![Hondo ii l5 fatboy](https://kumkoniak.com/108.jpg)
![hondo ii l5 fatboy hondo ii l5 fatboy](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/6ed73631-0b79-4314-a9c3-b3b0152e650c_1.1c38eaa92d5c58819aaf5e6929321a33.jpeg)
Neither has gotten worse since I acquired the instrument almost ten years ago. It's in remarkable condition for its age, but there has always been a superficial separation line between the headstock and its right "wing" and some slight binding deterioration, also on the head. The tortoise pickguard is most likely aftermarket, and I replaced the damaged original knobs with gold reflectors from my parts bin. The original BS (brown sunburst) finish has turned into a cool faded cherry/iced tea hue. It plays very nicely and has good acoustic qualities too. Electronics were cleaned and two pots were changed. Guitar has just received a complete pro setup. The original DiMarzio pickups sound excellent - a pair of these alone would sell for about 200 $. Nice classic C neck carve - full but not chunky. This has a spruce top and what look like maple back and sides. Late 70s lawsuits against Japanese manufacturers persuaded them to alter some of the most recognizable features to continue selling these in the US. The black "stinger" on headstock's back and the pointed fingerboard end (later versions had it square) make it more similar to the "L" guitar it's patterned after. At that point, the product line consisted of 485 different models! In 1985, IMC acquired major interest in the Charvel/Jackson Company, and began dedicating more time and interest in the higher end guitar market.Vintage Hondo II H-L5 "Fat boy" in excellent condition with hardshell case.ĭating these is a challenge, but several features - split diamond headstock inlay, stock DiMarzio pickups, Grover tuners - lead me to believe this is an early version of this model, very possibly manufactured in Japan. All guitar production returned to Korea in 1983.
![hondo ii l5 fatboy hondo ii l5 fatboy](http://gearlicious-images.s3.amazonaws.com/1061-hondo-ii-fatboy-l5-lawsuit/m21.jpg)
In 1979, over 790,000 Hondo instruments were sold worldwide. The Gibson L5 copy, nicknamed FatBoy, was the top of the line, a superb instrument with very good woods and excellent sound. By this year, a number of Hondo II models featured designs based on classic American favorites these copies were very good instruments and have become highly collectible.
![hondo ii l5 fatboy hondo ii l5 fatboy](https://loopfasr866.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/4/1/124146995/416365921.png)
Hondo was one of the first overseas guitar builders to feature American-built DiMarzio pickups on the import instruments beginning in 1978. The company also made improvements to the finish quality on their products, introduced scalloped bracing on acoustics, and began using a higher quality brand of tuning machines.
![hondo ii l5 fatboy hondo ii l5 fatboy](http://gearlicious-images.s3.amazonaws.com/1061-hondo-ii-fatboy-l5-lawsuit/g7922.jpg)
In 1976, over 22,000 of the Bi-Centennial banjos were sold. By 1975, Hondo had distributors in 70 countries worldwide, and had expanded to producing stringed instruments at the time. Hondo also began limited production of guitars in Japan in 1974.
![Hondo ii l5 fatboy](https://kumkoniak.com/108.jpg)