NGD - Year unknown Wine Red Ventura Hollow Body L5 type guitar

[D30Man]

I picked this up off of Craigslist for $300 yesterday. I have been hankerin' for a jazz box / rockabilly type hollow body. I almost pulled the trigger on Bonedigger's X-175, but was just a couple of hundred out of budget. So I kept looking. I also wanted something I could mod / tinker with a bit.
Here is what I know:

- Ventura was made by C. Bruno out of Japan
- The brand was manufactured from the 60's through 1982
- People generally like them. I have read several articles where people have enjoyed these MIJ knock offs
- This one is pretty and feels pretty good - doesn't have that cheap feel
- Tuners are okay / pickups looks like filtertron copies. I am going to pop them out at some point

What I am struggling with:
- Sticker is gone
- I can't find this model anywhere on line. I have seen several es335 and es175 copies, but not this one. I have no idea when it was made or the model number
- Sucker will not stay in tune / especially the G-string ( think it could be the scale - I know this can sometimes be the problem )

It sounds pretty sweet and feels good in my hands. Any insight on these from any of my well-versed guitar brethren?

Here are some pics:

 

[GGJaguar]

I have no info, but that's a pretty cool looking guitar for 3 bills. Congrats!

 

[walrus]

I have no info, but that's a pretty cool looking guitar for 3 bills. Congrats!

+1. Congratulations!

walrus

 

[shihan]

Those are pretty sweet guitars; well worth what you paid for it. The PU’s are definitely replacements, I’m guessing a Guitar Fetish model.
That doesn’t look like one of the direct Gibson copies. I’ve seen and played a couple of Ventura 175 and L-5 copies; but I’m not sure about that one. It looks like a smaller body, perhaps 16” or maybe smaller?
in any case, enjoy I. That’s a bargain at that price.

 

[JohnW63]

For the guitar going out of tune, I think I've read the nut my be cut wrong for the type or gauge of strings you have. I would assume polishing the saddle piece grooves would be a good idea too. Anything to allow the strings to move smoothly.

 

[SFIV1967]

- Ventura was made by C. Bruno out of Japan
- The brand was manufactured from the 60's through 1982

The early Ventura was not "made by" C. Bruno but distributed by them. The Bruno company was a very old company, founded in 1834 already.
Melville, NY was their last address before they were taken over by Kaman Industries in 1971.



I had not seen such Venetian Cutaway model in any of the old Ventura catalogs, so I looked a bit further and now I believe that is a much much younger model and a model made in China!

The old Japanese Ventura:


A later version of the logo on Japanese models:




Your Ventura however has the more modern "Made in China" logo! So it is not a Japanese made one.



To compare with a logo from an acoustic Ventura, same headstock shape as well:



Some of the labels also say "Designed in the USA, Handcrafted in China":




So my best guess is that your guitar was made maybe around 2010 to 2013 or so! Hence the pickups are original to the guitar. Has nothing to do with the old Bruno guitars, it is a different company reusing the Ventura name.

After a bit more searching I found out that those new branded Ventura instruments were distributed exclusively by Sound Ideas Music L.L.C. of Austin, Texas. Their domain name "venturasoundideas.com" does not work anymore, so the company seems to have shut down around 2019.

And I also found a similar model (it's not exactly the same yet) in their 2011 catalog:



Ralf

 

[Sats]

Personally, I think the tuning issue is because of the pickguard bracket.

 

[SFIV1967]

Actually your model is even younger! Compared to the 2011 catalog the body with the f-holes was redesigned as well as the headstock:
The 2013 till 2018 catalogs showed exactly your guitar! So she is a maximum of 10 years young.

It almost looks like they changed the factory in China compared to the 2011 catalog model.

Here is a still working link to the 2013 catalog and your model was shown until the last 2018 catalog with the same info: https://web.archive.org/web/20131208085737/http://venturasoundideas.com/ventura.pdf
It's actually a huge catalog for an almost unknown brand. (Unknown in terms that there is almost no info on the internet about those modern models).



Ralf

 

[D30Man]

Those are pretty sweet guitars; well worth what you paid for it. The PU’s are definitely replacements, I’m guessing a Guitar Fetish model.
That doesn’t look like one of the direct Gibson copies. I’ve seen and played a couple of Ventura 175 and L-5 copies; but I’m not sure about that one. It looks like a smaller body, perhaps 16” or maybe smaller?
in any case, enjoy I. That’s a bargain at that price.

Shihan good call. It has the curved cutaway so not really a 175 and to shallow of a body and narrow lower bout.
Looks like Ralf tracked the model down!

 

[SFIV1967]

Ralf

 

[shihan]

Ralf, guitar detective extraordinaire! Great job sleuthing out the whole story .

 

[SFIV1967]

Personally, I think the tuning issue is because of the pickguard bracket.

I didn't even notice this yet! Always interesting to see how creative some people are!

Ralf

 

[bobouz]

Ralf - Thanks once again for providing such great info!

 

[Guildedagain]

Sucker will not stay in tune / especially the G-string

Nut, string.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Sounds like the right guitar to tinker on.

 

[D30Man]

Actually your model is even younger! Compared to the 2011 catalog the body with the f-holes was redesigned as well as the headstock:
The 2013, 2014 and 2015 catalogs showed exactly your guitar!

Here is the 2013 catalog: https://web.archive.org/web/20131208085737/http://venturasoundideas.com/ventura.pdf



Ralf

That's her on the right!! Thanks so much!! That is why I love this place! Thanks, Ralf!

Ralf, guitar detective extraordinaire! Great job sleuthing out the whole story .

Right?!?!?

 

[Minnesota Flats]

Main Ventura hollow body electrics I've run into have been the Barney Kessel clones.

 

[D30Man]

Sounds like the right guitar to tinker on.

It does WW. It being around 2013 makes sense given overall condition. The fret ends are a little sharp, the pickups are ok and I am guessing the nut is going to need some work. The weight tells me there is a center block in there too..

 

[SFIV1967]

Main Ventura hollow body electrics I've run into have been the Barney Kessel clones.

1968 catalog:





Ralf

 

[Westerly Wood]

It does WW. It being around 2013 makes sense given overall condition. The fret ends are a little sharp, the pickups are ok and I am guessing the nut is going to need some work. The weight tells me there is a center block in there too..

Looking forward to seeing what you do with it, and how it plays once you are done with the mods...