Lonestar LE450

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Author Message Acetan (Acetan) Posted on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 11:38 pm:    Just got this off of eBay knowing zip about it. Can anybody fill me in to what I've bought? Thanks. Ace Johns (Johns) Posted on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 7:57 am:    Ace: My '84-85 catalog shows an AE450 with the same basic body, same oval soundhole and bridge. However, it has the volume and tone knobs on the side of the upper bout, right above the neck. The guitar is not listed with the other Lonestar series, just under Acoustic Electrics. So, it doesn't have the Lonestar headstock, but a 3x3 classical style head. The fret markers are dots, but centered in the traditional manner and there's no rounded end to the fretboard where it meets the sound hole. I'd say the AE450 was merged into the Lonestar series and became the LE450 sometime after '84-85. Acetan (Acetan) Posted on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 4:42 pm:    Hi John, It is quite different from an AE450. It has a thinline body and it is a nylon string guitar even though it currently has steel strings on them. Ace Orval (Orval) Posted on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 12:03 pm:    the lonestar series are excellent acoustics, i asked the hoshino guys at summer namm, why they were not still in the linup and they said... they were released at a time when acoustic sales were down, prior to the unplugged era. since they didnt sell when the acoustic sales picked up in the 90s they came out with other lines. i have several of these and they are fantastic guitars... an acoustic with an electric neck...seriously unknown. Acetan (Acetan) Posted on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 1:00 pm:    Hi Orval, Which Lonestars do you have? I would love to learn more about them. Do you have one with nylon strings? Wonder how it feels to have them on a slim neck. The seller has put steel strings on it, wouldn't the string tension be too high for a guitar made for nylon strings? Ace Ibanezfreak1960 (Ibanezfreak1960) Posted on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 10:49 pm:    I would say that having a truss rod would help the neck handle the steel strings Acetan (Acetan) Posted on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 1:24 am:    So you think I can experiment with steel string on it? Ace Captainibanez (Captainibanez) Posted on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 6:51 am:    Acetan, hey dude its a LE420; Spruce top, Mahogany back and sides, Nato neck, Rosewood fingerboard, chrome die cast machineheads, 645mm scale, Piezo pickup,1vol, 1 tone, controls, Rosewood bridge, only available in Natural....interesting part though is that the 85 cattledog says that its available in Natural and Dark Violin finishes and has Smooth Tuner II machineheads...I wonder sometimes ! Captain Ibanez Captainibanez (Captainibanez) Posted on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 6:53 am:    BTW the LE450 is the one shown in the 85 cattledog with the classical string setup. Cappy Acetan (Acetan) Posted on Saturday, September 04, 2004 - 12:59 am:    The LE450 arrived today. Replaced steel strings with nylon strings after giving it a once-over. This is a fantastic guitar, the workmanship is just flawless. It has a center block but the two wings are hollow (using my knuckles "stud finder" fachion). It has a neck sized between an electric and an acoustic and has a very warm nylon string sound but feels more like a steel string. The hollow cavity below the oval sound hole is just a hair bigger than the sound hole. With the same thickness as an AS200, it does not have any kind od "sound box" to speak of. It is perfect for playing at 4am when everyone is asleep. Anything else you'll need an amp. With all these odd-ball characteristics, no wonder it was not a best seller. But I love it. Ibanezfreak1960 (Ibanezfreak1960) Posted on Saturday, September 04, 2004 - 7:30 am:    Nice job on tying those nylons there! It look like a sweet deal you got there! Acetan (Acetan) Posted on Sunday, September 05, 2004 - 3:08 am:    The bridge is standard nylon string affair. The tuner posts are about the same size as regular nylon string guitars, albeit made of metal, so it tunes pretty much like a normal classical guitar. Ibanezfreak1960 (Ibanezfreak1960) Posted on Sunday, September 05, 2004 - 8:10 am:    I believe it was a good thing to put the nylons on. Although I mentioned earlier that the truss rod could make the neck handle steel strings the bridge may have pulled up after time. I've repaired a few guitars including some Ibanez acoustics that had the bridges glued right over top of the finish. Acetan (Acetan) Posted on Sunday, September 05, 2004 - 1:24 pm:    I totally agree. The steel strings are really hard on the bridge, in terms of both tension and wear and tear on the wood. Fg100 Username: Fg100 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 9:31 am:    Acetan, can you tell us more about your LE450? New impressions...... There's somebody around here selling one but I have no idea about prices for this model. Would you tell us about the type of sound. Does it sound like a nylon acoustic? Or more like an Ovation type? Also, do you have an idea about the value? Thank you very much. BTW, he's using the first picture from this thread on his ad, what makes me think that he might have passed here.... maybe he's here right now.... maybe he's reading this message..... if you are, you know I'm interested... Acetan Username: Acetan Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 12:48 pm:    Hi FG100, The LE450 has a slimmer neck than regular nylon string guitars. It suits me very well and has become my wife's favorite as her hands are even smaller. It does sound like a nylon string guitar both plugged and un-plugged. Of course when played without an amp, it sounds very small as it does not have much of a sound box. Overall, I like it very, very much and it is a keeper indeed. It sounds good, is kind of rare, and is very well made. As for what it is worth, it is kind of hard to decide. I have seen it valued at $800 at a web site but I only paid $350 shipped. Being such a rare bird, I think its value is simply what the buyer is willing to spend. Judging from a pure cost to manufacture stand point and ignoring the collectors value, I would say that guitars of comparable quality would probably cost at least $300 if made in China today; much more if from Japan of course. To someone like me who loves Ibanez acoustic-electrics, it is worth at least may be $650? ...maybe more. Not much help, I'm afraid, but I'm not a very rational person when it comes to toys. Fg100 Username: Fg100 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 1:40 pm:    Acetan, thank ou very much! It was very helpful. I'll see how it tunrs out (you know, sometimes sellers around here don't answer messages... or you get one some weeks later saying "Sorry it has been sold".. !!?? It's like, why didn't he answer before when I asked about it two weeks ago and it was still for sale?!!) So, I've sent a message to the seller and hope I'll get an answer before he sells it. ... Sometimes I get a feeling that they post these ads just to see how appretiated the model is... Acetan Username: Acetan Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 4:01 pm:    Granted the LE450 is kind of rare, but it has only limited appeal I think. There were only three other eBay bidders going after the one I ended up winning and none would go over $300. You just might be able to get this one for a fair price. Bigmike Username: Bigmike Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Sunday, February 20, 2005 - 3:14 pm:    Hey Guys, I'm pumped because I just picked up one of these LE450s on eBay for $300.00 - it appears to be in top mint condition. Is it any of the "brothers" here that had run the listing ?? I've always wanted a thin neck classical electric. I'd also appreciate more comments on it's sound capabilities - I'll be using it with a '66 Fender Deluxe Reverb and a LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI preamp for added tone adjustments. Michael Hale http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7300436186&ssPageName=ST RK:MEBI:IT Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Sunday, February 20, 2005 - 4:17 pm:    Nice find Mike. Acetan Username: Acetan Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Monday, February 21, 2005 - 1:10 am:    I like to run mine through my Fender MusicMaster bass amp. It gives a nice pure nylon string acoustic sound. I imagine it should work equally well in any Fender tube bass amp.

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