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The guitars combined unique body shapes and idiosyncratic color schemes with proprietary technology such as the
Calibrato vibrato, adjustable nut for intonation, and even an early wireless transmitter. Between 1967 and 1974 roughly 3,000 were made. In April 1972, Jones died from a heart attack, with
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The company was briefly revived in 2004 when Will
Meadors bought the "Micro-Frets" name with the purpose of relaunching the brand, although it was just to make a small run of guitars. In 2017, 50 years after the company was created, Micro Frets went back into production, with an initial launch of
162:
The company was founded by Ralph Jones in 1967, originally under the name "Micro Tech". Jones and a small group of builders set up in a 15,000-square-foot factory financed by business partner
Francis Marion Huggins on Grove Road. Apart from cutting guitar bodies and necks, they also machined
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1935:
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Hazel Jones continuing operations with builder Gary Free in charge of construction and design. For nearly four years, Free designed and built models made with remaining inventory.
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converted a Micro-Frets into a 6-string bass. Wreckless Eric continues to play the same
Spacetone model he has used since the 1970s Micro-Frets also made signature models for
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tailpiece. The first four models of guitars introduced that same year were the "Orbiter", "Huntington", "Plainsman" and "Covington", with
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In 2017 after many years of hiatus, Micro-Frets returned to production. The company currently produces electric guitars only.
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Today Micro Frets guitars enjoy a cult status. Past players include
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four models: Spacetone, Swinger, Stage II and
Signature.
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by Ward Meeker on
Vintage Guitar, March 2017 edition
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Guitar manufacturing companies of the United States
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16:American musical instruments manufacturing company
244:Micro Frets Guitars- 500 Words with Adam P Hunt
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1941:1967 establishments in the United States
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203:, Dave Fielding of The Chameleons, and
139:company established by Ralph Jones, in
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263:on Micro Frets website, 18 Oct 2019
163:components including the company's
151:until its factory closed in 1975.
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290:on GuitarPlayer.com, Feb 28, 2010
246:on Guitar Radio Show, 19 May 2016
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1:
1912:steel-string acoustic guitars
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73:1975 (re-introduced 2017)
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342:brands and manufacturers
143:. The company produced
122:microfretsguitars.com
1723:National Reso-Phonic
1635:National Reso-Phonic
1066:National Reso-Phonic
276:The Micro-Frets saga
175:models added later.
288:Micro-Frets Voyager
201:Grand Funk Railroad
141:Frederick, Maryland
134:musical instruments
83:Frederick, Maryland
48:Musical instruments
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1918:: Defunct company
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112:Electric guitars
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1685:Tenor guitars
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1187:Other strings
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561:Electric only
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348:Acoustic only
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225:Buddy Merrill
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137:manufacturing
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102:United States
100:
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89:United States
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28:
23:
1497:Harp guitars
1407:Rickenbacker
1134:Tom Anderson
1094:Rickenbacker
903:and electric
779:
681:Gordon-Smith
420:Joseph Lukes
283:
239:
209:Depeche Mode
193:Carl Perkins
190:
181:
177:
173:bass guitars
168:
164:
161:
153:
129:
128:
78:Headquarters
34:Company type
1569:Del Vecchio
1437:Steinberger
1215:Del Vecchio
1189:instruments
882:Valley Arts
854:Steinberger
780:Micro-Frets
711:James Tyler
395:Del Vecchio
390:Conde Hnos.
205:Martin Gore
197:Mark Farner
130:Micro-Frets
97:Area served
65:Ralph Jones
20:Micro-Frets
1930:Categories
1887:Tanglewood
1872:Silvertone
1761:D'Angelico
1670:Tanglewood
1457:Tanglewood
1432:Silvertone
1308:Duesenberg
1303:Danelectro
1298:D'Angelico
1109:Silvertone
950:Jay Turser
940:Danelectro
935:D'Angelico
646:Electrical
636:Duesenberg
621:C.R. Alsip
539:Tanglewood
501:Santa Cruz
385:Cole Clark
231:References
221:Tommy Cash
1908:classical
1756:Breedlove
1751:Blackbird
1554:Breedlove
1541:Mandolins
1477:Westfield
1379:Music Man
1168:Westfield
920:B.C. Rich
829:Ruokangas
803:Music Man
793:Motor Ave
767:Matsumoku
661:Fernandes
626:D'Alegria
606:Caparison
380:Breedlove
375:Blackbird
169:Calibrato
165:Micro-Nut
1906:Include
1826:National
1776:Freshman
1733:Ukuleles
1693:Epiphone
1627:National
1579:Giannini
1574:Epiphone
1559:Collings
1422:Shergold
1417:Schecter
1412:Sadowsky
1402:Reverend
1338:Guyatone
1313:Eastwood
1220:Epiphone
1178:Zemaitis
1163:Washburn
1099:Schecter
1051:Larrivée
1010:Hagström
985:Giannini
980:Garrison
965:Epiphone
925:Collings
901:Acoustic
844:Shergold
834:Sadowsky
816:Reverend
696:Heritage
686:Guyatone
666:Flaxwood
641:Eastwood
601:Campbell
586:Bohemian
534:Takamine
481:RainSong
466:Original
458:National
405:Freshman
108:Products
44:Industry
1892:Weymann
1862:Seagull
1834:Ovation
1781:Harmony
1746:Beltona
1703:Gretsch
1675:Weymann
1655:Seagull
1645:Ovation
1589:Harmony
1549:Beltona
1482:Westone
1384:Ovation
1333:G&L
1278:Antoria
1273:Alembic
1255:Weymann
1250:Tonante
1210:Deering
1158:Vintage
1151:Vester
1139:Tonante
1071:Orville
1015:Harmony
1005:Gretsch
910:Antoria
892:Westone
785:Moniker
775:Mayones
746:Lindert
706:Jackson
676:G&L
631:Diamond
616:Charvel
611:Chapman
591:Brawley
568:Alembic
552:Weymann
506:Seagull
486:Ramírez
471:Ovation
448:Maestro
370:Beltona
355:Alvarez
261:History
213:Genesis
187:Artists
158:History
118:Website
70:Defunct
62:Founder
54:Founded
38:Private
1882:Suzuki
1852:Petros
1844:Parker
1816:Martin
1806:Lichty
1801:Ibanez
1791:Hohner
1786:Höfner
1718:Martin
1698:Gibson
1665:Tacoma
1617:Martin
1604:Ibanez
1594:Hohner
1584:Gibson
1510:Martin
1505:Gibson
1472:Vigier
1462:Tobias
1452:Tagima
1447:Tacoma
1389:Parker
1363:Jolana
1358:Italia
1353:Ibanez
1348:Hohner
1343:Höfner
1328:Gibson
1323:Fender
1318:Farida
1265:Basses
1230:Ibanez
1225:Hohner
1197:Banjos
1173:Yamaha
1124:Taylor
1119:Tagima
1030:Ibanez
1025:Hohner
1020:Höfner
990:Gibson
975:Fender
970:Farida
887:Vigier
869:Teisco
849:Squier
839:Samick
808:Parker
754:Line 6
736:Kramer
726:Kiesel
716:Jolana
701:Italia
573:Bigsby
544:Walden
529:Tacoma
524:Suzuki
516:Stella
476:Petros
453:Martin
438:Lichty
365:Babicz
360:Avalon
340:Guitar
149:basses
1877:Stagg
1867:Sigma
1857:Regal
1821:Maton
1708:Guild
1660:Stagg
1650:Regal
1609:Levin
1528:Levin
1520:Lutes
1467:Tokai
1442:Supro
1427:Sigma
1283:Blade
1245:Stagg
1144:Valco
1129:Tokai
1114:Stagg
1104:Sigma
1081:Penco
1056:Maton
1043:Klira
1000:Greco
995:Godin
864:Supro
821:Robin
798:Roman
759:Lotus
691:Hamer
596:Burns
581:Blade
511:Sigma
496:Regal
430:Levin
410:Furch
400:Dobro
1910:and
1811:Luna
1796:Hora
1771:Dean
1741:Aria
1599:Hora
1564:Dean
1288:Cort
1205:Dean
955:Dean
930:Cort
915:Aria
859:Suhr
741:Lado
731:Koll
721:Kent
656:Fano
443:Luna
415:Hora
223:and
167:and
147:and
57:1967
1916:(†)
1847:(†)
1829:(†)
1713:Kay
1630:(†)
1612:(†)
1531:(†)
1487:Zon
1397:PRS
1392:(†)
1153:(†)
1147:(†)
1089:PRS
1084:(†)
1046:(†)
1038:(†)
1035:Kay
960:Eko
877:TYM
872:(†)
824:(†)
811:(†)
788:(†)
770:(†)
762:(†)
749:(†)
671:FGN
651:ESP
576:(†)
547:(†)
519:(†)
461:(†)
433:(†)
425:Lâg
207:of
199:of
1932::
1914:–
268:^
251:^
227:.
215:'
211:.
195:,
86:,
1370:
332:e
325:t
318:v
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