Micro-Frets Stage II Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1970)
LOADING IMAGES
This item has been sold.
Item # 11547
Prices subject to change without notice.
Micro-Frets Stage II Model Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1970), made in Fredrick, Maryland, serial # 2084, black lacquer finish, maple body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black gig bag case.
Some of the most unique and original American guitars of the late 1960's and early 1970's came out of Frederick, Maryland, where the small Micro-Frets company built their beautifully engineered if slightly offbeat fretted offerings. This model, the Stage II is a semi-hollow body instrument built with a two-piece of maple sandwich body routed from the inside. This was one of the company's more popular instruments, sporting many of the firm's trademark design elements including unique white plastic-encased pickups and the patented Micro-Nut, which allows harmonic compensation at the headstock.
At the other end of the strings is the "Calibrato" vibrato unit, the heart of Micro-frets legend; this is a heavy duty floating vibrato and bridge assembly which allows individual tension adjustments for each string, theoretically allowing entire chords to be raised and lowered while remaining in tune. The Calibrato was originally offered as an add-on for existing guitars; in some ways the Micro-frets line was designed around it! The Calibrato was advertised as having "Precise Pitch modulation" and includes the "Microsonic bridge with sustained harmonic action and floating power" so you know that HAS to be special!
The body is finished in gleaming jet black with white trim, giving an always cool "tuxedo" effect. The two interlocking halves are rounded at the edges with a single stylized F-hole on the top. The maple neck is natural finished with a thick unbound, dot inlaid rosewood fingerboard. The controls: tone, volume, pickup select and a second tone modification switch are carried on the top-mounted pickguard, which is bi-level in the Rickenbacker mode with a triple laminate upper section. The tuners are the original chrome Waverly openback strip and the face of the sculpted space-age headstock carries the brand logo and model name.
This is a extremely well-made and fine playing guitar with a slim neck and bright, responsive pickups. The sound is crisp and hi-fi with surprising depth when needed; the tonal range is impressive. A number of prominent country artists endorsed the Micro-Frets line in the late 1960's including Carl Perkins and the Statler Brothers. Micro-Frets may have had a fairly short history (although the company has seen a recent revival attempt) but the high-quality, well engineered instruments they left behind are very fine examples of American guitar ingenuity and worthy of the attention of both players and collectors.
Overall length is 42 in. (106.7 cm.), 14 7/16 in. (36.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This sharp looking easy playing guitar remains very clean and all original, showing only some light general wear overall. The gleaming ebony body finish has some very light scuffing and small dings and dents but no major wear, and the back of the neck is very clean. The seam of the laminated upper half of the maple body just past the treble cutaway has opened up a bit but is solid and not moving. The frets and fingerboard have some light wear but playability remains excellent. This is a super example of a super cool "tuxedo" Micro-Frets; there is no case but a decently fitted gig bag is included. Excellent + Condition.
Some of the most unique and original American guitars of the late 1960's and early 1970's came out of Frederick, Maryland, where the small Micro-Frets company built their beautifully engineered if slightly offbeat fretted offerings. This model, the Stage II is a semi-hollow body instrument built with a two-piece of maple sandwich body routed from the inside. This was one of the company's more popular instruments, sporting many of the firm's trademark design elements including unique white plastic-encased pickups and the patented Micro-Nut, which allows harmonic compensation at the headstock.
At the other end of the strings is the "Calibrato" vibrato unit, the heart of Micro-frets legend; this is a heavy duty floating vibrato and bridge assembly which allows individual tension adjustments for each string, theoretically allowing entire chords to be raised and lowered while remaining in tune. The Calibrato was originally offered as an add-on for existing guitars; in some ways the Micro-frets line was designed around it! The Calibrato was advertised as having "Precise Pitch modulation" and includes the "Microsonic bridge with sustained harmonic action and floating power" so you know that HAS to be special!
The body is finished in gleaming jet black with white trim, giving an always cool "tuxedo" effect. The two interlocking halves are rounded at the edges with a single stylized F-hole on the top. The maple neck is natural finished with a thick unbound, dot inlaid rosewood fingerboard. The controls: tone, volume, pickup select and a second tone modification switch are carried on the top-mounted pickguard, which is bi-level in the Rickenbacker mode with a triple laminate upper section. The tuners are the original chrome Waverly openback strip and the face of the sculpted space-age headstock carries the brand logo and model name.
This is a extremely well-made and fine playing guitar with a slim neck and bright, responsive pickups. The sound is crisp and hi-fi with surprising depth when needed; the tonal range is impressive. A number of prominent country artists endorsed the Micro-Frets line in the late 1960's including Carl Perkins and the Statler Brothers. Micro-Frets may have had a fairly short history (although the company has seen a recent revival attempt) but the high-quality, well engineered instruments they left behind are very fine examples of American guitar ingenuity and worthy of the attention of both players and collectors.
Overall length is 42 in. (106.7 cm.), 14 7/16 in. (36.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This sharp looking easy playing guitar remains very clean and all original, showing only some light general wear overall. The gleaming ebony body finish has some very light scuffing and small dings and dents but no major wear, and the back of the neck is very clean. The seam of the laminated upper half of the maple body just past the treble cutaway has opened up a bit but is solid and not moving. The frets and fingerboard have some light wear but playability remains excellent. This is a super example of a super cool "tuxedo" Micro-Frets; there is no case but a decently fitted gig bag is included. Excellent + Condition.