Hallmark 60's Custom

[KRamone27]

Well it seems like the more technical I get with my playing the higher up the strap goes cause I gotta get my had around the neck a little more. Yeah I toured with the queers and the independents a few years ago.

[eddie katcher]

Greetings gentlemen, I just signed up and have been wandering around the site. Thanks Dennis for steering me in this direction. I too (like tommyw) have the sunburst Custom 60 Hallmark. I like it a lot. It looks great plays great and sounds pretty good as well. Being a normally hard core Jazzmaster guy, I've had some trouble warming up to the high output pickups and at present have almost finished machining a set of custom pickup covers out of solid black Delrin which when completed, will allow me to sneak a set of DiMarzio Virtual Vintage "Strat" pickups into my Hallmark. I know this sounds like blastphemy here but I hope it will accomplish two goals: 1) give me a cleaner output signal and 2) eliminate the 60 cycle RFI when playing in a place with crappy neon signs and or close to my Showman head.

I too had one of Semie's Ventures re-issues from 1988. It was a set neck, side jack Vibramute, in Sunburst. I never was too excited about it except that it played amazing. The pickups were, to me at least, really dark sounding and the 3rd string was dead as a door nail at the octave fret. I never could solve that annoying issue and finally sold it several years later to some Japanese dude the owner of my local vintage guitar shop knew.

The Hallmark looks almost as good as Semie's guitar and I believe it plays better than the '88 as it has a slightly beefier neck that is wider at the nut. It is currently strung up with 12/52 Chrome flats, but that may change when I get the pickups swapped out. One annoying problem is that the Hallmark (and the Mosrites) have a more narrow string and pickup pole piece spacing and it makes it more difficult to play around with pickup swaps. I did cut down the coil formers on a set of Gibson P-90's and tried them in the 88.

Always messing with my guitars......


eddie k

[dubtrub]

Welcome to the forum Eddie,

Yep, Dennis has really been working hard to generate interest in the forum. He is responsible for about 90% of our membership. His effort's are much appreciated.

I too have a hard time putting my Jazzmaster and Strat aside. I've always preferred Fender necks, but I do love the aesthetics of the Mosrite. Even though I build my own, I still haven't gotten away from the narrow string spacing due to sizes of commercially made bridges. Maybe on my next build I do another scratch build bridge and vibrato as I did on my first one.

I like the idea of trying the different pickup's concealed under the standard cover or in your case, make your own. I've had similar thoughts, however, I'd like to reduce the coil formers on a set of Seymour Duncan JM vintage pup's. I think those wide coils really give the sound 'sparkle'. BTW, Seymour Duncan does make Mosrite replacement pup's but they would be and expensive experiment at $360 a set.

Also, it would be nice if you could post some photo's of your SB '60, especially full length(over all) and some close-ups. Strat-o-rama posted some excellent photo's of his solid color, and Tommy W posted some small cell phone photo's, now we need some bigger one's in sun burst.

Keep us posted on your pickup project.

[Dennisthe Menace]

Eddie, welcome aboard. That's an interesting idea you've got with creating your own pickup configuration.

[ElTwang]

So what's the difference between a Hallmark 60s (Korean made/Hallmark company) and a Fillmore Ranger (Japan/Ed Roman/Musicground) other than, I would presume, quality in construction? They're both trying to copy the Mosrite Mark 1, right?

Which one is most accurate? Who makes the pups and hardware for each company? Also are these accurate, trying to copy the Mosely designs?

[poptones]

Hey all. New to the forum here, and I've got a question I'm sure all of you could answer.
I've been considering getting a Mosrite copy, and my internet research has me leaning towards the Hallmark. Now, the appeal of a Mosrite to me is completely based on the look; I've never played one, original or copy. My question is, is the vibrato arm on the Hallmark removable? It's difficult to tell based on the photos. I would prefer a hardtail, but it doesn't seem that they offer one. I know that Eastwood does offer hardtail versions, but the reviews lead me to believe the Hallmark may be worth the extra $$.

Thanks for your help.

[MWaldorf]

I don't own a Hallmark, but given that the vibrato parts fit vintage Moseley and Vibramute models, I would say the arm unscrews from underneath. There is no hardtail version, but you could "block" the vibrato by removing the spring and putting a dowel in its place.

[dubtrub]

I have Hallmark vibrato units on two of my custom built clones and they are made virtually the same as the Mosrite vibrato. This photo depicts a simple method to make the vibrato a hardtail by removing the arm and spring and using a chrome plated bolt or screw in their place. Quick, simple and reversible.

[MWaldorf]

Danny, of couse, provides the most elegant solution. Now, from that picture, is the Moseley base plate chromed or just incredibly well polished aluminum?

[dubtrub]

Mel, the plate is polished chrome plated brass.