Is Hondo a good guitar brand? Where are Hondo guitars made? When it comes to Hondo, I believe many are still unfamiliar with it, especially the younger generations, so we will check out this guitar brand to help you learn about something from them. There is a chance that you will encounter a Hondo guitar in the future, and I am sure you will never forget all the things you will learn from this.
So, what is Hondo Guitars? Hondo was an American company known for manufacturing guitars, and the International Music Corporation owns it. The guitar brand began when the company formed a joint venture with the famous Korean guitar company Samick. The goal was to produce top-quality musical instruments using American and Japanese standards but will be made in Korea for cheaper labor.
Hondo Guitars was one of the first guitar brands that featured American-made DiMarzio pickups on its imported guitars. From its inception in 1965 until 1984, Hondo has developed and produced more than 485 different guitar models in the market. In 1985, IMC bought the Charvel/Jackson guitar company, which also started the decline of Hondo Guitars due to the switching of focus by the company.
After it lost its way into the music market, the brand was bought out by Jerry Freed International Company in 1991. The new company started to distribute a new line of guitars manufactured in China, India, and Taiwan. After four years, it was bought again by Musicorp in 1995.
As Musicorp also owns and distributes JB Player Instruments, this pushed the company to replace the Hondo guitar brand with JB Player in 2005. Although they are not already available today, you can still see a lot of pre-owned Hondo guitars sold on websites that sell used musical instruments.
Hondo Guitars
HD-999
Included in the Standard Series, which was first introduced after Hondo introduced its Professional Series in the market, the Hondo HD-999 is a classic electric guitar that was known in the market in 1980 until it was discontinued in 1984. If you like to have a Gibson Les Paul-style guitar at a very affordable price, this would be a good choice that you should look into.
The guitar comes with a laminated Nato body with a flat top and sunburst finish. It has a bolt-on neck made of Nato and a stained Nato fingerboard with dot inlays as its position markers. It also comes in either a color-matched deluxe or open-book headstock, which really looks great for the guitar. The guitar also has 22 frets, enough for playing any genre.
It is equipped with a pair of DiMarzio K-10 humbucker pickups with a three-way pickup switch selector to allow you to choose what guitar voice you would prefer when playing the guitar. It also comes with two volume knobs and two tone control knobs.
The HD-999 comes with chrome hardware and black speed knobs. It also has a deluxe headstock truss rod cover and a wide Tune-O-Matic bridge with a stopbar tailpiece to ensure that the guitar would not go out of tune so easily.
HD-711
Another Gibson Les Paul-looking electric guitar from Hondo Guitars, the HD-711, is the replacement for the HD-990 electric guitar. The guitar also belongs to the Deluxe Series, which was the replacement for the Standard Series as one of the main product lineups for Hondo Guitars.
The HD-711 has a laminated Nato guitar body with a flat top. It also has a bolt-on neck made of Nato. Both features give the guitar a tonal output that is really great for its price tag. It also has a Nato fretboard with dot inlays for its position markers.
The guitar has a unique one-pickup configuration with a single coil covered similar to a humbucker pickup. It uses the X-14 pickup, which is specifically made for Hondo guitars. It only has one master volume control. With its 22 frets, you will not have to worry about anything when playing any genre.
It comes with chrome hardware and a black-notched speed knob. It also has a fully-adjustable wraparound combination of bridge and tailpiece, giving some additional tonal stability so that the guitar won’t get out of tune easily. The guitar is available in three finishes: black, metallic red, and cream.
H-703
Introduced in 1983, the All-Star Series was introduced in the market by Hondo Guitars. Like the H-703, which is included in the series, they are a copy of Fender guitars with a Fender Bullet-style headstock with a star logo in it.
The H-703 comes in a contoured laminated body made of either solid Ash or Rosewood and with either a natural or Rosewood finish, respectively. It also has a rear belly carve for a more comfortable playing experience
It has a one-piece Maple neck with a bolt-on design and a slim profile, making it very comfortable to play with. It also has a Maple fretboard with 21 frets and dotted inlays as its position markers. It comes with a Fender Bullet-style truss rod with a Fender-style nut.
It is equipped with three X-13 single-coil pickups, giving the guitar an impressive clean tone. It has a three-way pickup selector switch, a volume knob, and a tone knob, allowing you to choose your best-preferred tone with the options that you have from the pickup positions.
It comes with gold-plated hardware and a set of Grover Rotomatic tuning machines. It also has a vintage-style hardtail bridge, a 2-ply pickguard, and an optional vintage-style 6-point tremolo.
MC-003
Another great guitar by Hondo is from its Fame Series, which was first introduced in 1984 as a product line known for being copies of Fender guitars with Grover Rotomatic tuners, but the company made some improvements it has made is that it has added a Kahler Flyer tremolo to the guitars, and they now come in a solid body.
The MC-003, belonging to the Masterclass Series, a sub-series of the Fame Series, comes with a solid Ash body with an arm contour and a belly carve, making it very comfortable to play with even if you have a big tummy.
It has a Maple neck with a bolt-on design and a Maple fretboard with dot inlays as its position markers. It has 22 frets, so there are enough notes for you to play with, especially if you are a shredder. It comes with a color-matching headstock with a silk-screened Fame spaghetti logo.
It is equipped with three X-13 single-coil pickups and has a five-way pickup selector switch to give you a few guitar voicings that you can choose from playing the guitar that would suit your playing style. It also has a volume knob and two tone knobs.
It comes in either chrome, black, or gold hardware and has a set of Grover Rotomatic tuning heads. It also has a Fender Bullet-style truss rod and a three-ply pickguard. Lastly, it also comes with the renowned Kahler Flyer tremolo with a locking nut.
So, is Hondo a good guitar brand? For a guitar brand that is known for making Fender and Gibson-like guitars, they are really excellent for their value. Having a Hondo guitar is like you are getting a Fender or Gibson-like feel but at a more affordable price.
