Product: Norma 2 Pickup Solidbody
Price Paid: US $135 used
Submitted
10/14/2005
at
10:06am
by
Tyaht
Email: Tyaht at yahoo<dot>com
Features
:
8
This is your basic 2 pickup solidbody Norma. Circa '65-67 Japan. Sunburst double cutaway. Similar in shape to the sparkle models. 22 fret bolt on neck. Whammy bar. Two piece (front and back) laminated wood body. 1 Volume and 1 tone controls as well as 2 on/off pickup selector switches. Tortise shell pickguard. Yangy factory 6-in-line tuning pegs.
Sound
:
10
This guitar is a one stop shop for all your basic 60's sounds. I've come across a few Norma's in my travels and I'm sorry but the truth is these Norma's kick. The first thing you notice is that the little single coil pickups are LOUDER and beefier than your average Japanese and Eurosticks of this time period. Plug it straight into any amp. Neck pup sounds jazzy/spy, Middle setting sounds surfy/rockabilly and of course gimme the bridge pup and some beatle boots and I'm gone. And oh yeah, yeah, yeah the whammy is smoooooth and not creaky.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
The bridge is adjustable. My actions set pretty low. Pups are adjustable. Neck is wider than a Vox. Intonation is right on. The look of the guitar is very mod. The grain of whatever wood shows beautifully through the sunburst. The pick guard shape is unique to these models. There is definately major Japanese pride in the making of this guitar. It's not trying to be a knock off of something else. The chrome has held up flawlessly. The look is as cool as the sound.
Reliability/Durability
:
7
Now to the ab-Norma-litys: The tuning pegs MUST GO! Of course Mr. Vintage will save them carefully for posterity. But if I'm gonna make the scene with this axe, it's gonna need some Schallers, Grovers, etc.
Armed with a decent set of tuning pegs I will totally gig with this and no backup. Tell a joke while you change a string. Easy to thread through the tail piece. I'm giving it a 7 because of the pegs.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
So solly, Tombo company Japan juss make mouth-organ now!
Overall Rating
:
9
I play all kinds of stuff for more than 30 yrs. Rock, Jazz, Merseybeat, etc. I've gigged alot and you might have seen or heard me sometime. I own and have owned loads of vintage guitars: Gibsons, Fenders, Gretschs, Ricks, Guilds, Voxs, etc. If this axe takes a hike I will replace it asap with another Norma.
