NGD... Domino Spartan

Bringing your older offset back to life.
User avatar
D_Rad
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:04 am
Location: Santa Fe, NM

NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by D_Rad » Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:15 pm

...recently searched Jazzmaster- newest listing....this popped up... first it growled, then winked at me. This guitar, seemingly on the verge of obliteration needed a place to be. I was intrigued.... but wait...what's it's back story....

"MATSUMOKU JAZZMASTER / JAGUAR STYLE GUITAR, THIS IS DEFINITELY A JAPANESE OFFSET, NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS BRANDED AS IT IS MISSING NAME PLATE, VERY BEAT UP, SHOWING LOTS OF WEAR, PICKUPS ARE SEYMOUR DUNCAN JAGUAR QUARTER POUNDERS, NO TONE OR VOLUME POTS. TREMOLO SYSTEM IS UNUSABLE, TREM BAR INSERT IS STRIPPED, CRACK IN HEADSTOCK UNDER LOW "E" STRING DOESN'T EFFECT TUNING, WHITE PAINT HAS YELLOWED NICELY, LOTS OF CHECKING, CRACKS, AND DINGS IN FINISH. NOW FOR THE GOOD PART!!! THE GUITAR PLAYS AND SOUNDS INCREDIBLE, VERY NICE AND COMFORTABLE NECK CONTOUR, TUNES UP NICELY AND STAYS IN TUNE, PICKUPS SOUND GREAT, ACTION IS GOOD AND THE GUITAR HAS A BRAND NEW SET OF STRINGS. THIS GUITAR IS TOTALLY USABLE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL CROWD THAT DOESN'T NEED/ WANT THE TYPICAL FUNCTIONALITY FOUND IN MOST GUITARS. STRAIGHT-WIRED AND TO THE POINT. "

.... a few more inquiries into the collective thought pool revealed a tad more of it's origin and a name... Domino Spartan... hmmmmm, had to evaluate current currency and ponder the practicality of taking in another sonic-mutt at this time.
Meanwhile, deep in my subconscious, it lodged itself... laughingly flexing it's claws.
Days past and I decided to make an offer,.... accepted! Now the wait til we meet. Will there be a lasting bond?... room for change!?... a slight refinement while keeping the grittatude.... !?!

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

User avatar
MattK
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3602
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Hobart, Australia

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by MattK » Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:23 am

Oh man, I LOVE that. You are going to have some fun ahead.

User avatar
ifallalot
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 659
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:58 am
Location: Huntington Beach

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by ifallalot » Tue Sep 27, 2016 5:13 am

That looks amazing

User avatar
zhivago
Mods
Mods
Posts: 21948
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:18 am
Location: London, UK

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by zhivago » Tue Sep 27, 2016 11:24 am

Cool, XII vibe in this one 8)
Resident Spartan.

User avatar
PorkyPrimeCut
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 24469
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:46 am
Location: Leipzig
Contact:

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Tue Sep 27, 2016 10:56 pm

zhivago wrote:Cool, XII vibe in this one
Just what I was thinking. I absolutely love the look of this thing. That tailpiece!!

With a cleaner guard & a Mustang/Jag style control plate, this is gonna look great.
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.

User avatar
antisymmetric
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3605
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 11:32 pm
Location: New Zealand

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by antisymmetric » Wed Sep 28, 2016 12:08 am

Excellent, looking forward to seeing what you do with it! 8)
Watching the corners turn corners

User avatar
Ursa Minor
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 5894
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 8:26 am
Location: Chicago

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by Ursa Minor » Wed Sep 28, 2016 4:52 am

Like these a lot! Also looking forward to seeing what you do with this! 8)
The artist formerly known as kosmonautmayhem.

User avatar
D_Rad
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:04 am
Location: Santa Fe, NM

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by D_Rad » Wed Sep 28, 2016 8:16 pm

...thanks everyone for your interest!.... it's a tantalizing animal!

Guitar is making a short hop from Texas to New Mexico and UPS telemetry says it will arrive tomorrow! Not yet sure of the revamping route being taken? First, going to plug it in and hear what it says!

.....this is what a Oly white Spartan looks like in a more pristine state...

Image

....possibilities include....

- repair headstock cracks and swap out tuners for a vintage style.

- new pickguard.... originals were made from 4 ply WBWB material which I haven't been able to locate. I'm digging the black guard so remake
in 1 ply black. As an homage to it's present state, cut bridge pickup hole for humbucker and use conversion plate to allow for possible
change-a-roo.

- back cover plates and truss rod cover.... anybody have a "Domino" headstock logo in their parts bin!

- Electronics- all on is punkerific... however, i would at least like a volume, pickup selection and moving jack back to it's hole. Considering
stock configuration ( thanks to the Aria/EPI databank thread for helpful schematic info!) Will see if original control plate can be salvaged.

- Get tremolo functioning. Seller stated the collet is stripped and no arm. From what I've read, these are tricky since they use an outdated metric thread for arm and lefty threads for collet unit.... thinking of a jazzmaster collet/arm retrofit?

Cheers!

User avatar
HairyChapter
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:14 am

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by HairyChapter » Fri Sep 30, 2016 5:50 am

That tailpiece looks exactly like the one on my 1974 Aria offset..I'll try to find a picture when I get home

It's like this but with different pick-ups

Image

User avatar
D_Rad
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:04 am
Location: Santa Fe, NM

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by D_Rad » Sat Oct 01, 2016 3:04 pm

....here!
Image


...packed in this amp-bag... 8)
Image

User avatar
D_Rad
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:04 am
Location: Santa Fe, NM

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by D_Rad » Sat Oct 01, 2016 3:20 pm

HairyChapter wrote:That tailpiece looks exactly like the one on my 1974 Aria offset..I'll try to find a picture when I get home

It's like this but with different pick-ups

:w00t: ...sweet ride! :-* ...... Do you have the trem arm?.......threads in like a strat??

thanks.

User avatar
Soselo
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 73
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:35 am

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by Soselo » Sun Oct 02, 2016 9:58 am

Whatever you do, don't touch that finish! Looks great with a black guard, but could be killer with tortoise or anodized/aluminum/silver.

User avatar
D_Rad
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:04 am
Location: Santa Fe, NM

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by D_Rad » Sun Oct 02, 2016 4:37 pm

Soselo wrote:Whatever you do, don't touch that finish! Looks great with a black guard, but could be killer with tortoise or anodized/aluminum/silver.
.....ahhhh, funny you mention, because we had a conversation about those very things.... the finish is it's personality and what snared me to begin with! :-* ....we agreed that a single ply black guard is good... black anodized with silver control plate :shifty: ... real tort ....probably not in the budget :-/ tho open to suggestion... same about a source for WBWB 4ply.

one big issue is how the replacement tuners were installed....super oversized holes with nut cranked=split headstock :squint:
bore... dowel...redrill. Gotoh vintage style?

That's when the conversation turned to the possible alteration of headstock finish after splits and holes are stabilized... well, matching would be nice or how about black????... "I do like blue of a Lake Placid hue" said the guitar.... oh, so cool! maybe deeper metallicy Ocean turquoise??... hmmmm.

Image

....do something about this toothy grin....sure.
Image

....oh, that arm/collet tremolo interface.... well there seems to be a broken tap obstruction.... ouch!
Image

User avatar
D_Rad
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:04 am
Location: Santa Fe, NM

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by D_Rad » Thu Oct 13, 2016 9:34 am

....what would you do?,,, matching is always classy...black amps up the attitude.... mismatch exemplifies quirky solidarity (duplicolor Caymen grn met shown). Planning to have a Domino headstock logo reproduced as a waterslide to finish it off. For now will keep original control plate and make a pickguard from acrylic painted black on back...pondering electronics layout. The quarter pounder pickups have a wonderful bright chimey harmonics to them, so as much as the straight in wiring was cool, being able to mix them with a 3-way, slider, 2vol, 1 tone as original would be euphoniously advantageous.... ;D

Image

User avatar
Ursa Minor
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 5894
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 8:26 am
Location: Chicago

Re: NGD... Domino Spartan

Post by Ursa Minor » Thu Oct 13, 2016 12:07 pm

Black headstock!
The artist formerly known as kosmonautmayhem.

Post Reply