Micro-Frets Spacetone Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1970)
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Micro-Frets Spacetone Model Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1970), made in Fredrick, Maryland, serial # 2207, Martian Green Sunburst Lacquer finish, maple body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell 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 Spacetone (what a killer name!) is a semi-hollow body instrument built with a two-piece of maple sandwich body routed from the inside. Sharing a body shape with several other offerings like the Wanderer or Golden Comet, it sports 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 a celestial sunburst of emerald green and chartreuse with white binding on the top and back looking positively fit for intergalactic travel. 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, double 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 style with a triple laminate upper section. These characteristics are typical for a "Style 2" Micro-Frets. The tuners are the original chrome Schallers 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 and into the 1980's including Martin Gore of Depeche Mode who is well-documented as having played an identical Martian Green Spacetone; this one comes with some Depeche Mode ephemera. Micro-Frets may have had a fairly short history (although the company has seen at least one 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 1/2 in. (108 cm.), 14 3/8 in. (36.5 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 otherworldly Spacetone is immaculately clean and all original showing but the lightest of wear here and there. The Martian green finish is vivid and unfaded with only a couple very small scratches and nothing that breaks through the lacquer. The back of the neck is very clean, genuinely free from any dinks with no divoting in the fingerboard and only trace fretwear. The metal hardware has some light corrosion and wear marks here and there, most notable on the neckplate. Playability remains excellent with low, comfortable action.
While there is no certificate of authenticity or direct line of provenance of this specific instrument to Martin Gore, this Micro-Frets comes with a bevy of Depeche Mode ephemera including a photo booklet, and a Depeche Mode tour backstage pass and lanyard, and a photograph of Gore with his identical Spacetone. It's an absolutely stellar example of this "Style 2" Micro-Frets in about as excellent of shape as one could find anywhere in the cosmos. Overall 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 Spacetone (what a killer name!) is a semi-hollow body instrument built with a two-piece of maple sandwich body routed from the inside. Sharing a body shape with several other offerings like the Wanderer or Golden Comet, it sports 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 a celestial sunburst of emerald green and chartreuse with white binding on the top and back looking positively fit for intergalactic travel. 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, double 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 style with a triple laminate upper section. These characteristics are typical for a "Style 2" Micro-Frets. The tuners are the original chrome Schallers 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 and into the 1980's including Martin Gore of Depeche Mode who is well-documented as having played an identical Martian Green Spacetone; this one comes with some Depeche Mode ephemera. Micro-Frets may have had a fairly short history (although the company has seen at least one 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 1/2 in. (108 cm.), 14 3/8 in. (36.5 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 otherworldly Spacetone is immaculately clean and all original showing but the lightest of wear here and there. The Martian green finish is vivid and unfaded with only a couple very small scratches and nothing that breaks through the lacquer. The back of the neck is very clean, genuinely free from any dinks with no divoting in the fingerboard and only trace fretwear. The metal hardware has some light corrosion and wear marks here and there, most notable on the neckplate. Playability remains excellent with low, comfortable action.
While there is no certificate of authenticity or direct line of provenance of this specific instrument to Martin Gore, this Micro-Frets comes with a bevy of Depeche Mode ephemera including a photo booklet, and a Depeche Mode tour backstage pass and lanyard, and a photograph of Gore with his identical Spacetone. It's an absolutely stellar example of this "Style 2" Micro-Frets in about as excellent of shape as one could find anywhere in the cosmos. Overall Excellent Condition.