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This guitar was certainly the most difficult guitar that I have been given to identify. For a 50 years old guitar, it’s in exceptional shape. Only the tuners are not original. Very nice to play, the pickups seem to be Maxon, before the Maxon … real humbuckers and not fake buckers. It delivers a typical 60s Les Paul tone, round and hot. Neck and body are typical of the very first copies of Japanese LP. A particularity on old Japanese guitar, we find a zero fret … The neck plate is also different with its tip down.
Description Brand: National Big Daddy
Badge: None
Model: LP 457-2
Year: 1969-1970
Body: Pancake, semi-hollow, spruce wood top
Neck: Bolt-on
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Pickups: Pre-Maxon type x2
Manufacturer: Matsumoku
Badge: None
Model: LP 457-2
Year: 1969-1970
Body: Pancake, semi-hollow, spruce wood top
Neck: Bolt-on
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Pickups: Pre-Maxon type x2
Manufacturer: Matsumoku
14 Responses
I have a Les Paul style guitar with no identification as to who made it except for a metal plate that says Japan. I was told years ago that my guitar was made in the 70’s by Vox. Gibson and Vox had a 10 year court battle, they spent millions in legal fees then they agreed that gibson would buy out Vox take over the Japanese Manufacturing Plant and then the Gibson Company made their guitars in Japan??
How can I find out the true facts.
Hello Don,
There is only one story of lawsuit guitars IFAIK and the trial was between Gibson vs Hoshino Gakki (Ibanez). You can read our article The True Story of Lawsuit Guitars.
Vox was an amplifier manufacturer. When they decided to design guitars (Phantom were the first real guitars) they first built them in England, in 1962. But soon after they transfered the production to EKO an Italian guitar manufacturer. At the end of the 60’s, Eko began to work with Japanese and Vox also did. The national Big Daddy LP 457-2 seems to be the twin sister of the VOX VG2, built in Japan between1969 and 1971.
All I can tell you is, I have the same frustration for my LP copy. It’s unbranded. 3 white inlay at the head-stock, with mother of pearl split diamond inlay. And 2 white inlay on the body. It has gold plate on “all” the hardware. The neck plate is the same with “MADE IN JAPAN” except on the plate. It has a tab with “MODEL NO. 26137″….. Toyogakki case.
Any info please.
23 fret with the same neck plate. Bold “MODEL NO. 26137” with “Made in Japan” plac on the neck plate. Gakki case. She’s virgin, but I will take apart for pics. If it helps to ID?
I’m thinking it’s a “National”. I’m looking at just the the guitar and not the case. Thk’s.
I know this is an old post but, I acquired a national big daddy in 1978,still have it!
And now have 3 identical.2 big daddy’s with open book headstock and one with not so open book. Also a “crest” which is identical.
All have zero frets and the tell tail neck plate with the widows peak.
Not much info out there but twins are the
Vox V2
National big daddy
Crest
And a slew of no name headstocks.
The necks are laminated wood glued together, very sturdy!
Hello Wade, thanks a lot for your input!
Don’t worry! There is no old post when we talk about vintage guitars 😉
I bought a National Big Daddy sight unseen on ebay in 2005 for $150 ,I ended up replacing the pups ,pots ,tuners but years later I heard that the pups were pre maxon and I may put them back in ,replaced the neck pup with a andy timmons Dimarzio ,bridge i put in a gibson p94 ,Im seriously thinking about putting the original pups back in ,at the time I was chasing new Gibson LPs but think ill put the pups i put in on another project cheers would love to have 3 Big Daddys,they hit the nail on the head with the pickups
hi i have a les paul copy branded Custom and the body is the same as the big daddy. also with what i think is maxon p.u. ‘s and it has exactly the same as the big daddy pics shown above. the weird spacing going underneath where the pots are, like layers of wood so it seems? but when i hade my pick ups wax potted at the local guitar dealer he had a hard time getting the wires back in cause of the fact they are deeper inside as nornal a cavity is. the neck plate has nothing on it but it has the badge/shield like pointed tip. but i think it used to hev a rectangliar sticker on it which probably said; made in japen, no serial. i can send pictures but you have to tell me where to, thanx greeting and kind regards eric ekkerman the netherlands
My father recently gave me his old electric guitar for my birthday. He hasn’t used it since the 80s and says he rather me have it then it just sitting in his closet for years. He has no idea what brand the guitar was so I started doing research and all I can find is that it looks like the National Big Daddy LP on this website. The only label I can find on mine is on the back of the neck it says LP29G. any help on identifying my guitar will very appreciated. I will never get rid of it since my father gave it to me but I wouldn’t mind knowing if there worth anything or exactly what brand is it etc..
i have big daddy LP 457-2/ national gutiar since early 70’s/paid $ 225.00 late 1969,iam looking to sell to the right person.. .looks good plays well ,it has been in case for 35-40 years,black in color and lots of mother of pearl on it…looking to sell
I would like to sell or trade something of value 457-2 #788..lots of mother of pearl and gold plated keys etc etc…..this will go fast VINTAGE LP 457-2 national
I have Telecaster copy with the National logo on it. I know it’s not from National Resophonic, but I’d like to know more about it.