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Amigo · October 2023

That looks to me like Klingon art... enjoy it!

Philly_Q · October 2023

I stumbled on this last night on YouTube. A bit of Mockingbird action courtesy of Craig Chaquico.

AK99 · October 2023

^ Interesting - it looks a much smaller guitar when you see it in action.

(And a damn sight cooler than the outfits / facial hair the band chaps are sporting

)

Philly_Q · October 2023

Well, it was 1979... Maybe 1980.

Dave_Mc · October 2023

Philly_Q said:
Don't be hard on yourself, @Dave_Mc - neck-through construction, lots of maple etc. All has its effect!

I remember those Calibre Classics, I spent quite a lot of time researching them. I can't remember what (if anything) put me off buying one in the end. They certainly looked a lot like the original USA models, with the "R" headstock logo and everything.

My Mockingbird is a Japanese model, but I don't know much about the specifics. it looks a lot like a USA one, with the full complement of switches, and again the "R" logo. The pickups are Duncans but I've no idea which models they are.

LOL I'm blaming the 24 frets for the neck pickup! Not sure what I can blame for the JB... that they often sound radically different in different guitars?

Image: /plugins/EmojiExtender/emoji/fb/smiley.png

It's a good while ago now, so I'm struggling to remember for sure, but I think I only found out about the Calibre Classics just after they'd been discontinued. I thought I'd missed the boat- they didn't seem to be available anywhere. Then out of the blue one day one turned up on Thomann. I did my usual dithering for a few days/weeks and then caved and ordered it. Glad I did because it's really nice. (It doesn't have all the switches, though, just bog standard controls.)

I haven't tried it but based on the Japanese guitars I have tried I would guess yours is great too.

AK99 said:

^ Interesting - it looks a much smaller guitar when you see it in action.

Believe it or not that's the very first thing I thought when I opened mine! You would think they'd be really big, but they're actually really compact.

Philly_Q · October 2023

Dave_Mc said:
It's a good while ago now, so I'm struggling to remember for sure, but I think I only found out about the Calibre Classics just after they'd been discontinued. I thought I'd missed the boat- they didn't seem to be available anywhere. Then out of the blue one day one turned up on Thomann. I did my usual dithering for a few days/weeks and then caved and ordered it. Glad I did because it's really nice. (It doesn't have all the switches, though, just bog standard controls.)

I haven't tried it but based on the Japanese guitars I have tried I would guess yours is great too.

One of the UK dealers had a lot of the Calibre Classics at one point, I can't remember who... I can almost picture it in my head, but the dealers' websites have all changed so much since then. And maybe it wasn't UK, it could've been a European shop.

Mine is good, but it needs an overhaul - a couple of frets are uneven, there's some loose binding, I really hate the boost and the varitone. On the plus side, the woodwork's nice, and it's got a really thick figured maple top, not a veneer. I was thinking I might one day get the finish stripped, get it redone in satin or maybe an oil/wax finish, and replace the Duncans with DiMarzios.

Dave_Mc · October 2023

Philly_Q said:
One of the UK dealers had a lot of the Calibre Classics at one point, I can't remember who... I can almost picture it in my head, but the dealers' websites have all changed so much since then. And maybe it wasn't UK, it could've been a European shop.

Mine is good, but it needs an overhaul - a couple of frets are uneven, there's some loose binding, I really hate the boost and the varitone. On the plus side, the woodwork's nice, and it's got a really thick figured maple top, not a veneer. I was thinking I might one day get the finish stripped, get it redone in satin or maybe an oil/wax finish, and replace the Duncans with DiMarzios.

Ah I can't help you there, as I said I only really became aware of them after they had been discontinued so I never saw any shops here with stock!

Mine has a proper top (well actually 3 tops I guess because of the neck-thru with walnut stringers thing) too, it's not a veneer. I put Alegrees in mine. Mine's still in fine condition (I probably just don't practise enough!), it just has a little ding on the top of the headstock that IIRC I think it arrived with!

skullfunkerry · October 2023

Very nice! I had a Mockingbird once; only one of the cheapo Bodyart series, but it was nice to play. Can't remember now why I moved it on (as usual!)

CHRISB50 · October 2023

Philly_Q said:

I stumbled on this last night on YouTube. A bit of Mockingbird action courtesy of Craig Chaquico.

That's a cracking name.

guitarjack66 · October 2023

I have to say that I'd never have matched a design of guitar like this to Harry Seven. Right out of left field,as our US friends say!

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