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"JDS" Les Paul copy??


andrewofsteel

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Ok, I bought a guitar, Les Paul copy, off of a friend in Jr. High (long time ago ;) ) for cheap. The headstock read, in gold letters, "JDS." Neither of us, my friend or I, had heard of this company, but the guitar was cool, and in fact I still use it as one of my main guitars. However, I've never, ever, ever come across another one. Again, it read (before I sanded it off), "JDS" on the headstock. I suppose I could've mistaken it for "JSD," or something. But anywhere I look, anywhere online, I have no luck finding another one, or even another cheap guitar made by any company of a similar name. There is "JDS - John David Scott - guitars in the Ozarks of Missouri, but this company is newer and unrelated to the company that made mine. Have any of you ever heard of this company or seen one of these guitars?

 

I seem to remember something about a "JDS" brand guitar being imported by St. Louis Music back in the day, and this would be likely since SLM imports all of those Westone, Series 10, etc. lines of Japanese and Korean knockoffs.

 

As Les Paul copies go, this "JDS" guitar of mine is as fine as any, especially after I gutted the electronics and re-did it all myself.

 

Any info that anyone has on this subject, I'd love to hear.

 

cheers,

andrew

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  • 3 years later...
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Wow... well, I'm only a little past four years late in checking in on this one. To make a long story short, I've still to find any guitar like mine. To mr. JJpistols... I live in St. Louis, and this is where the guitar was bought (from my friend). It could've been brought to STL and sold in a pawn shop or something. The only other leads I've got on the matter 1) some guy in Tenessee who apparently hand builds "JDS" guitars, but believe me, this guitar in it's original state - though the wood and overall build is awesome - the hardware and electronics were low budget. 2) A couple of guys I know who used to work at SLM (St. Louis Music) here in town when it was still in operation said that JDS was a brand distro'd by their company. I asked them how they knew this, they said they "just knew." Find me a picture of one and I'll believe it.

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It's been 4 years so its time for someone else to leave a post. I have a JDS Les Paul copy I bought about 20 years ago in a store in Kansas City but not the store listed above. I'm not for sure what store it was but I did buy it new and probably from a music store called "Big Dudes" on Broadway. From what I remember the salesmen described it to me as a Japanese made Les Paul copy. I don't play much but I love this guitar which is the classic orange sun burst. I love the way it looks probably more then the way it plays.

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I was searching for info on JDS guitars and found this thread. I have a JDS bass, Fender P-Bass knock off. I bought it at a pawn shop in St. Charles, MO around 20 years ago for $100. Elsewhere on this site this was said (https://www.harmonycentral.com/forum...-42/1329921-): "I'm trying to find info on JDS guitars imported from Korea to wolf imports of St louis Missouri..A friend just bought one for 100 dollars .And wanted to find out more info ..Other then its a white double F hole acoustic with a plastic side and back with built in pup i have nothing else on this guitar but it play and soumds great and would like to find one myself."

Edited by Flanger X
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So I'm way late to the party, but about 25 years ago in Kansas City Mo I bought a JDS Les Paul copy from a pawn shop and have been looking for info about the company ever since, it's a beautiful guitar and it plays quite well, though it is extremely heavy and could probably use some new tuning keys but all in all it's a good guitar (except for the weight) but I still have it after all these years because it's so beautiful, anyway the only info I've ever found was it might be a Korean Company that shipped to Wolf imports of St louis Missouri as others have noted

 

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The JDS convo keeps going. 
I just picked one of these up from a goodwill site auction. It was very cheap and banged up 335 copy. I just kind of took a chance on it. Looks to be late 70s or 80s. Wine red and despite the banged up condition of the guitar (doesn’t bother me) it was for sure a very pretty guitar. I gutted all the electronics and replaced pickups with nice humbuckers. Had a luthier dress the guitar up and get it “repaired”. It’s a killer playing machine now. Very nice guitar. 
like another person said, mine is also VERY heavy. Especially for a 335. The center block is larger than a Gibson. 
the goodwill I got this guitar from was in Appleton, WI…

Aside from the weight the guitar is amazing. Also if I was to perfect it, the tuners could be replaced. But it’s fine. 

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