CBS Masterworks guitars...

[sneakypete]

[sneakypete]

placed the winning bid, will post pics when it gets here.

[VintAxe]

Sorry to be mute on this one sneaky, I've never heard of CBS Masterworks.

Hopefully you can provide us with some information once you get it in your hands.

[Spud1950]

Google search shows that CBS Masterworks was the brand name used by CBS for a short lived line of Asian made acoustics , the same CBS Inc. being the parent company of Fender guitars at the time,having bought the company in 1965 and selling it in 1985. If you Google " CBS Masterworks guitars" you'll find some snippets of info about them.

Edit- Actually found a picture of one, classical model.



The logo on the label is that of Columbia Records.

[sneakypete]

hey...thats the one I bought !
I did look around the web and found very little info on em...they have been connected to K.Yairi and over at the Yairi site, the webmaster posted pics of his labels that actually say K.Yairi on them...and they look totally different to the pink one I awaiting delivery on...the others are rectangular. But the one I`m purchased has characteristics I see on old Suzukis/Yamaha Dynamics...the tuners, the headstock shape...and the heel is one that looks like my old Suzukis. Good thing about mine is...it will come with the hang tag which may help a great deal in solving some of the mysteries that seem to surround this CBS Masterworks guitar...and it sets a precedent of sorts I mean, how often does one get to stump the panel at this web site?

[Spud1950]

This may help to date the guitar,at least within a range of years.

"CBS Masterworks
Profile: CBS Masterworks Records was a subsidiary of CBS Records. In 1927, Columbia Masterworks Records was founded under Columbia Records, but renamed to CBS Masterworks Records in 1980.
When Sony bought CBS in 1987, CBS Masterworks Records was renamed to Sony Classical Records in 1990.

Since CBS started using CBS Masterworks as a name for a line of recordings in 1980, and they got out of the instrument business in 1985 when they sold Fender, then perhaps these guitars can be dated to sometime in that period.

[sneakypete]

maybe...I`ll see what the tag says. some folks are saying the masterworks guitars came into being when CBS bought the Fender company...but nobody seems to really know, something I`ve become accustomed to with old MIJ guitars.

[sneakypete]

got it...not great. all laminate and certainly not up to yairi standards. don`t know who made it...possibly who ever did didn`t want their name associated with it. it is very beautiful I must say but I don`t think I`m even gonna waste a set of new strings on it...if I decide to give it to my brother in laws eldest daughter I`ll string it up...and she`s got two younger sisters so if one of them should happen to stomp on it...no big loss. The tag only had guitar care tips on it and all in English so I`m guessing it was for export...it kinda reminds me of the MIJ stuff I used to see in 5 and dime stores when I was a kid, typical low end junk...though I now know they kept the good stuff for the domestic market `cause I have some fabulous old MIJ guitars...this isn`t one of em however. `spose it will look good hanging on a wall somewhere as long as nobody threatens to play it.
so...the lesson is...if youse are gonna buy a CBS masterworks...make sure it`s one that has K.Yairi on the label.