Profile Guitars

japanstrat · Post by **japanstrat** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:25 am

Has anyone got a Profile LP Strat or Tele or know anything about them.

From what I can find out they were MIJ in the early 1980's and seem to have been sold mostly in Canada, New Zealand, UK and Australia and not the USA.

japanstrat · Post by **japanstrat** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:14 am

The headstocks of the Profile LP's are Gibson open book style and the Profile Fender copy headstocks are shaped like Fenders but the Profiles don't seem to have been for the Japanese market.
Maybe they could get away with the headstock shapes by selling them in Canada and Australia and not selling them in the USA and getting Gibson or Fenders attention.

http://www.guitargear.net.au/discussion ... mit=recent

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Profile-Stratoca ... dZViewItem

Ozeshin · Post by **Ozeshin** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 6:38 am

The profile guitars that I've seen here in Australia didn't have a headstock script font like that.
In fact....my failing old man memory is nagging me that I may have owned a profile at one point or another.
They were OK...not Tokai standard though.

Glamrockmegastar · Post by **Glamrockmegastar** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:27 pm

Like Ozeshin I have seen a few in Australia, but with different logo script.
The Strat model was definitely still called a Silhouette though.

Have often come across them in secondhand stores and pawn shops, however none I have ever picked up have been much good at all.
I would keep well away.

On the topic of lower end Strat copies, I have owned two Torch branded Strats. Paid under $150 AU each! and they are just amazing! Swapped out the electrics, but the necks are unbeatable.

Has anyone else had experience with these, or know where they come from?

Ozeshin · Post by **Ozeshin** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:51 am

On the topic of lower end Strat copies, I have owned two Torch branded Strats. Paid under $150 AU each! and they are just amazing! Swapped out the electrics, but the necks are unbeatable.

Funny that eh....
I have a cheap arsed MiC Squier strat.
It has the best strat neck I've ever played(Wish it was maple fingerboard rather than rosewood though) and sounds great cranked.
One day,when finances allow,i'll swap out the pickups for something better but the neck is just brilliant and it cost me $80 in a pawn shop.

Glamrockmegastar · Post by **Glamrockmegastar** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:27 pm

Good stuff!

These Torch necks were 1 piece maple with skunk stripe, I even put one on a late 90's Strat body I had, and it was my main axe until I got my Burny!
It sounds wrong in theory, but really a great mongrel rock warhorse!

japanstrat · Post by **japanstrat** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:17 am

I got hold of a Profile Black Magic Strat for about $80.
It's a copy of the early 1980's Strats with the output jack on the pickguard with 1 Volume and 1 Tone.
Comparing it to my FujiGen Fender Japan Strat it looks a bit rough.
It has Made in Japan on it and has a black headstock with Gotoh tuners.
The neck is surprisingly good which is why I bought it as I need a Strat type neck for another body.
The pickups that came with it were pretty bad (I don't know if they were original) so I put in some Fender Japan pickups I had lying around and a Fender Lace Sensor in the bridge and after that I could get pretty good Strat tones and for some Strat things I actually prefer it's sound rather than my Fender Japan Strat.
Sometimes cheap guitars sound pretty good with the right pickups in them.

Ozeshin · Post by **Ozeshin** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:02 pm

Sometimes cheap guitars sound pretty good with the right pickups in them.

Agreed!!
I've just bought some Wilkinson p'ups for my squier...can't wait to put them in.
The stock chinese p'ups are okish and I can get a decent SRV tone from them...but the neck p'up is unusable...squeals and howls at every volume setting.

japanstrat · Post by **japanstrat** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:36 am

I found some Profile chorus etc pedals and the Profile logo on them is exactly the same as the Profile logo on the Profile Silhouette Strats.
I found out that the Profile pedals are branded for a unknown distibutor and the exact same pedals are also branded for other unknown distributors.
So the exact same pedal was sold under different brands such as Profile, Axtron, Locobox etc.

Glamrockmegastar · Post by **Glamrockmegastar** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:58 am

The profile guitars that I've seen here in Australia didn't have a headstock script font like that.

Like Ozeshin I have seen a few in Australia, but with different logo script.

FYI, This is the Australian logo.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/PROFILE-SILHOUET ... dZViewItem[/quote]

Ozeshin · Post by **Ozeshin** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 5:20 am

Maybe I'm showing my age too much but the Profile script on the ones I've seen was a thiner spaghetti type font...basically the same as that example but thinner and more "fender-ish".

japanstrat · Post by **japanstrat** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:08 am

The thin spaghetti logo Profiles are the Profile Vintage Strats.
Some late 1980's models might be Korean (they have no made in Japan on the neckplate) and have plywood bodies.
The Profile Black Magic Strats have the same thin logo but mine has made in Japan on the neckplate and is a solid wood 4 piece body and not a plywood body and they have a black or red satin finish with a black neck and headstock.
The Profile Black Magic Strats came out while the Profile Silhouette was around then the Profile Vintage Strats took over, although they might have been around when the Silhouette's were and there are also just Profile Strats which came out first.
The Profile Silhouette has a wider logo with a different font (that is the same as what's on the Profile effect pedals) and has made in Japan on the neckplate and are from the early/mid 1980's and it's the high end model with a 2 piece body and sometimes a 1 piece neck.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instrume ... 410881.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instrume ... 678972.htm

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php ... 8f63692d20

http://www.guitargear.net.au/discussion ... pic=3517.0

The Profiles are in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK as well.
They seem to be a Commonwealth guitar.
I think they might have kept away from the USA because with the Profiles headstocks looking like Fenders and Gibsons they would have run into a bit of trouble.

Ozeshin · Post by **Ozeshin** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:55 am

I do remember that the Aussie market was flooded with Profile strats at one time...seemed like every store you walked into had them hanging on the wall.
Now it's MONTEREYhttp://www.guitar.com.au/guitars/electr ... /index.htm
ARIAhttp://www.guitar.com.au/guitars/electr ... /index.htm
CORThttp://www.guitar.com.au/guitars/electr ... /index.htm
ASHTONhttp://www.guitar.com.au/guitars/electr ... /index.htm

japanstrat · Post by **japanstrat** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:12 am

Hey Ozeshin does your chinese squier have a CY serial number.
If it does they are made by YAKO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CO LTD based in Taiwan and they make some Gretschs for Fender as well.
I've been thinking about buying a CY Chinese Squire and apparently they are pretty good except for the pickups.

Ozeshin · Post by **Ozeshin** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:22 am

Nope it's a YN serial number.
It's the cheap-arsed Affinity series and cost $50 unmarked.
I don't know what happened with this guitar though...I must have been fated to pick it up.
The cavities are all painted and shielded.
The neck is easily the best strat neck i've ever played...the stock chinese pickups were usable so long as you stayed on the neck/middle or bridge/middle combination.
It has a set of Wilkinson pickups in it now and it's made all the difference..maybe new tuners next.
The colour scheme was typical Black body...white scratchplate,pickups and knobs.
BUT NOW....I've '70's things up...white scratchplate...black pickup covers and black knobs...tres Blackmore

...I know i should hate this guitar and all it stands for(chinese crap blah blah blah etc etc) but it's certainly the pick of the litter.