The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Hi guys.I wonder if anyone knows whether Uncle Mat produced the Daion range of electrics,due to the fact that their solid body guitars share an awful lot with the Washburn Wing series,and their semi,the H555 Headhunter shares the same bridge and through body stringing of the Washburn HB35 semi from the eighties.Check out Bruce Diamonds guitars over on the Diamond strings site.

The Daion were not made by Matsumoku. Washburn contracted at least one other Japanese manufacturer if not more aside from Matsumoku so there is no telling if some Washburn and Dain share the same maker or not.

I've read on the Washburn forums that Kasuga built Washburns as well as Matsumoku.

Having said that, I've just looked at the Daion Headhunter - Crusty, are you 100% certain Uncle Matt didn't build them - look at this:

http://www.diamondstrings.com/daion%20HH555%20HB-1.jpg

If Kasuga were building the Wing series as well as Matsumoku, then that might explain it, but otherwise I'd be convinced that was a Mat.

However, this being the wonderful world of vintage Japanese guitars, nothing is necessarily what it seems - so just to muddy the waters further, Frenchie should look at this thread:

http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?t=2896

To clarify, the Morris guitar in the dead pics in the first post was identical to my Hohner - and it would seem that neither of them were Matsumoku - they appear to be Wing-series copies.


Jon.

A very knowledgeable collector on the east coast confirmed the Daion were not made by Matsumoku. That particular bridge was used on a number of labels and I have a suspicion it was outsourced and not an in-house design and not as indicative as say the Ray bridge is to Aria Pro II.

Probably the best site covering the Daions is Paul Carter's extensive site which has much of the Yamaki - Daion history covered.

Thanks for that link Crusty. 8)


J.

Thank you Bassassin+Crusty for you`re imput.My own personal opinion is that Daion probably were not produced by Uncle Mat,but some Washburns were and the Daions do look very similar to those instruments.As for that Headhunter,it features a one piece Mahogany neck,which wasn`t a Matsumoku trait.

I had a headhunter. Rather nice guitar but not my style I guess. I didn't even have it long enough to shoot and document it.