Modded X-500

[GGJaguar]

Mitch Polzak with what appears to be a heavily modified mid to late '60s X-500 Special(?) with AA style headstock and Grover Imperials, alnico P-90 staple pickups, oversize pickguard with controls mounted (rearranged format), forearm rest, and Bigsby B-6. Not sure what the bridge is, but likely a TOM. I'll bet it sounds good, but it makes me a little sad.

 

[KuuKOO]

Done up bigsby/mosrite style. Wonder who did the work. TNM guitars? Tk smith? There was another LA guy who did this kind of stuff in the 80s and 90s...

 

[SFIV1967]

Done up bigsby/mosrite style. Wonder who did the work. TNM guitars?

Yes, TNM Guitars, just finished in March this year.

Original and modified Guild! The original Joe Maphis Super 200 was restored in 2016.

Pictures are from the TNM Facebook page.

Ralf

 

[GGJaguar]

Thanks for the better photos Ralf! It's much easier to see the details now. The concept shown by the Guild is cool, but I hate to see vintage guitars modded like that.

 

[ClaytonS15]

I have to say as the owner of a 1968 X-500, this makes want to cry. Why???

 

[ClaytonS15]

At least the trussrod cover is on right way...

 

[AcornHouse]

Those aren’t staple pups, since the polepieces aren’t, well, staples. (Yeah, they don’t got this.) And it’s almost like he was trying to make a Merle Travis model.

 

[SFIV1967]

Those aren’t staple pups.

Terry Neil McArthur calls them "Bigsby and Mosrite pickups".

A few more details: Even the gap between pickguard and body was filled! He said about this: "A very unique component introduced by Semie Moseley in the 50's."

A picture from another guitar how he did the filler:

Also he did some major body work! "...was moving the pickup locations. I cut out the material between the existing pickups and filled the space to allow the new location to be much wider apart. Color match on the filler spruce wasn't a close match at all. I corrected this disparity during the shading process. " Plus he closed the potentiometer holes at the original positions.

He also posted a picture of the Joe Maphis and Merle Travis guitars on display at Nudies Bar and Grill in Nashville, so you see where his ideas come from:

Ralf

 

[Walter Broes]

Mitch is a buddy of mine, and he wouldn't butcher a perfectly good vintage guitar. I've talked to him about this guitar :

It's an Artist award that he got fairly cheap because it was routed for humbuckers, and not very well. So this was a rescue more than anything else. I like it a lot!

 

[Walter Broes]

oh, and yes, they're mosrite pickups, and Joe Maphis own heavily modified Gibson Super 400 was the inspiration for this.

 

[GGJaguar]

It's an Artist award that he got fairly cheap because it was routed for humbuckers, and not very well. So this was a rescue more than anything else. I like it a lot!

Thanks for the update Walter! I'm not as sad about it knowing it was a rescue rather than a modification.

 

[Walter Broes]

makes me happy it's being played, and in Mitch's case - being played very well!

 

[SFIV1967]

...it was routed for humbuckers, and not very well.

A "before" picture when it came in to the TNM workshop:

Also in this (low resolution) video Mitch explains a bit about the new to him guitar and plays her. It's fun to watch.





Ralf

 

[ClaytonS15]

That’s good to hear Walter! I do think the final product is cool.

 

[parker_knoll]

whatever one thinks of the project, that's one hell of a good luthier

 

[dbirchett]

Here is a video showing the guitar in action. Wait for the solo, it sounds great!

 

[sailingshoes72]

I enjoyed that video! Thanks for posting. That guitar has a great TWANG sound to it and he's a good player. I think that it's cool that he kept the guitar "period correct" with 1965 Mosrite pickups. They sound terrific with the Echoplex on that solo!