# NGD Aspen A125EC-1



## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

Just got it from another member (thanks!)

It's a low serial number (000120) but the serial doesn't help much dating the instrument. I did Google it, not much to learn. It's a cutaway dreadnought with electroacoustic, but the pickup has been removed (so I got a guitar, and a project!) 

The finish is good but not perfect, and it has bone nut and saddles, which is why it sounds that good. 

I will lower the action when I change strings, it's not high, but it's not low either. Besides that, it's perfect. No issues whatsoever. 

Here's what it looks like. 










It plays well, it's rather powerful. The tone is warm and rich. The neck is not super thick like some other acoustic, it's similar to my Vantage electric from a similar Era. 

I'll manage to put a pickup back in there and bring the electroacoustic back to life, should be a rather interesting project.


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

This give an idea of how it sounds. 

Testing new acoustic guitar - Clyp

I'm not super comfortable with the high action; I'll work on that soon. 

Looking online, I believe it's made I Korea, not Japan like originally believed. The "made in xxxxx" has been sharpied over so it's not easy to be sure, yet I see other identical labels of other models and they said Korea, while the japan-made ones had a different label. I think the label changed when they switched from Japan to China to Korea. 

That and the model number with no D seems to date it to the 80s.


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

Notice something different?


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## capnjim (Aug 19, 2011)

Nice geetar....did you re-finish the top?
It originally had small metal saddles, but when I got it there were only 4 left so I put the bone in. I have no idea how it worked.
Cheers


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

capnjim said:


> Nice geetar....did you re-finish the top?
> It originally had small metal saddles, but when I got it there were only 4 left so I put the bone in. I have no idea how it worked.
> Cheers


The only other aspen cutaway dreadnought with preamp I have seen online didn't have metal saddles, I think it may have been added later in life. But researches tends to point to the preamp being stock. 

I don't have a proper preamp to try, but I can get some dim signal from the output port, so I assume proper amplification may do it. 

I ordered a small instrument preamp online and will see how it goes. 

With luck I'll be able to just drop in the preamp in place of the knobs and reuse everything else. 

Do you happen to still have them small saddles? I'd be curious to see what they look like. 

BTW great job on the bone saddle, intonation is dead on.


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## capnjim (Aug 19, 2011)

There were only 3-4 of them and I think I tossed them. I can look, but you will never find the right ones. Plus, the guitar won't sound nearly as good with metal saddles.


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

capnjim said:


> There were only 3-4 of them and I think I tossed them. I can look, but you will never find the right ones. Plus, the guitar won't sound nearly as good with metal saddles.


I don't plan on putting them back. I'm just curious to see how they work and figure if they had any use within the pickup system. 
I'm very curious of individual pickup on acoustic guitars, it's a strange thing... 

Don't get out of your way to find them, but if you do please post a few pics or shoot me a call.


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

And no, I didn't refinish of the top and don't feel it's required. It's not perfect, looks somewhat old and fits the guitar very much. My daughter loves it. 
I just added the pickguard and oiled the whole thing clean.


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

The little lady wanted to make "the guitar" more hers... So she applied her faux-inlay minou that was planned for her stratoCATster (seen next)


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