HL5 (Fatboy)

The **HL5 Fatboy** was Hondo's copy of a Gibson L-5. It was introduced in 1978 and produced until 1989. Despite being a popular model, the HL5 is one of the few Hondo models never to have been pictured in a catalog.

**Made in Korea by Samick.**

## HL5

Note: some examples did not include diamond inlay.

* 1978-1979

**Body:**

* Laminated Maple arched top, back and sides
* Venetian cutaway

**Neck:**

* Set-in Maple neck
* Stained Nato fretboard with Pearloid block inlays
* Fatboy headstock w/ "Stinger"
* Wavy headstock w/ "Stinger" (late 1979)
* Mother of Pearl diamond inlay
* Mother of Pearl Script logo inlay
* 20 frets
* 25.5" scale

**Binding:**

* Quadruple-ply body (front)
* Triple-ply neck and headstock
* Double-ply body (rear)
* Single-ply f-holes

**Electronics:**

* Two single coil pickups w/ humbucker style covers
* 3-way switch
* 2 Vol, 2 Tone

**Hardware:**

* Chrome hardware
* Fish shaped truss rod cover
* 2-ply tortoise shell pickguard
* Black Speed knobs
* Rosewood bridge with Trapeze tailpiece

**Finishes:**

* Brown Sunburst (BS)

**Also branded as:**

* Samick

## HDL5

Same as HL5, with DiMarzio K-10 humbuckers.

## H-794

* 1980-1982

**Body:**

* Laminated Maple arched top, back and sides
* Venetian cutaway

**Neck:**

* Set-in Maple neck
* Stained Nato fretboard with Pearloid block inlays
* Wavy headstock w/ "Stinger"
* Deluxe headstock
	+ Silk-screened Sunrise logo
	+ Mother of Pearl S-Diamond inlay
* 20 frets
* 25.5" scale

**Binding:**

* Quadruple-ply body (front)
* Triple-ply neck and headstock
* Double-ply body (rear)
* Single-ply f-holes

**Electronics:**

* Two single coil pickups w/ humbucker style covers
* 3-way switch
* 2 Vol, 2 Tone

**Hardware:**

* Chrome hardware
* Fish shaped truss rod cover
* 2-ply tortoise shell pickguard
* Black Speed knobs
* Rosewood bridge with Trapeze tailpiece

**Finishes:**

* Brown Sunburst (BS)
* Red (R)

**Also branded as:**

* Orion FA-25
	+ Fatboy headstock
	+ Two-piece Mother of Pearl diamond inlay

## HL5-FB

* 1985-1989
* $449.95 MSRP (1984)

**Body:**

* Laminated Maple arched top, back and sides
* Venetian cutaway

**Neck:**

* Set-in Maple neck w/ laminated Rosewood strip
* Rosewood fretboard w/ Mother of Pearl block inlays
* Fatboy headstock
* Silk-screened Sunrise logo
* 22 frets (plus zero-fret)
* 25.5" scale

**Binding:**

* Double-ply body (front & rear), neck and headstock
* Double-ply heel cap
* Single-ply f-holes
* Fret-edge binding (1985-1988)

**Electronics:**

* Two cream X-14 humbuckers
* 3-way switch
* 2 Vol, 2 Tone, 1 Master Vol

**Hardware:**

* Chrome hardware
* Grover Rotomatic tuning machines
* Lubricated, die-cast tuning machines (1989)
* Fish shaped truss rod cover
* Triangular truss rod cover (1986-1989)
* 2-ply black/white pickguard
* Amber Bell knobs
* Rosewood bridge with Trapeze tailpiece

**Finishes:**

* Natural Blonde (B)
* Cherry Sunburst (CS)
* Tobacco Sunburst (TSB)
* Honey Glow (HG)

**Also branded as:**

* Antoria EG-794 Jazzstar

## Antares ASA-25

* 1982

**Body:**

* Laminated Ash arched top, back and sides
* Venetian cutaway

**Neck:**

* Set-in Maple neck
* Stained Nato fretboard with pearloid dot inlays
* Deluxe headstock
	+ Silk-screened Antares logo
	+ Mother of Pearl "S" inlay
* 20 frets
* 25.5" scale

**Binding:**

* Triple-ply neck, headstock & body
* Single-ply f-holes

**Electronics:**

* Two humbuckers
* 3-way switch
* 2 Vol, 2 Tone

**Hardware:**

* Chrome hardware
* Individually enclosed tuning machines
* 2-ply tortoise shell fish-shaped truss rod cover
* 2-ply tortoise shell pickguard
* White "notched" Speed knobs
* Rosewood bridge with floating tailpiece

**Finishes:**

* Wine Red (W)