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olemuso
Groupie
Joined: 24 Mar 2009
Posts: 10
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 Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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Hi all.
I just bought, at local auction a dirty, rusty, smelly CMI guitar. Which is why I came here (from Google).
It`s a Strat shape with a maple neck and board, 3-way pup selector and white scratch plate... not sure how many ply cos the previous owner has drawn and painted all over it, including round the edges.
The logo is the block type and it says "ARTIST MODEL" alongside it, then "Complete Solid Body". The neck plate says "MADE IN JAPAN" but I can`t see a serial or model number.
I plugged it in and it appears that the pups are working but the electrics are pretty sad, needing cleaning or replacing. I think the amount of rust says it all.
I`ll take some photos and post them. I haven`t seen a Stat type CMI on here, is mine the first? 
Gonna strip it now and see if can get it working to any standard.
By the way, I got it for £9.38p  |
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olemuso
Groupie
Joined: 24 Mar 2009
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:27 am Post subject: |
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Here are a few pics
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olemuso
Groupie
Joined: 24 Mar 2009
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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This is what it looks like now.
New plate, selector, block & saddles and strap buttons. Had to redo the wiring but it sounds fine now. |
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1bassleft
Lowdown Cack-hander
Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 3951
Location: "Hit The North"
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for putting those in, olemuso. There have been CMI strats featured here before but my Imagestation account got wiped with little warning and are now lost in the ether. There is one on eBay at the moment. It's done the rounds with an optimistic 499 quid BIN and also attracted no bids with a 249 start. Left to normal bidding, they fetch upwards of 150 and I consider that a bit of a bargain (not as good as your bargain, though  ).
I don't think they were offered au naturale so yours might be stripped by a previous. Nice looking two-piece and the grain is too interesting to be alder. more likely ash. Is it quite heavy? If not, it could be swamp ash which would have been imported into Japan. Nice guitar. |
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olemuso
Groupie
Joined: 24 Mar 2009
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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Hi, 1Bassleft.
It`s lighter than my CIJ `62 re-ish Strat, and that`s pretty light.
I`m waiting on a 6mm trem arm and an extra trem spring then I`ll record some tracks with it.
I`m not a rocker, I`m into Shadows music and other instrumental stuff.
When replacing the pup selector I found that I still had the one off my old `69 Strat. I might see what I can get for it on Ebay  |
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1bassleft
Lowdown Cack-hander
Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 3951
Location: "Hit The North"
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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The eBay CMI strat was relisted with a 185 start and still failed a bid (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190298486836). I can understand the seller not wanting it to go cheaply but the bolt-on CMIs don't go for a lot of money. The set-neck LP copies will go over 250 but still too little is known about CMI compared with the Japanese Tokais, Ibanez, Greco etc.
When it was first listed, someone correctly told him it was a Cleartone, made for Marshall and someone mistakenly addded the "Chicago USA" thing on the headstock, presumably thinking it would add value but the seller's got unsure and done a confusing write-up which won't help with the bids.
IIRC, the CIJ 60s re-issues were alder and hard ash is noticeably heavier (70s strats and, particularly, the basses in natural ash are murder on the shoulders). Your CMI really does look like swamp ash from the pics and that's a nice touch. The 50s strats with maple fretboards, that the CMI is emulating, had swamp ash bodies. AFAIK, swamp ash only comes from southern US states but maybe there are east Asian ashes that look similar and are also lightweight. I'm not a wood expert and, while having a bit of a search, learned a new word, "chatoyance", that I must find a way to drop into conversation some day to make me look clever
Yep, people will bid for a genuine, 60s Fender part although the dated ones, like pups and pots are more sought after. Some people just can't sully their vintage gear with a new part, however minor, and will pay for spares. Over on Plexi Palace years ago, someone started a thread "I've just paid $1500 for a 50s pickguard, am I insane?" and I gave a colourful reply. See here for a 70s (no more specific than that) selector switch tip - the little bit of plastic - that someone paid $15 for:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Fender-Switch-tip-Strat-70s-part-project_W0QQitemZ220387014164QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item220387014164&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A13%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
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olemuso
Groupie
Joined: 24 Mar 2009
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info 1B..... you know your stuff.
Obviously mine is no longer "all original", having replaced scratch plate, pup selector, trem & block etc., but I have kept the old parts in case I decide to sell it.
I`m currently waiting for a trem arm to complete my project.
Sadly no amount of adjustment wold get the intonation correct so in the end I removed the neck and shimmed it so it sat about 1/8" away from the body. The tuning is now virtually spot on. Another week and I`ll have it singing |
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1bassleft
Lowdown Cack-hander
Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 3951
Location: "Hit The North"
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| I wouldn't worry too much about originality with a CMI. I've seen them often with replaced (improved) tuners and no-one throws their hands up in horror. As long as replacements are done for good reasons it won't detract from price but keeping original bits is always a good idea just in case. |
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1bassleft
Lowdown Cack-hander
Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 3951
Location: "Hit The North"
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olemuso
Groupie
Joined: 24 Mar 2009
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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The "Tele" only finished yesterday - he had a BIN of £250. Now he`s relisted it at £180. I think he`ll be very lucky if he gets that for it.
The other one is worth watching tho, cheers |
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