Micro-Frets Signature Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1968)
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Micro-Frets Signature Model Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1968), made in Fredrick, Maryland, serial # 1210, Martian Burst 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 1960s/early '70s came out of Frederick, Maryland, where the small Micro-Frets company built their beautifully engineered if decidedly offbeat offerings. The line was the brainchild of one Ralph Jones, a self-taught engineer and inveterate tinkerer. Jones perfected what he called the "Calibrato" vibrato unit in 1965, designed to enable individual tension adjustments for each string, theoretically allowing entire chords to be raised and lowered while remaining in tune. After failing to interest established manufacturers in the device, he went the next step and with financial help from his former employer started his own guitar manufacturing firm.
Micro-Frets was launched in 1967, by the following year producing a fairly extensive line of utterly unique semi-solid electric guitars. Collectors have identified three major stages in their evolution from the earliest models through the company's demise in 1975, dubbed type 1, 2 and 3 depending on the construction and fittings. This instrument is a "Type 1" Covington, a semi-hollow body guitar built with a two-piece maple sandwich body routed from the inside, with both sides clipped to a center gasket made of "Tempered Masonite". Micro-Frets serial numbers appear to start at either 1000 or 1100; in either case at #1210 this is an early model, and is much rarer than the later pattern guitars. An interesting oddity on this one is a small metal flange affixed to the lower body below the cutaway; this factory addition was presumably intended to prevent the body from sliding off the player's lap!
Jones called this construction the "Tonesponder" body; Micro-Frets rivals the UK's Burns firm in coming up with snazzy names for guitar parts. A universal feature of the company's instruments is the patented Micro-Nut, which allows harmonic compensation at the headstock and individual string height adjustments. This sits on a maple neck with an unbound rosewood fingerboard inlaid in an eccentric multi-dot pattern. The single-sided headstock is a swooping Fender/Bigsby inspired shape, with openback Waverly strip tuners. The headstock has a decorative metal disc on the ball end, a brand logo and model name decal and a metal plate screwed on above the nut, although the truss rod adjusts as the body end.
At the other end of the strings is a first-pattern "Calibrato" vibrato unit, the heart of the Micro-Frets legend. This is the early separately-mounted version of Jones' masterpiece, more Bigsby-like than the second integral bridge/tailpiece version that appeared in 1969. The Calibrato was advertised as having "Precise Pitch modulation" and Jones wrote elaborate treatises on its function; basically there is an adjustable screw for each string that theoretically individually fine-tunes the exact pitch change. This is coupled with the "Microsonic bridge with sustained harmonic action and floating power" which is fully adjustable for overall height and each string's intonation. This early version is a very similar design to '60s Rickenbacker practice and mounts to a floating wooden base pinned to the top.
The maple body is finished in gleaming green sunburst a white center gasket and pickguard and trim, giving a rather "outer space kitsch" effect. The two interlocking body halves are rounded at the edges with a single stylized F-hole filled with cream fabric. Tone and volume controls for the two pickups are carried laterally on the top-mounted pickguard, which is bi-level in the Rickenbacker mode with a triple laminate upper section. A selector switch is mounted to the body behind this. The pickups themselves are DeArmond single-coil units with adjustable poles; the next year Jones would perfect his own pickups with help from Bill Lawrence.
This very rare early Signature is a particularly cool, extremely well-made and fine playing guitar with a slim comfortable neck and bright, responsive pickups. The sound is crisp and hi-fi with surprising depth when needed; the tonal range is impressive. "Micro-Frets: the Personal guitar" was the slogan, highlighting the extensive adjustability of nearly every component. A number of prominent country artists endorsed Micro-Frets in the late 1960's including Carl Perkins, Buck Trent, Tommy Cash and the Statler Brothers. Micro-Frets had a fairly short history but the high-quality, well engineered instruments they left behind remain totally unique, very fine examples of American guitar ingenuity and worthy of the attention of both players and collectors.
Overall length is 42 1/4 in. (107.3 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 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 very rare and super sharp looking guitar remains all original and in excellent playing condition. It shows some fairly light general wear overall; the "Martian Green" body finish has minor dings, scratches and dents into but not through the finish but really there is really no major wear. The back of the neck has a few feelable dinks, the deepest behind the 8th fret area.
There are no notable repairs but for some reason a small raised "House Of Blues" metal plate is fitted to the lower back of the body; there are some old tickets for shows in the case so perhaps this guitar had some connection to the venue. The hardware (especially the bridge) has some corrosion but all still works fine; the very rare stamped metal bridge cover is still included.
The frets and fingerboard show very little wear and playability remains excellent. This is a super example of a way cool first-generation Micro-Frets in a dazzling color, definitely an eye-catcher. These were only built in very small numbers, making for a far rarer find than the second and third pattern guitars. It resides in the deluxe original Micro-Frets branded HSC, with amazingly the original 1971 purchase paperwork (on a time payment plan!) still included. Overall Excellent Condition.
Some of the most unique and original American guitars of the late 1960s/early '70s came out of Frederick, Maryland, where the small Micro-Frets company built their beautifully engineered if decidedly offbeat offerings. The line was the brainchild of one Ralph Jones, a self-taught engineer and inveterate tinkerer. Jones perfected what he called the "Calibrato" vibrato unit in 1965, designed to enable individual tension adjustments for each string, theoretically allowing entire chords to be raised and lowered while remaining in tune. After failing to interest established manufacturers in the device, he went the next step and with financial help from his former employer started his own guitar manufacturing firm.
Micro-Frets was launched in 1967, by the following year producing a fairly extensive line of utterly unique semi-solid electric guitars. Collectors have identified three major stages in their evolution from the earliest models through the company's demise in 1975, dubbed type 1, 2 and 3 depending on the construction and fittings. This instrument is a "Type 1" Covington, a semi-hollow body guitar built with a two-piece maple sandwich body routed from the inside, with both sides clipped to a center gasket made of "Tempered Masonite". Micro-Frets serial numbers appear to start at either 1000 or 1100; in either case at #1210 this is an early model, and is much rarer than the later pattern guitars. An interesting oddity on this one is a small metal flange affixed to the lower body below the cutaway; this factory addition was presumably intended to prevent the body from sliding off the player's lap!
Jones called this construction the "Tonesponder" body; Micro-Frets rivals the UK's Burns firm in coming up with snazzy names for guitar parts. A universal feature of the company's instruments is the patented Micro-Nut, which allows harmonic compensation at the headstock and individual string height adjustments. This sits on a maple neck with an unbound rosewood fingerboard inlaid in an eccentric multi-dot pattern. The single-sided headstock is a swooping Fender/Bigsby inspired shape, with openback Waverly strip tuners. The headstock has a decorative metal disc on the ball end, a brand logo and model name decal and a metal plate screwed on above the nut, although the truss rod adjusts as the body end.
At the other end of the strings is a first-pattern "Calibrato" vibrato unit, the heart of the Micro-Frets legend. This is the early separately-mounted version of Jones' masterpiece, more Bigsby-like than the second integral bridge/tailpiece version that appeared in 1969. The Calibrato was advertised as having "Precise Pitch modulation" and Jones wrote elaborate treatises on its function; basically there is an adjustable screw for each string that theoretically individually fine-tunes the exact pitch change. This is coupled with the "Microsonic bridge with sustained harmonic action and floating power" which is fully adjustable for overall height and each string's intonation. This early version is a very similar design to '60s Rickenbacker practice and mounts to a floating wooden base pinned to the top.
The maple body is finished in gleaming green sunburst a white center gasket and pickguard and trim, giving a rather "outer space kitsch" effect. The two interlocking body halves are rounded at the edges with a single stylized F-hole filled with cream fabric. Tone and volume controls for the two pickups are carried laterally on the top-mounted pickguard, which is bi-level in the Rickenbacker mode with a triple laminate upper section. A selector switch is mounted to the body behind this. The pickups themselves are DeArmond single-coil units with adjustable poles; the next year Jones would perfect his own pickups with help from Bill Lawrence.
This very rare early Signature is a particularly cool, extremely well-made and fine playing guitar with a slim comfortable neck and bright, responsive pickups. The sound is crisp and hi-fi with surprising depth when needed; the tonal range is impressive. "Micro-Frets: the Personal guitar" was the slogan, highlighting the extensive adjustability of nearly every component. A number of prominent country artists endorsed Micro-Frets in the late 1960's including Carl Perkins, Buck Trent, Tommy Cash and the Statler Brothers. Micro-Frets had a fairly short history but the high-quality, well engineered instruments they left behind remain totally unique, very fine examples of American guitar ingenuity and worthy of the attention of both players and collectors.
Overall length is 42 1/4 in. (107.3 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 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 very rare and super sharp looking guitar remains all original and in excellent playing condition. It shows some fairly light general wear overall; the "Martian Green" body finish has minor dings, scratches and dents into but not through the finish but really there is really no major wear. The back of the neck has a few feelable dinks, the deepest behind the 8th fret area.
There are no notable repairs but for some reason a small raised "House Of Blues" metal plate is fitted to the lower back of the body; there are some old tickets for shows in the case so perhaps this guitar had some connection to the venue. The hardware (especially the bridge) has some corrosion but all still works fine; the very rare stamped metal bridge cover is still included.
The frets and fingerboard show very little wear and playability remains excellent. This is a super example of a way cool first-generation Micro-Frets in a dazzling color, definitely an eye-catcher. These were only built in very small numbers, making for a far rarer find than the second and third pattern guitars. It resides in the deluxe original Micro-Frets branded HSC, with amazingly the original 1971 purchase paperwork (on a time payment plan!) still included. Overall Excellent Condition.