Jolana RK120 - the Czech answer to the Stratocaster

guitarz.blogspot.com:

It's immediately obvious which well known guitar was the inspiration for this late 1980s Jolana RK120 from Czechoslovakia, but it doesn't follow the template too closely and, in my mind, is all the better for it. It's surely preferable to a guitar that tries to fool you into thinking it's a Strat but then doesn't get the design quite right. For example I'm thinking of the Encore Strat copies where the lower horn is just the wrong shape - little inconsistencies like that bug me. The body shape here has a definite offset waist; it's a little like a Jazz Bass inspired version of a Strat.

This Jolana with the low production number of 0063, being an 80s guitar, has the obligatory locking trem (by Schaller in this case) and locking nut. The all-red finish on body and neck reminds me of my own DiMarzio cellophane Strat, but in this instance we have an ebony fingerboard.

G L Wilson

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

Badly refinished Jolana Superstar

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The late 1970s Czechoslovakia made Jolana Superstar is supposed to have been inspired by the Peavey T60 but to me it looks more like a Yamaha SG - that would mean that after all, while Japanese companies were busy copying American guitars, their own models were copied too!

One can't help noticing the ultra-wide humbuckers, the massive bridge and the oddly placed switches; it's a pity that this one is such in bad condition because I saw some in a better state that are quite appealing guitars...

Bertram


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

1979 Jolana Diamant

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OK, this vintage Jolana Diamant is not something overwhelming new or original, just one of these 70s LP copies made in Czechoslovakia, though you must admit that the pickups and switch look terrific (we actually already showed here the bass version of the Diamant).

But the opportunity is good to tell that I just found out that the Jolana company started again - I don't know exactly when... I wonder if this is an effect of the vintage cult that seriously hit the east-european market since the US/UK/Japan vintage guitars are unaffordable for musicians! Unfortunately, the charm is not there anymore, their guitars look standard Chinese production with Korean gear and just a Jolana branding - but maybe I'm wrong...

bertram

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

Jolana Star vintage guitar from Czechoslovakia

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The eBay seller of this Jolana Star circa 1963-66 is not too sure how it came into the UK bearing the Jolana name on the pickguard and the Star legend on the headstock, seeing as these were usually imported under the Futurama brandname.

This example appears to have all parts present and correct and is in great condition for its age. One interesting feature is the translucent plastic cover for the open-backed tuners on the back of the headstock. I don't think I've ever seen anything similar.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

Jolana Vikomt with zebra finish

guitarz.blogspot.com

This Jolana Vikomt is of course familiar to you, not only because of its tele-based design, but because it's a one-pickup / hardtail version of the Jolana Iris that I showed here in February.

But this one has an interesting custom paint, obviously from another cultural era! No skulls and no flames and no fake tribal patterns like it seems obligatory these days, but minimal red and grey stripes, and a little bit of industrial yellow on the bridge and tail...

I prefer this humble proletarian pride to all the cliché show-off evil-macho sh***.

bertram

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

Jolana Tornado

guitarz.blogspot.com

This early 60s Jolana Tornado is a pure beauty, and has a good reputation as a player too, compared to average east-European communist era electric guitars.

I like the wide pickguard - unusual on a semi-hollow body -, the headstock is perfect in his simplicity and originality, the tremolo (at least aesthetically) could have become a standard, and above all I love the chrome switches - this is better than any Italian vintage guitar!

Would anybody buy my right kidney so I can buy this guitar?

bertram

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

1973 Jolana Iris Thinline

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A strangely amorphous telecaster thinline, like a copy made by someone who vaguely looked at a picture of the original but never saw the real thing, this Jolana Iris has cool details, like the rails pickups, the very European trem system and the oversize knob plate.

Jolana seems to be the best brand of communist eastern-Europe guitars, but though I try very hard, I still couldn't buy one of these vintage euro-babes to check their sound, and now some US guitar magazine just makes its cover with them so the all market will be spoiled any moment (I missed a Formanta at 170€ last month and just saw one at 400€ on an e-shop, and they have a very bad reputation!)

bertram

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Jolana Alfa

guitarz.blogspot.com:
Here's another fab-looking East-European guitar. It's a Jolana Alfa built in Czechoslovakia in 1965. Possibly it plays like a dog, there's no real way of telling other than by buying it, but I wanted to include it here on the blog so that I could say: Check out those crazy switches!

G L Wilson

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70s Jolana Star X

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Another Czechoslovakian guitar (I didn't write "Czechoslovakian" for ever, did you?), this stunning Jolana Star X looks like these guitars that are never supposed to leave the drawing board, a designer's fantasy made true.

The headstock is beautifully simple, even the flashy pickguard works and contributes to balance a otherwise twisted body, though its pure lines...

That's the kind of guitar that has 95% chances to be ugly and it is just brilliant.

Bertram

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Jolana Diamant Bass

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I don't know what it sounds like (the listing claims that it is in playable condition) but the Les Paul styling of this vintage Czech-built Jolana Diamant bass really appeals to me. Gibson themselves have made the occasional attempt over the years of producing a Les Paul bass but they always looked very awkward to my eyes, whereas this retro-looking instrument seems to have got it right, visually at least. It has, I believe, a certain mojo emanating from it. (Undoubtedly the Gibson basses sound better and are of better build quality).

G L Wilson

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