THE FEDERAL RESERVE AND THE KUSTOM ARMY

[Mr. Bill]

And they list it as having humbucking pickups!
If you know DeArmond pickups, you know that these are single coils.

This guitar is the fancy version with the Bigsby and the multi-dot neck inlays. The lower models had simpler dot inlays and a top mounted trapeze tailpiece.

They all had 2 DeArmonds and 4 controls.

[dorkrockrecords]

There is supposedly a Mosrite out there somewhere made for Kustom's Bud Ross. It's a black "tele" (probably an SM model but maybe a 350/Bluesbender/Sooner/etc) with ROSS on the headstock. Anybody seen it?

[Deke Dickerson]

Well, if Rumble Seat Music is advertising one for $1250, then they must go for about 800 then. He's the guy who was trying to get $35,000 for a '62 era Joe Maphis model singleneck a few years ago....ouch! The good old days of three years ago....ha ha

I do think there was a humbucker model, now that you mention it. I think I remember seeing one with humbuckers that looked stock. Don't quote me on that though.

Deke

[Dennisthe Menace]

Kustom K200A listed for north of $1000.

Makes sense...Fancy Fretmarker dots, Bigsby, Humbuckers....I'd buy one .

[MWaldorf]

I don't think those are humbuckers, those are DeArmond Dynasonics. The top openning in the chrome frame looks halfway between the classic rectangle like on the Gretsches and the wacky trapazoids like on Martins.
Gretsch:


Martin:


Here's the Kustom:


The second row of "poles" are actually the adjustments for the pole magnets:


The pickups with the single row of poles are probably lower line DeArmonds, but I can't find the model at the moment.

[MWaldorf]

OK, just a bit more Kustom Kraziness, thanks to the VintageKustom website: http://www.vintagekustom.com/frame.html

First, another picture of the Federal Reserve:


Now, an ad for the K200A. You can clearly make out the Dynasonic pickups:


One more, because it's just cool:


Seriously, if you like Kustom check out the VintageKustom site.

[Deke Dickerson]

I guess I should have bought one before I tipped you guys off to them. HA!

I swear though that I have indeed seen a stock looking Kustom guitar with humbuckers. They were sort of like those Guild humbuckers. They may have been replacement pickups and just done really well, but I can see it on that music store wall in my mind. ha.

The DeArmond Dynasonics are great pickups, but probably the wrong choice for a rock guitar in the late 60's. They are squeaky clean, not what the aspiring Hendrix wanted in 1968! Probably why they didn't take off.

Deke

[GattonFan]

I took the plunge - bought on of those big Kustom amps off eBay ... blue sparkle. Is that impulse buying, or what?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Kustom-K-100-Guitar-Amp-Blue-Sparkle_W0QQitemZ350198955774QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item51897bfefe&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A13%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

[EFElliott]

Hey Guys,

I remember playing one of these Kustom guitars back in 68 or 69 at the Kustom dealer in Bakersfield, they were pretty cool, But I wanted a new Mosrite Ventures model and a Fender
twin-reverb amp real bad, well I ended up with one of the first 20 '63 Ventures models and Fender Super-Reverb, Wished I still Had either one.
Where were these Kustom guitars built? Same factory as the amps in Kansas?
and how many were built?

Eddy

[Veenture]

...//Is that impulse buying, or what?

Man, that's what happened to me when I hit the Hallmark website and got my H60C ! Congrats and enjoy Dennis!
I've got my eBay irons in the fire for the first time today...(for a "Yamaha MagicStomp") Exciting