It's a Lazer
The Lazer (from what I've been able to glean from the internet
):
Mark Erlewine licensed his design to Hondo in the 80's, and once the licensing agreement expired, he began building them himself.
The Hondo version was a single humbucker. The current versions (Elrlewine's), and the one you likely saw Johnny Winter with, have a humbucker and a single coil.
It's been said that Johnny Winter likes the Lazer beacuse it feels like a Gibson, but sounds like a Strat. There's pics of him playing a Hondo Lazer until he started playing Erlewine's.
I have an early 80's Hondo Lazer - bought it on a whim, and it's kind of cool.
The headless thing is hard to get used to, but the balance of the guitar is great. Light, and you can play it on your lap, I had expected it to be more like a Martin Backpacker, and it's not. The design really is great.
And it's funny, it does feel like a Gibson and sound like a Strat.
As I see it, the primary differences between the current versions (other than the price), are the finish and pickup config. The design, as well as the Schaller hardware are the same. I'm sure the Erlewine's have much better quality control than Hondo did in the 80's, so if you're looking at a Hondo, try before you buy. I'm glad I did, mine plays to my liking. Always wanted to try a headless guitar, now I have.
Here's a couple pics. For a nearly 30 year old guitar, it's in phenomenal condition - virtually brand new. Needed a good cleaning and a fretboard oil, but it's like it came from a store. Most common colours are black and white - the red ones seem to be few and far between. Although red sure ain't my favorite colour for a guitar, I'll live with it for a while.
