Matsumoku Revival Mini-Humbucker Pickup Adapter Ring (Bridge)

Description

The Revival Mini-Humbucker Pickup Adapter rings: designed for 1960s-era Matsumoku マツモク工業 hollowbody guitars, namely the 1202T, 1203T, 1302T, and HR-2, often going by the nickname "Coily". Manufactured in Japan (MIJ) in response to Beatlemania, these instruments were sold in the West under such brand names as Arai, Aria Diamond, Commodore, Conrad, Domino, Encore, Harmony, Lyle, Orpheus, Toledo, and Univox, and they all sported non-standard trapezoid pickups, complemented by peculiarly-dimensioned cavities and rings, all of which would render any upgrade a tricky proposition, with the cavities being too long and narrow to allow for P90s or humbuckers. The factory's objective was to produce affordable versions of Gibson models and the cost-saving was largely found in the nut, tuning machines, tailpiece, cabling, and—alas—the pickups that were used. However, the instruments have since acquired a status as collectors' items and novelty pieces, with many players themselves also developing a nostalgic fondness for the pickups' quirky tonal properties. Still, being that these were made at cost over half a century ago, many units' pickups now require repairs, or at the very least need to be rewound.

For those looking to replace the pickups, or who perhaps desire to hear the guitar through higher-end transducers without sacrificing the ability to revert to stock specifications, the Revival adaptors allow for a reversible upgrade to modern mini-humbucker pickups without the need to drill new holes into the body nor to expand the cavities. The model utilized for the design of these adaptors was a Conrad 1202T, listed in original catalogues as model 40080 and on Heritage Auctions as 1276. Two adaptors were made, one for the neck pickup and another for the bridge. The mini-humbuckers used for fitting were Artec MLC97s. The fit itself was left as snug, meaning that small amounts can be shaved off if necessary or preferred. If you own one of these most special guitars, don't miss out on this opportunity to bring it into the modern era.