One is never enough...

[bobmeyrick]

It started when I needed a new volume pot for my Godin Freeway. While searching the Nottingham music shop websites, I saw that one of them (Fuzz Guitars) was having a "Sunrise Sale". Listed among the sale items were a couple of "Heritage LP style" guitars. Aha! A visit to the shop the day before the sale revealed a couple of H150s which had been languishing in the storeroom for a few years. The shop owner told me that they'd had a few in stock, but hadn't sold very well. One was transparent black, the other was a goldtop. I initially thought the goldtop was a 140 - thinner body, dot inlays - but it turned out to be a 150 Special and this was the one I preferred. The serial number indicated it was made in 1999. The sale started at 7am, so I made sure I was there when the shop opened, and an added bonus was an extra 5% off the sale price if you turned up in pyjamas/nightshirt! I don't mind mind looking stupid if it saves me money - I paid 855ukp instead of 900ukp. A new H150 costs around 1800ukp.

 

When I got home I changes the strings to my preferred gauge (11-49), put some lemon oil on the fingerboard and gave it a good polish. The "2" stamped into the headstock indicates a factory second, and the only imperfections I can see are a couple of marks on the back of the headstock. It has Schaller pickups, bridge and tailpiece, Grover tuners. I gigged it that night and it sounded great. Here are some photos...

[skydog52]

It started when I needed a new volume pot for my Godin Freeway. While searching the Nottingham music shop websites, I saw that one of them (Fuzz Guitars) was having a "Sunrise Sale". Listed among the sale items were a couple of "Heritage LP style" guitars. Aha! A visit to the shop the day before the sale revealed a couple of H150s which had been languishing in the storeroom for a few years. The shop owner told me that they'd had a few in stock, but hadn't sold very well. One was transparent black, the other was a goldtop. I initially thought the goldtop was a 140 - thinner body, dot inlays - but it turned out to be a 150 Special and this was the one I preferred. The serial number indicated it was made in 1999. The sale started at 7am, so I made sure I was there when the shop opened, and an added bonus was an extra 5% off the sale price if you turned up in pyjamas/nightshirt! I don't mind mind looking stupid if it saves me money - I paid 855ukp instead of 900ukp. A new H150 costs around 1800ukp.

 

When I got home I changes the strings to my preferred gauge (11-49), put some lemon oil on the fingerboard and gave it a good polish. The "2" stamped into the headstock indicates a factory second, and the only imperfections I can see are a couple of marks on the back of the headstock. It has Schaller pickups, bridge and tailpiece, Grover tuners. I gigged it that night and it sounded great. Here are some photos...

 

Welcome to the club. Nice story on a nice looking guitar.

Seconds from Kalamazoo are pretty good guitars, usually some minor cosmetic issue.

Now your hooked! Enjoy

[tulk1]

What a deal. And bought it in your jammies. Awesome! Congrats on a great find, and welcome.

[mark555]

Hello Bob and welcome from a fellow Brit up here in Huddersfield, you are now the second nearest forum member to myself geographically spoeaking, Peter Green being ten miles west of Hull, I was in Nottingham last october for the Queen and Paul Rogers gig at the arena, even found a parking spot on the main road very near, and a good night out it was.

 

Nice looking pair of guitars you have there, both of them beautiful, I love the sunburst and I am getting a fancying for a gold top of some description.

 

where abouts in Nottingham is Fuzz Box? I know one of the music stores on the way in from the M1 but can't remember its name.

[FredZepp]

An excellent goldtop.... and a great deal..!

 

The fretboard looks great after the Lemon Oil...

 

Mmmm.. that Goldtop finish looks great. Great find.

 

It looks like a great one to play.

 

 

And I love the black pickguard on the 535.

[mtpatty]

awesome guitars and welcome!

[kbp810]

Nice guitars, and good story on the 150 pick up

 

On the few "2's" I've seen personally, the only defect I could ever really find was the "2" stamp itself

[bobmeyrick]

Hello Bob and welcome from a fellow Brit up here in Huddersfield, you are now the second nearest forum member to myself geographically spoeaking, Peter Green being ten miles west of Hull, I was in Nottingham last october for the Queen and Paul Rogers gig at the arena, even found a parking spot on the main road very near, and a good night out it was.

 

Nice looking pair of guitars you have there, both of them beautiful, I love the sunburst and I am getting a fancying for a gold top of some description.

 

where abouts in Nottingham is Fuzz Box? I know one of the music stores on the way in from the M1 but can't remember its name.

 

Hi Mark, "Fuzz" is situated right in the centre of town on the corner of Broadway and Goose Gate. It's actually not that far from the Arena. They're associated with Guitar Base in West Bridgford and tend to stock the more expensive equipment, while Guitar Base stocks the "bread and butter" gear. As you're from Huddersfield, did you ever use the services of Paul McNab, a great luthier who sadly passed away in the summer? He worked with a chap by the name of Phil Boot here in Nottingham, making custom instruments under the name "Paulman". They made me a strat with a one piece swamp ash body, birds-eye maple neck with a Brazilian rosewood board, Joe Barden pickups mounted directly in the body (no scratchplate 'cos the wood was so nice), Wilkinson trem and a tone boost circuit like the one that used to be in the Levinson Blade I used to own. A cracking guitar...

 

I've only been to one gig at the Arena - Tom Jones a few years ago. The sound wasn't brilliant and for me it was a bit too big. I prefer smaller venues, but there are some bands you have to see who only play the arenas. Ho hum.