Very rare made in Japan Bill Lawrence Mad Cat electric guitar. Made famous by Prince. A quick Mad Cat primerThe Mad Cat was debuted in 1973-74 by what we would call today the Custom Shop of Morris Guitars in Japan, under the brand name H. Being initial for Mr. Hidesato Shiino, who some call the Leo Fender of Japan. Anderson guitars often featured the Chesire Cat logo, appearing on the headstock of this guitar; the Mad Cat. In the mid-1970s Hohner OEMed the Mad Cat, among other H. Anderson models from Morris. You know where Im goingthe Morris-made H. Anderson rebadged-Hohner Mad Cat (HG-490) became Princes main axe, prominently featured in Purple Rain and nearly every Prince live performance since. As we move into the early 80s, Hohner shifted away from the MIJ Mad Cats to several very different MIK incarnations with suggestive names (Prinz, Artist) which bear some cosmetic resemblance to the original Mad Cats, but are entirely different. Meanwhile, back at the original Morris factory in Japan, Mad Cats continued to be built under the brand Bill Lawrence and that, is the rare guitar we have here. This guitar follows the in-house H. Anderson Mad Cat formula, ash body, figured maple top and back, with walnut center stripe, 1P maple neck and ultra-rare faux tortoise pickguard material. This guitar has its original gold hardware, a hallmark of the Bill Lawrence issue. The guitar is in excellent condition. There are no issues playing the guitar whatsoever. Fret wear is minimal, and all electronics perform as designed, and quietly. There are the usual scratches and dings associated with a nearly 40-year old guitar, yet also a great vintage color. There is light, finish-only buckle rash on the back which can only be seen in just the right light. There is some finish wear around the strap button (pictured). There are two areas where the finish has worn at the end of the fingerboard and small area on the back upper bout. This is how the guitar arrived to me years ago from Japan, so I dont know the origin of that wear; I can tell you its been zero issue for me. It has primarily sat in its case for the last 7 years, so time to set it free. The item “Rare Mad Cat Electric Guitar (Prince)” is in sale since Monday, April 25, 2016. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Guitars & Basses\Electric”. The seller is “reidmiles” and is located in Sammamish, Washington. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Brand: Bill Lawrence
- Body Type: Solid
- Model: Mad Cat
- String Configuration: 6 String
- Dexterity: Right-Handed
- Body Material: Solid Wood
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Japan