Electric / Fresher
PRE-SALE: Fresher FL Series 3rd Gen. - Wine Red, '80s
Listed on Reverb
1 139.00 EUR
Original Reverb prices in EUR. Check the listing for shipping and the final total.
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- Model
- FL Series
- Year
- 1980s
- Finish
- WR (Wine Red)
- SKU
- E26059
- Condition
- Used — see description
Service and condition at a glance
Work and modifications
The planned service work includes: a refret, levelling and lacquering of the fingerboard, refurbishment of the metal parts, servicing and shielding of the electronics, and polishing of the body.
Technical condition
The instrument is currently being prepared for playing (pre-sale). Once the planned luthier work is complete, it will be fully functional mechanically and electronically. Cosmetic condition: The instrument shows signs of use appropriate to its age – details are visible in the photographs.
About this instrument
Instrument description in English.
About the instrument
The Fresher FL Series is a Japanese electric guitar from the 1980s. The designations with the FL prefix correspond to Fresher models with a Les Paul-style body, offered under the Leo Nine line name. The example presented here comes from the third logo generation, that is from the period of production at the Chushin Gakki factory. The guitar has a mahogany body with a maple top, a mahogany neck and a Wine Red finish, which is less commonly seen in this line.
Technical specification
Manufacturer: Fresher (Kyowa Shokai), 3rd logo generation
Model: FL Series
Year: 1980s
Body: Mahogany / Maple Top
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: 22, Standard
Pickups: 2x Humbucker (Open-Coil)
Electronics: Passive (2x Volume, 2x Tone, 3-Way Switch)
Bridge: Tune-o-Matic, stop-bar tailpiece
Tuners: Vintage (die-cast, tulip)
Hardware: Chrome
Cosmetic condition: Used
Finish: Wine Red (WR)
Weight: 4.02 kg
Body and construction
The Les Paul-style body is made of mahogany with a maple top and finished in solid Wine Red – sunburst finishes are the ones more commonly found in this line. In line with the pre-sale arrangements, the finish and the wooden parts will undergo cleaning and polishing in our workshop, and the electronics cavities will be shielded.
Neck and playability
The mahogany neck is paired with a rosewood fingerboard carrying 22 frets in standard size. The planned work includes a refret together with levelling and lacquering of the fingerboard, which will ensure correct intonation and proper string action along the entire length of the neck.
Sound
The instrument is fitted with two open-coil humbuckers working in a passive circuit, with separate Volume and Tone controls for each pickup and a three-way switch.
Character: A pair of humbuckers in a mahogany body with a maple top gives a voice with a clearly pronounced midrange and limited noise content. Independent control of both channels lets you set the pickups at different volume levels and use the middle position as a separate voice.
Dynamics: The passive electronics respond in proportion to the strength of the picking attack. The planned servicing of the circuit and the shielding of the electronics cavities will reduce susceptibility to ambient noise.
Additional information
Fresher was a trade brand – Kyowa Shokai of Nagoya, which introduced it in 1973, contracted production out to external manufacturers. In the early period (1973 – approx. 1976/77) the instruments were built by an association of manufacturers in Matsumoto, and from around 1977/78 until the end of production in the mid-1980s – at the Chushin Gakki factory.
Fresher instruments are dated by logo generations. The third and fourth generations fall within the Chushin Gakki period and are associated with a noticeably higher standard of workmanship than the earlier series. This method makes it possible to establish the production period, but not the exact year.
Leo Nine is the name of the Fresher model line with a Les Paul-style body, and the designations with the FL prefix (FL-400, FL-500) correspond to the individual models within it – in market materials they are sometimes mistakenly presented as two separate series.
The guitar is offered on a pre-sale basis, which makes it possible to reserve this particular example before the full programme of luthier work in our workshop has been completed.
Hardware
Bridge: Tune-o-Matic with a stop-bar tailpiece – a design with individually adjustable saddles, allowing intonation and string height to be set. In line with the scope of work, the hardware will undergo cleaning and refurbishment, and the bridge – a full intonation and string height adjustment.
Tuners: Vintage, die-cast, with tulip buttons. The hardware will be thoroughly cleaned and lubricated to ensure tuning stability.
Condition
Technical condition: The instrument is currently being prepared for playing (pre-sale). Once the planned luthier work is complete, it will be fully functional mechanically and electronically.
Cosmetic condition: The instrument shows signs of use appropriate to its age – details are visible in the photographs.
Setup and modifications: The planned service work includes: a refret, levelling and lacquering of the fingerboard, refurbishment of the metal parts, servicing and shielding of the electronics, and polishing of the body.
Why choose this instrument
An example from the Chushin Gakki period: The third logo generation corresponds to the stage at which Fresher instruments were built in a factory with a noticeably higher standard of workmanship than the brand's earlier series.
A rarer finish: The solid Wine Red sets this example apart from the sunburst versions more commonly found in this line.
Full programme of luthier work: This example will receive new frets and a levelled, lacquered fingerboard – once the work is finished the neck will be ready to play with no further outlay.
Pre-sale offer: Buying on a pre-sale basis means you can reserve this particular example and receive it directly after the luthier work in our workshop has been completed.
Comprehensive service: Within the agreed price the guitar will undergo all the planned preparation work, which removes the need for any further outlay of your own after collection.

