My guitar collection - Tacoma
This is one of the 3 electric versions of the P1 Papoose built by Tacoma, complemented by the solid body, gloss finished SP3 Papoose electric and the semi-hollow SP6SH Papoose electric. Since the acoustic Papoose has a 3¼” thick body versus the 1.695” on this model, this makes these Papoose electrics the smallest guitars in my collection. All other dimensions are identical between the two including the mere 19.1” scale, 11” for the body width, and 30” total length. The SP1 Papoose has a solid, Natural satin finished mahogany body with through-body string insertion using 6 ferrules on the back, a chromed modern Tele-style bridge with 6 individual saddles, and a single Seymour Duncan designed model HB103B bridge humbucker. It has an onboard EMG designed preamp engaged by a push-pull volume control and adjusted by a gain control. This “Tone Phone” overdrive circuit is powered by a 9V battery, also found in the control cavity, allowing a headphone to be plugged into an ⅛” output adjacent to the usual ¼” output, both on on a single square plate on the side of the body. The mahogany neck is attached to the body by 2 hex bolts and has a rosewood fingerboard, 1⅞” nut width, etched logo on the headstock, and Tacoma branded closed tuning machines. It originally came in a nicely padded Cordoba gig bag. However, an original SP1 gig bag was available at the same time as this guitar. Hence, that Cordoba gig bag now protects the P1 Papoose. Like its acoustic brethren, this little guitar is tuned a quint higher, i.e. from A to A. The SP1 Papoose electric must have been discontinued before 2005, likely in conjunction with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation’s purchase of Tacoma in 2004, since it is neither listed in the 2005 Catalog nor on the archived March 2005 website. The model does appear in the 2001 Catalog as shown below, listing the available variants and their respective price points.
Tacoma SP1 Papoose electric
The story behind this guitar
Year:
Serial number:
Strings:
No clear serial number could be found on this little guitar, either etched or on any model sticker. In the chase for the S/N I even took off the neck, which is very easy as long as one uses the proper 4mm hex wrench. I assume the ‘TMA001’ on the sticker on the back of the control cavity cover has no meaning as such. However, with some creative license, the found ‘C08Ψ5500’ scribble in the neck pocket could be parsed in the following way: ‘C‘ would be 1999, ‘08Ψ’ could be something like the 81st day (Monday, March 22), ‘5‘ is a Wing soundhole (an acoustic Papoose, as well as the SP6SH Papoose electric have one), ’50‘ would be the 50th of the day, and ‘0‘ would mean it is from the original production run. This makes kind of sense but there is still plenty of uncertainty. But what a fun toy indeed. The overdrive circuit works amazingly and with its width, the neck is very comfortable to play. A cool application is using it in open-D tuning as a “lap steel” using my Asher Guitars & Lap Steels slide bar. With the overdrive and volume knob close at hand it is a screamer! What a find. And what a shame they are not made anymore.
The story behind this guitar
1999 (?, see below)
none, marked in neck pocket ‘C08Ψ5500’ (see below)
