Anyone know what this is?

[jabrennan]

I have been trying to figure out what this is with no luck so far. I haven't been able to find a picture of a Les Paul copy with this butterfly logo. Any help would be appreciated. I am in the process of cleaning/fixing it up so it has been partly dis-assembled.

 

[JamesT]

Check out this thread from the Gearpage board...seems to have some good info on your guitar...

Les Paul copy longshot? - The Gear Page

 

[jabrennan]

Thanks James. That at least helps me date it. Still trying to figure out the manufacturer....

 

[JamesT]

It could be a Fujigen product. Or it might be a Cort. Your best bet to getting more info from this board would be to post more pictures. If you can show us the back of the pickups, pickup cavities, and wiring cavity and pots we might be able to help you out further.

One thing is certain though, this is definitely from the 70's when it was very common for guitars to be built in batches to a certain spec with either no logo on the headstock or any number of different "brand names" applied at the last minute.

 

[jabrennan]

Here are some more pics. Unfortunately there is nothing stamped or written on anything other than the pots. I could not get the camera to focus enough to read what it said but I drew it on paper. I also updated the headstock after some cleaning/polishing.

 

[jabrennan]

here is headstock pic

 

[zontar]

I have a neck with the same logo (Just the neck, not the guitar.)

Any way--my guitar neck has the name Lyle on it.
What I've been able to find is that they were made by Matsumoku.
They were distributed by L.D. Heater Music Company, which was owned by Norlin.

And as an extra bonus--when I bought the neck, I saw the inlay as twp birds on a branch, not a butterfly. I didn't realize it was a butterfly until a friend mentioned it--I still see two birds, but I know it's a butterfly.
The sharp tips of the wings are beaks--the dots are eyes, the other wing designs are bird wings, the antennae & body is the end of the branch--and the birds are looking up.

 

[jabrennan]

Progress thus far on the rebuild, if anyone is interested. Slow but steady. Have an inlay to shape and then can work the fretboard. Then comes nut install and setup and she's good to go.

 

[jabrennan]

Got all my soldering done. Coil-tapped both humbuckers on a push/pull pot. Curious to test the different sound combinations. Still have my neck work to do so it will be awhile for that .

 

[boner]

i have a lyle with a switch for some effect, its active if somebody could help me that would be great

 

[zontar]

Progress thus far on the rebuild, if anyone is interested. Slow but steady. Have an inlay to shape and then can work the fretboard. Then comes nut install and setup and she's good to go.

It's looking good, maybe one day I can do something like that with the neck I have...

 

[jabrennan]

What did you need help with boner? I'm by no means an expert at any of this stuff but if it's a basic question I might be able to help.

"It's looking good, maybe one day I can do something like that with the neck I have... "

I haven't done a whole lot with the neck. The guitar was missing one inlay and two were loose, so I took some epoxy and glued those back in and smoothed them out. I just finished the missing inlay (shaped it to size, epoxy'd in, let dry and sanded/scraped it smooth) and scraped the entire fretboard and am getting ready to oil it.

Roman has a good thread here http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/luthiers-corner/89160-tech-stuff-massive-lp-setup-pic-heavy.html that I have been using as a reference. 1st time working on neck and was a little nervous about scraping, but once I took the razor blade to the first one it wasn't that bad and got in the rhythm pretty quick.

 

[jabrennan]

1st coat of oil soaking in..

 

[jabrennan]

It's alive!!! I used minwax tung oil btw.

 

[zontar]

I haven't done a whole lot with the neck.

I just have the neck--I keep an eye out for someone with a guitar body but no neck to wither sell them the neck or buy the body.
Preferably buy the body.

I don't possess the abilities to make my own--I'm not very good at wood working--and I have tried.

 

[jabrennan]

Doh sorry. Now your post makes more sense. Guess I should re-read the other posts before I reply. Hadn't realized it was you that posted earlier about just having the neck.

I'm not good at woodworking either. Body didn't need much work other than some cleaning/polishing, so I lucked out there. Had been sitting in an attic for probably 20+ years.

 

[ryan7olson7]

I have a neck with the same logo (Just the neck, not the guitar.)

Any way--my guitar neck has the name Lyle on it.
What I've been able to find is that they were made by Matsumoku.
They were distributed by L.D. Heater Music Company, which was owned by Norlin.

And as an extra bonus--when I bought the neck, I saw the inlay as twp birds on a branch, not a butterfly. I didn't realize it was a butterfly until a friend mentioned it--I still see two birds, but I know it's a butterfly.
The sharp tips of the wings are beaks--the dots are eyes, the other wing designs are bird wings, the antennae & body is the end of the branch--and the birds are looking up.

looks like birds in a nest to me, you gotta really want to see that butterfly!

 

[zontar]

Doh sorry. Now your post makes more sense. Guess I should re-read the other posts before I reply. Hadn't realized it was you that posted earlier about just having the neck.

I'm not good at woodworking either. Body didn't need much work other than some cleaning/polishing, so I lucked out there. Had been sitting in an attic for probably 20+ years.

No problem--kind of cool seeing what you're doing with it.

looks like birds in a nest to me, you gotta really want to see that butterfly!

Thanks for the back up--although it really is supposed to be a butterfly, I still see the birds...

 

[jabrennan]

I was right there with you...I spent a few hours searching for bird inlay and was not having any luck. Then the more I looked at it the more the branch looked kinda like an insect. So then I was trying to figure out why the birds were on top of an insect and then the wings finally came into view

On a side note...I forgot to buy sandpaper when I was at home depot earlier..so I'm shaping my nut with 400 grit :/ This could be awhile lol.

 

[jabrennan]

All done! Just have a very minor hum to work out in the wiring. Guessing bad ground connection somewhere, probably bridge connection.

Did what I could with the truss, but with age of neck still a little relief which is ok with me. Had to shim the neck to get it at the right angle and ended up with pretty good action.