Members ArKay Posted April 27, 2009 Members Share Posted April 27, 2009 Saw this one on eBay UK and since I had been curious about FujiGen's Circle Fretting System I couldn't resist. As you can see on some of the pics the pickguard has ruined the finish. I don't know whether it came like that from the factory or if the previous owner has messed up the installation of the pickguard (I have seen them with and without pickguard on Japanese sites). Apart from that it's a really lovely guitar. Made by FujiGen for Shimamura. FujiGen also produces the History range of guitars which often cost more than the originals but are said to be worth it. This one is a budget model though and has a retail price of around 110,000Yen. The frets are slightly arched, but I don't notice a difference over standard frets, then again I haven't been playing for 30 years either. The neck heel is also slightly modified. It came with mini pots which I usually replace, but those are actually pretty good, low-tolerance pots which have a little resistance when turned. I replaced the caps though. Model CoolZ ZLS-2 FM Country of Manufacture Japan Year 2007 Construction Set-Neck, Long Tennon Body 2 Piece Mahogany Back with Flamed Maple Cap Neck Mahogany, 50s Profile (10.5" Radius) Fingerboard Rosewood, Bound Fretting System C.F.S. (Circle Fretting System) No. of Frets 22 Medium Nut Cow Bone Scale 24 3/4" Inlays Split Trapezoid Hardware Chrome Bridge Tune-O-Matic Tuners Grover GH-102/CR Pickups BH-1n/CR, BH-1b/CR Pickguard Creme Finish Orange Burst Controls 2 x Volume, 2 x Tone, 3-way Toggle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted April 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 27, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted April 27, 2009 Moderators Share Posted April 27, 2009 Got a slight Les Paul thing going on Rainer? Gonna sell any of the others? Seen any nice black ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted April 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 27, 2009 Got a slight Les Paul thing going on Rainer? Gonna sell any of the others? Seen any nice black ones? I guess you could say that there's a slight fetish at the moment. So far I don't feel like selling any of them. I tend to skip over the black ones, I will keep my eyes peeled though. Look what I missed http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290309912817 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lowbrow Posted April 27, 2009 Members Share Posted April 27, 2009 Is that poly or lacquer? It sure is gorgeous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted April 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 27, 2009 Is that poly or lacquer? It sure is gorgeous. Gotta be poly since they don't mention it in the specs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wedgehed II Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 ArKay is giving me carpel tunnel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenbu Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 if I`m not mistaken those have a veneer while the plain tops don`t, they have just the cap, not that it makes a difference. Those are very nice guitars, I see quite a few in the local Shimamura and they look great...they make strats, teles, SGs... clones of all the US big two. Used they are great deals that rival the used Edwards/Duncans, saw a plain top yesterday for over 80,ooo yen... new Edwards was same price...and I wonder at that retail if they aren`t milled in another country and assembled in japan, nobody talks about the Cool Zs here, but I like em. They do have a custom color order system where one can select from a number of colors they have...the gold strat in the shop here is gorgeous. Got my History used and was told by a Shimumura manager I sjowed it to that it was from the first run in 2002...dated like yours...not sure if thats true but it is one fabulous guitar, paid slightly more for it than I did for the used navigator but in terms of quality...they are very much the same.So now the words out on those too eh....does that mean people overseas are going to be snapping those up now as well...like the other MIJs? There were a couple in the U-Box recently. Can`t remember if the Cool-Zs use the Timeless Tinber too...like the Historys. But for the money they are real nice guitars, keep us posted on how it turns out after you play it for a while. Not sure I feel a difference with the circle frets either, and I will buy a set...if they have em...before I leave Japan just in case I need a refret back home...not sure if repairmen there have seen them or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted June 19, 2009 Author Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 Catching up, wedge? The body is not made from timeless timber AFAIK, at least it's not mentioned in the specs. http://www.shimamura.co.jp/originalbrand/coolz/models/ZLS2FM.html I know History guitars and I have seen a few FGN models on Japanese sites, but CoolZ was new to me as well. Someone from the UK had imported it and the price seemed OK so I was curious. He posted about in on the Tokai forum, but apart from that information is sparse in Europe. Build-wise it reminds me a lot of the FujiGen guitars which were sold in the UK under the Signature label. They paid a little more attention to the finish and the fit of the pickguard on the Signature though. CoolZ seems to be the budget version of the History range judging from the looks. The frets still don't strike me as odd when playing, if I wouldn't know that they are slightly circled I don't think I would have noticed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenbu Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 yes they are very nice. Just got a catalog out and it reads..." Figured maple on hard maple " while the plain tops read..." Hard maple 2 p. " True they are the budget series but that doesn`t mean they are cheap in quality, I`ve been very tempted by the plain top in town but Shimamura NEVER puts those nor the Historys on sale...ever...so if I see a used one I will get it for half the price of a new one. I`m more interested in the plain top...they have a little one page flyer type thing posted over the Cool-Zs in the shop with pics of the long tenon, and the tops...look very good to me. I`m sure it rivals any MIJ Tokai in the same price range...they sure compete with the Edwards/Duncans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted June 19, 2009 Author Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 I would rather have gotten a plain top model myself, and I'm not very fond of clownburst either, but curiosity got the better of me. The natural flame model looks very nice... I've seen better pics of it. Both FujiGens I own have a very nice neck tennon. Pics of the other one can be found here... http://arkay.de/guitars/signature/index.html Its body shape differs slightly from a LP, but the build quality is very, very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wedgehed II Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 Catching up, wedge? I'm trying to. You've really been on a tear these last couple of months. As usual, you buy interesting stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frets99 Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 That's a beautiful finish!!!! (At least that was what she said.....) Congratulations!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kherman Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 Very nice, Arkay. I've seen the CoolZ before. As you guys mentioned, not much info on them. Inlay work looks very clean. Another one to add to the list! Congrats! There's a nice History on Ebay right now. http://cgi.ebay.com/HISTORY-FUJIGEN-MADE-IN-JAPAN-LP-STYLE-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ170345924710QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item27a9688866&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1205%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 Nice indeed....another one for the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenbu Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 they`ve only been around one or two years, I remember talking to a shop staff member and they didn`t even have catalogs yet so he showed me their store`s binder with info on them but the manager walked by and said something to him and he took it away...it had the prices they pay for them in there and thats something customer`s are not supposed to see...especially when they have the " open " price which basically means we can charge you anything we want . You know generally we get 20% off list ... but they offer zero % off list on the Historys, and thats why I don`t buy at Shimamura...I go there to see what they have then go elsewhere and get em used for much less. But honestly...when the Rock Inn had a bunch of Gibson double cut aways at 50% off I looked at all of em and every one had sharp fret ends...went to check the Historys right after and they were smooth as a babys butt...perfect, thats the day I decided I was gonna get a History and did several months later at Hard Off...used of course. They just don`t show up used very often, guess owners don`t wanna part with em. The one I got still had the plastic on the back panels...it was 10/10 condition...still is.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Woody_in_MN Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 Pretty. Lamb Chop my world famous white german shepard says 4 paws up. - w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members newbuilder Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 Holy fucktastic spinning wombats batman!:eek: That is one of if not the hottest Paul I've seen round here lately. HNGD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members benricci Posted June 19, 2009 Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 Needs this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted June 19, 2009 Author Members Share Posted June 19, 2009 Needs this. I don't think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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