A Legend Guitar ???

[jennz]

Hi Everyone, Need some help here. Picked up this Legend Guitar on a whim to restore or modify it . Searched the Internet and cannot place it. Has anyone seen it or know its origin ?

[NippleWrestler]

Those tuners and stamp at the back of the neck are a hallmark of 80s Korean cheapy guitars, which probably means Samick made it. They were making 50% of the world's guitars around that time.

[Reg18]

I don’t know the history but I remember a kid at high school had one he bought new, about the same quality as other entry guitars of the 90s.

[jennz]

Those tuners and stamp at the back of the neck are a hallmark of 80s Korean cheapy guitars, which probably means Samick made it. They were making 50% of the world's guitars around that time.

Thanks . I also just received a reply from furrier Zane Obrien of Legend guitars in Canada. He thinks it was made in Japan. Another input points to Aria LST-Z model MIJ . All very interesting .

[Kev77]

Looks Korean to me also

[NippleWrestler]

Those tuners and stamp at the back of the neck are a hallmark of 80s Korean cheapy guitars, which probably means Samick made it. They were making 50% of the world's guitars around that time.

Thanks . I also just received a reply from furrier Zane Obrien of Legend guitars in Canada. He thinks it was made in Japan. Another input points to Aria LST-Z model MIJ . All very interesting .

Nope.

Some of the Legends were produced by Aria in Japan, but they had "produced by Aria pro" on the headstock and also had the Matsumoku serial numbering system.

Yours has neither.

Plus, when Matsumoku closed in 1987 the brand (along with all the other brands produced by Matsumoku such as Westone, Vantage, Quest etc) moved to Korea with them and the MIJ facility was no more.

Thus, i think it's Korean and those who claim it to be MIJ are doing very scant research. I'd love to be wrong but I see no indication to the contrary.

You see the exact same thing with Westone guitars where people claim their MIJ just because of the logo on the top, but that changed hands many many times over the life of the brand when only the originals (pre 1987) were made in Japan.

[Basket Case]

Whoever strung it up definitely wasn't a 'Legend'

[jennz]

Those tuners and stamp at the back of the neck are a hallmark of 80s Korean cheapy guitars, which probably means Samick made it. They were making 50% of the world's guitars around that time.

Thanks . I also just received a reply from furrier Zane Obrien of Legend guitars in Canada. He thinks it was made in Japan. Another input points to Aria LST-Z model MIJ . All very interesting .

Nope.

Some of the Legends were produced by Aria in Japan, but they had "produced by Aria pro" on the headstock and also had the Matsumoku serial numbering system.

Yours has neither.

Plus, when Matsumoku closed in 1987 the brand (along with all the other brands produced by Matsumoku such as Westone, Vantage, Quest etc) moved to Korea with them and the MIJ facility was no more.

Thus, i think it's Korean and those who claim it to be MIJ are doing very scant research. I'd love to be wrong but I see no indication to the contrary.

You see the exact same thing with Westone guitars where people claim their MIJ just because of the logo on the top, but that changed hands many many times over the life of the brand when only the originals (pre 1987) were made in Japan.

Yep, From all , the consensus is made in Korea around the 80's to 90's . I will have some fun with it anyway and show it again after I have changed it around .

[jennz]

Those tuners and stamp at the back of the neck are a hallmark of 80s Korean cheapy guitars, which probably means Samick made it. They were making 50% of the world's guitars around that time.

Ok . Now I have discovered the potted staggered pickups are all the same polarity ! That is not how the modern strat is usually N S N ? I have stripped it now . Just wondering how it could sound like that . Has any one used pups like that ?

[NippleWrestler]

Those tuners and stamp at the back of the neck are a hallmark of 80s Korean cheapy guitars, which probably means Samick made it. They were making 50% of the world's guitars around that time.

Ok . Now I have discovered the potted staggered pickups are all the same polarity ! That is not how the modern strat is usually N S N ? I have stripped it now . Just wondering how it could sound like that . Has any one used pups like that ?

It doesn't matter all that much and typically means it'll sound out of phase in 2 and 4, which is kinda thin and reedy, as oppose to normal. No big deal.

You find that a lot in cheapy guitars where a pickup is a pickup is a pickup to speed up manufacturing.

[WellyBlues]

Huh, you learn something everyday. I found this article on the Fralin site which I understood(-ish). Sometimes you don't know what you don't know.
https://www.fralinpickups.com/2017/01/2 ... -polarity/

[jennz]

Those tuners and stamp at the back of the neck are a hallmark of 80s Korean cheapy guitars, which probably means Samick made it. They were making 50% of the world's guitars around that time.

Ok . Now I have discovered the potted staggered pickups are all the same polarity ! That is not how the modern strat is usually N S N ? I have stripped it now . Just wondering how it could sound like that . Has any one used pups like that ?

It doesn't matter all that much and typically means it'll sound out of phase in 2 and 4, which is kinda thin and reedy, as oppose to normal. No big deal.

You find that a lot in cheapy guitars where a pickup is a pickup is a pickup to speed up manufacturing.

Ok As they are all N orientated I thought I would change the middle pup to S . Hah Hah look at this . I would not know how to start ! Forget it !

[NippleWrestler]

Yeah that looks par for the course. It's a cheapy guitar. They're not going to pack it full of awesome stuff.

You can remagnetise pickups polarity but you can get a kickass set by Fleor or Donlis for like $40 so I'm not really sure it's worth the hassle.

[jennz]

Looks different now ??

[jennz]

Now with master volume and tone combined with a Blender pot in place of the second tone. Tweaked here and there and added a humbucker. Sold real easy with buyer pleased.