The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Hi all, first post. Sorry for the poor photography. I have had this guitar for about four months. It's a 1982 Onyx, and it *looks* like some others i have seen online, with one important exception-- it's a proper neckthrough, not a bolt-on fake. The build quality is just ridiculously high. It's a visually stunning guitar with machined brass saddles and nut. The neck is very lightly finished for the era and plays beautifully.

Tonally it's ferociously mid-focused, it shoves its way to the front of the mix. The knobs are neck volume, bridge volume, and really interesting high cut and low cut tone controls. Toggles are coil splitting and a phase switch that is most effective when both pickups are engaged.

I know absolutely nothing else about this guitar. Anyone got any info about these earlier, "upmarket" Onyxes?

[img]http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj170/citizensofgravity/IMGP2892-1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj170/citizensofgravity/IMGP2896.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj170/citizensofgravity/IMGP2899.jpg[/img]

Hey,

I just found one of these as well. How did you find out it was an '82? Mine sounds exactly the same as your description.

Thanks,
Ian

Edit - Looking at your posted pics it seems that the through neck on yours is a little different insofar as mine has 5 laminated pieces. Everything else is identical, including the rail type p/ups. You think they are the same? Any numbering/id on the back of the pickup bodies? Regards.

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Thread necro!

Yeah, my neck is a 5pc, the pics just don't show it very well. I am pretty sure our guitars are identical. Mine has a 5-digit serial on the back of the headstock.

I was told by the guy I bought it from that it was an '82. I since took the guitar down under with me and talked to a guy at a guitar shop in Melbourne, Australia who wondered where a Canadian got an Onyx. He said that Onyx was an Australia-only imprint in the late 70s and early 80s because of legal issues with some other brand names. He thought the guitars were basically just rebadged Washburns but hadn't seen one in years. However, mine didn't look familiar.

Interestingly, there is a receipt in the case mine came with which is from a guitar shop *in Winnipeg*. I am wondering if maybe that one shop bought a few of these from a wholesaler, or if some were sold in Canada as well as Oz. I have never seen one of these 'upmarket' Onyxes in the US and only Canadians seem to own them. I think the fact that there only seem to be two floating around on the net means that there probably weren't many in the first place.

Anyway, I have never found a bridge pickup that makes me entirely happy, but the neck pickup is gorgeous and the neck is a dream to play. I took the guitar to try out an amp the other day and the guy selling the amp says "what is that, it sounds awesome!", played it for 5 minutes, and then wanted to do a trade!

It doesn't get quite as much action as it should because it doesn't bring the heavy enough for my current project (that's what the 1980 Yamaha SG1500 is for) , but it's my go-to guitar for random noodling.

I have one of these as well...in Canada. Bought it in 1983 or 1984 in Calgary. I still play it and it as original. I have other 'frankensteins' that I prefer for the pick-up and pot upgrades, but this still plays and sounds great. Bought it at a bankruptcy sale for a music distibutor.

I too would like to know more. I had never seen or heard of anyone else owning one until now.

Welcome Dale89. How about some pics?

Someone must know something???? Just gave it a tune-up, change the oil, rotated the tires and it sounds great.

3 more pics

Hmm, very nice but I'm not feeling Mat.

I do not think so either, but have no idea. Seems to be a piece of this and a bit of that, but none of one.

Any ideas????