1980s The Kasuga Bluegrass Banjos, Mandolins & Guitars Catalog

[Sigmania]

 

[Sigmania]

 

[Sigmania]

CONTENTS

MANDOLIN

M-18 ¥18,000

This standard model was created with an emphasis on ease of play and simple design for beginners. It features a nato neck, a spruce top, and a traditional sunburst finish.

M-30 Teardrop Jr ¥30,000

This mandolin was designed for the American music enthusiast, based on an old mandolin from the late 1920s. It was named Teardrop because of its romantic teardrop-like style. The snakehead-designed neck is made of mahogany. The top is made of arched solid spruce. The rim and back are made of maple. The positions are marked with dots inlaid with white mother-of-pearl.

M-50 Teardrop Sr ¥50,000

The M-30 and M-50 are Mandolin Brothers. All of the bodies are made of solid spruce and maple, with a semi-curved finish. They are finished with a lacquer finish with a textured finish that is highly effective acoustically, producing a sharp and powerful volume. This model meets all the requirements for a bluegrass mandolin.

M-75 Lilly ¥75,000

An old-style artist model made by a veteran craftsman using high-quality spruce and maple single boards. Lily inlay on the headstock, mother-of-pearl dot position. This model is perfect for the calm mandolin player. Brown sunburst finish. Pickguard is optional.

M-100 Flowerpot ¥100,000

In 1973, the KASUGA mandolin production staff

This was the first model developed and produced, and has since undergone many improvements to become the model closest to the F-5 Artist. It features a Mexican shell flowerpot inlay on the headstock and flower position. This model firmly maintains the artistry of the mandolin. Made of selected spruce and maple solid wood. Golden Sun Burst tracker finish.

M-120 Fern pattern ¥120,000

Many bluegrass players, including David Grisman, Doyle Lawson, and Bobby Osborne, love this type of mandolin. The headstock has a Mexican shell fern pattern, pearl dots, and is very beautifully inlaid. The body is made from spruce and curly maple veneer selected by the materials staff. Based on an old mandolin, it has a chocolate brown lacquer finish.

M-150 Early Flowerpot ¥150,000

The materials, construction, and finish are all based on the old violin style, and this is a truly outstanding instrument with the dignity of an old mandolin. Select spruce and curly maple are the finest materials in terms of acoustics and beauty as an instrument, and the varnish is hand-finished to soak into the wood grain.


BANJO

RB-400 ¥40,000

Adjusting the neck and head is a necessary condition for banjos. This is a perfect bluegrass banjo that fully meets those conditions and is unparalleled in price, model, and manufacturing in this class. Mahogany neck & resonator, guarded pegs, nickel plate parts.

RB-600 Diamond & Snowflakes ¥60,000

Fiddle-shaped headstock. Diamond and snowflake pattern pearl inlay. Flat top tone ring. Mahogany neck and resonator. It has a powerful sound suitable for the mid-class, and is characterized by its ease of playing and beautiful finish. The resonator flange is one-piece style. Set with planet pegs that ensure accurate tuning. Dark walnut finish.

BR-800 GRANADA ¥80,000

This is a reproduction of the Granada model, one of the originals in the history of banjos. It is beautifully inlaid with an old-style hearts and flowers pattern. The best plastic tone rings and maple rims produce the sharp, mature sound that is unique to bluegrass banjos. Mahogany neck and resonator. Maple rim. Flat top plus tone ring. Rosewood fingerboard. Dark walnut finish.

RB-1000 Hearts & Flower ¥100,000

Maple neck and resonator, curly maple rim. Ebony fingerboard. Made from the best materials for banjos, the RB-1000 produces an authentic, sweet and pleasant rolling sound for bluegrass fans. The hearts and flowers pattern pearl inlay and the calm chocolate brown lacquer finish give it a high-class banjo image. Flat type brass tone ring. Two-piece flange. Globe tailpiece. Overbinding finish makes slide playing smooth.

RB-1200 Flying Eagle ¥120,000

This model features an archtop plastic tone ring developed by the KASUGA banjo staff. Compared to flat-top banjos, this model has a sharper, fuller sound. Flying Eagle pearl inlay. Maple neck and resonator. Curly maple rim. Brown-n-sunburst lacquer finish. REM Clear head set.

RB-1500 Wreath ¥150,000

A high-class banjo for veteran pickers, designed based on Ralph Stanley's favorite banjo. Beautiful tiger grain curly maple neck and resonator. Selected curly maple rims. Clear and dynamic tone with a very comfortable rolling. KASUGA banjo tuners set on the 2nd and 3rd strings allow for a wide range of picking. Japan's first banjo with tuner. Reese turn pearl inlay. Gold plated parts. Golden sunburst lacquer finish.

FB-800 Folklore ¥80,000

A unique collection for folk music lovers. Open tone ring born from research into tone rings. Back type. Tone ring is a plus tube type. Produces a very warm tone for chord strokes and claw hammer playing. Mahogany neck. Dot pearl inlay. Chrome plated parts. Dark walnut finish.

FB-1500 Tuba-Phone ¥150,000

The perfect open-back banjo for the old-timey clawhammer picker. Plus the Tuba-Phone tone ring is handcrafted. Curly maple neck with built-in adjuster rod. Curly maple rims. A smart, beautiful tone, perfect for fiddle tunes. Dot & Star pearl inlays. Ebony fingerboard. Carved neck edge. Natural lacquer finish.


GUITAR

BG-100 ¥100,000

This model is the result of many years of technical research by KASUGA and BG staff, and was created by a limited number of craftsmen, combining all the acoustically effective conditions. The body is made of straight-grained selected veneer wood, American cedar wood, and a completely hand-applied oil varnish finish. These conditions produce a deep bass and a mature, clear sound.

BODY:
Top/Selected Spruce Solid
Back & Rim/Selected Rosewood Solid
Pickguard/Tokkou Embedded
Binding/Black and White
X-Placing/American Cedar
Bridge/Ebony
NECK: Neck/Mahogany
Position Mark/Small Dot Pearl
Inlay The Kasuga Early Style Head/
Pearl Inlay Tuners/Old Grover #98 Made in U.S.A.
Fingerboard: Ebony
Uses medium gauge Martin strings.

BG-150 ¥150,000

The body material is carefully selected straight grain veneer. Lican cedar bracing. Fully hand-applied oil and varnish finish. And to express the natural beauty of the wood, all bindings are made of wood. It features deep bass and a beautiful, well-balanced sound.

BODY: Top/Selected spruce solid board
Back & rim/Selected rosewood solid board
Pickguard/Genuine tortoiseshell embedded
Binding/Wood
X-playing/Selected American cedar
NECK: Neck/Mahogany
Bridge/Ebony
Fingerboard: Ebony
Position Mark: Small Dot
Pearl Inlay The Kasuga Early Style Head:
Pearl Inlay Pegs: Grover #102 Made in the U.S.A.
Martin strings, medium gauge

 

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THE KASUGA GUITAR FEATURE

●Specially made by a veteran craftsman with over 15 years of experience. Only the staff are involved in the production.

●We use straight-grained veneer of spruce, rosewood, and mahogany selected from wood that has been naturally dried for more than five years.

The wood construction has a unique X-bracing style and is made from American Cedar.

As a result of extensive prototype research, we have achieved a well-balanced sound with powerful bass and a mature tone, which are the requirements for a bluegrass guitar.

The fingerboard is finished to make it easy to play. In particular, the height of each fret is checked individually before it is hammered in, and no sanding is done to remove any roughness.

-Major improvements have been made to the painting method, resulting in completely hand-painted paint with the highest acoustic effect.

This method does not use polyurethane, which creates a film on the guitar, but instead allows the oil varnish to soak directly into the guitar, applying it multiple times over the course of several days.

The more you play it, the more it will develop the character of an old guitar.



●The design also fully incorporates the good qualities of old guitars. It is.

BG-100………………

A Grover #98 guitar seen in old guitars

By setting the neck, we were able to eliminate the problem of the neck becoming too heavy and making it difficult to play.

BG-150…………………To express the natural beauty of the material,

All guitars feature wooden elephant bindings. Genuine tortoiseshell pickguard


●The binding on the headstock and fingerboard has been removed, and the guitar is made using the finest woodworking techniques. The guitar's shape is clearly visible.

The neck is fitted with a dovetail groove, which is firmly fixed and produces the best sound. Enabled.

 

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KASUGA BANJO FEATURE

● KASUGA STYLE BR-1500

●BR-1500 has this

Kasuga tuners are attached to the 2nd string, armrest and 3rd string. Unlike traditional tuners, they won't damage the inlays, and by loosening the two thumb screws they can be used as regular pegs.

The Tenjin inlay and the fingerboard inlay are a pair. The model above has a wreath pattern (a flower crown design).

Other products include Hearts & Flowers RB-800, RB-1000, Flying Eagle RB-1200, Diamonds & Strokes RB-600.

Neck: Mahogany, maple, or curly maple is used, and for the RB-800 and above, a rosewood core is used to prevent the neck from warping.

Fret end binding finish (adopted from the BR-1000) The fret ends are wrapped in the cell to create a smoother slide and a more beautiful fingerboard. This method is also used on mandolins M-100 and above.

●Rim and tone ring: These create the life and sharp rolling sound of the banjo.

Ring: The picture shows a flat top tone ring. The best are made of brass. Rim: 13 sheets of maple laminated together like a baumkuchen.

This is an archtop tone ring BR-12 00 style

The Kasuga banjo can be used as both an archtop and a flattop. In other words, if you have an RB-1000, you can make it into an archtop by yourself by purchasing an archtop ring.

You can change it into a top-style banjo. Of course, the reverse is also possible. You can also change the neck. We can custom-make it from the patterns shown.

●Resonator flange This is the metal that supports the hook that applies tension to the head and attaches the resonator to the rim. Kasuga flanges are made to be strong enough to withstand tension.


●Stretcher band: This acts to apply tension directly to the head. If the stretcher band spreads outward when tension is applied as shown in the right figure, it will be useless. This is prevented by enlarging the cross section that comes into contact with the hook.


The bridge is a Liberty type that produces a crisper sound. The higher the strings are from the head, the more powerful the sound produced by the banjo. The Kasuga bridge is 16mm high.

If the neck is not firmly attached to the rim, the sound will escape.

"This thick rod completely holds the neck in place. (It's about as thick as your thumb.)

① String height adjustment: With a banjo, you can adjust the string height to suit each player. This is one of the attractions of the banjo.

Method: Do not touch Rod A as it is used to secure the neck.

To raise the string height, fix rod B so that it does not rotate, loosen nut D, and tighten nut C.

To lower the string height, fix rod B so that it does not rotate, loosen nut C, and tighten nut D.

A nail of about 5 cm is used to fix rod B so that it does not rotate.

●Tune-up: Tightening the 24 hooks on the head tenses the head for a clearer sound. It is best to tighten the hooks diagonally. Kasuga banjo staff tighten the head quite tightly during inspection before delivering the banjo. Once you tune it, you can play it as a bluegrass banjo straight away! That's what we think.

 

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KASUGA MANDOLIN FEATURE

KASUGA STYLE M-100

This is the M-100 head.

The Kasuga Mandolin is inlaid with 2mm thick Mexican shells, preserving the traditional artistry of the mandolin.

Other varieties include Lily (M-30, M-50S, M-75), Fern Pattern (M-120), and Early Flower Pot (M-150).

THE KASUGA TRUSS ROD: Because mandolins have stronger string tension than other instruments, Kasuga mandolins have a unique arrangement of iron cores. This was first adopted by Gibson.

By tightening A, a contracting force acts between AB, preventing the neck from warping. B.

DOVE TAIL: All Kasuga mandolins have dovetail necks.

The neck joint is called dove tail because it resembles a dove's tail.

This dovetail method is technically the most difficult and effective method. Kasuga uses this method on their K Country guitars and The Kasuga guitars.

DOVE TAIL

●TOP: Made of high-quality spruce veneer (M-30~M-150), it is available in two types: arched top and card top.

Arched Top M-18, M-30

Semi-curve top M-50S

Curved Top M75, M-100, M-120, M-150

The back is classified in the same way as the top, and from the M-50S onwards, a solid piece of maple has been used.

⑤Side (body): Made of very thin maple (2.5mm thick), this reacts sensitively to the vibrations generated by the top and back, and vibrates.

It plays an expanding role.

The lining (accordion) is made of mahogany or pine, and its shape has been carefully considered.

The tone bar is made of spruce, and serves to reinforce the top, and at the same time, to transmit vibrations together with the top. This is where the influence of the violin is evident.

There are two tone bars.

●Painting: Veteran craftsmen are involved in the painting to bring out the beauty of the material. Of course, they use the most acoustically effective method. Kasuga mandolins are available in three types of painting.

Ⓐ

Regular: This is the method used for M-18 and M-30, where color is applied between layers of lacquer to maintain a beautiful finish forever.

outfit

③ Fabric coloring...

This is the most effective way to bring out the beauty of the wood grain, but it also requires advanced techniques. The paint is applied directly to the wood while it is still in its raw form, and then a coat of lacquer is applied on top. This paint is also effective acoustically, and the more time passes, the more character the wood acquires. This method is used on the M-50S, M-100, and M-120.

◎Old Ba...Iolin paint

This is a traditional painting technique recently developed by Kasuga and is used on the M-150. It is said that the secret of old violins such as Stradivarius lies in the mixture of varnishes, so the painting is very important. Kasuga has uncovered this secret and has simultaneously released the M-150 mandolin with a completely varnished finish. Of course, Kasuga is the only company in Japan that possesses this painting technique. Simply put, you can call it a genuine violin painting.

●This is how the strings are attached to the tailpiece. It is designed so that all the strings have equal tension.


CASE For M-120, M-150

The artist case retails for ¥10,000.

This is a reproduction of the case previously released by Gibson that is popular among guitar enthusiasts.

Convenient for storing small items in addition to the main body ¥8,500

①Strings: Gibson, Maxima, B. Diamond, etc. seem to be used for flat mandolins. Kasuga mandolins use original strings and Gibson strings.