1960s Intermark Cipher Guitar

[concrete_charlie]

Hi all, I was hoping anyone out here could provide some information about these Intermark Cipher guitars? Here's what I know: apparently Intermark was the importer and Cipher was the manufacturer or simply just the badge. Almost all the solid body guitars closely copied the Italian Eko guitars, and I mean REALLY copied them! Pickup placement, switching, and tremolos are almost identical and have only subtle differences compared with their Italian Eko counterparts. These Cipher guitars are also closely related to the Pleasant Japanese guitars of the same time. One interesting part they both share is the truss rod cover. The cover also acts to hold down the strong tree/retainer. This is the only time I've ever seen this before and the odd double duty use of the truss rod cover that these guitars share seems to be more than coincidence.

[Peer]

These were imported into the U.S. by an East Coast wholesaler called Inter-Mark and distributed primarily to department stores. (The company seems still to exist as Intermark Industries Inc., headquartered in Miami, FL, though now concentrating on electronics products and parts).

Besides Cipher, they also used the name Columbia, with the same small rectangular headstock badge:





Both brands sported this rather endearing neckplate:



As regards the OEM, I would suspect post-1967 Kawai. The headstock style has much in common with some of the Kingston and St. George models of that period, and the 'warp proof' necks appear to be the same kind of wood laminate used on e.g. the Avalon guitars, as immortalized by The Shaggs. - The Pleasant brand belonged to the Shiro Musical Instruments Mfg Co., but as you say, probably shares the same provenance.

[Big Beat]

Not much out there to know about Intermark, except that they were higher-than-average quality, and are easy to identify in any condition because of the lettering on the neckplate. Another case of a small Japanese independent company formed to ride the '65 - '67 guitar boom, that went bust in '68. There seems to have been at least two models (slightly different body & headstock shapes), each available in 2, 3, or 4 pickup versions. Most were standard redburst, some tobacco/"mustardburst". Solid colors, sparkle colors and colored pickguards are much more rare. Interesting guitars and quite playable. Not too rare as such, though a nice 4-pickup non-redburst model in good condition is quite collectible.

There indeed may be some connection to Avalon. I also suspect that Tombo is mixed in there somewhere, because the vibratos are identical to those found on Tombo's Norma sparkle models. Though again, possibly just a common supplier.

[concrete_charlie]

Peer and Big Beat, thanks for your knowledge!!! The Tombo tremolo is right on, I didn't make that connection although I've seen enough of those Norma sparkles. The Avalon connection is a really cool suggestion. Is the maker of the Avalon a mystery too? I always thought that was Greco? And I've never seen these guitars with a Columbia badge before, so that was a great discovery! A couple more clues to search...

[concrete_charlie]

Here's another clue I found regarding the Cipher guitars!! There was also a slimline hollow body guitar sold through Intermark with the same neck plate. Well I found one of these for sale on gbase, and get this, the headstock amazingly has the sticker still on the headstock, and it says "Bandstand Music Corp., Westfield New Jersey." Does that mean anything to anyone? Here's the link

[Big Beat]

Oh yes, I forgot about the Cipher Vibra-Slim copies. FAR more rare than the solidbodies. The sticker is probably just a music store sticker, though.