HJ

The HJ was Samick's Gibson L-5 style model. Introduced in 1989, the same year the Hondo HL5 "FatBoy" (which the HJ was based on) was discontinued. It has since become well regarded for it's build quality. In one particular catalog from 1992, it was referred to as the "Wabash".

Related:

• Hondo HL5
• IHJ
• Vantage 655VG
• Washburn J
• HF

HJ-605 (Artist Series)

1999 HJ-605-1 N

In 1998, the name was changed to HJ-605-1.

Body:

• Laminated Maple arched top, back and sides
• 12 ³/₄" upper bout
• 10 ³/₈" waist
• 17 ¹/₈" wide lower bout
• 3 ⁷/₈" depth
• Venetian cutaway

Neck:

• Set-in Maple neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid/Abalone split block inlays
• Deluxe headstock
• Ornate Mother of Pearl Artist logo inlays
• 14^o headstock pitch
• 20 frets
• 25.5" scale

Binding:

• Triple-ply body, neck and headstock
• Single-ply f-holes

Hardware:

• Gold hardware
• 16:1 ratio lubricated, die-cast tuning machines
• Clear acrylic pickguard
• Rosewood bridge with Harp tailpiece

Finishes:

• Natural (N)

HJ-610 (Artist Series)

Body:

• Laminated Maple arched top, back and sides
• 12 ³/₄" upper bout
• 10 ³/₈" waist
• 17 ¹/₈" wide lower bout
• 3 ⁷/₈" depth
• Venetian cutaway

Neck:

• Set-in Maple neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid/Abalone split block inlays
• Deluxe headstock
• Ornate Mother of Pearl Artist logo inlay
• 14^o headstock pitch
• 20 frets
• 25.5" scale

Binding:

• Triple-ply body, neck, headstock and pickguard
• Single-ply f-holes

Electronics:

• One floating pickup
• 1 Vol, 1 Tone (pickguard-mounted)

Hardware:

• Gold hardware
• 16:1 ratio lubricated, die-cast tuning machines
• Triple-bound tortiose shell pickguard
• Rosewood bridge with Harp tailpiece

Finishes:

• Vintage Sunburst (VS)

Also branded as:

• Aria Pro II FA-71

HJRG-302

1990 HJRG-302 GS (Vantage logo)

Some examples featured Vantage logo in 1989.

• 1989-1990

Body:

• Laminated Maple arched top, back and sides
• 12 ³/₄" upper bout
• 10 ³/₈" waist
• 17 ¹/₈" wide lower bout
• 3 ⁷/₈" depth
• Venetian cutaway

Neck:

• Set-in Maple neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid/Abalone split block inlays
• Deluxe headstock
• Ornate Mother of Pearl flower inlay
• Mother of Pearl Wave logo or Vantage logo inlay
• 14^o headstock pitch
• 20 frets
• 25.5" scale

Binding:

• Triple-ply body, neck and headstock
• Single-ply f-holes

Flower inlay & Wave logo

Electronics:

• Two ceramic humbucker pickups
• 3-way switch
• 2 Vol, 2 Tone

Hardware:

• Gold hardware
• 16:1 ratio lubricated, die-cast tuning machines
• 3-ply Tortoise shell pickguard
• "Batman" truss rod cover
• Black "notched" Speed knobs
• Rosewood bridge with Trapeze tailpiece

Finishes:

• Cherry Sunburst (CS)
• Golden Sunburst (GS)
• Antique Violin Sunburst (AV)

Also branded as:

• Antoria EG-794 (Jazzstar)
• Marathon
• Sebring JS-20
• Washburn J-6

HJ-650 "Wabash"

• 1991-1994

1991 HJ-650 AV

Body:

• Laminated Maple arched top, back and sides
• 12 ³/₄" upper bout
• 10 ³/₈" waist
• 17 ¹/₈" wide lower bout
• 3 ⁷/₈" depth
• Venetian cutaway

Neck:

• Set-in Maple neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid/Abalone split block inlays
• Deluxe headstock
• Ornate Mother of Pearl flower and Wave logo inlays
• 14^o headstock pitch
• 20 frets
• 25.5" scale

Binding:

• Triple-ply body, neck and headstock
• Single-ply f-holes

Electronics:

• Two ceramic humbucker pickups
• 3-way switch
• 2 Vol, 2 Tone

Hardware:

• Gold hardware
• 16:1 ratio lubricated, die-cast tuning machines
• 3-ply pickguard
• "Batman" truss rod cover
• Black "notched" Speed knobs
• Rosewood bridge with Trapeze tailpiece

Finishes:

• Tobacco Sunburst (TSB)
• Golden Sunburst (GS)
• Antique Violin Sunburst (AV)
• Dark Red Sunburst (DRS)
• Natural (N)

Also branded as:

• Marathon
• Sebring JS-20
• Washburn J-6

HJ-650 "Wabash" (Artist Series)

1995 HJ-650 GS

• 1995-2001
• $1,199 MSRP (2001)
• $549 Street (2003 clearance)

Body:

• Laminated Maple arched top, back and sides
• 12 ³/₄" upper bout
• 10 ³/₈" waist
• 17 ¹/₈" wide lower bout
• 3 ⁷/₈" depth
• Venetian cutaway

2000 HJ-650 N

Neck:

• Set-in Maple neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid/Abalone split block inlays
• Deluxe headstock
• Ornate Mother of Pearl Artist logo inlays
• 14^o headstock pitch
• 20 frets
• 25.5" scale

Binding:

• Triple-ply body, neck and headstock
• Single-ply f-holes

Electronics:

• Two ceramic humbucker pickups
• 3-way switch
• 2 Vol, 2 Tone

Antique Violin Sunburst

Hardware:

• Gold hardware
• 16:1 ratio lubricated, die-cast tuning machines
• 3-ply pickguard
• Headstock matching truss rod cover
• Black "notched" Speed knobs
• Rosewood bridge with Trapeze tailpiece (1995-1997)
• Rosewood bridge with Harp tailpiece (1998-2001)

Finishes:

• Tobacco Sunburst (TSB)
• Antique Violin Sunburst (AV)
• Natural (N)

HJ-650 LH TSB

Also branded as:

• Sebring JS-20
• Washburn J-6

HJ-650 LH

Left-handed model.

Finishes:

• Tobacco Sunburst (TSB)

HJ-650/C (Artist Series)

1999 HJ-650/C N

• 1998-2001

Body:

• Laminated Maple arched top, back and sides
• 12 ³/₄" upper bout
• 10 ³/₈" waist
• 17 ¹/₈" wide lower bout
• 3 ⁷/₈" depth
• Florentine cutaway

Neck:

• Set-in Maple neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid/Abalone split block inlays
• Deluxe headstock
• Ornate Mother of Pearl Artist logo inlays
• 14^o headstock pitch
• 20 frets
• 25.5" scale

Binding:

• Triple-ply body, neck and headstock
• Single-ply f-holes

Electronics:

• Two ceramic humbucker pickups
• 3-way switch
• 2 Vol, 2 Tone

Hardware:

• Gold hardware
• 16:1 ratio lubricated, die-cast tuning machines
• 3-ply pickguard
• Headstock matching truss rod cover
• Black "notched" Speed knobs
• Rosewood bridge with Harp tailpiece

Finishes:

• Natural (N)

HJ-660 (Artist Series)

Body:

• Laminated Maple arched top, back and sides
• "Tiger Tail" flame Maple veneer
• 12 ³/₄" upper bout
• 10 ³/₈" waist
• 17 ¹/₈" wide lower bout
• 3 ⁷/₈" depth
• Venetian cutaway

Neck:

• Set-in Maple neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid/Abalone split block inlays
• Deluxe headstock
• Ornate Mother of Pearl Artist logo inlays
• 14^o headstock pitch
• 20 frets
• 25.5" scale

Binding:

• Triple-ply body, neck and headstock
• Single-ply f-holes

Electronics:

• Three P-90 pickups
• 3 vol, 1 tone?

Hardware:

• Gold hardware
• 16:1 ratio lubricated, die-cast tuning machines
• 3-ply pickguard
• Headstock matching truss rod cover
• Gold "Notched" Speed knobs
• Tune-O-Matic bridge with Rosewood base and Vintage tailpiece

Finishes:

• Natural (N)

HJ-700 (Artist Series)

2000 HJ-700 GS

Thinline 7-string version of HJ-650.

• 2000-2001

Body:

• Laminated Maple arched top, back and sides
• 12 ³/₄" upper bout
• 10 ³/₈" waist
• 17 ¹/₈" wide lower bout
• Venetian cutaway

Neck:

• Set-in Maple neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with Acrylic block inlays
• Deluxe headstock
• Ornate Mother of Pearl Artist logo inlays
• 14^o headstock pitch
• 20 frets
• 25.5" scale

Binding:

• Triple-ply body, neck and headstock
• Single-ply f-holes

Electronics:

• Two ceramic humbuckers
• 3-way switch
• 2 Vol, 2 Tone

Hardware:

• Gold hardware
• 3-ply pickguard
• Headstock matching truss rod cover
• Black "notched" Speed knobs
• Tune-O-Matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece

Finishes:

• Golden Sunburst (GS)

HJ-850/TR (Artist Series)

2001 HJ-850/TR OR

• 2001

Body:

• Laminated Spruce arched top
• Laminated Maple back and sides
• 12 ³/₄" upper bout
• 10 ³/₈" waist
• 17 ¹/₈" wide lower bout
• 3 ⁷/₈" depth
• Venetian cutaway

Neck:

• Set-in Maple neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid/Abalone split block inlays
• Deluxe headstock
• Ornate Mother of Pearl Artist logo inlays
• 14^o headstock pitch
• 20 frets
• 25.5" scale

Binding:

• Triple-ply body, neck and headstock
• Single-ply f-holes

Electronics:

• Two humbucker pickups with Filtertron style covers
• 3-way switch
• 2 Vol, 2 Tone

Hardware:

• Chrome hardware
• Grover Rotomatic tuning machines
• Headstock matching truss rod cover
• Black "notched" Speed knobs
• Tune-O-Matic bridge with Rosewood base and Bigsby-style tremolo

Finishes:

• Orange (OR)

HJS-650/TR

1995, Antique Violin

Translucent Red (TR)

• 1993-2001
• Artist Series (1995-2001)

Translucent Blue (TBL)

Body:

• Solid Spruce arched top, laminated Maple back and sides (AV, VS)
• Solid Maple arched top, laminated back and sides (N, TR, TBL)
• Venetian cutaway
• 12 ³/₄" upper bout
• 10 ³/₈" waist
• 17 ¹/₈" wide lower bout
• 3 ⁷/₈" depth

Natural (N)

Neck:

• Set-in Maple neck (C profile)
• Rosewood fingerboard with Mother of Pearl rose inlays
• Deluxe headstock
• Mother of Pearl Wave logo inlay (1993-1994)
• Ornate Mother of Pearl rose inlay (1993-1994)
• Ornate Mother of Pearl Artist logo inlays (1995-2001)
• 14^o headstock pitch
• 20 frets
• 25.5" scale
• 12" radius
• 1 5/8" nut width

Binding:

• Abalone-bound body (front), headstock and pickguard
• Single-ply body (rear), neck and f-holes

Electronics:

• Two ceramic humbuckers (~8K Ohms)
• 3-way switch
• 2 Vol, 2 Tone

Hardware:

• Gold hardware
• 16:1 ratio lubricated, die-cast tuning machines
• Abalone-bound pickguard w/ Spruce veneer
• "Batman" truss rod cover (1993-1994)
• Headstock matching truss rod cover (1995-2001)
• Black "notched" Speed knobs
• Rosewood bridge with Pearloid rose inlays
• Bigsby-style tremolo

Finishes:

• Natural (N)
• Translucent Red (TR)
• Translucent Blue (TBL)
• Vintage Sunburst (VS)
• Antique Violin Sunburst (AV)