# Northern guitars



## Mahogany Martin

I was talking with a coworker and he said that his first guitar was a Northern and believes that it was made by Fender. It was a Strat-like type of guitar. Can't find anything on the web. Anybody knows anything about these? Were they like their Squire line today (made somewhere else in the world for cheaper labor and or materials)?

Just curious.


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## traynor_garnet

The only time I saw someone play one of these was when I saw the Rheostatics. Martin Teili (sp?) was playing a Northern Les Paul. I asked him about it after the show and he said he wouldn't be playing it anymore! 

I've seen them in pawnshops from time to time. I don't think Fender had anything to do with them. Most likely a Japanese import, sold under different names . . .

TG


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## sh333

There were a Japanese import brought into the Canadian market specifically.

Soem of them are excellent quality on par with the tokais and Ibanez lawsuit guitars.

I can't recall which factory produced them (Maybe affiliated with Yamaha somehow IIRC).


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## neilreid

Made by YAMAKI in Japan search DAION also rare now and very well bult should have a maple leaf inlay on the headstock try the paulabecker.com site


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## sh333

neilreid said:


> Made by YAMAKI in Japan search DAION also rare now and very well bult should have a maple leaf inlay on the headstock try the paulabecker.com site


That makes sense as the Yamaki copies were dead similar to the Northerns.


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## neilreid

You are correct in saying they were imported to canada as a "private label" instrument. I think around 74-75 I own an acoustic Northern model D-350. Exactly like the Yamaki YD 35. These are of course exact copies of the Martin Dreadnought D-35. Bought it new 30 yrs ago and still play it daily. Bullit proof build and tons of sound.


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## DoomLad

Howdy all, first posting...
I've got a Northern Strat (ash body with maple fretboard,) no leaf on headstock or inlays (just plain black dots) and the serial number indicates it was made in 1983. 
In trying to research it I found the name 'Northern' was used by a company called Music West to import Ibanez guitars into Canada. Not sure if that's true but when I looked at an old Ibanez RS100 Roadstar Standard it was identical to mine in every way except the headstock on the Northern is 'Fenderesque' in shape though a little oversized...
Didn't cost much ($275) but has a sweet tone than none of my other more pricey guitars can come close to....


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## mick7

DoomLad said:


> Howdy all, first posting...
> I've got a Northern Strat (ash body with maple fretboard,) no leaf on headstock or inlays (just plain black dots) and the serial number indicates it was made in 1983.


Wow. Is it in still good condition? How does it sound? I need answers!!!!


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## pgpapas

My first post too.

I just stumbled onto this forum tonight while trying to dig up some images on Google. Someone was curious about my guitars and a picture's worth a thousand words but I still haven't gotten around to buying a digital camera.

Anyway, can't answer your question, MahoganyM, but my first was a Northern Les Paul - solid maple sunburst. Got it when I was 9 years old back about '74 (seemed like the bugger weighed more than me!) and I've still got it after 30+ years. Almost all original too - aside from the strings, of course, and in great condition. I have to say "almost" since on an ill advised whim as a teenager, I replaced the bridge with an oddball aftermarket whammy deal. The original's probably still around somewhere, but I haven't bothered looking as yet since I've never been interested in selling it or anything.d


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## RIFF WRATH

Hey people
there is also a northern thread in the low down section
cheers
RIFF


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## Guest

Prom Music in Sudbury carried them in the mid 70's. I owned a 335 copy I wasn't terribly fond of. I played a Les Paul copy though that was excellent. I really miss that axe and I miss that brand name. Some of their stuff was quite good and inexpensive.


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## Grandwazoo

I have two Northern Strats, have to figure out how to post images on here. Is this thread dead?


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## Grandwazoo

I have two Northern strats, does anybody else have one to compare ?


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## worn

I had a Northern EB-3 bass copy, but with a maple bolt up neck. Very well made, sounded great. I now have an Epiphone set neck EB-3 bass and the Northern was actually better.
There was a Northern hardtail/string through body Strat at Encore for a long time. Maple fret board, big headstock, ash body, looked nice. I picked it up a few times and thought it felt really nice, never plugged it in so I don't know how it sounded, but it did appear to be very well made, except the Maple Leaf fret markers were stickers (peeling off) not inlays!


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## northernfan

Mahogany Martin said:


> I was talking with a coworker and he said that his first guitar was a Northern and believes that it was made by Fender. It was a Strat-like type of guitar. Can't find anything on the web. Anybody knows anything about these? Were they like their Squire line today (made somewhere else in the world for cheaper labor and or materials)?
> 
> Just curious.


I also have a Northern Les Paul Custom and did quite a bit of research. From what I understand, mine was built by Kasuga of Japan around 75-77. I bought it in around 77. They were imported under the Northern name by a company in Burlington, Ontario for the Canadian market.
Mine is a mahogany body with a beautiful figured maple tobacco burst with a buttery maple neck. I wasn't real happy with the pickups and decided to have them changed this past summer (Seymour Duncan 59 neck and SD JB (Jeff Beck) bridge. Then I went all the way and had all the electronics replaced and had a fret dressing as well. WOW. This is a great guitar. It rivals my new Gibson Les Paul. Doesn't have the same sustain but is great to play. I'll never sell it.
http://s936.photobucket.com/albums/ad209/dleth/?action=view&current=DSCF0619.jpg
http://s936.photobucket.com/albums/ad209/dleth/?action=view&current=DSCF0618.jpg

These pictures were taken before the mods and polishing.


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## Smitty

I have a Northern strat that I bought new in highschool - 1977 or so. Natural wood finish, white pick guard. It has a good sound for what was an affordable guitar. I think I paid around $250. for it back then. I don't like the neck though, I find the fret board too barrow at the nut. It's probably just me. I was wondering if it would be practcal to change the neck as I can't justify buying a new guitar. I did buy some used japanese fender tuners for it that I hope to install soon.


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## chrisnick

*northern tele*

i have a northern tele early 70s


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## John Watt

I was in the Burlington warehouse for Northern instruments in 1977, picking up another order.
All I saw were Strat and Les Paul types, half and half with maple leaf inlays and dots.
I picked up a few to try and get a feel and they seemed okay.

Now I'm seeing "Beaver Creek" guitars, with maple leafs etched around the soundhole, made in China.

I've got a picture of the Northern franchise owner in the store from when I picked up my order,
but I haven't been able to do pics here yet.


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## GuitarT

I remember Northern guitars. Trev Bennet Music in Kitchener sold them in the late 1970's and early 1980's. I thought the Strats were very good for the money at the time. I even remember a poster they had hanging in the store advertising Northern Strats. I think the slogan was "When You're Better Than the Original, You're No Longer a Copy". That may be pushing it a bit but they weren't bad guitars.


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## neilreid

Here are my Northerns. Great guitars, The Telly is a monster!














































Let me know what you guys think. I know a bit about them but would like to know more

Cheers

Neil


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## GuitarsCanada

A nice collection there indeed


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## Latiator

That's a beautiful collection. I like the maple leaf on the acoustic's headstock and those that indicate the frets on the LP style guitar! Very nice.


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## neilreid

Not real happy with pics, will try again with some more detail

Thanks for the comments.


Neil


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## Petros70x7

Yeah Trev Bennett, I bought a Les Paul, maple and mahogany in the late 70's (1979?). Beautifully made with mother of pearl tree of life inlay in the neck. Played decently but would never have been mistaken for a Gibson in a blind playoff.


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## rssbrry

*Northern Telecaster Deluxe*

I have a Northern Telecaster Deluxe styled guitar that i got from a local musician. Its a transparent brown on the front and back, and around the edges and on the sides is a really dark brown. It has two humbucking pickups, a three way pickup selector, and four amp styled knobs(2 volume, 2 tone). The fretboard is maple and has the black maple leaf inlays. The headstock is the fat stratocaster type from the 70s and has the northern lable. It looks just like a 70s tele deluxe, and it just about feels like an american tele i played at a guitar store. Its sound is really unique from anything else that ive played before. I love this guitar and would love to know more about it. Thanks to anyone who knows!


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## Pete the Rocker

Wow, a thread on Northern guitars. My first electric guitar was a Northern a Les Paul copy with a quilted maple top and maple fretboard. I still got that sucker, and will always have it. I modified it a bit back in the 80's. I put in a Jackson pup in the bridge position. It's a nice looking guitar and has always played well.


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## Setneck

Northern Audio operated out of Burlington Ontario from 1972 to 1987 and was owned and operated by Harry Dunnett until he passed away. They primarily sold the full line of J. Chalmers Doane triangular ukuleles, as well as traditional ukes. They did indeed have an amazing concert-sized "Martin" copy concert ukulele! Taken from Torontoukes
[Source: Ben van Dyk, Canada, email 24/5/2011]

They had copies of all the popular guitar brands, tele, Strat, 335 etc. I owned a strat copy. They usually had the maple leaf fret markers but not always. I am not sure if they were made by Yamaki or Kasuga but they good quality. They are kind of cool but not all that rare. Just recently I saw a Northern LP in a Kitchener pawn shop.
Ben Van Dyk


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## northernfan

How much was the LP in the pawn shop going for?
I upgraded my Northern LP about 2 years ago. All new wiring, new Seymour Duncan pups, fret dressing.... A really nice guitar but real heavy too.
Nice to see other people have kept theirs. I bought mine around 77 or 78 new. Still looks great.


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## neilreid

The electrics were available with DiMarzio pups as an upgrade and the acoustics had solid tops as option also. There are still quite a few of the Chalmers Doane ukes popping up on ebay etc.....some in fine shape

Cheers
Neil


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## Wileyone

northernfan said:


> How much was the LP in the pawn shop going for?
> I upgraded my Northern LP about 2 years ago. All new wiring, new Seymour Duncan pups, fret dressing.... A really nice guitar but real heavy too.
> Nice to see other people have kept theirs. I bought mine around 77 or 78 new. Still looks great.


Here's mine.

http://


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## Dan578867

[/IMG]







[/IMG]Hello

I just acquired a Norhtern LP Copy for under $200.00 with no case. Needs to be rewired $100 and a nut repair $30.00.

The body is in very good shape with some wear on the edges on the back and a few dings here and there. She shined up nicley. It looks like northern fans.

Q: Since i am getting it rewired (in the future) should i replace the toggle switch or keep the same old one? The one he suggested if i want is a gibson lp toggle costs $20.00.
Dan


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## Dan578867

Any suggestions?
Since I will be needing to replace the wiring should i replace the original pickup switch with a new gibson one that if needed to be tweaked it can be from regular use.
Dan


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## Dan578867

All is well with the guitar now its just quiet in volume. But through some recent buming around on the internet I have discovered this look at the pickup shape on these two models the 2401 and 2397 they are the same as mine and others northern LP's.

http://i1268.photobucket.com/albums/jj562/Dan578867/2397Ibanez_zpsecc42cb6.jpg
http://i1268.photobucket.com/albums/jj562/Dan578867/2401Ibanez_zps48ef5b9d.jpg

I have had a feeling for awhile that these guitars were made by Ibanez in Japan. As you can see the pickups are the same shape.
Does anyone agree with me? Yes there were alot of guitars built and shipped out of japan in the 70's.
Dan


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## evantide

I worked for Harry (Northern) during a 70s Miac show, Harry was a distributor of instruments, mostly guitars. I was doing a live one man band show at the time with bass pedals at my feet and guitar and other instruments in my hands. He hired me to demonstrate this GIG RIG he imported. There were no sequencers at the time, this thing was basically an 8 track tape with each track connected to a switch on the floor, each recorded with a real and I may add great band. So lets say you popped a tape and played blues in G, the band would play in G and you'd wail on the guitar, then you step on C, and the band would be playing in C...D7 etc. also minor chords up to 8. It was quite unique at the time, you got great accompaniment played by pros, I think it was U.S. made. I don't know if it caught on. I was co-ordinated with guitar and bass pedals as solo, played Ontario Place pubs for 7 yrs at that time as a One Man Band.

Anyway, Harry imported great instruments, I still have a Northern Strat, with the maple leafs and a dimarzio pick up in the middle and some really nifty out of phase switching to get natural distortion. I always thought that the strats were made by CBS at the time and they were as good or better than the CBS, but I wasn't sure, all I knew was they were made in Japan. Harry also imported Yairi, he had some great ones at the show that I played, and also some of the sweetest steel string acoustics I had ever heard, these were very high end at a very reasonable price, they were all MIJs. Again, I don't know who made them for him. I remember trying a lot of the guitars across the isle where Great West was the importer, and Harry's guitars were equal or better. After the show he asked me what I would like as extra for helping him out, Now I wish I took one of those Yairies, but ended up asking for a synthesizer, very primitive wedge shaped Korg, monophonic so I could connect it to my two octave bass pedals I built in a keyboard design. Remember, at that time, I had only heard of one synthesizer, that was a solina I think string unit, so this was the new technology only monophonic at the time. That worked out great at my gigs. Harry was a very kind man, he went to Korg down the hall and got it for me. 
So all you mothers out there with Northern guitars, believe me, they are as precious as Fenders made in Japan by CBS, hang on to them and enjoy them.


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## dogueboy

I have a Strat and love it. I would love another. If anybody wants to let one go email me. Fantastic guitars.

Dogue


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## riffraff

Here's my Northern from Prom Music circa 1975


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## Acoustic Tom

I just picked up a northern bass guitar. It looks similar to a fender jazz bass. I'm looking for any info on it. Thanking you all in advance .


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## Cardamonfrost

Whoa! Back from the dead. Was looking at this wondering why I don't recognize any of the posters. Its because its 15 years old.

Hope you find some answers.
C


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## Frenchy99




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## Talisker85

Hello!
I also own a Northern Les Paul that I bought when I was in high school. Got it for a couple hundred bucks and a few years later was being offered a couple thousand for it. No way I'll ever sell though.
It was well loved, I know some if its ownership history but have no idea when it was made. Bridge pickup died a few years ago and so now it has a DiMarzio on the neck and a Seymour Duncan Alnico II on the bridge. They are maybe an odd match together, but I really dig it. Like sugar and spice.
No serial number anywhere on the guitar. I keep it strung with D'addario Jazz Mediums and I just love this beast from top to bottom. Absolutely my favourite.


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## GuitarT

Talisker85 said:


> Hello!
> I also own a Northern Les Paul that I bought when I was in high school. Got it for a couple hundred bucks and a few years later was being offered a couple thousand for it. No way I'll ever sell though.
> It was well loved, I know some if its ownership history but have no idea when it was made. Bridge pickup died a few years ago and so now it has a DiMarzio on the neck and a Seymour Duncan Alnico II on the bridge. They are maybe an odd match together, but I really dig it. Like sugar and spice.
> No serial number anywhere on the guitar. I keep it strung with D'addario Jazz Mediums and I just love this beast from top to bottom. Absolutely my favourite.


Nice guitar but if I was offered a couple thousand bucks for a Northern I'd take the money and run.


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## Talisker85

GuitarT said:


> Nice guitar but if I was offered a couple thousand bucks for a Northern I'd take the money and run.


The guitar meant more than the money to me by that point. I don't think that's a normal offer for one of these guitars, but it didn't matter. I'm the one who knows the guitar.

Got others I wouldn't sell either for a variety of reasons. Perhaps to some people they'd be worthless.


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## Frenchy99

GuitarT said:


> Nice guitar but if I was offered a couple thousand bucks for a Northern I'd take the money and run.


Id gift wrap it with a nice red bow on it !!!


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## Talisker85

Frenchy99 said:


> Id gift wrap it with a nice red bow on it !!!


Weird presumptions guys, but to each their own.

I guess the way I see it is I could have taken the money and gone to a store and bought another guitar with an expensive price tag, or a bunch of guitars with smaller price tags. But in the end what I have is the guitar I wanted. I've ended up with others since then, so it has all worked out for me.
To be honest, most of the expensive guitars I've tried left me wondering what made them so expensive. I've tried a variety of new model Gibson and Epiphone Les Pauls to compare and they were fine. But I like the heft and feel of this one.
I think these things are more fun when we assign personal value to them. I also have a couple guitars that were a hundred bucks, a couple of them used, a couple bought new, and they do the job just fine. I'm glad I spent a little money on them instead of a lot because they work pretty much the same (yes in those cases I would sell if someone offered more than they were worth, but it's not likely). I guess I just don't place the same value on branding as some people do.

That being said, one of my favourite things about this Northern Les Paul clone is that has drawn exactly these kinds of differences in opinion. It was actually the guy who owned it before me who tried to get it back for a couple grand. He couldn't stand not having it. And there was a luthier/vintage guitar shop owner who offered a similar price. But the sales guy who had it on consignment in the first place when I bought the guitar in high school didn't think the thing was worth the price tag. He wanted me to get a new Strat. He's not the only one who didn't think much of it.

Don't know why exactly, but the first day I saw it this was my guitar. I really like that not everyone thinks it's as great as I do.
I also have an Ovation I drew a face on and strung as a B-B baritone. In my estimation this raised the value of the guitar by $500. 😂😂😂
🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯


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## Frenchy99

Hey, your talking to a guy that mostly has Japan made instruments...

I get what your saying but if someone offers 5 times what my instrument is worth, well, i`ll sell it since have plenty of the same type and quality guitar to replace it with and I leaned over the years that another will show up eventually.

With patience, anything is obtainable.


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## Talisker85

Frenchy99 said:


> Hey, your talking to a guy that mostly has Japan made instruments...
> 
> I get what your saying but if someone offers 5 times what my instrument is worth, well, i`ll sell it since have plenty of the same type and quality guitar to replace it with and I leaned over the years that another will show up eventually.
> 
> With patience, anything is obtainable.


Fair enough, but my point all along is that used guitar values can be very subjective. In this case I am all too happy to keep the thing for its character. 

I honestly can't say I've missed the money, so I guess I'm a pretty lucky guy.


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## Frenchy99

Talisker85 said:


> I honestly can't say I've missed the money, so I guess I'm a pretty lucky guy.



Lucky you... Prices of amps are killing me lately !!!


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## GuitarT

Talisker85 said:


> Fair enough, but my point all along is that used guitar values can be very subjective. In this case I am all too happy to keep the thing for its character.
> 
> I honestly can't say I've missed the money, so I guess I'm a pretty lucky guy.


Glad your happy and I get why you want to keep it but my original comment was purely based on economics. If someone offered me a couple grand for a guitar that typically sells for under $500 on the used market I'd take the money, find another one and pocket the rest. 
Not knocking Northern guitars. I'm old enough to remember seeing them brand new in stores. I really like their Strat copies and would pick one up in a heartbeat if the price was right.


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## High/Deaf

GuitarT said:


> Nice guitar but if I was offered a couple thousand bucks for a Northern I'd take the money and run.


LOL Me, too.

"Start the car, start the car ............... "


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## Brian R. W.

Acoustic Tom said:


> I just picked up a northern bass guitar. It looks similar to a fender jazz bass. I'm looking for any info on it. Thanking you all in advance .


Got any pics of that Jazz bass?


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## Mark Brown

I know it is an older thread and I know that it is my first post but I cannot help throwing in on this. 

I have a Northern II Strat copy, maple body with the leaves in the frets. It was my first guitar and until today, my only electric. 

I would not sell this guitar for any thousands of dollars and could not agree more. There is something about them that I just love. Or maybe it is just this one lol


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## Edbtz37

Hi , I am new to this forum. I purchased a northern NW 75 acoustic guitar in the 80s it is in great condition and I would like to know if anybody has any other information about this guitar and what it might be worth today as I rarely play it. Thanks for all your help.


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## ALF

I'm new to this forum. I recently saw one of these Northern Guitars and really love the look. I've been searching around for one to buy but no luck so far. If any of you ever want to sell one (a Les Paul type with maple fret board), let me know. The all red body version (like the picture below is preferred) but not a necessity. Thanks, MA









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