Here's a little curiosity:
I've been picking up these Greco-branded wooden guitar stands at online auctions in Japan during the past 18 or so months. The logo is fun of course, but they also look a bit more like furniture than the standard black steel-tube stands. And being on wheels, they're easier to move out of the way when the robot vacuum cleaner nesting under the stairs needs to do its thing.
The final one arrived a few weeks ago, and unlike the others, it had a manufacturer's sticker, and I was surprised to find that it was made made by Atlansia. A Matsumotu address, phone and fax. No email or URL so I assume that the stands are at least pre-internet.
Now Atlansia is one of those names that keep cropping up in vintage MIJ contexts, rarely on actual instruments but they're often mentioned as manufacturers of wood parts, mainly necks, for other manufacturers. I've only seen anecdotal evidence for this, but I haven't really researched it.
The company seems to be have been founded in the early 80's by Hayashi Nobuaki, aka "H. Noble". He'll be 80 next year and is an industry veteran, to say the least, having started out with Matsumoku when they were still Singer Japan's cabinet maker. He eventually became Matsu's head designer, and a lot of Aria original designs, incl the famed SB basses, have "Designed and approved by H. Noble" on the headstocks.
According to their website, they mostly make necks and bodies for US parts suppliers today. But they also have a substantial range of fiercly innovative boutique instruments, especially basses, on offer.
Home - Atlansia Guitars
What I find interesting and kind of fun is the fact that when Kanda Shokai wanted Greco-branded guitar stands, they contacted this seriously qualified luthiery shop. Which apparently gladly accepted the order. It would seem to me that there must have been specialized furniture manufacturers around to ask, but no, they kept it within the Matsumoto guitar-making family. It must have been a rather unique local business environment.
Also, they kind of kept up the proud tradition of making excellent copies of the West's finest. These are your basic Ikea-style flat-pack products, complete with the same hex key screw and other fittings. Very familiar to a Swede like me.
Now, I wonder if they made them with a Tokai logo..?
I've been picking up these Greco-branded wooden guitar stands at online auctions in Japan during the past 18 or so months. The logo is fun of course, but they also look a bit more like furniture than the standard black steel-tube stands. And being on wheels, they're easier to move out of the way when the robot vacuum cleaner nesting under the stairs needs to do its thing.
The final one arrived a few weeks ago, and unlike the others, it had a manufacturer's sticker, and I was surprised to find that it was made made by Atlansia. A Matsumotu address, phone and fax. No email or URL so I assume that the stands are at least pre-internet.
Now Atlansia is one of those names that keep cropping up in vintage MIJ contexts, rarely on actual instruments but they're often mentioned as manufacturers of wood parts, mainly necks, for other manufacturers. I've only seen anecdotal evidence for this, but I haven't really researched it.
The company seems to be have been founded in the early 80's by Hayashi Nobuaki, aka "H. Noble". He'll be 80 next year and is an industry veteran, to say the least, having started out with Matsumoku when they were still Singer Japan's cabinet maker. He eventually became Matsu's head designer, and a lot of Aria original designs, incl the famed SB basses, have "Designed and approved by H. Noble" on the headstocks.
According to their website, they mostly make necks and bodies for US parts suppliers today. But they also have a substantial range of fiercly innovative boutique instruments, especially basses, on offer.
Home - Atlansia Guitars
What I find interesting and kind of fun is the fact that when Kanda Shokai wanted Greco-branded guitar stands, they contacted this seriously qualified luthiery shop. Which apparently gladly accepted the order. It would seem to me that there must have been specialized furniture manufacturers around to ask, but no, they kept it within the Matsumoto guitar-making family. It must have been a rather unique local business environment.
Also, they kind of kept up the proud tradition of making excellent copies of the West's finest. These are your basic Ikea-style flat-pack products, complete with the same hex key screw and other fittings. Very familiar to a Swede like me.
Now, I wonder if they made them with a Tokai logo..?
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