1960s/1980s Boxster Custom Wine Box Electric Guitar

My friend Phil sure can send me some weeeeeird stuff sometimes. How about this one? Somebody cobbled this suspicious-looking character out of an old wine box (with a curiously fruity-smelling, waxy finish) coupled to a '60s classical guitar neck. The pickup is an '80s-era SuperStrat-style humbucker with the Allen-wrench-adjustable poles, it has a '60s Kawai/Teisco-style metal pickguard, and the tailpiece is a Flying V-style one.

For all intents and purposes, it was a piece of garbage when it arrived here. It played after a fashion but, as you might expect, the wiring harness was all folly -- it was the usual homebrew job involving an iron that wasn't near hot enough to get the work done. The rest was all just... silly.

I've gone through it, though, and made it play. It's still ungainly but at least it handles like a real guitar. It still sounds like an electrified dumpster through it's over-hot, bitey pickup -- but at least it's a dumpster fire and it's fun to twang on it. It's still wonky-looking, but at least the bridge is compensated so it plays in tune and the action is quick and fast. It's still absolutely silly but at least the strings, pickguard, and tailpiece are grounded and the jack and pot are good-quality, no-nonsense parts that won't let you down.

So, yes, it's ready for whatever it's ready for. The neck is big and flat and weird like a classical should be and the spacing at the bridge is tighter than it should be so that the strings align over the poles. It's not ideal but it works. So there!

Repairs included: fret level/dress, minor tuner rehab, new wiring harness, new bridge and downpressure bar, lots of replacement screws, mild seam repairs to the top, setup.


Body wood: pine

Bridge: maple, comp'd for 3-plain, 3-wound

Fretboard: ebonized rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany-like

Pickups: 1x bridge position SuperStrat-style bucker


Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall
String gauges: 42w-9 extra light

Neck shape: medium-bigger D

Board radius: flat

Neck relief: mostly straight (tiny relief)

Fret style: medium-low


Scale length: 25 1/2"

Nut width: 2"

Body width: 12 1/2"

Body depth: 4 1/2"

Weight: 7 lbs 5 oz


Condition notes: it is what it is.

















Comments

Dave said…
I think the headstock engraving is what sets it apart from the crowd.
Rob Gardner said…
"Sounds like an electrified dumpster". You should start writing music reviews...
Duke said…
Pickup reminds me of an early 80's Ibanez V-2, mounted upside down, as the double screw adjustment is usually on the top. They were similar to Dimarzio Super Distortion pups.
Aaron S said…
An electrified dumpster... now what would THAT sound like?! C'mon Jake, you've got to do it
Phillips said…
https://images.app.goo.gl/EiF9VQ3NffdtzUVTA