Wizard of Odd
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Rare '60s Japanese JVC Victor Still Flies Today
May 24, 2020
The flagship model for Japanese electronics juggernaut was here and gone in the blink of an eye, but certainly not because of quality issues.
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1967 Tokai Humming Bird 230S—with Onboard Fuzz
April 13, 2020
Mosrite aesthetics, Japanese flair, and a circuit reminiscent of the Electro-Harmonix Linear Power Booster.
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This Bass Might Be Responsible for the Pointy Headstocks of the '80s
March 16, 2020
Guitar hunter extraordinaire Frank Meyers recalls how he found this late-’60s Marlin PB-26—an ahead-of-its-time design so gonzo it left him speechless.
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Meet Norma, the 6-String Prehistoric Raptor
February 19, 2020
She's got four pickups and a cornucopia of switches, dials, and pickups on her saber-toothed pickguard.
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Everyone Knows Guitars Can’t Spell
January 6, 2020
But as the Wizard of Odd shows, this early made-in-Japan Teisco J5 “guiter” speaks the right language.
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Wizard of Odd: Molto Bene Mustang!
December 9, 2019
It may not be your dad’s ’Stang from the 1960s—unless he’s from Italy—but this axe has a unique look and flavor that’s begging for surf rock.
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Wizard of Odd: Doina Seranada
November 14, 2019
This Romania-built, communist-era axe takes some obvious cues from Italian and Japanese guitars of the ’60s, but has a look all its own.
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Wizard of Odd: Apollo Red Baron
October 25, 2019
Like flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, this guitar from 1960s Japan was bold, non-traditional, and favored red.
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Wizard of Odd: Maxitone 481
September 24, 2019
A unique-looking bass from the back pages of a familiar family biz.
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Wizard of Odd: Mid-’60s Astrotone
August 23, 2019
Blasting off with a difficult-to-find, but very cool MIJ guitar from the violin world.
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Wizard of Odd: Sekova Grecian
July 22, 2019
An axe with an interestingly quirky pickup that gives new meaning to “take the stairs.”
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Wizard of Odd: 1969 Aria 2000T
June 19, 2019
Escape the ordinary with this rare take on Leo Fender’s classic solidbody.
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Wizard of Odd: 1965 Inter-Mark Cipher Valor
May 16, 2019
Learn the history—and hype—behind the flagship guitar of the Cipher line.
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Wizard of Odd: 1965 Zenon Zemi
April 8, 2019
Angular lines, sweeping curves, bright tones, and mysterious origins. What more can you ask for from a super-rare Japanese electric?
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Wizard of Odd: ’60s Excelsior Jamaica III
February 12, 2019
What do polka, beer, accordions, and hot mini-humbuckers have in common?
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Wizard of Odd: Resetting the Neck on a ’50s Stella Electric
January 9, 2019
When a guitar looks the part, but isn’t really playable, it’s time to call the pros.
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Wizard of Odd: Stella—A Story of Strange Solidbodies
December 9, 2018
You may know that Charley Patton, Lead Belly, and Doc Watson played Stella acoustics built in New Jersey in the 1930s, but these oddball post-WWII electrics hail from Tokyo.
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Wizard of Odd: The Enigmatic ’60s Lux
November 7, 2018
How I almost passed on a rare Italian beauty—and why I didn’t.
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Wizard of Odd: Surf’s Up! The Story Behind Late-’60s 700-Series Kents
October 21, 2018
What do you get when ’60s California car and beach culture collide with a young Japanese guitar designer?
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Wizard of Odd: Late-’60s TeleStar Doubleneck
September 21, 2018
Here’s another beautiful weirdo from the Kawai Enshu factory.
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