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Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:33 am
by cincinnatiharry
So “Svetlana” arrives today, pride of the U.S.S.R.

This is a Soviet made “Ural” guitar made in Sverdlovsk, Russia in the late 1970s.

Comes with original gig bag thing that’s going to the dry cleaner because it smells of cat piss.

Needs a lot of work but it plays now, no electric issues. Neck is baseball bat thick.

However, I plugged this into some comrades, a green Russian big muff into a Sovtek Mig 100 and holy Jesus, this setup brings the heat.

Off to the luthier in Thursday... anyone know where I can source a vibrato bar for this? :)

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Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:57 am
by beauzooka
I am unable to see your pics.

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 12:33 pm
by antisymmetric
Very cool. Gig bag is tres style also. Looks like it has a strong Yamaha influence. 8)

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 12:35 pm
by BoringPostcards
Отлично!
Would love to hear that all Soviet rig!

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:02 pm
by Shadoweclipse13
BoringPostcards wrote:
Tue Jul 23, 2019 12:35 pm
Отлично!
Would love to hear that all Soviet rig!
Seconded! "Brings the heat" definitely makes me want to hear it.

Do the pickups sound like anything you've heard before, or are they pretty unique?

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:16 pm
by mackerelmint
Awesome. I can't really see the trem arm hole, but it looks similar to a JM type of deal maybe? Could you just measure it and find a piece of metal rod in a suitable diameter to bend at one end and stick in there? Maybe a strat trem arm would work? Seems like a long shot to find an original.

That said... fuck yeah for old weird Eastern Bloc guitars and musical equipment.

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:52 pm
by cincinnatiharry
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:02 pm
BoringPostcards wrote:
Tue Jul 23, 2019 12:35 pm
Отлично!
Would love to hear that all Soviet rig!
Seconded! "Brings the heat" definitely makes me want to hear it.

Do the pickups sound like anything you've heard before, or are they pretty unique?
Pickups are single coils however they are noiseless, which Instill haven’t figured out yet.

They wide (not fat, not muddy) wide sounding. Like super single coils. If that makes any sense.

The frets are brass and just weird, worn down, an odd Shiite for a fret because brass tends to wear down. I will see if comrade luthier can save them... if not stainless steel ones will be my choice, not new brass.

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:59 pm
by cincinnatiharry
mackerelmint wrote:
Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:16 pm
Awesome. I can't really see the trem arm hole, but it looks similar to a JM type of deal maybe? Could you just measure it and find a piece of metal rod in a suitable diameter to bend at one end and stick in there? Maybe a strat trem arm would work? Seems like a long shot to find an original.

That said... fuck yeah for old weird Eastern Bloc guitars and musical equipment.
Vibrato bar looks like this

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Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:01 pm
by cincinnatiharry
Drowning In guitars demo

https://youtu.be/Y7mM2j-jM7k

Apparently Eastman will making copies for $600... I got mine for €20

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:14 pm
by mackerelmint
I bet a local metal fabricator would make you one for some beer or something. That's stupid simple.

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:17 pm
by Shadoweclipse13
cincinnatiharry wrote:
Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:52 pm
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:02 pm
BoringPostcards wrote:
Tue Jul 23, 2019 12:35 pm
Отлично!
Would love to hear that all Soviet rig!
Seconded! "Brings the heat" definitely makes me want to hear it.

Do the pickups sound like anything you've heard before, or are they pretty unique?
Pickups are single coils however they are noiseless, which Instill haven’t figured out yet.

They wide (not fat, not muddy) wide sounding. Like super single coils. If that makes any sense.

The frets are brass and just weird, worn down, an odd Shiite for a fret because brass tends to wear down. I will see if comrade luthier can save them... if not stainless steel ones will be my choice, not new brass.
Brass frets is weird, but that was also during the height of the cold war. Better metals were likely being used for military things (weapons, etc.). Those pickups sound pretty cool!!

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:35 pm
by kgbAttack
cincinnatiharry wrote:
Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:33 am
So “Svetlana” arrives today, pride of the U.S.S.R.
This is a Soviet made “Ural” guitar made in Sverdlovsk, Russia in the late 1970s.
Really cool!!! Some Trivia: Sverdlovsk has been nowadays re-renamed Yekaterinburg (the original name before USSR times). I've been a few years ago, it's a pretty cool city :)

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 8:55 am
by cincinnatiharry
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:17 pm
cincinnatiharry wrote:
Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:52 pm
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:02 pm


Seconded! "Brings the heat" definitely makes me want to hear it.

Do the pickups sound like anything you've heard before, or are they pretty unique?
Pickups are single coils however they are noiseless, which Instill haven’t figured out yet.

They wide (not fat, not muddy) wide sounding. Like super single coils. If that makes any sense.

The frets are brass and just weird, worn down, an odd Shiite for a fret because brass tends to wear down. I will see if comrade luthier can save them... if not stainless steel ones will be my choice, not new brass.
Brass frets is weird, but that was also during the height of the cold war. Better metals were likely being used for military things (weapons, etc.). Those pickups sound pretty cool!!
I would tend to agree with all of the above.

So an UPDATE:

She has been with my luthier who says it won’t intonate properly because of the bridge position... so he’s plugging the holes and then re-drilling position and we are going ABR-1 style, right into the wood.

He says there was enough of the frets to save them so she’s keeping her brass frets.

This same luthier has got all my other guitars (Les Paul, Firebird, J-35) so he did them first.

I will make a video when I get her back

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 4:41 pm
by mackerelmint
Updates, yay! Looking forward to the video.

Re: Из России с любовью

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 7:20 pm
by HNB
In Soviet Russia guitar intonates you!