So, this arrived (‘70’s Antoria content)

HarrySeven

Thanks to a hook-up via @guitars4you, this arrived today...it was most definitely looking sorry for itself, but the action was great and the neck felt really good.

http://i.imgur.com/RGGQav7.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/3c7rQYL.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ymKd4G8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/n5MlSGj.jpg

After a bit of fettling, it started to look a lot better...

http://i.imgur.com/LxSbWIn.jpg

Originally, it would have looked like this...

http://i.imgur.com/rRqovRB.jpg

So I’ll need to find a scratchplate and make a control panel.

Saying that, I quite like this example without the ‘guard...

http://i.imgur.com/xvWE3LK.jpg

Updates to follow...

Philtre

Nice project!

I had an Antoria Les Paul Copy in 1976. It was OK.

Funkfingers

Almost as fugly as the real thing.

I spy three Select-by-EMG Stratocaster-sized pickups. Ideal for another budget project guitar.

ICBM

I’ve seen a couple of these too. It’s quite ironic that the Japanese went to all the trouble of tooling up to copy what was just a desperate attempt by Gibson to reduce costs, to better compete with the Japanese copies of Gibsons.

Although Gibson had the last laugh - theirs sold so poorly that they discontinued them after only just over a year... leaving these high and dry as a copy of a guitar no-one wanted in the first place!

I’ve never actually seen a Japanese copy of an SG100/200 series, but it’s possible those exist too...

Henrytwang

Nice find I don’t see many Antorias around this neck of the woods. I did buy an SG type one for £15 at a car boot a few years ago. It played okay but the two pickups didn’t sound wonderful and the body was made from plywood. It was exactly the same colour as yours but had the conventional control panel arrangement routed from the back. I sold it for around £90 on eBay, with the stupid prices being asked today I guess that it would fetch a lot more than that now.

HarrySeven

Fortunately, this is solid wood (pancake construction), albeit with a bolt-on neck. Nice weight, feels good. I’ll string it up later and see how it plays once set up.

HarrySeven

NB. I’m sure these used to be in the Bell’s catalogue way back when.

Wonky

I think I played a Les Paul shaped Antoria years ago.  It was a mates guitar and it played and sounded pretty good, but it had been messed about with, different pickups etc.
Cool project though

guitars4you

Didn't have a trem arm when I saw it @HarrySeven - did he  find one or did you have one - Let's see more pick-ups when project finished

Thanks - Mark

HarrySeven

http://i.imgur.com/TqPsYUo.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jQjcMU0.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/R0YG30F.jpg

fandango

No high e-string. Better take it back.

fandango

fandango said:

No high e-string. Better take it back.

Ah, it does. If only I'd read all the posts before opening my big mouth. Doh.

HarrySeven

guitars4you said:

Didn't have a trem arm when I saw it @HarrySeven - did he  find one or did you have one - Let's see more pick-ups when project finished

Thanks - Mark

I had one.

Will be sorting the control panel out over the next week or so when I have time.

Henrytwang

Looking good! Isn’t it funny how the Japanese faithfully copied the bad features of Fenders & Gibson’s? I’ve got a couple of Stratocasters with big headstocks, one even has a bullet truss rod nut!

ICBM

Henrytwang said:

I’ve got a couple of Stratocasters with big headstocks, one even has a bullet truss rod nut!

Those are good features .

HarrySeven

ICBM said:

Henrytwang said:

I’ve got a couple of Stratocasters with big headstocks, one even has a bullet truss rod nut!

Those are good features .

Yup!

Funkfingers

HarrySeven said:

ICBM said:

Those are good features .

Yup!

More to aim at.

guitars4you

looks far better already with a touch of TLC - smart job

Guitar_Slinger

Henrytwang said:

Looking good! Isn’t it funny how the Japanese faithfully copied the bad features of Fenders & Gibson’s? I’ve got a couple of Stratocasters with big headstocks, one even has a bullet truss rod nut!

 Mine's Solid wood, but with no bullet truss rod nut.

See a pic at http://jedistar.com/antoria/ - whovever made the page has used one of my pics from an old MSN group.

Henrytwang

ICBM said:

Henrytwang said:

I’ve got a couple of Stratocasters with big headstocks, one even has a bullet truss rod nut!

Those are good features .

HarrySeven said:

ICBM said:

Henrytwang said:

I’ve got a couple of Stratocasters with big headstocks, one even has a bullet truss rod nut!

Those are good features .

Yup!

HarrySeven said:

Fortunately, this is solid wood (pancake construction), albeit with a bolt-on neck. Nice weight, feels good. I’ll string it up later and see how it plays once set up.

Well of course it’s not plywood, only the best for the custom model. The bullet truss rod and big headstock look cool now but oh how we hated them in the 1970s. Funny how fashion changes.