Just bought a Univox Hi-Flyer

brambleperro · Post by **brambleperro** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:29 am

Or would that be "an" Univox Hi-Flyer?

anyways

Yeah, just bought it today, though I feel like I was a bit ripped off. I'm loving the guitar, but I have a bit of a story to tell.

I've been talking to this seller for a bit. He has no pictures on his Craigslist ad, but has a link to a Univox that "doesn't have the same pickups," and says that he replaced them with P-90's. That's cool, I like P-90's. About a week ago I was going to trade my SG with a cracked (but fixed) headstock for it, but he changed his mind. So yesterday, I finally have the cash to pay for it, and call him to tell him that I want to come get it. He tells me that he's about an hour drive away, and his cars busted, but that's fine with me. He also tells me that he has a guy that had emailed him saying that he wanted it, but that he'll blow him off until I have a chance to come see it.

So I get ready to go, but then realise that I have other plans for the evening, and can't make it out. I call him back and have to convince him that I will definitely be there today. It actually takes a bit of convincing, too.

Today, I make the drive to his place, and when I get there, I'm a bit upset. He has butchered the pickups, completely. There are two dogear P-90's, which means that they are literally drilled into the body. One is actually held by epoxy, and is too low to even be heard out of the amp that I test it out on. The other pickups were stolen. He's also replaced the tuners with Squier strat style tuners, 3 of which are turned upside down, and twist in the wrong direction. The bridge is a trem, while the pictured Univox had been a hard-tail (I'm happy about this). Oh yeah, and he has a Ramones and a Motorhead sticker on it. I sorta sigh, and fork over my $300. The neck pickup sounds good, and I love the feel. I'm just a little upset with his dishonesty.

I bring the guitar home, and I do a few little mods. I pulled out the bridge pickup, and I currently have it sitting hot-glued on pieces of cardboard, which have been hot-glued to the body. The output is fine, and it works alright. I'm a little scared of hitting it out of place, though.

Now, I'd like to find some sort of way to hold these pickups in better. Can I just get a humbucker-sized housing for the pickups, and drop them into mounting rings? I'd like to use the pickups - they sound great - but I'd rather not have them held in by glue, you know?

Thanks in advance. I'll get you pictures as soon as I can.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:49 am

that sucks that you kinda got screwed on the condition of the guitar
post pics and i might have a suggestion as to what you could do =)

tribi9 · Post by **tribi9** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:00 am

Well, why did u buy it then? You are not forced to buy anything you go see! U should have at least talked him down!

brambleperro · Post by **brambleperro** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:28 am

No, no, I'm glad that I bought it. I don't have a credit card, so I can't really use fleabay, and I've never seen a Univox sold locally in this area. Also, I did get him down from 350 to 300. All the problems that it has are totally repairable, as well. I'm just don't personally know how without spending a bunch of money on new pickups, etc.

Pictures are forthcoming... I just need to find my camera battery.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:37 am

Man, there was a BADASS natural finish Hi-Flier back in TN and it was going for $350, it played and looked so awesome, but I could never come up with money before the store closed and I don't know where the hell that thing is. They had tons of sweet stuff too.

brambleperro · Post by **brambleperro** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:42 pm

PICTURES

Full shot. It looks pretty good from far away.

I'll finish taking off that sticker eventually.

The neck is great - definitely my favorite part of the guitar.

This really made me sigh.

I was surprised by the thickness of the pickguard.

My temporary (yet effective) solution to the problem.

Thanks for taking a look, everyone. I'm quite happy with the sound and feel, I'd just like the pickups to be held in properly. I'm thinking of getting some GFS P-90's in a humbucker shape, and use these P-90's in another project. This would require me to borrow my friend's credit card, though, and I like to do that as infrequently as possible.

I'm looking at the pearl Dream 90, since it has a similar look to the original Univox pups.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:58 pm

dude you have to get some new tuners for the beast.
if you do scrap those p-90s i might be interested in buying them if you want to sell them.
whats the deal with the trem?
looks like the collet is missing.

Ninja Mike 808 · Post by **Ninja Mike 808** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:27 pm

Yea, don't ever take pics of a guitar that is missing a reverb handle.

brambleperro · Post by **brambleperro** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:29 pm

robert(original) wrote:dude you have to get some new tuners for the beast.
if you do scrap those p-90s i might be interested in buying them if you want to sell them.
whats the deal with the trem?
looks like the collet is missing.

I'll keep you in mind as the project wears on. I only need one for my other project, so I'd be willing to send the other your way.

I haven't tried out the trem yet, but it definitely seems to be unusable in the condition it's in now. I do like it for the 3rd bridge effect and springy mojo, though.

Post by **Hurb** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:06 pm

thats looks alot less shit than how you described it

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:36 pm

Hurb wrote:thats looks alot less shit than how you described it

Yeah, it looks great. The black dogears + black scratchplate on sunburst make for a good combo.

brambleperro · Post by **brambleperro** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:51 pm

Ninja Mike 808 wrote:Yea, don't ever take pics of a guitar that is missing a reverb handle.

Fixed!

haha, the reverb handle is far too loose be considered even close to operational.

Sparky wrote:
Hurb wrote:thats looks alot less shit than how you described it
Yeah, it looks great. The black dogears + black scratchplate on sunburst make for a good combo.

It really is growing on me. As long as the the bridge pup stays in place, I'm content.

deadonkey · Post by **deadonkey** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:05 am

ITT: Fuck clownburst

i doonae like it, sorry.

Ninja Mike 808 · Post by **Ninja Mike 808** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:36 am

Classic. Too bad the reverb is wack, there's no cure for it...

Pacafeliz · Post by **Pacafeliz** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:24 pm

doesn't look too bad, really. i kinda like the pups!
HA! my univox also came with righty (3up, 3down) tuners and i've been thinking about installing my schallers i have lying around somewhere, exactly like yours.
unfortunately, my neck pup stopped working... so i took it out.

i might sell mine soon, maybe. i really never use it.

...maybe i should install that old super distortion pup i have somewhere. HEY now that's an idea!!!

humbuckers ALWAYS should go in the neck position!

Pat.