Post by CTGull on Jul 31, 2023 19:07:28 GMT -5
The Story – I have been wanting to find a Tacoma guitar project for a while. One of the “Wing” series would be cool (with the “Paisley” sound hole), but they typically go for big bucks and need lots of work.
I saw this one, but the model number was a bit of a mystery (I couldn’t be sure with it was because the letter & numbers were hard to read) until I did some research. It’s unfortunate that there’s no archive of the Tacoma website before 2004, which is when Fender bought them, all the early history is gone.
I’ve read the top & back have always been solid wood, and they changed from laminated sides to solid in 1999. Since this guitar was probably made on 1/18/1999, it could go either way, depending on when the actual change over was.
The PM-20 (Parlor Mahogany) it isn’t actually a Parlor size, it’s more like an OM, but it has the depth of a Dread, giving it a much deeper and balanced tone than a Parlor or OM size. And it has a long 25.5” scale length.
In the last few seconds, the price was jumping up, and with a couple of seconds to go It threw a big number at it, finally winning at $366. But did I pay too much, considering the top crack that someone looks to have “fixed” by putting wood glue into the open crack and NOT fixing it?? Of course, it has the finish rash and needs a neck reset. And now I wait!!
INITIAL OBSERVATIONS – The box was dropped on at least 3 corners. Opening the box finds they shred their boxes to make the packing! In the box is probably the original TKL hard case, a little dirty & lightly dinged. Opening the case finds bubble wrap on top, one side, at the heel, and around the headstock. Excellent packing!!!
Removing the guitar, I’m greeted by the famous Tacoma UV cured Polyester finish rash!! And I find the top crack hasn’t been glued!! That is some finish over it!! But there looks to be an impact ding in the finish near the crack. Hopefully the bracing isn’t damaged. There are also a few small hits in the rear top corner of the headstock. There is some kind of finish under the failed finish.
INSPECTION - The bridge has (2) fine cracks, between the low E & D, and a crack centered on G but running from D to high E. There may be a fine crack in the top behind the bridge, centered on the D string, the finish is also flaked off at that line. The low E bridge pin is mangled, the A is a little chewed up, the rest only have minor marks.
The bridge height is difficult to measure because there are no flat surfaces, but I’m guessing about .33”. The saddle sticks out about .10”. Tuned to “D”, the nut action is maybe a little high, the neck relief is a bit high at .017”, the action is a little over 7/64” low D & a little under 3/32” high D.
There is some fret wear at the first 3 frets for the B & E.
The strings look to be D’Addario EJ16’s, PB Light, and are probably a few years old. With dead strings I sounds pretty good, resonant, responding well to a light touch. But not as good as my 1958-61 Harmony H1260. There seems to be a resonance at B on the A string.
THE PLAN – Remove the neck. Remove the tuners. Remove the finish with the hair dryer and spatula. The Top Crack - humidify the interior of the guitar, glue & cleat the crack. Neck reset. Apply a finish to the guitar. Reassemble. Sounds simple?? I doubt it.
They recycle boxes into packing!!
I like the shape!! The flakey finish, not so much.
EESH!!! And there's some kind of finish under the finish!! And they didn't fill the pores!
Attempting to show there is a little fret wear, but the bright reflection wash it out.
It looks like an impact caused the crack, which runs across grains a little.
The whole pickguard area is about to flake off!! I'll need to make a template to make a new one.
I'm hoping the finish doesn't go under the bridge!!
A leather strap was included.
The tuners work very well!!
The back of the neck looks great! Maybe leave the neck alone (for now) and only refinish the body.
A little buckle rash.
And a little Tacoma rash!
What caused that??
DAMN!!
A closer look at the top crack.
And there looks to be a tiny crack at the top edge of this missing flake.
And the funky Tacoma bridge, with a slightly low saddle.
Who chewed on the bridge pins??
You can never see this mess enough!!
I saw this one, but the model number was a bit of a mystery (I couldn’t be sure with it was because the letter & numbers were hard to read) until I did some research. It’s unfortunate that there’s no archive of the Tacoma website before 2004, which is when Fender bought them, all the early history is gone.
I’ve read the top & back have always been solid wood, and they changed from laminated sides to solid in 1999. Since this guitar was probably made on 1/18/1999, it could go either way, depending on when the actual change over was.
The PM-20 (Parlor Mahogany) it isn’t actually a Parlor size, it’s more like an OM, but it has the depth of a Dread, giving it a much deeper and balanced tone than a Parlor or OM size. And it has a long 25.5” scale length.
In the last few seconds, the price was jumping up, and with a couple of seconds to go It threw a big number at it, finally winning at $366. But did I pay too much, considering the top crack that someone looks to have “fixed” by putting wood glue into the open crack and NOT fixing it?? Of course, it has the finish rash and needs a neck reset. And now I wait!!
INITIAL OBSERVATIONS – The box was dropped on at least 3 corners. Opening the box finds they shred their boxes to make the packing! In the box is probably the original TKL hard case, a little dirty & lightly dinged. Opening the case finds bubble wrap on top, one side, at the heel, and around the headstock. Excellent packing!!!
Removing the guitar, I’m greeted by the famous Tacoma UV cured Polyester finish rash!! And I find the top crack hasn’t been glued!! That is some finish over it!! But there looks to be an impact ding in the finish near the crack. Hopefully the bracing isn’t damaged. There are also a few small hits in the rear top corner of the headstock. There is some kind of finish under the failed finish.
INSPECTION - The bridge has (2) fine cracks, between the low E & D, and a crack centered on G but running from D to high E. There may be a fine crack in the top behind the bridge, centered on the D string, the finish is also flaked off at that line. The low E bridge pin is mangled, the A is a little chewed up, the rest only have minor marks.
The bridge height is difficult to measure because there are no flat surfaces, but I’m guessing about .33”. The saddle sticks out about .10”. Tuned to “D”, the nut action is maybe a little high, the neck relief is a bit high at .017”, the action is a little over 7/64” low D & a little under 3/32” high D.
There is some fret wear at the first 3 frets for the B & E.
The strings look to be D’Addario EJ16’s, PB Light, and are probably a few years old. With dead strings I sounds pretty good, resonant, responding well to a light touch. But not as good as my 1958-61 Harmony H1260. There seems to be a resonance at B on the A string.
THE PLAN – Remove the neck. Remove the tuners. Remove the finish with the hair dryer and spatula. The Top Crack - humidify the interior of the guitar, glue & cleat the crack. Neck reset. Apply a finish to the guitar. Reassemble. Sounds simple?? I doubt it.
They recycle boxes into packing!!
I like the shape!! The flakey finish, not so much.
EESH!!! And there's some kind of finish under the finish!! And they didn't fill the pores!
Attempting to show there is a little fret wear, but the bright reflection wash it out.
It looks like an impact caused the crack, which runs across grains a little.
The whole pickguard area is about to flake off!! I'll need to make a template to make a new one.
I'm hoping the finish doesn't go under the bridge!!
A leather strap was included.
The tuners work very well!!
The back of the neck looks great! Maybe leave the neck alone (for now) and only refinish the body.
A little buckle rash.
And a little Tacoma rash!
What caused that??
DAMN!!
A closer look at the top crack.
And there looks to be a tiny crack at the top edge of this missing flake.
And the funky Tacoma bridge, with a slightly low saddle.
Who chewed on the bridge pins??
You can never see this mess enough!!
