Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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RIORIO
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Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by RIORIO » Wed Sep 11, 2019 12:39 pm

This is my OSG odyssey

About 6 years ago, shortly after joining OSG and in the midst of my newfound Jazzmaster obsession, I purchased this guitar from forumite Thaiairways: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=73424

It must have been the most beautiful Jazzmaster I’d ever seen. I’d lusted after a green/blue beater Jazzmaster since day 1 and this guitar MORE than checked those boxes. I especially loved the fact that the refinish was done by some mystery master luthier in Japan -I picture a Jazzmaster dojo high up along the peak of Mt Fuji- and the fact that it started out life as a MIJ Jazzmaster. I’ve had vintage (63), modern (literally everything- AVRI, AV65, MIM, Squier, Thin Skin), Boutique (Danocasters , Bilts), etc etc and my favorite of the bunch was my Blonde/Gold MIJ from 94…especially after a thorough upgrading of the internals. There was just something about the MIJ’s that clicked with me and my playing style. After receiving the guitar from Japan and picking my jaw off the floor, I proceeded to upgrade it with the best of what was available back in 2013. It got a Mastery, Novaks (later AV65’s), Staytrem collet, bone nut, fret dress on a PLEK machine, upgrade wiring and pots. It was my #1 guitar for the next two years and it seriously turned heads everywhere it went. It looked, played and sounded perfect. It felt amazing and just like a vintage guitar- the nitro finish on the neck was perfectly worn-in like an old baseball glove. It was also my first light Jazzmaster- 7 lbs on the dot. I wrote many of my favorite tunes on it and loved it dearly.

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Then GAS hit.

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In the form of a 1963 Jazzmaster finished in Sonic Blue over Olympic White. I traded my #1 plus about $1500 to a nice fella in a touring blues band for her. That guitar was seriously next level and very inspiring. Side note- ’63 seemed to be a magical year for JM’s. I sold that after a few years of being terrified to gig with it and went through about a hundred other guitars…mainly buying and selling to make a bit of profit and searching for my next "keeper".

Fast forward to about 2 months ago, and it dawned on me that I hadn’t -truly- been inspired by a guitar in the last few years. Surely, many wonderful axes had come and gone, but nothing had me as excited as my first few winners (the blonde/gold MIJ, the blue/green mystery MIJ, my black Danocaster and my 63 Oly White JM). Out of the bunch, the blue / green stood out the most. So the quest began.

I pulled out my old MacBook and dug up the bill of sale (forgot I used to do those) after a few hours of scouring an old email account. Luckily, it had the buyers name and number on it. A call and a text yielded nothing. A facebook message yielded nothing. Two weeks later, I got a return message from the buyer (!) saying he had sold the guitar :'( . Thoroughly bummed, I figured that was the end of the road and this magical axe was lost to the ether. He then surprised me and connected me with the next buyer. I stood by for a few days, and finally got a message informing me that he had "sold it to a friend that -might- be willing to sell it back to me" :w00t: . After another Facebook message connection and exchange, I got in touch with the 3rd buyer and told him my story/quest to get back my old #1. He was very into the story and was more than willing to work out an incredible deal for me. It turns out this guitar has sat in a gig bag for about 5 years In multiple studios across Northern California seeing very little to no use. The owners were blues guys and much more keen on their Gibsons. I was back in the Bay Area last weekend and made the 2 hour trek to meet the buyer and pick up the guitar. After a disassembly, cleaning and quick flight, it is now safely back home with me in LA. It is as good if not better than what I remember. Ultra-resonant, playable and it sounds killer- exactly as it was in 2015. This time it’s sticking around for good.

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aliendawg
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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by aliendawg » Wed Sep 11, 2019 12:52 pm

What a cool story!!

Everything in this guitar looks amazing... the color, the finish, the hardware... damn! Congrats for getting it back

Is it me or the neck looks a bit thicker than usual? I'm now 100% sold on Japanese Jags. They *could* be hit or miss but after reading this story and learning that Frankie Broyles (from Omni) plays a Japanese Jaguar I'm sold for sure. Sure there are upgrades but still

Congrats again. It's like that nice girl you dated in HS but decided to leave because "maybe I deserve a hot blonde girlfriend" only to find out you were meant for each other. Except this time she felt the same way. whooops
"With the resurgence of offsets it seems like we're also seeing a resurgence of people who don't know what to do with them" - 601210

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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by RIORIO » Wed Sep 11, 2019 1:06 pm

aliendawg wrote:
Wed Sep 11, 2019 12:52 pm
What a cool story!!

Everything in this guitar looks amazing... the color, the finish, the hardware... damn! Congrats for getting it back

Is it me or the neck looks a bit thicker than usual? I'm now 100% sold on Japanese Jags. They *could* be hit or miss but after reading this story and learning that Frankie Broyles (from Omni) plays a Japanese Jaguar I'm sold for sure. Sure there are upgrades but still

Congrats again. It's like that nice girl you dated in HS but decided to leave because "maybe I deserve a hot blonde girlfriend" only to find out you were meant for each other. Except this time she felt the same way. whooops
Thanks!!! This one really is perfect. The neck is a slim C, standard MIJ fare, but perfectly worn in and relic'd. The PLEK machine fret dressings are really a game changer. Thanks for your kind words :)

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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by zip73 » Wed Sep 11, 2019 1:37 pm

Welcome home. That’s quite a feather in your cap! Congrats!

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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by Larry Mal » Wed Sep 11, 2019 3:03 pm

That's a good story, I have one similar but not as cool, but I'm in a position to agree: don't let it go again.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by Tehz_ » Wed Sep 11, 2019 7:54 pm

Really cool story, and a beautiful Jazz!

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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by Embenny » Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:33 pm

Gorgeous guitar, awesome story. Never let it go again!!
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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by zhivago » Wed Sep 11, 2019 10:08 pm

Very cool story, I too managed to get back a Jazzmaster I foolishly sold and know how sweet of a feeling it is to recover a long lost friend. 8)
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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by thenewromance » Wed Sep 11, 2019 10:43 pm

Congratulations! :)

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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Wed Sep 11, 2019 11:26 pm

Wow! What a sweet reunion!
Congratulations! May you two be happy together henceforth and forever! :-*

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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by njpozner » Thu Sep 12, 2019 11:19 am

This is a great story with a happy ending! It's a beautiful guitar.

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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by MechaBulletBill » Thu Sep 12, 2019 11:26 am

jesus, that's seen some use! based on looks, i would guess it was 30 years older than it actually is haha :D

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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by Surfysonic » Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:23 pm

Congrats, Riorio! Glad she's found her way back home to you. I've had a lot of guitars come and go with my greatest regret being my Gretsch 6120 blue burst hollowbody that I sold to a friend. There's something magical for me about this guitar.

Back in 2009, I bought this guitar online from Blackrider Vintage Guitar in Kentucky.

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I used it in one of my early YouTube vids of a play-along of Echo & The Bunnymen's "Lips Like Sugar" (please forgive my vocals, hence why I play mostly instrumentals now :-[ ):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8vb68Q ... dex=7&t=0s

A year or so later, I was contacted by E&TB's official website to ask for my permission to put the video in their fan covers section of their site. As a fan, I was so thrilled - "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!". It so made my day.

A couple of years later, I sold my Gretsch to my friend, who had fallen in love with it at first sight. She promised to give me first rights to buy it back. Almost immediately I regretted selling it and having gone through a few other Gretsch guitars that didn't click for me, I was really bummed.

About three years after that, she contacted me to let me know she was ready to move the guitar on. I was so happy to get the blueburst back. I'll not let her go again.

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Congrats again! 8)
The doofus formerly known as Snorre...

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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by Tweedledee » Sat Sep 14, 2019 6:00 pm

Great story with a happy ending! And that is one seriously beautiful Jazzmaster!!!

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Re: Getting my #1 back- an OSG Reunion story

Post by eternal learner » Mon Sep 16, 2019 11:15 pm

Thats a good piece of dogged detective work as well as a mighty story. Don't play much these days but i hold my Japanese jazz in high regard, has SD vintage for jm pups , feels, plays and sounds beautiful, i call it the languid sound. Just weeks ago i stumbled upon a near unplayed black Japanese jazz and bought it cash that night, excellent price i could not ignore, he'd bought it in Japan new a few years ago and never really played it, original paperwork was with it. Have not touched it yet, currently between homes, but already have a pair of "Q" vintage 59 style pups, a mustang bridge and choice of two different shades of tort guards all in my parts stash to fit and set up. :)

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