wanting imformation if possible

[boltroy]

i bought this kasuga guitar and can't find any imformation on it
i was wondering if anyone had any imformation on it.....i think it's
a copy of a gibson barney kessel but i'm not sure....it's exactly the
same but smaller.....please help
someone....thanks

[Spud1950]

It helps to have a picture that you don't need a magnifying glass to see.



It's definitely a Gibson Barney Kessel copy.





"Kasuga was established in 1935 in Nagoya by Miki Bukichi. Kasuga made guitars, banjos, mandolins, violins and ukeleles. Kasuga started their own brand of guitars in the 1960's and in the 1970's made the Heerby and Ganson brands and partnered with Roland on a guitar synth. Kasuga and Tokai made Conrad guitars in the 1970s.

In the 1980's/1990's they made guitars for Yamaha, Burny/Fernandes and the early Navigators.

Kasuga apparently made some Washburn models around 1988 or so with a serial number starting with a K and they might have also made some Jackson and BC Rich guitars.

They also did BC Rich type copies for the Japanese market with a K on the headstock instead of a B.

Kasuga went out of business in the mid 1990's."

[boltroy]

[tome]

I owned one identical to that from new. I bought it in 1971 in Leeds from an old luthier called Arthur who ran the "Musical Instument Repair Centre" in North Street. He told me that it was a trade sample from John Hornby Skewes guitar importers who had decided not to market that particular model. Mine was definitely the first one in this country and may have been the only one as far as I know. I sold it about 1974. I think I probably traded it in.

The original knobs were the gold ones and the original pickups had chrome plated plastic covers with the white plastic showing through where the chrome had worn off.
I have an old black and white photo somewhere of me playing it at home in 1974.