Gallagher Lawsuit Guitar

firemarshalnfr4 · #1 07-10-2012, 05:57 PM

Hi Everyone,

I just picked up what I believe is a vintage Gallagher Lawsuit Guitar. I was told that this guitar was manufactured in Japan by Aria in the mid 1970s and was made to resemble the Gallagher Acoustic Guitar made famous by and played by Doc Watson. I've seen photos of the real Gallagher model and this guitar looks very much like that. My guitar, however, has no serial number or label inside. The head stock is shaped like the Gallagher and the emblem on the head stock very much looks like the the Gallagher emblem. Can anyone shed any light on this so called lawsuit guitar. Thanks in advance for any assistance given.

John

HHP · #2 07-10-2012, 06:16 PM

I never heard of anyone copying Gallaghers, in Japan or anywhere else. If you can post photos of the instrument with details, might be able to find someone who will recognize it.

rosewoood · #3 07-10-2012, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHP

I never heard of anyone copying Gallaghers, in Japan or anywhere else. If you can post photos of the instrument with details, might be able to find someone who will recognize it.

+1 Pictures will help

Judson · #4 07-10-2012, 06:48 PM

Here's the link to a photo. Takamine copied lots of different headstocks during the "lawsuit era" ... I came close to buying this Takamine/Gallagher last year at Guru Guitars in Raleigh, NC and I saw a Takamine/Guild 12-string knockoff at an open mic recently.
http://www.guruguitarshop.com/Takami...mine%20311.htm

.

MikeGibson · #5 07-11-2012, 06:59 AM

I had a Takamine Gallagher copy just like the one in Blackville's link. I seem to recall it had a solid top and laminate back and sides, but I'm not sure. I was so clueless at the time that I had never heard of Gallagher.

The Takamine was a very nice guitar, but I traded it for a new D-28 in 1982. I still have the D-28.

Judson · #6 07-11-2012, 07:51 AM

Me either. I questioned them about the "peculiar" headstock and that's when they told me about Gallagher. The one in the pic has solid top with lam back and sides and sold for $750 as I recall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeGibson

I had a Takamine Gallagher copy just like the one in Blackville's link. I seem to recall it had a solid top and laminate back and sides, but I'm not sure. I was so clueless at the time that I had never heard of Gallagher.

The Takamine was a very nice guitar, but I traded it for a new D-28 in 1982. I still have the D-28.

gmax150 · #7 07-11-2012, 10:56 AM

I had this Aria Gallagher copy a few years ago. As you can see it's nearly a direct copy right down to the headstock logo. It was a nice guitar for the price.

Gary

firemarshalnfr4 · #8 07-11-2012, 12:25 PM

My guitar looks identical to the photos gmax150 posted regarding this post, right down to the case. This guitar looks to me, to be very well built. It has very good volume and sustain and is very comfortable to play.

firemarshalnfr4

Tony Burns · #9 07-11-2012, 12:32 PM

Doesnt surprise me -Japan copied about every make you can image in the 1970's -what would surprise me is if you found a brand they didn't copy.

HHP · #10 07-11-2012, 03:55 PM

Learn something new every day. Never seen or heard of these copies and now see at least two makers. I wouldn't have thought Gallaghers were widely known enough in the 70's to spur copies. Seen the Guild, Martin, and Gibson versions so I will have to add to the list.

Jim Owen · #11 07-11-2012, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHP

Learn something new every day. Never seen or heard of these copies and now see at least two makers. I wouldn't have thought Gallaghers were widely known enough in the 70's to spur copies. Seen the Guild, Martin, and Gibson versions so I will have to add to the list.

I'm betting that Doc Watson's rise to fame in the early 70s had a lot to do with the copycat Gallaghers. Coincidentally, it was in the early 70s that Japanese guitar manufacturers started exporting high-quality acoustic guitars modeled after famous American brands.

firemarshalnfr4 · #12 07-11-2012, 05:52 PM

I paid $225 for mine at a flea market and took it right to a luthier I've used for years. He liked it. He did a little neck adjustment for me and I'am as happy as I can be with it. I've got a total of $300 tied up in it.

forest.alliance · #13 11-07-2013, 10:50 AM

The G300 has a solid top, I am not sure about the G400 (I think its laminate).
Of course I could be wrong. The G300 certainly has some distinctive features
that make it much more visually attractive. You don't see either one often...
Here is one currently on eBay:

Aria G300 Gallagher Copy / Solid Top Acoustic / Vintage Matsumoku
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261321574308...84.m1555.l2649

Howard Klepper · #14 11-07-2013, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Owen

I'm betting that Doc Watson's rise to fame in the early 70s had a lot to do with the copycat Gallaghers.

.............

HHP · #15 11-07-2013, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

That's a peculiar thing to bet on. Doc's fame (Which dates to the 60's) is a big reason for the success of the original Gallaghers. The making of a Japanese copy of his road guitar (he played Martins otherwise) resulted from Doc's fame, and was kind of a rip off of his reknown. I'm thinking perhaps 2 people in the world became aware of Doc because Aria made a copy of a Gallagher. Just because maybe it could have happened.

I'm thinking he meant Watson's rise to fame spurred the Japanese to make the copy not that the copies added to his fame.