NGD Mystery

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 1:12 am

Hey guys.

Just got this guitar for 20 bucks. When I picked it up it went out of tune every 5 seconds. The action was surprisingly ok.

THE NECK IS LITERALLY A BASEBALL WITH A FRETBOARD.

BUT LOOK.

There was two bridged equipped. One that looked stock, with the chrome cover beside it. And then an added Hard-tail bridge. I figured maybe someone put the bridge without measuring, and that may be why it may have constantly gone out of tune. But I measured, the hard-tail measured 25.5 inch scale... and the random ass bridge was like 27 inches.

So I am lost, why would the original bridge be so far...

Why is the most common cause for guitars to constantly go out of tune. The tuning pegs seem new, all with mismatched heads.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 1:18 am

Lucamo wrote:
THE NECK IS LITERALLY A BASEBALL WITH A FRETBOARD.

LOL

anyway, looks like a Zen-on. Like this:

Notice how there's a bridge in front of the tailpiece? That's where the intonation would be measured to. Chances are that bridge sucked ass and probably wasn't even glued to the top hence why the hardtail strat bridge was probably installed. These guitars were among the shittiest things you could buy back in the day, but they can sound unique and be pretty fun to play if set up right.

As for tuning issues, unless the neck isn't straight and the neck joint isn't solid, it's probably a shoddy nut that needs to be re-filed, or at least cleaned and lubricated.

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 1:29 am

Now I am not excited. Worst guitar. I want a new nuutt

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 3:26 pm

I think it looks totally cool

George · Post by **George** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 4:46 pm

Ban Dave.

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 5:31 pm

I am literally a mod virgin...

Do I need to do anything special to get a nut, like bring the neck in so they can fit it or something? Or is it easy for me to just go buy a NUT and glue it on?

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 6:04 pm

Is the nut even need replacing? Probably just needs to be cleaned and possibly lubricated.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 6:06 pm

Nut replacement depends on the guitar, sometimes they're just set in, sometimes they're glued down.

Your best bet is to bring it to a shop to see if they have any pre-cut nuts to match if you're set on replacing it. Again, unless it's broken or the slots are TOO wide, I'd just try to get the strings moving a bit more freely in the one you have now.

cur · Post by **cur** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 6:31 pm

The neck pocket/neck is shit on your guitar (assuming that the neck is screwed on in this picture).

Easy to fix if you have the time. I did it with the guitar I fixed up from billy3000.

Is that a real gold foil?

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 7:07 pm

This would be boss for a slide guitar.

Or give it to me!

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 7:36 pm

I popped the nut off the neck... it was glued. The slots were super huge, I think that is what was the problem - chipped too.

The neck wasn't screwed down in that picture. The socket is pretty solid. Wouldn't wobble at all when it was screwed down. That sounds fine right?

How would I clarify if it is a real gold-foil pick-up?

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 12:59 am

Looks like a fun little guitar, nice score! Those pickups are the shit, so if you find that you can't get it on with the baseball bat neck it might be worth a shot to stick it in another guitar. I've got one in my tele and it sounds like a chorus of angels.

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:26 am

I think it looks cool but I do like these old Japanese bangers... ditch the Strat bridge and get a replacement one like the one on the red version pictured above. Get some vaseline and pencil graphite in the nut slots and you're sorted.

Ps: where do you get guitars for 20 bucks? I never find cool stuff for cheaps

Addam · Post by **Addam** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 9:25 am

Does it have a weird narrow neck heel?
Something like THIS might work?

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 5:46 pm

For $20 you can't go wrong. A vintage maple neck and mahogany body are the perfect combo. Use the gold foil pickup which should sound pretty surly. Use that bridge and some new tuners and you will fix the tuning problem.

I have know plenty of people (think Jack White) who believe that the fun guitars are under $100. There was a time when this included Jazzmasters, but that isn't likely to ever happen again. So long as they did a halfway decent job of manufacturing, it could be a blast, regardless of how cheap it was. The lumber alone is irreplaceable.

I bet the world is full of wrecked, deformed, and poorly made Strats and Les Pauls, that are still prized well above all the sleeper models that nobody liked at the time. JMs and Jags are good examples of this.

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:05 pm

Why dith the strat bridge? It feels like the strat bridge offers much more intonation options that that replacement bridge that was linked to.

My friend had it. He didn't want it after a break up with his girlfriend, and a re-arranging of his life (he realized he never played it ever, or any guitar). So we did 20 bucks and a pack of smokes for it (yes we are students).

I am a big fan of cheap guitars. My main guitar is a 69 Aria Hollowbody with stupid high actions and bad intonation.

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:49 pm

Looks like a Zenon ZES 60

[youtube][/youtube]

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 4:16 pm

Awesome Awesome Aweosme! Gonna bring the neck into a place... haha

Jays · Post by **Jays** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 10:25 pm

Hey did you ever get this guitar setup? Do you still have it?

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Fri Jul 03, 2015 12:37 am

Can't believe this thread existed without

NGD Mystery

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