Holy Crap - History Top Shelf with Braz 'board & Honduran on Yahoo Japan

Tokai Forum

Help Support Tokai Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
AndyTokai said:
Five decades? Holy moly! You must have seen some rad guitars in your time!

I have made nearly sixty orbits around that big bright giant flaming ball of gas out there since I have been stuck here on this spinning rock we call Earth. That means I'm old. :lol:

By the time I graduated high school just over four decades ago, I had purchased & sold several guitars, and a couple of amps.
I wish I had those two amps (Marshall & Fender) because those things sounded great. I was a teenager then; that's my excuse. :lol: **** kids.

As far as guitars go the biggest thrills I had were likely attending the GSWGSs in Dallas during the 1980s. Every year the Japanese buyers were there with a lot of ca$h (USD) buying up all of the best examples of vintage Gibson, Fender, Martin, and Gretsch. I was witness to many 'deals' involving some of the most prized US made vintage guitars. It was all very interesting; it was basically like going to any 'flea market' with everyone just standing around two parties haggling out a deal, but in this case it was guitars that now command huge money if they ever hit the market today. I saw plenty of old original 'burst trade hands for just a few thousand USDs, and they all got carted off to Japan. Of course, we were all under the impression at that time that prices were WAY OUTTA reality but little did we know then where the vintage market would go. That's the way it was back in the 1980s at the Dallas show; it was something. Now, just imagine ALL of those old vintage Gibson, Fender, Martin, and Gretsch guitars from the 1950s & the 1960s that are still in Japan, that decades ago were bought in Dallas for what is now basically pennies on the dollar. Some of those buyers made out like bandits. 8)
I would be willing to bet I saw Kunio Kishida at more than one Dallas show :wink: and HOLY CRAP Batman, that guy has some really nice Les Pauls 8) among other vintage pieces.
 
guitar hiro said:
AndyTokai said:
Five decades? Holy moly! You must have seen some rad guitars in your time!

I have made nearly sixty orbits around that big bright giant flaming ball of gas out there since I have been stuck here on this spinning rock we call Earth. That means I'm old. :lol:

By the time I graduated high school just over four decades ago, I had purchased & sold several guitars, and a couple of amps.
I wish I had those two amps (Marshall & Fender) because those things sounded great. I was a teenager then; that's my excuse. :lol: **** kids.

As far as guitars go the biggest thrills I had were likely attending the GSWGSs in Dallas during the 1980s. Every year the Japanese buyers were there with a lot of ca$h (USD) buying up all of the best examples of vintage Gibson, Fender, Martin, and Gretsch. I was witness to many 'deals' involving some of the most prized US made vintage guitars. It was all very interesting; it was basically like going to any 'flea market' with everyone just standing around two parties haggling out a deal, but in this case it was guitars that now command huge money if they ever hit the market today. I saw plenty of old original 'burst trade hands for just a few thousand USDs, and they all got carted off to Japan. Of course, we were all under the impression at that time that prices were WAY OUTTA reality but little did we know then where the vintage market would go. That's the way it was back in the 1980s at the Dallas show; it was something. Now, just imagine ALL of those old vintage Gibson, Fender, Martin, and Gretsch guitars from the 1950s & the 1960s that are still in Japan, that decades ago were bought in Dallas for what is now basically pennies on the dollar. Some of those buyers made out like bandits. 8)
I would be willing to bet I saw Kunio Kishida at more than one Dallas show :wink: and HOLY CRAP Batman, that guy has some really nice Les Pauls 8) among other vintage pieces.

Unreal! I've heard a couple of related things. Firstly, that still happens at US trade shows - the Japanese buy everything and everyone else gets the leftovers. Secondly, Gibson sells more new guitars in Japan than the rest of the world COMBINED (to be accurate, the figure was 58% of total sales, some time within the last decade). I'd be willing to bet that the Japanese guitar market on a whole is bigger than the rest of the world combined. Love hearing from dudes who've been around the block like yourself. Respect to you, sir!
 
For myself & likely for others also, the term jacaranda was a bit misleading since there is Jacaranda mimosifolia aka Jacaranda.
This concept has been discussed on several forums (guitars, lutherie, etc.) over the years, and many were not convinced that the use of the term Jacaranda to label/name a different lumber species, in this case dalbergia nigra, was a proper usage of the term jacaranda. I believe the use of the term jacaranda must be fairly wide spread in Japan but possibly not so much in other areas, and also cultures.

I have limited experience with dalbergia nigra examples but I can say that many examples I have seen that are claimed to be dalbergia nigra do have great variation in color, grain, pore dimension, and oil content. This variance may be due to comparisons of older growth lumber samples as compared to more recent samples that are most likely stump lumber. Old growth samples would typically have more consistent attributes sample to sample. Later stump samples seem to have more variation sample to sample; again, this is from my limited experience with claimed dalbergia nigra examples.

One of my favorite fingerboards I have is on my 2000 Tokai LS-320. It has a very high oil content; it's almost as if it nearly oozes oil. The board has a very silky smooth feel under the fingers when you play the guitar. It is also flat sawn which is odd because rosewood board blanks are typically quarter sawn. The flat sawn board on my 320 does have a much more attractive alternating coloration because of the annual ring exposure seen in flat sawn examples. I wish all my rosewood board guitars had that high oil content. You can really tell the difference under the fingers when you play the 320. :D

Whilst I can't comment with any personal expertise, my LS-280 (2005) fingerboard definitely has the feel to it that you've described for your 320.
 
Yes, Japan certainly has the guitar bug, no doubt & the Japanese do buy a lot of guitars.
Kunio was a big piece of the puzzle during the early, formative years of the 'vintage' craze in Japan.
If not for Kunio's efforts we may have never had MIJ guitars that mimicked the earlier US examples, and that are now considered Japan vintage.
Who knows how that would have all turned out without Kunio in the mix.

WARNING: Seeing the below examples from Kunio will likely give any guitar enthusiast really bad GAS :lol: but these need to be shared.

2012
http://www.nancy-g.com/guitar_new.html

2013
http://www.nancy-g.com/GM/guitar_2013.html

2014 - 2015
http://www.nancy-g.com/GM/guitar_2014.html

2015 - 2016
http://www.nancy-g.com/GM/guitar_2016.html
 
had two Strats shipped in the same carton/package via FedEx (again) and it took just over two days from Narita airport to my door. :)
The two guitars shipped with the necks detached & it cost me <$150 to ship them from Japan to my door 8) damage free, no case, no gig bag.

I really am confused about other sources claiming there are currently shipping issues with guitars coming from Japan.
 
I'm trying to get motorcycle parts shipped from Japan at the moment, the businesses I'm dealing with are NOT shipping internationally, I know a guy who's business buys all their motorcycle parts from Japan and he's had to shut down until the Japanese companies start shipping again, maybe its only civilian stuff shipping currently, who knows ? I also have a part in Germany I'm waiting on and again, they are not shipping internationally....
 
guitar hiro said:
had two Strats shipped in the same carton/package via FedEx (again) and it took just over two days from Narita airport to my door. :)
The two guitars shipped with the necks detached & it cost me <$150 to ship them from Japan to my door 8) damage free, no case, no gig bag.

I really am confused about other sources claiming there are currently shipping issues with guitars coming from Japan.

Are you using an agent?
 
sorry but I never kiss & tell :lol: but my connection is currently shipping FedEx International Priority from Japan to the US with extremely FAST service & precision. FedEx does have their own fleet of jets. 8)
 
Lol. Geez, I wonder who "your connection", who has close to 30,000 feedback ratings on yahoo, might be... :-? Such secrets and wonder :lol:
 
guitar hiro said:
sorry but I never kiss & tell :lol: but my connection is currently shipping FedEx International Priority from Japan to the US with extremely FAST service & precision. FedEx does have their own fleet of jets. 8)
And given that I have a friend who ships to me directly from near Tokyo, I can tell you that EMS - which is what individuals as opposed to companies use - currently has restrictions in place for many countries. Perhaps that's the source of your confusion.
 
There is nothing secret about the many multiple sources out there available to pretty much anyone that chooses to utilize them to procure guitars from Japan, among other retail items.
As far as shipping options, I was previously aware that EMS had ceased shipping from Japan to the US but that does not account for other options, such as FedEx.
I received three guitars at near 'jet speed' delivery within a short time frame, while others choose to have items languish in Japan, all while they lament the lower rate shipping option isn't cutting it for them. All of this when in fact the FedEx option is just as inexpensive; actually cheaper.
Nothing secrete nor a wonder about any of that; it's all merely choices. Guess I made the right choices. :)

The History SH-L2 is a fantastic instrument, which the thread is actually about, and the only issue I have is the neck isn't as 'beefy' as I prefer.
The guitar is made with impressive materials, with great attention to detail & craftsmanship, thus the price point is IMO an extreme bargain.
Since the guitar is obviously in original condition it is easy to judge the instrument on its' full set of merit; it is an impressive instrument. :D
And how about those old vintage guitars from Kunio in the Nancy links? I guess those aren't appreciated. :roll:
 
Great work - I will keep that in mind. Glad it has worked out for you.

Yes, the Nancy guitars links are very cool and much appreciated. I am yet to visit the actual shop, though a friend of mine has and mentioned that it was quite small. Personally, my favourite vintage shop in Tokyo is Hyper Guitars - they have the biggest range I've seen; much bigger and more vintage than Norman's Rare Guitars currently stock (although I know next to nothing about US vintage stores/traders).

I'm looking forward to a future day out in Tokyo to try some early '60s 335s and Les Pauls/SGs. There are many examples of each currently advertised in various stores. Not sure if any other city in the world can boast that.
 
wulfman said:
Yes, HYPER GUITARS is like going to a museum and has such a cool vibe.

I actually discovered it when I went to check out TC Gakki. Any other vintage shops around town that you like?
Enjoy living the dream... can't wait to get back!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top