bothers me is that fixing it will still cost more than 50 Euros.
Another thing to consider is, when I bought it I was discussing with a guy in France selling a refinished Epiphone ET-270 for a little less than this one (basically the same guitar with a different headstock). I actually choosed to buy the Aria because I was falling for white and because the trem bar was included...details that now sound stupid knowing that the near mint condition of the Epi.
I'll write to the guy to be sure but I think it's not sold yet.
If it still available, I may try to ask for more money from the seller of the Aria: If he agrees to refund me more, I'd keep the Aria. If he prefers to cancel the sell, I'd take the Epi...
Or maybe I could take both and wait a little to have more money to fix the Aria. ...the guitar sound so great, I may end up liking it more than my Jazzmasters ! 

Pic of the Epi:

[eupat]

you konow, I wouldn't play the Epi (color, headstock) whereas I'd play the Aria !
so fix it and you'll be fine !

[k o y l]

I could play both actually ! 

I forgot to say, about the neck gap: the gap is not only at the end of the neck pocket, it's all over the neck pocket.

[theworkoffire]

Funny how two guitars so similar can be so different. I much prefer the Aria.

As for the neck pocket - you can make a band of thin plastic or wood veneer to wrap round the heel and keep it snug, like a vertical shim.

[k o y l]

It's true that the Aria is better looking but the Epi is worth playing I'm sure. The Aria are dawn hard to find, the Epi are more easy to find (I saw 3 on eBay last week ! ) and I'll probably buy one if I don't buy the refinished one: the bodyshape and pups worth it all by themselves !

About the neck pocket: Maybe filling the holes in the neck and re-drilling them would make it ...?  I was away this afternoon, so I haven't been able to look closer at the guitar but maybe the screws only need a turn or 2 ?
The seller sells a lot a cheap vintage guitars like this and I'd bet they are stored in the cardboard box, ready to go (The name of the guitar is written on the box). I think he stored it like this for 2 years and didn't checked it before sending it.

I love the high E intonation screw!

The rust shouldn't be too hard to clean off - toothbrush, lighter fuel, chrome cleaner etc. You should be able to replace that dodgy intonation screw with a dome-headed self-tapping screw or just a slightly wider version of the others - I'm assuming the thread is now too wide for one the same.

What is it ? I can't picture that in my head.. (translation doesn't help... especially "self-tapping"..  ... any relation with Eddy Van Halen or Steve Vai ??  .....  )

Another weird thing I noticed: The trem can only go up, not down. Usually the opposite happen but not on this one... Maybe a screw is missing in the hole at the center of the unit... and probably a spring under the trem plate.

I forgot to mention something about the switch that happened when I tried it with my DBA interstellar supreme OD (not the DE ShoeGazer). With this pedal, the switch acts like a clean/dirty switch ! Even with the OD gain at max, when I switch to the Jaguar sound, it gives me a clean sound... very mysterious.. but very interesting feature as well.

[k o y l]

Some infos on the wiring and pickups thanks to pics found on the web...



The mysterious switch is just a cap put in serie so a Hi-Pass filter.. Why does it clean the sound when I use it with my DBA OD ? Verrrry strange !! 

Now the pickups... Very interesting consstruction. Now I understand why I like them so much.. Will you guess ?



Isn't it amazing ??
From what I see and the little I know about pickup construction, this pickup is very close to what I asked Curtis Novak to make for my Black Jazzmaster !
I basically asked for a beefed up tele pup or a less hot P90 with a tele bite ... and it seems this pickup have the thick silver plate Curtis put under his Jm-90 and the copper plate he puts under his tele sounding Jm pup !
And thanks to the switch, you can have a sound more on the P90 side or more on the pure tele side.

I think I'll mail Curtis to show him that.

Needless to say this HiPass filter will end up on my Jazzmasters.. 

[djetz]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-tapping_screw

As I understand it, it means a screw which makes its own hole. You don't need to drill a hole, just screw it directly into the wood.

The screw that's there has obviously been forced through the saddle mount and the hole, so probably nothing else will fit now. You might find one with the same thread that looks a bit better - which is what I think theworkoffire was recommending.

With the neck pocket, I'd be very careful - if the neck screws have been replaced with longer ones, tightening them could leave you with the tips of the screws poking through the fretboard. I've seen it happen.

I think what's happened is that a flat shim has been placed between neck and body so the neck is at a good angle for playing, but the gap looks bad. That's the reason I think there may be longer (non-original) screws holding the neck on.

I suggest you cut a piece of wood to the right shape and thickness to fit in the neck pocket, like the meat in a sandwich.

[k o y l]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-tapping_screw

As I understand it, it means a screw which makes its own hole. You don't need to drill a hole, just screw it directly into the wood.

Thanks ! I always forget you can find about everything on wikipedia.

That's the kind of screw I used to build my pedalboard.. and it's true that it looks like the unibit drill bit I'm using to make holes in pedal enclosures..

[djetz]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-tapping_screw

As I understand it, it means a screw which makes its own hole. You don't need to drill a hole, just screw it directly into the wood.

Thanks ! I always forget you can find about everything on wikipedia.

That's the kind of screw I used to build my pedalboard.. and it's true that it looks like the unibit drill bit I'm using to make holes in pedal enclosures..

I edited that post while you were replying, it now contains 70% more information. 

[k o y l]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-tapping_screw

As I understand it, it means a screw which makes its own hole. You don't need to drill a hole, just screw it directly into the wood.

The screw that's there has obviously been forced through the saddle mount and the hole, so probably nothing else will fit now. You might find one with the same thread that looks a bit better - which is what I think theworkoffire was recommending.

I don't really care about the look.. All I want is the saddle to move and that I'll be able to adjust the intonation properly.

With the neck pocket, I'd be very careful - if the neck screws have been replaced with longer ones, tightening them could leave you with the tips of the screws poking through the fretboard. I've seen it happen.

I think what's happened is that a flat shim has been placed between neck and body so the neck is at a good angle for playing, but the gap looks bad. That's the reason I think there may be longer (non-original) screws holding the neck on.

I suggest you cut a piece of wood to the right shape and thickness to fit in the neck pocket, like the meat in a sandwich.

Yes, the screws may have been changed..  I won't try to screw them then.  The best and safest way is probably to remove the neck and see what's going on in there..

[1946dodge]

I have had guitars with fret dents in them like yours.
Take a big whetstone (knife sharpening stone) with a fine grit. Make sure it is a big one and covers 4 or five frets at the peghead end of the neck and take all strings off of course, and slide it on the frets up and down the neck until the dents get smaller. It may be that you will eventually need a refret. This will at least clean the crap off off the frets and polish them somewhat if you do it only a little. Wipe afterward with lemon oil to get the filings off and the crap off the fingerboard and oil it a little.

One thing you must know about Aria guitars is that they sound absolutely the BALLS. I have a Thor sound TS400 and it is one of the best if not the best sounding guitar I have.
I would take it all apart first and clean the shit out of it. The neck is raised up probably due to a thick shim. You may not even need it, but if you do, you can always make another one or have it made, maybe out of maple.

I have gotten many guitars in that shape and love to restore them by cleaning and a little sanding.
The only serious money will be a refret but you have to do that anyway if a guitar is any good. It means it sounded great and people played the crap out of it, because it is ALIVE.

Replace the bolts on on the neck plate too if you like.

I look for stuff like what you have all the time.
I end up restoring it to a point that I cant resist stringing it up and playing it.
Then a few months later I pull it apart and do a little more restoration.
Enjoy it. And if you get some money back you can put it into a refret someday.

[k o y l]

I know it sounds the Balls, I played it ! 
...the thing is it was supposed to be a cheap buy (even if 300 Euros + 30 for shipping is already beyond cheap to me) and a playable guitar.
Also there are to much uncertain things about it: neck, trem, saddle screw, no spring and screw in the trem (it should have one, I found pics) etc..

So now the ball is in the seller camp cuz I'll tell him a refret costs 150 euros (it's more actually) so he have the choice to refund me of 150 Euros (half the price, so what ? it's halfly playable!)  or I send it back and he full refund me.

I can't afford to keep it and put more money in it just because it looks nice. The Epi isn't as nice but it will sound the same, that's what is important.
I have more important things to spend my money in, things that will allow to make music like software upgrades and a bass.. I already have guitars so it won't stop me from making music if I don't have this one.
Too bad but that's life I guess..

[k o y l]

The seller and I agreed on a partial refund that will allow me to have refretted so I'll keep it.

I'll probably create a thread about the restoration of this guitar in the project section because I'll need help for sure.

And btw, if anyone knows the answer to my questions here: index.php?topic=10333.0
I'll be glad to hear it. 

[the older brother]

Good decision!



You'll have a killer guitar there when ready!