...and don't forget the Norma electric XII

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Further to our previous post, here's a Norma electric 12-string guitar complete with vibrato. Note the interesting headstock design.

Thanks, Greg!

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Norma bass from the 1960s

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Norma solidbodies with their distinctive N-shaped fingerboard inlays were built by the Tombo Instrument company in Japan and imported into the US by Strum & Drum of Chicago. We've previously looked at two guitar models (here and here), but pictured above we see the bass variant, currently being offered for sale on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $399.99.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Red Japanese guitar... but what is it exactly?

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I saw this red Japanese guitar on eBay and wasn't too sure of its identity. The seller didn't seem to know either, suggesting it might be a Yamaha, Teisco or Guyatone.

However, I knew I recognised those N-shaped inlays on the fingerboard and was pretty sure we'd blogged about one of these before, and knowing it was going to bug me if I didn't identify the guitar, I started checking through the Guitarz archives.

Luckily I didn't have to search back too far. In fact, it was only February last year that we featured a similar guitar. Yes, it seems we have here another Norma solidbody (although I'm not sure about the exact model designation in this instance). Norma brand guitars were built by the Tombo Instrument company in Japan and imported into the US by Strum & Drum of Chicago. I expect this guitar would date to the latter half of the 1960s.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Norma EG-400 solidbody electric from the late 1960s

guitarz.blogspot.com:
Here's an unusual one: it's a Norma EG-400, circa 1967, built by the Tombo Instrument company in Japan and imported into the US by Strum & Drum of Chicago. Aside from having the tremolo arm missing, this guitar appears to be in remarkably good condition for its age. One nice little detail is that the fingerboard inlays are appropriately "N"-shaped. Except that, sideways-on they look "Z"-shaped.

Note the unusual arrangement of four three-string pickups. You can see the available switching options in the photos reproduced below. Other controls include a 3-position tone selector switch.

Thanks to David Brown who spotted this guitar on eBay.

G L Wilson

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