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So I just bought Marty Friedman’s 4 digit


Tommyd

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So I just bought Marty Friedman’s four digit standard on Reverb.  This was tricky because the guitar has lots of issues but at the price they had it listed I knew I had to act fast or it’s gone.  So the good it’s Marty’s, a bit or rock star juice maybe, he bought it around 1990, it’s exactly how he bought it he says. He did no mods since he had it. He says it plays and sounds great. Has its case too. The bad,  it looks like it’s been routed for a Floyd Rose and then a Kaler was then put on and there’s no locking nut but you can see the screws for two different locking nuts. Really bad probably spray paint over where the bridge and the nut were changed out.  Obviously non original pickups. There’s a crack that runs down the center of the front of the guitar, I’m told it’s cosmetic and nothing is structurally loose but it’s a doozy.   Anyway if it’s stable and plays and sounds great I’m a happy camper, I can return it no questions asked so that’s really cool too. Anyway what do you guys think, would you have done the same thing? Or is this just too many issues?  

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Not a Megadeath or Friedman fan but I think at current Hamer USA pricing, you done good!

For me, even The Good you posted would be only so-so.

BUT it's a 4 Digit Standard! And they don't make them anymore.

If the spray paint is  covering a neck repair and isn't stable, that would be a problem. But at that price, if you don't like all the "upgrades" you can have it refinished and still be OK.

Probably way better than OK.

Good luck

D

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At $1,750, I'd say that was a really good score...even with the Kahler and cosmetic issues.  It's also pretty cool that Friedman owned it and admits lusting for one for years before scoring  this particular example.  As I recall, he cut his teeth on an Anitigua Strat, so it's no surprise that he held the Standard in high regard. 

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Did Marty Friedman use the guitar live, or was it something he had fun with at home?  If that guitar was used on stage or in a video or photo session, leave it alone.  If not, you are the one to make the final decision on whether or not to do any restoration.  A total refin will not increase the value except in the case of a guitar that has been terribly butchered.  Right now you have a guitar you can play without worrying about scratching it. 

If it were my guitar I would consider having some corrections made to past modifications. 

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I like it... I think you got it low enough that you can spend a few bucks to get it right

and still not be insane...     and you'd have that great old skool headstock.   

  I would talk to someone like murkat,  maybe he can suggest a plan...   I would pay

a little more and maybe veneer the top rather than a patch,  a patch might look good

initially, but probably won't age well once the finish settles like that one that's been

kickin around reverb.. 

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Wow.. that's definitely seen some action. Looks like it's got a fulcrum tremolo style back plate? So, it had a floyd, and now a kahler? Definitely a great project guitar.

The question is: what do you want to do with it?

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Thanks for the feedback, hopefully it’s a killer player.   If anyone has seen any pics of Marty with this guitar please send me a link, it would be cool to have on the guitar room wall.  It’s funny to me how the black colored 4 digits are the most battle scarred usually.   

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If it plays really well I’ll probably just leave it alone, however I don’t live far from Lays Guitar’s in Akron Ohio and they do really good resto work there so I could take it by there and see what they say

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Thank you guys,  I’m in the four digit club now, it’s like joining the mile high club for hamer fans only sexier.  How does it work now, will I get a membership card in the mail, where are the four digit owners meetings held?  

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12 minutes ago, Tommyd said:

Thank you guys,  I’m in the four digit club now, it’s like joining the mile high club for hamer fans only sexier.  How does it work now, will I get a membership card in the mail, where are the four digit owners meetings held?  

Meeting location is mysterious Dr. Fung's secret lair.

Knock three times.

You will be asked,  "Tree fiddy?"

You will respond, "No, a shitload of Joe's cash."

JB4digit.jpg

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On 10/23/2018 at 7:51 PM, Funky Chicken said:

Paging Mr. Platzer...

Well I think you have done it just right and could do it even righter.

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On 10/23/2018 at 9:15 PM, Biz Prof said:

Meeting location is mysterious Dr. Fung's secret lair.

Knock three times.

You will be asked,  "Tree fiddy?"

You will respond, "No, a shitload of Joe's cash."

JB4digit.jpg

Maybe he’s a lurking member or hiding himself behind an acronym and posting frequently.

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