japanstrat said:
Teisco went out of business around 1969 and some Teisco employees then went to Fujigen.
Kanda Shokai had Matsumoku build some Grecos but they were only certain models like bolt on neck SG's and some Strats and usually had Matsumoku on the guitars somewhere.
The 1970s Ibanez and Greco LPs are built by the same factory and it's Fujigen.
Hoshino was trying to sell low priced Ibanez LP copies which were really very nearly the same as the low priced Greco LPs until Hoshino ran into trouble with Gibson and then Hoshino changed it's Ibanez guitar designs to things like the Artist etc.
Dyna Gakki was contracted to make the Ibanez Blazers in the early 1980s because Fujigen wasn't interested in doing the matte finish but Dyna Gakki was.
The first digit pickup serial number is sometimes a 1 and a 2 in the same Greco so the first digit standing for the factory makes no sense.
The Gibson T-tops had A5 magnets and they were what Angus used.
The Maxon pickups (Dry Z, U-1000, U-2000, Super 70 etc) seem to be T-top copies with different magnets for different models.
Here is a Gibson T-top
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/member-classifieds/7879-gibson-t-top-pat-no-2737842-pickup.html
http://media.photobucket.com/image/gibson%20t-top/marscape1/IMG_9101640x480.jpg
and here are some Maxon pickups
http://forum.japanaxe.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=768
Notice the number of holes in the black or white plastic bobbin.
Both have 2 holes.
PAF's have 3 holes with one squarish hole on one end.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/gibson%20PAF/searcystringworks/Pickups/paf9.jpg
The Maxon pickups are all great pickups IMO and I've used them since the 70s.
Guys, here is a reply from email i got from Maxon themselves a while ago, it is really best i start to divulge my 'secrets' anyway, rather than keep them to myself....
Yes, the first digit was never a place where the pickup was to go, ie 1 = Dyna Gakki and 2 = Fujigen, yes, it's BS.....
So here is the reply chaps, in English, the first digit is actually a production line number.....anyone with those rare prototypes here?
Quote
Maxon guitar pickup serial number consisted of five-digit number.
Period used: up to and including 1977
The serial number: ABCDD
A: production line code (1: prototype line (very rare pickup), the other numbers are the production line numbers.)
B: year of manufacture (e.g. 1977 was shown as "7".)
C: month, 1=Jan ... 9=Sep., 0(zero)=Oct., X=Nov., .(dot)=Dec.
DD: day of the month (01 to 31)
If A is 1 (prototype line), B is the year code and CDD are not disclosed.
Maxon guitar pickup serial number consisted of six-digit number.
Period used: After 1977.
The serial number: ABCCDD
A: production line code (1: prototype line (very rare pickup), the other numbers are the production line numbers.)
B: year of manufacture (e.g. 1977 was shown as "7".)
CC: month, 01=Jan ... 09=Sep., 10=Oct., 11=Nov., 12=Dec.
DD: day of the month (01 to 31)
If A is 1 (prototype line), B is the year code and CDD are not disclosed.
Unquote
Thank you Maxon!! 8)
