Matsumoku DB-500

Price

£1,695

My love of early 1970s Matsumoku Strats is well known around here - I just can't get enough of them. After 50 years many have developed their own character from the styles and treatment they have received by previous owners. As much as the Maxon single coils have their own soul and character, occasionally it seems sensible to have the modern options such as being quieter and louder when you need them to be, and having more than just 3 sounds at your disposal. This SE-500 may have a few knocks on the body and age-related cracks on the lacquer, but has obviously been cherished. Pre Serial Number 1974/5 Grecos are special - Greco guitars were always good both from Matsumoku and the pre-Fender Fujigen days, but these ones are, we think, special. Whilst Maxon pick-ups are soulful and characterful, they are of their time, and the idea for this guitar is to combine the vintage feel with up-to-date sounds and playability. These guitars were faithful to contemporary Fenders and featured 3-way switching. We have unlocked the potential of this guitar and fitted a set of Clausen Alnico 5 single coils governed by a 5-way CRL switch, and a neck/bridge blend function. These pick-ups are modelled on a David Gilmour specification - the neck and middle coils are 5.5k DCR, and the bridge pick-up is wound to a phenomenal 13.5k DCR. This hotter winding does not boost the volume and unbalance the units; instead it thickens up the tone and adds a huge helping of mid-range growl that behaves in a civilized manner when clean, but drives an amplifier to perfection. It handles gain just as you need for that Numb solo, and the neck pick-up will provide that glassy chime for the cleaner tones.

It will handle most styles you ask from it and any signal path you feed. Blending the neck pick-up with the powerful bridge provides a very airy scooped tone, but never loses presence, the power of the bridge unit keeps you in the mix. You may go full Communiqué Knopfler in positions 2 and 4 with the full blend function. Extremely versatile. Further tone trimming is offered with the master tone which uses a SoZo PIO capacitor to govern the high frequencies. The bridge is now a Gotoh 510TS - a very high quality unit that features a large stainless steel block which adds a lot of sustain to the guitar, and gives the guitar an unplugged acoustic ring that will probably encourage you to play for half an hour before you even plug it into an amp. It also has incredible tuning stability. Tuners are new Gotoh SDS510 units - we love the SD91 range, but only the very best for this guitar.. A few folk find pleasure in having a guitar from their birth-year - we are still in 2024 as I write this, so what an amazing 50th birthday present for you and the guitar! The price of this guitar is determined entirely by the specification it is now built to - there is no premium due to the brand as there may be for a Fender of this vintage. Matsumoku and later in the decade, Fujigen, were truly scaring the hell out of Fender - if you can't beat them, join them gave us the MIJ Fenders. Strat copies from Japan in these years were comparable quality to CBS era Fenders - some go further and braver in their opinions...

Details

The Look

Looking old where it appeals and new where it matters. The lacquer has 50 years worth of dinks and cracks, but relic is a dirty word here. Original is best, and with this one there is no headstock tax.

Headstock

Brand new Gotoh SDS510 Chrome tuners. SDS510 are the premium range from Gotoh.

Neck

A beautiful looking maple fretboard - the finest looking woods were reserved for this model in early1974. This one was always put down gently.

Pick-ups

3 x Clausen single coils to David Gilmour specification. 5.5, 5.5 and 13.5k from neck to bridge. That bridge pick-up provides more mid-range growl but there are plenty of interesting ways to tame it.

Bridge

Gotoh 510NST in Chrome - this is the best non locking tremolo unit we can find - extremely sensitive and precise - and no threads to wear loose. From Marvin to Gilmour - even folk who say they never use the tremolo change their minds with this one.

Controls

5 way selector, master volume, master tone and neck blender control. This blender gradually brings in its opposite pick-up to expand the range of amazing tones from this guitar. Blending a tiny bit of neck with the powerful bridge pick-up lowers the mid-range without removing you from the mix.