Wednesday 3 July 2013

Kapa Challenger - cool 1960s vintage guitar from one of America's lesser known manufacturers

guitarz.blogspot.com:
As a resident of the United Kingdom I have never actually laid eye on a Kapa guitar "in the flesh" as it were, but through featuring them on this blog I have developed quite a soft spot for this little-known brand. Actually, even though the legend on the headstocks of these guitars declares "Made in USA" that statement wasn't completely true as the necks were known to be made in Germany by Höfner. Hardware was also courtesy of Höfner or else was sourced from Japan on some of the later models. However, bodies were made - and finishing and assembly took place - in Hyattsville, Maryland. This particular guitar was apparently the top of the line model, the Kapa Challenger, and whilst I guess it was Kapa's answer to the much emulated and ever popular Stratocaster, I can't help but see a combination of Höfner and Mosrite in the design. It just looks like a very cool guitar and looks like it would be ideal for surf music what with that Jazzmaster-style vibrato.

Check out that lovely piece of flamed timber used for the neck!

This guitar is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $799.99.

G L Wilson

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5 comments:

  1. The pickups look like Hofner also. I love how there's a string tree for the G and B and nothing for the high E so someone ran it and the B through the same slot!

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  2. Compared to an Höfner Galaxie, Höfner has got better tuning pegs, more tonal alternatives (individual switches vs 3 or 5 ways switch).On the other side the neck seems really nice and well made. Talking string trees, they often are cosmetics. On my own Höfner I put them of because they were retaining the strings a little so it wouldn't get back in tune when using the (good) vibrato. Now that I removed them it stays in tune perfectly and strings don't "buzz" more!

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  3. "an Höfner Galaxie" (ouch!)

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    Replies
    1. Excuse my french!

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    2. In fact I've got two Höfners an old one very similar to one you already showed on this blog and a new one that, I must say,needs some tweaking to be usable but,finally, quite a good guitar for the price...We'll see how it ages...

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