History of Japanese Electric Guitars Free

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FREE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ELECTRIC GUITARS PDF

In fact, Japanese guitar making had reached a peak during that decade, having perfected the mass production of quality instruments at a time when specialist tonewoods were still freely available—and just before production costs rose. This sent manufacturers and brand owners not always the same things first to South Korea and then to China, where the learning curve had to begin all over again. Where do you History of Japanese Electric Guitars looking, when most of the published information is firmly focused on History of Japanese Electric Guitars major American acoustic makers? Well, there is information online, sometimes scrappy and sometimes contradictory, but that is something you have to get used to when researching Japanese guitars. Even some of the distributors of the big brands were never quite sure who was making which of their models, nor quite sure what they were going to get in the next shipment. Compounding that, 40 years later, memories can be unreliable, and what records there were may have been lost. The good news History of Japanese Electric Guitars that a small number of dedicated History of Japanese Electric Guitars have worked hard to retrieve useful information, so Google is your friend. The prowess of some brands in this area is a given. More or less any Takamine is going to be good, and any Yamaha is going to be at least pretty playable and, at its best, world-class. Either brand really deserves its own article, as does Alvarez Yairi. What we are looking for here, however, are the standout guitars from the less obvious sources that are worth tracking down—and that will repay the dedicated hunter with an individualistic instrument of surprising quality, and an instrument by now nicely played-in, aged, and, with a bit of luck, at a good price. Aria is better known for its solidbody electric guitars and some fine basses, and the brand name, if it is associated with acoustic instruments at all, tends to be pegged to beginner-level, nylon-strung, Spanish-style guitars, and some pretty forgettable dreadnoughts and folk models. Gigsville wanted History of Japanese Electric Guitars offer high-quality Aria acoustics and introduced the two guitarists to Aria, which commissioned them to design six-string and string signature models. The results were impressive. Featuring entirely solid woods, the Joyce and Brett models were like no other Aria acoustics before, leading to speculation that they had been made by one of the premier Japanese acoustic producers. In fact, recent contact with a former Aria employee in History of Japanese Electric Guitars confirms that they were produced by Matsumokuthe factory long associated with Aria instruments and later with Westone and others. Matsumoku was known to be capable of producing some fine instruments but is really best known for its solidbody guitars and basses. The fact that these acoustics came from the same plant makes me wonder what else they produced, as they were known to provide instruments for other brands, including Washburn and Epiphone. The Joyce and Brett models were extremely well-made, great-sounding, and yet quite affordable. History of Japanese Electric Guitars were intended to be sold only in the UK, but in fact they seem to have appeared in other countries, too. John Joyce died inbut not before designing another Aria acoustic classic, the Sandpiper series, examples of which are also worth looking out for. Paul Brett is still very much with us, both as an authority on vintage guitars and a designer for the Vintage brand. It is Yamaha we have to thank for changing that. In the US, C. Init introduced the Martin Sigma range, which rapidly established a mystique around itself worthy of its association with the Martin legend. There are lengthy debates about serial numbers and plenty of fables about the materials used. Some claim the reason they sound so good is because they were made of all solid woods, which is not the case. In fact, most Sigmas had laminated backs and sides, and some History of Japanese Electric Guitars had laminated tops, too. Given how good a "First Generation" all-laminate Sigma Dreadnought can sound, this should give pause for thought among those who insist that only solid-wood acoustics can sound "right. Martin used various Japanese manufacturers to supply Sigma models, which were checked and set up in the US before sale. Potential Sigma buyers need to do their research, because not all Sigmas were made in Japan Martin had models made in Korea relatively earlyand serial numbers and label styles are quite complex. Fortunately, the detailed information you need is available online. Yairi and S. Yairi, though related, ran separate companies. It was Kazuo Yairi K. Yairi who studied guitar-making in the US after learning his trade in Japan and then formed a partnership with the US distributor St Louis Music, which resulted in the famous Alvarez Yairi guitars—the brand name they were sold under in the US—while in Europe they were sold separately as K. Yairi and Alvarez. Alvarez Yairi, like Yamaha, really deserves a dedicated article, but as K. One in particular was a license-built model for Bozo PodunavacHistory of Japanese Electric Guitars US-based guitar maker born in what at the time was Yugoslavia and whose ornately decorated guitars were and still are highly prized by collectors and serious acoustic players. Yairi in Japan, complete with the ornate design work. Later—and admittedly outside the general scope of this article—Yairi also license-built some guitars for George Lowdenand these, too, are much admired. Ah, but which Yairi? Some sources say it was Kazuo, others that the Lowdens were made by his uncle Sadao in a separate factory. This is just one example of the complexity underlying Japanese guitar collecting, though by no means the most confusing. Any K. Yairi guitar History of Japanese Electric Guitars likely to be expensive, but they are reckoned by their owners to be worth the money. Not exactly the choice for the bargain hunter unless you are very luckybut as good of History of Japanese Electric Guitars kind as it gets. Apparently, the Yamaki company is still in business today but concentrates on making guitar parts. What we are looking for, however, are acoustic guitars sold with the Yamaki brand name or, sometimes, with Daion. Yamaki may have been responsible for some of the fine Washburns of the era, too, notably the Prairie Song models, which are collectable and highly regarded. While on the subject of WashburnHistory of Japanese Electric Guitars again as an illustration of how complicated it can be to get to the bottom of who made what, someone who worked at a UK guitar distributor recalls how occasionally he would unpack a new shipment of Aria acoustics, only to find that the guitars inside had the Washburn brand. So any Yamaki-brand guitar is likely to be from the golden era and will be worthy of serious consideration. Happy hunting. About the author: Gary Cooper is a journalist working in the musical instrument and pro audio fields. Gary also contributes to a number of other music magazines and websites. He lives in Sussex, England. We understand the importance of online privacy and are committed to complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. To reflect our commitment, we updated our terms and conditions. By continuing to use Reverb, you agree to these updates, and to our cookie policy. Learn More. Reverb Articles. Shop Martin Sigma Guitars on Reverb. Which Yairi do you mean? Yairi Bozo Bell Western. Yamaki, Daion, Washburn. Oops, looks like you forgot something. Please check the fields highlighted in red. Yes, that's correct Do not update. History of Japanese Electric Guitars - Frank Meyers - Google книги

Yamaha occupies a surprisingly unusual niche in the guitar industry. The company, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its presence on the American market and export to other countries beyond Japan, has consistently produced guitars that have sold in impressive numbers and attracted a notable following of celebrity players and esteemed pros. Yet the success of Yamaha guitars is influenced more by their reputation for History of Japanese Electric Guitars quality and the outstanding value their instruments offer for the money than by the usual forms of guitar hero worship that drive many guitar sales. As a result, Yamaha has quietly satisfied the needs of all walks of players from beginner to pro while an ever-changing parade of trendier instruments have hogged the spotlight. Although Yamaha was originally founded in to produce pianos and organs, the company did not start building guitars until the early Forties, eventually opening a factory dedicated exclusively to guitar construction in Hamamatsu in the late Forties. By the mid Sixties, the entire world had a fever called Beatlemania, and the only prescription was more guitars. The United States was particularly stricken, and domestic guitar companies struggled to keep up with the increasing demand for anything with six strings. To satisfy customers, particularly those on tight middle class budgets, retailers turned to Asian manufacturers to fill their shelves with affordable, low-cost instruments. The phenomenal increase in demand for guitars was very beneficial to Yamaha. The company already had more than two decades of experience building guitars, and the decision was made to pursue these new opportunities in a grand fashion. InYamaha sold their first export models, which consisted of the G50, G60, G80, G, G and G classical guitars, all produced at their Hamamatsu factory. That same year, Yamaha established a custom shop dedicated to the production of the finest instruments they could make, and they started to collaborate with outside experts. Their first collaboration was with Spanish guitar builder Eduardo Ferrer, who helped Yamaha refine the designs of its classical guitar models. At the same time during the mid Sixties, Yamaha expanded its production by offering its first steel-string and History of Japanese Electric Guitars models, including bass guitars. These guitars still have a strong cult following in Japan today. As a result, Yamaha guitars were a very popular choice History of Japanese Electric Guitars beginners as well as experienced players who wanted an inexpensive backup acoustic instrument. Possibly the first major exposure for a Yamaha guitar in the United States was when Country Joe McDonald performed a nine-song solo set on the second day of the Woodstock Festival accompanied only History of Japanese Electric Guitars a Yamaha FG The guitar belonged to a stage hand, who loaned it to the performer when McDonald was asked to play an impromptu set before Santana took the stage. By the late Sixties, Yamaha had expanded its line of guitars considerably. The most notable development was the introduction of several high- quality acoustic models made from solid materials. Encouraged by the History of Japanese Electric Guitars of their acoustic guitars, Yamaha started to export electric models outside of Japan as well. The SG and SG, which featured a single-cutaway, dual-humbucker, set-neck design similar to a Les Paul, were the first Yamaha electric models to officially arrive on American shores in None of the SG models made much of an impact on the American market initially. In an effort to increase interest in their electric guitars, Yamaha reached out to Carlos Santana in and offered to build him a custom instrument. While Santana clearly loved his custom Yamaha SG, he also noticed numerous areas where the guitar could be improved and collaborated with Yamaha to develop his ideas. The SG featured a neck-through-body design and was granted two United States patents for its T-Cross System of attaching mahogany wings to the maple and its Sustain Plate, which was a brass block mounted in the body and connected to the bridge to enhance sustain. Whereas the FG series guitars were primarily affordable, budget instruments, the L series were designed as high-end acoustics. John Denver ordered two custom L guitars featuring Hokkaido spruce tops and Brazilian rosewood back and sides inwhich he played in concert and television appearances during the late Seventies. The guitar featured an intricate dragon History of Japanese Electric Guitars on History of Japanese Electric Guitars body, the Chinese character for dragon on the headstock, and a yin-yang symbol below the bridge, all done using Japanese Maki-e lacquer with gold and silver powder. To date, it remains the most expensive guitar built by the Yamaha custom shop. Yamaha developed dozens of popular classical, flamenco, steel- string and solidbody electric models during the late Seventies, but they also expanded their lineup with semi-hollow and archtop electric guitars as well as electric bass models. During this era. Yamaha still remained an innovator during this period, however. Their most notable introduction during the mid Eighties was the first commercially History of Japanese Electric Guitars five-string bass, the BB, which made its debut in Yamaha also developed the CWE series acoustic-electric models introduced inwhich paved the way for the immensely popular APX series introduced History of Japanese Electric Guitars years later. The CWE series guitars featured a slim, medium-size body with an oval soundhole and cutaway that is essentially identical to the design used for the APX guitars. However, the APX models introduced in had radically redesigned pickup and preamp systems. The most innovative feature was its hexaphonic piezo pickup that provided a separate pickup for each string. This was the birthplace of two highly successful series of guitars: the Weddington and the Pacifica, the latter still in production today. History of Japanese Electric Guitars Weddington models were essentially modernized upgrade of classic Les Paul designs. For example, the Weddington Custom featured a single-cutaway mahogany body with figured maple top, two humbuckers and Tune-o-matic bridge with stop tailpiece, while History of Japanese Electric Guitars Weddington Special had an all-mahogany body with single-coil Pstyle pickups and adjustable single-piece bridge. Other notable models inspired by input from artists who collaborated with Yamaha Guitar Development include the Billy Sheehan signature Attitude bass and the AES archtop hollowbody. This instrument features a minimalist body design with a full-size neck, a body surface no wider than the fingerboard, and a guitar-shaped frame. This is particularly evident in their acoustic building process, which starts with specially developed methods of drying woods to ensure structural stability and optimal tone and extends to their Acoustic Resonance Enhancement A. Yamaha has even refined its own complex neck-to-body joint for acoustic guitars that provides an enhanced level of contact between the neck and body. In recent years, Yamaha has also revived some of its past glories, albeit with modern enhancements, improvements and updates. For example, Yamaha performed a major revision of its steel-string flattop L series in and again inHistory of Japanese Electric Guitars both instances leading to the History of Japanese Electric Guitars of new bracing patterns. The SG quietly disappeared from production inalthough History of Japanese Electric Guitars Yamaha custom shop still built a limited number of SG guitars on request. While the Pacifica and SBG series guitars remain stalwarts, Yamaha recently expanded its electric solidbody offerings with the new Revstar series. This year Yamaha also revived the FG series, which offer incredible value to beginners and experienced players alike just like the original FG models did 50 years ago. Guitar World. 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Guitar Brands. Contact Us. We will attempt to cover the history of the selected brands and provide the information needed to help identify the models and manufacturer. A lot of our information is based on data that we have collected over the last decade. A lot of the information is based on photos, catalogues and stories that we have been told. Other information is based on identifying common properties between guitars, to identify links in their history. As new information becomes available, the pages will be updated. If you find something that you History of Japanese Electric Guitars is wrong, or have additional information, please let us know. It can be difficult sorting out fact from fiction in such an undocumented field. Some times we may get it wrong. This site is still a long way from being compiled and typed up. A lot of the pages are still in draft form. We also still need a lot more information. We have been running the Help Re-Discover Teisco page since June and have had such a small response to the web site that it seems no one really cares. Thank History of Japanese Electric Guitars for your support. Last Revised: 14 th Oct