Original vintage c 1968 Kustom k200 deluxe, in what must be the rarest of finishes for this very rare guitar; black zebra. For the uninitiated, the k200 was Bud Ross’ (or Roger Rossmeisl, of rickenbacker, fender, Martin fame, depending on your source) bastard brainchild, a sort of hybrid between the rickenbacker 360, fender telecaster thinline, and gretsch duo-Jet, with a thinline semi hollow design, dearmond dynasonic pickups, (ala the Martin f-65/ duo-jet), bigsby b5, and gretsch zero fret and “action flow” nut design, and a very fenderish bolt on neck reminiscent of the Coronado II series of hollow bodies. The pickguard, and tone controls are obviously, a direct lift from the rickenbacker 330. All of these were rossmeisl designs. In short, every bell, whistle, and trick in the book. -A total yacht, and a damn ambitious entry into the crowded 1960’s electric guitar market for Ross. Of course, it was a flop. A very few were produced in 68-69, and they have gone on to become coveted collector’s pieces.
It’s a shame, because this is one hell of an axe. The dynasonics are absolutely rude and spanky, the neck is arrow straight, and lightning fast, and the bigsby holds excellent tune, even with vigorous dive bombing. She is an absolute joy to play, and is one of the shreddier, nastier guitars I’ve had the pleasure of hosting here at the studio, and beats out some choice Les Paul’s, SG’s, and teles when it’s time for some nasty on a track.
Cosmetically, she’s very vintage indeed, with a generous patina of real play and finish wear, all authentic and deserved; all included at no extra charge. She will ship in the original hard case (not pictured) which is quite a mess, or if the buyer prefers, a new quality hard shell. Enjoy!
