Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Bringing your older offset back to life.
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Gonkulator
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Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by Gonkulator » Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:41 am

I've started to slowly piece this guitar together.

It was made sometime in the 1960's by the Colorado Music Co. in Denver. From what information I could gather about this company was that it was a one man operation back then. I basically fell in love with the headstock shape alone. Stamped serial number on the fretboard like a Mosrite.

The guitar itself looks to be a mismatch of Hagstrom/Harmony/Silvertone/Rowe parts from that decade. The trem and bridge are the old Hagstrom Tremar units, the pickups appear to be the old Rowe Industries Gold/Silver foil pickups, and the knobs/other accessories seem to come from old Harmony/Silvertone/Danelectro/Kluson parts.

I can't tell if this is a refin or not, but the top coat is flaking. I've been able to get some NOS Hagstrom Tremar parts, some 6 on a plate Kulson tuners, now just trying to source some old gold foils at a reasonable price.

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weed_killer
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by weed_killer » Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:14 am

nice! The use of the tremar and goldfoils reminds me of a harmony silhouette (which I'd love to get my hands on someday). I think you'll really like the tremar; it's nice and smooth, similar to a jm vibrato.
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by Gonkulator » Wed Aug 15, 2012 11:34 am

weed_killer wrote:nice! The use of the tremar and goldfoils reminds me of a harmony silhouette (which I'd love to get my hands on someday). I think you'll really like the tremar; it's nice and smooth, similar to a jm vibrato.
I slapped some strings on it quickly and I enjoyed the smooth operation of it. I just have to find affordable gold foils now :-/

Also, your Gotoh TOM is on the way.
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by weed_killer » Wed Aug 15, 2012 2:52 pm

Gonkulator wrote:
weed_killer wrote:nice! The use of the tremar and goldfoils reminds me of a harmony silhouette (which I'd love to get my hands on someday). I think you'll really like the tremar; it's nice and smooth, similar to a jm vibrato.
I slapped some strings on it quickly and I enjoyed the smooth operation of it. I just have to find affordable gold foils now

Also, your Gotoh TOM is on the way.
I hear you on the goldfoils, I'd like to put one in the bridge position of my tele (a rowe/dearmond one though, not a teisco variant). Thanks for the heads up on the tom.
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rindersnoot
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by rindersnoot » Thu Aug 16, 2012 9:26 pm

That's a cool old guitar for sure, never heard of them before. I bet that'll look great once the restoration is done, looking forward to seeing it.
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by s_mcsleazy » Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:40 pm

CAN YOU DIG IT?
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by clipman3 » Thu Aug 23, 2012 3:58 pm

Dang. Pearl never looked so good to me. I love everything about that pickguard and the body itself. That tremolo looks pretty sweet too!
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by antisymmetric » Thu Aug 23, 2012 4:11 pm

Looks like a winner, definitely has Harmony/Kay elements to the design. With the pickups, trem etc, it's got a lot going for it. Awesome project! 8)
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Gonkulator
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by Gonkulator » Thu Aug 23, 2012 6:53 pm

So I'm stuck at the pickups part of this restoration. Original gold/silver foils are above my budget at the moment and I am unsure of the new Eastwood/Airline reissues that they have (height wise).

Luckily all the original electronics still work, but I'll be replacing the output jack and three way switch with new switchcraft ones. I've got a knob on the way that should fit the rather tall/large master volume pot. I'll have to take some gut shots when I start that process. It was definitely a guitar built on a budget back then with all the inexpensive parts, but at the same time the quality of woodworking would say otherwise. The body was rough to begin with but the neck itself is just great.
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by noisepunk » Wed Sep 05, 2012 9:07 am

Cool shape! I've never heard of Colorado Music CO.
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Gonkulator
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by Gonkulator » Thu Sep 06, 2012 6:19 am

noisepunk wrote:Cool shape! I've never heard of Colorado Music CO.
From what little information I could find on the internets, it was a one man operation back in the 60's. The store still exists today but when I called no one knew a thing about it., at least not the person I was speaking with.
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by s_mcsleazy » Fri Sep 07, 2012 8:56 am

damn thats sexy
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by Fiddy » Sun Sep 16, 2012 5:17 pm

Nice guitar. Im sure it'll turn out great.
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Gonkulator
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by Gonkulator » Fri Nov 09, 2012 8:14 am

tribi9 wrote:Nice guitar. Im sure it'll turn out great.
Thanks. I wish I had another update for this but it's been sitting on the rack for the last two months. Haven't been able to win any gold/silver/black foils for it.
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Gonkulator
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Re: Deane 500 [Colorado Music Co.] Restoration

Post by Gonkulator » Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:37 am

So last year I sold this and it's now on its way back to me.

Now that I've got some extra time and resources this will be a quick finish.
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