Every heard of a "Morris"?

[lonesome picker]

Yesterday I saw a 1970's Japanese Guild knock-off 12 string. The attempt to copy a Guild was rather blatent. It was about the size of an F212, mohagany and spruce. It had 50-style neck and body inlays with and wierd quasi-"G shield" inlay on the headstock. It simply said "Morris" across the headstock. Tuners were grover six-inline one piece jobs. The pick guard was an obvious Guild copy.

I'll see if I can get pics.

I wonder if it was a fore runner to the Maderia line of "budget Guilds".....

 

[BluesDan]

Funny.......I thought I was the only one with a Morris guitar! Many years ago, a friend of mine gave me a Morris model #MD500 6-string, basically just to get it out of the house and clear the way for another "real" guitar purchase, ya know....one guitar goes out, one comes in and maybe the wife wont kill you.......anyway it actually is not a bad guitar. Mine has a gold stenciled "Morris logo on the headstock, no shield. The inner label has a covered wagon logo. It says "Morris Guitar Co. Japan" but it also says "Made In Korea". It has good action, decent tone, and it plasy rather well. With that said, it is NOT of Guild quality. Basically its a decent guitar that you could take to the beach and not worry if it gets swept out by the tide or if the seagulls take target practice at it..............
I believe this guitar is from the late seventies or early eighties but I'm not sure. Regardless, you wont see this one listed in my signature! :lol:

 

[CurtO]

You know, some of those late 60's early 70's Eastern knockoffs are really pretty good guitars. I have blatant copy of a Gibson Hummingbird (12 string) that says "Lyle" on the head stock. Hoewever the shape of the headstock, the inlay, the pickguard, the cherry burst is all identical to a Gibson. the top is solid spruce, I'm really not sure about the back and sides (mahogony laminate probably). But it is a very good sounding guitar - by far better than the budget model 12's I've played in music stores over the past couple of years. A friend of friend found it in a dumpster and gave it to me. It needed a seriouse cleaning and polishing, tuners, a new tailpiece bridge, re-glued fretboard, re-glued a portion of the back, new nut and bridge.. oh and strings. She plays and sounds good now.

 

[BluesDan]

CurtO, its funny that you mention that the guitar was found in a dumpster. I have a friend who "canvasses" the garbage put to the curb in "well-to-do" neighborhoods about twice a month. He is not lacking for cash and does it for fun. He has procured drum kits, all kinds of orchestra instruments, a ton of lower end guitars and bass guitars, and even the occasional Fender/ Martin / Guild/ Gibson/etc. It amazes me. Can't bring myself to go "dumpster diving" or garbage picking but when I see some of the stuff he picks up, I'm tempted.

 

[Metalman]

CurtO, its funny that you mention that the guitar was found in a dumpster. I have a friend who "canvasses" the garbage put to the curb in "well-to-do" neighborhoods about twice a month. He is not lacking for cash and does it for fun. He has procured drum kits, all kinds of orchestra instruments, a ton of lower end guitars and bass guitars, and even the occasional Fender/ Martin / Guild/ Gibson/etc. It amazes me. Can't bring myself to go "dumpster diving" or garbage picking but when I see some of the stuff he picks up, I'm tempted.

One of my friends who also plays guitar in our Ensemble is a computer expert (he is always telling me to stop buying guitars, and buy a decent computer . . .).
He actually found in the garbage put out on the curb, a Marshall head. Right there, on the side of the road! The triple lead, three channel version, selling for about $1100 brand new. We got it fixed up, and he sold it for about $400.
I told him to take that money and buy a decent guitar with it. He didn't.

 

[CurtO]

One man's garbage.....

Another friend of mine is a diesel machanic for a large garbage/recycling company. You should see the stuff he gets. He recently gave me 2 high end mountain bikes, missing a few parts but easily fixable. One Gary Fisher and one Raleigh, aluminum, great componants. Now theres a job with fringe benefits.

 

[capnjuan]

... and one Raleigh ...

In the 1960s, 'the' English bike to own.

 

[BluesDan]

... and one Raleigh ...

In the 1960s, 'the' English bike to own.

I was a Schwinn "Speedster" guy myself...... :mrgreen:

 

[capnjuan]

In the 1960s, 'the' English bike to own.

I was a Schwinn "Speedster" guy myself...... :mrgreen:

I still have a mid-70s 'semi'-Schwinn ... 1970s Schwinn World Tourist Raleigh knock-off made in Taiwan under Schwinn license, 5-speed, up-right bars. Went looking in the 80s for a Raleigh ... any bike I wanted for $400+...yikes! made the semi-Schwinn look pretty good! cj