Please tell me what this guitar is?

[MartinBarre]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51496676@N00/
If you click on a photo then click on the "All sizes" tab it shows a bigger version. The guitar I'm asking about is the strat.

My wife got this years ago fromn a pawnshop. Ive never done anything with it as the neck is bowed and as you can see from the photos the truss rod isn't easy to get to and, well, I can't be arsed since it's not my guitar!
As you can see, the humbucker is some kind of "rails" affair, and it can actually be coil tapped using the switch in the photo. FOr this reason alone I think this must have been something more than just a crappy cheapo beginners thing. There is no marking on the guitar anywhere.

What trem arm and selector switch knob would I have to buy for this? I really feel like I should get this thing playable again.

[shreder13]

A fender copy, maybe of somewhat quality. But you knew that.

[MartinBarre]

Er, yeah. I did. Thanks anyway.
BTW I'm in Scotland, if that's any further help. The fact the name has been removed from the headstock could be because it was a crappy name, or it could just be because whoever stripped the paint wnated it off to look natural. Why they couldn't be arsed removing the machine heads as well is beyond me.

[shreder13]

can you take a close-up pick of the neck plate?

[MartinBarre]

Added one - it's not particularly clear but there's nothing on it anyway.

[Blazer]

It's a Marlin Sidewinder. I recognise it because I fixed one up that was just like yours just a couple of weeks ago.

Marlin was the rock devision of Hohner guitar and their instruments were made in Korea in the late eighties. The bridge is a very poor quality double locking number but you can put a Floyd Rose in it with no modifications.

[MartinBarre]

Thank you Blazer. I've had a look at these on eBay and it looks like you're right. However, there is no "fish" on the neck, and the bridge on mine looks different to the ones on eBay. Perhaps whoever had my wife's one before made some modifications.
I think I'll try to get the locking nut off, try to adjust the truss rod and if the neck will straighten out I may well pay a few quid to replace the trem arm and switch tip.

Anyone know what kind of trem arm fits these? Seems like all the ones on eBay are missing the trems!

Harmony Central reviews of this cheapo guitar are actually quite good.

[Blazer]

The Marlin sidewinder at first came without the fish inlay, making yours a really early one.

[MartinBarre]

Thanks Blazer. I tried to adjust the truss rod and lowered the bridge but the action is still way too high. I think the neck must be knackered. I'll just leave it stuck away behind all the wife's shoes - she won't get rid of the thing and I have no intention of making it playable if it's not a very good guitar to begin with. It's not as if I actually need another guitar right now anyway!

Thanks for your help it's great to know at last what that thing is - just a shame it's not some rare Fender Jeff Beck sig model or something....

[JACKSONFREAK]

Martin if the action is still too high. Try shimming the neck. By putting a piece of a business card in the neck pocket. Or even piece of a guitar pick. To bring the end of the neck up closer to the strings. Then make some more action adjustments to make it playable. You can use as many or as large a piece you need to make the neck go where ya need it to. Hopefully that helps a little bit. If ya got questoins just ask. I'm sure with all of us here, You can get it playin again.
If not send it too me. I need another project guitar.

Gil

[442w30]

Bridge pickup looks a lot like the Aria Knight Warrior RS pickups. Anyone know who made those? blades are larger than an OBL.

[zeegler]

The bridge is a very poor quality double locking number but you can put a Floyd Rose in it with no modifications.

Sorry, but that bridge is single locking. The strings feed through the back like on a vintage trem. The only place it locks is at the nut.

[cdwillis]

Sorry, but that bridge is single locking. The strings feed through the back like on a vintage trem. The only place it locks is at the nut.

There is routing in the back for a tremolo with the spring claw. Dropping a floyd in would be as simple as making sure the posts line up.

[straycat]

That is a single locking trem get rid of the locking nut base plate and just use the reg nut and a string tree it should play just fine.I would ditch that trem and go with a vintage trem if it were mine.

[MartinBarre]

That is a single locking trem get rid of the locking nut base plate and just use the reg nut and a string tree it should play just fine.I would ditch that trem and go with a vintage trem if it were mine.

But the necks knackered, and presumably the pups arent too good either. Why polish a turd by fitting a new trem?