Major Japanese Guitar Manufacturers and their Brand Names

[VintAxe]

While searching for some Greco information I came across a post by Uli on a German website detailing the brands produced by top Japanese manufacturers of the late 60's - early 70's.

Since the original post is in German I'm not sure it pops up in English language searches so I'm reproducing it here so I can find it next time I need to see who may have produced an obscure brand. Looks like Uli has done good work and the list appears fairly accurate. As I get more information I'll update/correct this list. Please post your corrections/additions and I'll add your suggestions to the list.

Fujigen Gakki:

Contract Manufacturing for: Antoria, Epiphone, Greco, Ibanez, Jason, Mann, Odessa, Orville by Gibson, Penco, Univox, Yamaha, Kent, Hohner

Sales Brands: Oakland, Beck Bridge, Goldentone Grant Isonez, P. visitors, Pearl, Polaris, Sakai, Ventura


Guyatone:

Exclusive: Capri, Crown, GUYATONE, Guya, Fandel, Imperial, Saturn

Contract Manufacturing for: Apollo, Audition, Decca, Domino, Futurama, Hondo, Kent, Kingston, Ibanez, Orpheum, Silvertone, Suzuki

Sales Brands: Barclay, Beltone, Broadway, Capri, Crestwood, Elko, Feather, G. Rossi, Howard, Hi-Lo, Ideal, Johnny Guitar, Kimberly, Lafayette, Lindell, Maier, Marco Polo, Marquis, Maximus, Melodies, Montclair, Omega, Orpheus, Prestige, Recco, Royalist, St George, Silhouette, Sorrento, Toledo, Vernon, Victoria, Zen-On, Zenta


Kasuga:

Exclusive: Kasuga, Tokai, Goban

Contract Manufacturing for: Burny, Conrad, Fernandes, Hondo

Sales Brands: Heerby, Ganson, Emperador, Madeira, Asco, Orville


Kawai/Teisco:

Exclusive: Del Rey, Kawai, Teisco, Teisco Del Rey

Contract Manufacturing for: Arbiter, Audition, Apollo, CBS, Decca, Imperial, Kay, Kent, Kingston, Ibanez (60's), Noble, Silvertone, Tele Star

Sales Brands: Arirang, Band Master, Barth, Daimaru, Devoc, Diasonic, Dispender, Duke, Heit Deluxe, Hi-Lo, Holiday, Jedson, Kimberly, Keefy, Lindell, Melody, MCM, Noble, Prestige, Philharmonic, Randall, Regina, Rexina, Sakai, Satellite, St Georges, Schaffer, Shadow, Sorrento, Sterling, Swinger, Tonemaster, Top Twenty, Winston, Zeus


Matsumoku:

Exclusive: Arai, Aria, Aria Diamond, Electra, Stewart, Tempo, Ventura, Westbury

Contract Manufacturing for: Columbus, Conrad, Domino, Epiphone, Greco, GUYATONE, Ibanez, Washburn (Wing-and Stage-series), Westone, Yamaha

Sales Brands: Arita, Barclay, Cimar, Custom, Dia, El Maya, Fell, Gallan, Gigan, Hi.Lo, Howard, Lindberg, Lyle, Luxor, Maxitone, Maya, Mayfair, Montclair, Pan, P. visitors, Raven, Sekova, Skylark, Univox , Vision, Volhox


Tombo:

Exclusive: Morris

Contract Manufacturing for: Norma

Marks Distribution: Angelica, Asama, Columbus, Condor, Duke, Horugel, Kinor, Montaya, Queen, Regina, Schaffer, Yamato


Terada

Contract Manufacturing for: Grapham, Gretch, Joo Dee, Morris, Orville, Vesta and Fender Japan



Other brands that need classifying:
Ayar, Astrotone, Beeton, Bradford, Bruno, Conqueror, Calif., Canora, Cipher, Coronado, Cutler, Demian, Eros, Fresher, Holiday, Intersport Mark Lero, Mako, Marlin, Master, Matador, Mellowtone , Memphis, Montaya, Orlando, Pleasant, Regent, Sigma, Solola, Tamaki, Trump, MegaTones, Westminster ...

[sneakypete]

too bad he didn`t do acoustics `cause I`m wonderin` about...
Canyon, Shinko, Roje, Young mate, Your, My, Jaeger, Yoshida, Kawai, Pearl, Morales, Blue Bell, Kasuga, Serena, Birth, Fuji, Gilbert, Gabo, Sowa, Phenix, Tany, ZKG, Silver Road, Kawase, Mountain, Montano, Yamaki, Koga, Enjoy Sound, Terada, K.Country, Kimberly, Thumb, Yamato, Granada, Nardan, Jumbo, Shero, Trion, Zenon, Glory, Diana, Hotaka, Chaika, Maya, el Martin and Bobson...and I`m sure I`ll come up with more as I scan the web here.　

[VintAxe]

Yeah Sneaky, there is a dearth of information available for vintage acoustic guitars. When I started this Forum, I created the "Vintage Acoustic Guitars" Section as an afterthought. Turns out, it's the third highest rated category on the Form in terms of individual threads. Lots of acoustic players, not lots of information.

My Acoustic Guitars Catalog Section is pretty bare bones at the moment. My priorities have always been with electric guitars and amps since I own over 200 electric guitars but only 1 acoustic. It's an old Yamaha FG-160 I bought as a teenager and it still sits on a stand in my dinning room for when I want to grab a guitar upstairs and play some chords. It's not good tone but we go back a long way. I've lugged it around many a hootenanny and campfire over the years.

The good news is I own 2-3 file tubs of Acoustic Guitar literature. As I get more satisfied with the Electric Guitar and Amp Literature I have uploaded I'll focus more on making this information available in the Catalog Library.

I'll address some of the Japanese brands on your list in the near future. But as you know, the text will be in Japanese.

[sneakypete]

wow you are a rare breed if you don`t like your old Yamaha I mean there are tons of players in all the sites I visit who just can`t say enough good things about their old Yamaha FGs, personally I own 1...an FG 170, it`s ok but nowhere near as nice sounding as my Yamaha Dynamics some of which were made well before the FGs came into being. Once they perfected the laminating process the FGs began and the floodgates opened up and they made dozens of models and the Dynamics bit the dust. Things I like about the Dynamics are...all solid wood, FAT necks, beautiful tone and still criminally underpriced at the moment, which is good for me...well good and bad, I can`t stop buying them, up to 29 now...good because I bet I`ve paid less for all 29 than many players paid for 1 of their acoustics, you know I own some high end acoustics too but since discovering the Dynamics I just can`t justify spending a lot on one guitar anymore when I can get a fleet of Dynamics for the same money. Buy hey mums the word on Dynamics...don`t wanna start a feeding frenzy on those too.

[VintAxe]

That's what I'm talkin' about sneaky, it's laminate vs. solid. Solid wins.

[sneakypete]

an afterthought...I probably could find data on many of those names above, they are some brands I`ve come across over the years but frankly most appear to be extremely low quality and not worth buying for me, there`s some info on the web here but there are tons of obscure makers as well.
I just got a 1963 Takamine that I posted about at the site but got no responses to, guess nylon strings just ain`t very popular but a cool thing about the old Tak is, the label is hand signed by Mr. Takamine himself...a first for me anyways , I asked my wife to read the given name on the label but she said there are many ways to read the characters and without hiragana or katakana that often accompany difficult kanji, she guessed and said Mitake which she also said would be an odd name, so I`ll ask my older students maybe somebody will have more insight. I just love these old guitars.

[auriemma]

[VintAxe]

Thanks for the contribution Joe, I've updated the list with your information.

[Mad-Mike]

Also, Fender Japan uses the Fujigen Gakki plant to manufacture instruments as well. The other Japanese plant that I don't see on the list is Dyna Gakki.

Fujigen Gakki manufactures the Made In Japan instruments, and by contract, when Fender changed factories in the late 1990's to Dyna Gakki, they were obligated by contract to change the "Made in Japan" label to "Crafted in Japan". I've not figured out what other brands of guitar Dyna Gakki makes.

[cyclone3d]

I belive that "Tulio" needs to be added under names that kawai/teisco guitars were sold under.

I found this name when doing research on my guitar as noted in this thread: http://www.vintaxe.com/boards/viewtopic ... 7860effbe2

[chkneater]

Is there any way to differentiate a Kimberly made by Guyatone from one made from Teisco/Kawai?

[Vlad]

Hi
"Marlin" guitars were manufactured in East Germany by Musima. It was one of their export brands. The Marlin Slammer, for example, is actually a Musima Lead Star. My Slammer still had the original "Made in GDR" sticker on it and old German electronics inside, like RFT pots.
Can't say where the "Marlin by Hohner" came from. At least they didn't came with German parts anymore, so this sounds legit: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/does-a ... ost5014581

And two further Teisco brands: http://www.musiker-board.de/gitarrenmod ... ost5528227
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OLD-60S-ZENTA ... 0731705195

[selkentvintageaxeman]

Only the Marlin Slammer was made by Musima.

The other Marlins like the Sidewinder etc were made in Korea by Samick.

They have the distinctive Samick neck plate, which you also see on a lot of other guitars including Korean Epiphones and Squiers.

With regard to Japanese manufactureres...

Fuji Genn also made...

KIMBARA

and...

CSL

and...

ANTORIA

Matumoku also made...

VOX (the Japanese 80's ones)

CMI (A Marshall import name)

and...

SAXON (I think!)

[alex1212]

how about the condor corporation out of japan>

[VintAxe]

Here is another list of Japanese builders and badges from 1950-80.