Weird, old brands of the 60s and 70s from Japan

steveyam · #1 06-25-2012, 04:47 AM

Another thread I responded to just inspired me to start this one. In the early 70s I had a pretty decent dreadnought that had an ugly gold 'plated' plastic logo on the headstock, 'DIA'.

Researching this now, it was made by the Matsumoku company in Japan who also made for Aria and many other marques.

The topic of these hidden, 'nameless' manufacturers in Japan and the many brand names they spawned, I find interesting and nostalgic. Indeed there are some gems of guitars amongst them as well as a load of - basically - cheap rubbish. However, they're all interesting if only from an historical POV.

So, what weird brand name guitar did you have? tell us the story, show us the photo.

BTW, you can research your weird Japanese brand name here: http://torchharrison.hubpages.com/hu...m-1950-to-1980 This is an amazing web page that gives great insight into these early Japanese guitar manufacturers.

The photo below is the only one I could find on the web of a DIA acoustic guitar - it is not my guitar - but it appears to be the 12 string version of the same. I want my old one back! Nostalgia calls!

Garthman · #2 06-25-2012, 06:21 AM

An interesting article - thanks for posting.

Matsumoku made some very good guitars.

Bob Womack · #3 06-25-2012, 06:27 AM

How about a Conn? They were made in Japan from about 1971-81. That had about 60 models in that period. Mine was the top of the line for 1974, the F-27.

It is a deep dread with spruce top and rosewood sides and back and was advertised as having an ebony bridge and fingerboard. It has a NATO neck with a rosewood headstock overlay and gold Grover Rotomatics.

Photo from the net

It has a three-piece back.

Photo from the net

I saved a half year for this one. It traveled with me during the '70s and '80s. When it came time for it to be re-fretted and a little neck planing done, my luthier discovered that the supposed ebony was a dye. He removed the rest of the dye to reveal a very nice piece of Brazilian rosewood lying beneath. I had already worn of a patch of black on the bridge to reveal the same. This one is full of memories and its in its case as my beater at work. It is right on the edge of needing a neck reset but I probably won't sink the money in.

Bob

tamiller1952 · #4 06-25-2012, 07:09 AM

I had an Ensenada 12 string that I bought at a pawn shop. After about 3 or 4 years the tailpiece was pulled into by the string pressure. I learned later that it was imported from Japan by Strum and Drum of Chicago.

This isn't my guitar, but it's the same model I had. Probably all laminate but at that time I didn't know laminate from Brazilian.

bananas · #5 06-25-2012, 07:39 AM

Interesting. From what I`ve seen over my time in Japan, the list in that link covers just a part of the brands that were available...and there are those that even the Japanese people can`t read, and I`m not kidding...I have some Japanese nylon string guitars that have hand written labels that nobody can read, at least the people I have shown them to can`t read them...they can read bits and bobs but not the entire thing...have a Tazaki or Sazaki...evidently it can be read both ways...have a couple of others from a maker that has a label that reads Dragon something or other...they can`t figure it out. I`ve seen the POS brand...very fitting name for the ones I`ve seen actually. Seen both the MY and YOUR brand on line here. For people interested in this stuff just watch the Yahoo Japan acoustic section...you`ll see just how many there were, I thought it would be cool to save the pics of the odd brands I see on line but it got to the point where there were just too many.

steveyam · #6 06-25-2012, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tamiller1952

I had an Ensenada 12 string that I bought at a pawn shop. After about 3 or 4 years the tailpiece was pulled into by the string pressure. I learned later that it was imported from Japan by Strum and Drum of Chicago.

This isn't my guitar, but it's the same model I had. Probably all laminate but at that time I didn't know laminate from Brazilian.

That way of terminating the strings on a 12 string is a viable alternative to the traditional method of using bridge pins. With the latter, the tremendous upwards pull of the strings tends to create excess top belly and also causes the bridge to rotate and lift too, ultimately leading to a high action. Conversely, attaching the strings to a tailpiece at the end of the guitar means that the pressure on the top is downwards, though that too - in the case of a 12 string - can lead to problems such as a pan shaped (concave) top. The answer - says he proudly - is to have six strings fixed each way; by each of the two methods just mentioned, so that the upwards and downwards pressures would, to some extent, even each other out. In fairness, a few months ago I saw a photo of a guitar using 'my idea' so clearly it has been used, though not that widespread for some reason.

bananas · #7 06-25-2012, 08:03 AM

Just had a quick look at the link below...the kind of " everybody else " section from Yahoo Japan, and from just the first 10 pages I got these names...

Egima Real
Tetomas
Hotta
Calace
B & M
Folks
Pirles
Mustang/Tatsuno
Royal Crown
Niibori
Lakeside
Gamma
True Tone
Inui
Hamox
Great Lake

and for anyone with Japanese font...knock yourself out...
http://category.auctions.yahoo.co.jp...=0&s1=end&o1=a

mjz · #8 06-25-2012, 05:58 PM

I have one of these.

A 1975 Penco A160. (photo from http://vintagemartinguitar.net)

Penco guitars were made in the same factory as the high-end early Ibanez instruments -- the Hoshino Gakki Factory. The bridge is lifting and needs repair, but it still sounds really good. I bought it as a project and one day hope to replace the bridge myself. About a decade ago I was in a studio for a session and the studio beater was a Penco D-35 clone. I own a 1975 Penco Les Paul that I purchased new in '75. So I knew about the brand. That guitar sounded awesome. So when one popped up here in the AGF classified priced right a few years back -- I scooped it up.

max

bohemian · #9 06-25-2012, 08:48 PM

Diamond, Greco, Taka

Tuffythepug · #10 06-25-2012, 09:19 PM

In about 1972 or so I bought a real cheap Japanese steel-string guitar that was call "Conquerer". ..... A poorly made laminate dread guitar that I made worse by flipping the strings to convert it to a lefty and making it the worlds worst playing guitar. I sold it at a garage sale about 15 years later for $20.

saxonblue · #11 06-25-2012, 10:03 PM

This is #2 in my sig

There was no attempt whatsoever to disguise it was a copy of lawsuit proportions, they even call it a J200 (probably need to go a long way to sound like a real one though). Nevertheless not a bad player & being a laminated build it's nearly indestructible (it's fallen over way too many times) & has a loud voice too. It's the one that still comes with me on camping trips or on the odd Sunday arvo to the pub.

I've had it since 1978 as I inherited it from my oldest sister who we tragically lost in a car accident at the time so it's a stayer for that reason alone even if I didn't like playing it. She bought it 2nd hand 5 yrs or so before that so I assume it goes back to 1970 or earlier.

It originally had open back tuners & a couple of those were pretty dodgy. The schallers were a good move as was a bone nut (both mods early '80s). Despite the almost overwhelming body size it has a slim & comfortable neck & little or no intonation or relief issues.

Ed422 · #12 06-25-2012, 10:36 PM

About 10 years ago or so there was a coffee table book about 1960-1980 Japanese made acoustic guitars, and another on about Japanese made electrics from the same era.

Interesting reads... and containing info that would ring with just about 80% of todays players I'd bet.

Ed

steveyam · #13 06-26-2012, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed422

About 10 years ago or so there was a coffee table book about 1960-1980 Japanese made acoustic guitars, and another on about Japanese made electrics from the same era.

Interesting reads... and containing info that would ring with just about 80% of todays players I'd bet.

Ed

That's interesting. Do you have any more info that would feed a google search?

Ed422 · #14 06-26-2012, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveyam

That's interesting. Do you have any more info that would feed a google search?

I just did a couple minutes of searching and I can't find it. I'll look again later today and see if I can find them.

Ed

steveyam · #15 06-26-2012, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed422

I just did a couple minutes of searching and I can't find it. I'll look again later today and see if I can find them.

Ed

Ed thanks, much appreciated. I too did a google search but without a tad more info for the search engine to work on, nothing meaningful came up. In the UK, there's a vintage guitar guru called Paul Day who has written lots of books. I was going to try to ask him, but again I cannot find any contact details.