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Post subject: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 10:50 am
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I saw an ad on Craigslist for this Hondo Deluxe 740 Mark II for $75.
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I went to pick it up, and the guitar was in great shape for its age. Looks almost new. I could see by looking at the sides that the body was plywood, but the neck was like new, so ok.

I brought it home and strummed on it a bit, and it's surprisingly loud unplugged. Much like a basswood body. You can feel the whole guitar vibrate very well. But why?? I've run across my share of ply bodies and it's usually more of a thud unplugged. Fairly lifeless.

After doing some research, it turns out that although Hondo made these out of ply, they chambered the bodies. Sure enough, when you tap on the body, you can hear the hollow spots.

The guitar needed some overhauling. Although the frets looked untouched, I suspect the reason was due to the frets needing a fair bit of leveling. It's not very fun to play a guitar that's buzzing or causing dying notes. So this appears to be a closet occupant for most of its life. The stock pickups were also extremely microphonic.

So I went to work on it last night.

I chose a set of Duncan '59s for the chambered body. The lower output works well in those situations. I gutted the wiring and put in some full sized pots and orange drop caps. The result turned out very nice.
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The reason for the title is, I've never been a supporter of plywood bodies. I had to contemplate whether to put the high dollar parts on it for a while. It became one of those tone experiments for me. We all know the tone debates that transpire.

Can a plywood body have great sustain and resonance and a lush beautiful sound? I think in this case it does. It's not so much the plywood itself, it's what hondo did with the plywood that creates what it does. This thing sounds and plays fantastic. I'm glad I pulled the trigger on it.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 11:49 am
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Cool find, glad you are happy with it!

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 2:24 pm
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cool story. looks good. I see lots of off brand guitars on Craigslist for cheap. I don't know enough about less popular brands to know what I'm looking at.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 3:12 pm
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I have a plywood-bodied Ampeg Big Stud bass, and while it is somewhat unsettling to see the plies when I look at the side if the axe, it sounds excellent and looks cool...if it sounds good, has good playability and you're happy with it, it's a good instrument. I ignore the prejudices when I'm looking for a "player's instrument"--it only matters if you're looking for a collectible investment instrument.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 3:31 pm
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Screamin Armadillo wrote:
I have a plywood-bodied Ampeg Big Stud bass, and while it is somewhat unsettling to see the plies when I look at the side if the axe, it sounds excellent and looks cool...if it sounds good, has good playability and you're happy with it, it's a good instrument. I ignore the prejudices when I'm looking for a "player's instrument"--it only matters if you're looking for a collectible investment instrument.

I concur, I have a MIK Squier II with a ply body and it sustains for days. I swapped out the pickups for a set of Rose Heritage, installed full size pots, blocked the trem and gave it a good set and up now she's a player. It's not my #1 or gigging gutiar but it is my in home practice guitar and makes for a suitable backup.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 3:39 pm
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Yea, there are a lot out there. Hondo is no longer in existence. But some of my friends had them back in the '80s. They were an affordable model in those days. I can see why with this one.

Of my LP copies, the Japan made Univox was built with better care.
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Although I've got them both playing equally as well right now, I'd trust the Univox to last many years longer than the Hondo in gigging times.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 5:01 pm
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Cool score. Goes to show good finds are out there, you just gotta do the looking.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 6:15 pm
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Nice guitar. I've had several ply bodied guitars and all sounded great, including my current Korean Squier Strat which is very resonant. Id never let ply stop me from buying a guitar honestly.


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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 7:20 pm
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I would still say that this guitar isn't going to change my mind a whole lot toward plywood bodies. I do like chambered bodies. My old Squier Esprit was great.

There are a few reasons I don't typically care for ply bodies. They tend to be on the heavy side, and in return, you don't get the durability of solid bodies of the same density. Screws have a tendency to strip in ply much easier. That's why you see so many ply bodies with strap button issues. Repairing ply issues can be a total pain. The surrounding wood breaks apart and a larger portion becomes weak.

If you take a guitar of the same weight made of Alder, you don't have as many issues (if at all) and fixing any problems are much easier. The fibers of solid wood are woven in a way that make a much stronger property.

As for the tone stuff. I try not to think of things as good or bad. Just different. I've had solid bodies that no matter what pickup I put in it, it sucked the life from the pickup. I don't like when that happens. And I've experienced the same with the couple of ply bodies I've tried in the past. Any time I asked myself if there was a better alternative, I could find another guitar that brought more life to the pickup (to my ears).

I think the chamber of the ply in Hondo guitars was a great idea by them. It keeps the weight down, and the pickups are reacting nicely and naturally to it. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel like I need to be more careful with this guitar than most of my others. It's like the care you would need to take with any semi-hollow.

I accidentally ran over my Squier Stagemaster once. And it was in a soft case. Made one small ding. I think this Hondo would have been toast.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 7:53 pm
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This thread brings back memories of an old Hohner LP copy I had years ago. It had a ply body as well... but it really wasn't a bad playing or sounding guitar.
Granted... nothing like the real thing but... it was wasn't all that bad. Fairly well made for a cheep-o Gibson wanna-b... The workmanship they put into it was pretty good considering...

Enjoy rocking the Hondo... That's a cool one.. Also dig the univox w/ the maple neck in the pic you posted of the two of them hanging out together... I remember those too... not bad for what they are either.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 8:23 pm
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The Univox is freaking amazing. It's too bad I couldn't have been an earlier owner of it. It had a lot of previous battle scars and replaced parts when I found it. But brand new, I'd bet it was every bit as good as a Gibson. The Japanese can be meticulous craftsmen.

But for real, that is an all Maple LP style guitar. Not something you see very often. All maple, black block fret markers? Built like a tank? WINNER! That thing is a beast!!

I think if I accidentally ran over it, my airbag would have deployed.

Incidentally, that guitar has a way of making midrange scream out of it. A little too much for my taste. Gibsons and Duncans were very honky. So I put a Dimarzio Steve's Special in it. It sounds so insanely good. God I love those pickups.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:11 am
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Pretty guitar. I never had good luck with Hondo guitars ... the ones I found always had "issues". Good for you, though. I am sure it is much better.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:38 am
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I have 3 plywood body guitars. Two MIK Squier II's, one black and one red. The black one is sounds great. The red on sounds thin and raspy. These are the models that have the electronics mounted in the back. The necks are maple and both are wonderful.

The 3rd guitar I just picked up the other day in a music shop in Boise. It's a Squier Strat in traditional configuration. I picked it up and strummed it once and new it had the magic.
$63.00 for a really great resonant guitar. It needs better pickups and I will eventually swap all the potmetal bridge and trem bar for steel. I left it with my brother in Boisie because he never had a Strat.

As with all guitars, some have it and some don't. You never know till its built.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:42 am
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This one had issues. But they were fixable issues. If I didn't know how to do the work it needed, it would have been a frustrating guitar. The frets needed leveling and the pickups were shot.

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Post subject: Re: NGD- The Plywood Conundrum
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 9:53 am
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I know this is an old thread, but holy COW! Someone else has a Mark II! I seriously thought I had the only one in existence! Awesome!

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