Univox Hi-Flyer Phase II

[rkbsound]

I just recently picked up this early 70's Univox Hi Flyer phase II. It has humbuckers, but I have the original pickups. The tuners were also replaced, but I have the originals of those as well, and the tremolo arm. It does have some cracked paint around the neck joint, but that appears to be cosmetic and is typical for a Univox. I am a big fan of slim necks, and this reminds me of the 64 Hagstrom II I used to have. The only issue is that it doesn't have dots on the outside of the neck, and since I'm a bit average in the talent dept, I might have to make some. Overall, this is a guitar that was average or so when manufactured, but really does sound outstanding. I've been looking for one for a while and grabbed this for $300. I think these guitars are still a bit over-priced due to some celebrity noteriety, and $300 was the max I was willing to pay...finding one for that price was the hard part. So...a great find? No. But a really, really, fun find. Cheap guitars can be good players!

[jps]

Looks like this will be a fun project, and with our knowledge of guitars these days I would think you could set it up to play quite well.

[fatcat]

My German Hofner didn't have side markers on it but when I decided it needed some, I found some stick-ons at MF that have done the job w/o problems.

[collin]

Hey Jeff! Great Hi Flyer, love the patina on yours.

As mentioned on BGC, these are some of my favorite (cheap) guitars. Love the necks, super playable and with a unique sound.

I've owned many of these, and have a preference for the Phase 1 (and 2) models and still have an early Phase 1 tucked in black tucked away..

Even a white Phase 1 bass! Never seen another one in almost 20 years buying these things..

[rkbsound]

Wow - those are in such great condition! I've been looking for a while and, though they are out there, they don't seem to be too common. The patina on this is really nice, and it sounds great as-is, so for now I am going to leave it alone and just enjoy it. How did you come to develop such an interest? I'd post this on the BGC but it just results in less than flattering comments.

[collin]

Wow - those are in such great condition! I've been looking for a while and, though they are out there, they don't seem to be too common. The patina on this is really nice, and it sounds great as-is, so for now I am going to leave it alone and just enjoy it. How did you come to develop such an interest? I'd post this on the BGC but it just results in less than flattering comments.

Oh yeah. Unless a Beatle played one of these, there is zero love at the BGC.

Hi Fliers aren't common guitars, but the internet has made them a lot easier to find. These were the first gear I actively collected, and was introduced to them (like a lot of folks) by Nirvana.

I remember scouring the internet in the late 90s looking for these things, calling pawn shops and searching classified ads. When Ebay first came around it was a revelation! These were kind of an odd guitar to collect, but I was pretty young and the typical price of a Hi Flier was around $150 back then. Over time I sold them all (a lot of them went to Europe), but I held onto one that has a similar beat up patina to yours. I'll take a pic!

[collin]

Also, if you need a set of original p90-type pickups (or any other small parts), just let me know. I have a small stash of parts that are specific to the Univox Hi Flier.

[rkbsound]

Thanks!