The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Got this NoName MIJ a few months ago and since then I can't resist to look at her every day .She's got something special about her I can't explain...perhaps because she seems so old and still pretty looking...?...
But also it's a strange construction and one I've never seen before :
it's a set neck but strangely reinforced (also often used in the early 60's ) with an unusual neckplate ,rounded at one side,
the pu's are very labor intensive : they all are fixed with nuts & bolts instead of the usual screws (and sealed with reddisch/purple-isch paint) ,
the Cosmos pot has PR-3 on it's back , I have another guitar with the same Cosmos 18 (Tokyo-)pots and that one is dated '68...perhaps the "3" and "18"do indicate the year ???
the white switches have indications "on" on the levers and not on the sides,
...and last but not least the pu's have more sleeves & holes than the Kawai's/Teisco's and other Japanese guitars !
Since there's Cosmos pot's and MIJ on the trem this IS a MIJ , no doubt about that ,...but what brand...?...

_________________
lordbizarre's electric guitar and amp museum
Wange,belgium,€pe
electric guitar and amp repair & expertise
http://www.lordbizarre.com

Can't say I can be of much help here. I recall seeing simaler neck plates on some Kent branded guitars but since I don't know who made them that does not get us anywhere. The set neck/bolt on is unique in my experiance. Is there any chane that it is a later modification? How does she play?

That neck ain't gonna fall off, is it?!! Where do you find this stuff, Ivan?!

well...I didn't (and I won't) strung(stringed ?) the guitar without the neckplate , but it's firmly fixed !
I've also to admid that she plays rather well & smooth !
Sometimes the early Guyatones & Kawai's had the same necks but sometimes also with a few hidden screws underneath the neckplate .But I've to admit I've never seen a same neckplate & neck fixation.The only indicative mark is the pu's : and again I've never seen such pu's !
...and where I find them...?...just keep my eyes open and I guess I've a feeling about them , when they come out...

_________________
lordbizarre's electric guitar and amp museum
Wange,belgium,€pe
electric guitar and amp repair & expertise
http://www.lordbizarre.com

68? after kawaii had literally shifted into the teisco factory and teisco shifted out to new digs? Something to do with upheaval there?
The pick gaurd is elegant to my eyes but that bit on the top left doesn't relate to the echo of the guitar that well, had me wondering if that was someone elses add on. Are the labour intensive pickups an improvement?

Jeez Loueeze.
Just when you think you know sumpthin' 'bout neck attachments...along comes this!
Still shaking my head.

_________________
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

yes , I've noticed that top left that doesn't follow the body's contour from the first moment , but the day she arrived I took the pickguard off and nothing indicates that another one should have been on there : original screwholes-no extra ones , dé-colouring etc...
And about the pu's: well , two magnets & a single coil...very 60's ...what else can I say ?The fact is that for each pu 6 bolts & nuts are used : four for "bolting-on" on the pickguard and two for bolting-on the pu on the support-plate .
I've a feeling that this could come from the Kawai-corner...?...

_________________
lordbizarre's electric guitar and amp museum
Wange,belgium,€pe
electric guitar and amp repair & expertise
http://www.lordbizarre.com

Yo !
I had the pleasure today to see another interesting guitar : a Pleasant Concert SEL from mid 60's , whereby I noticed the same trussrod cover as on this NoName...It's only a very,very tiny hint but could be relevant to identifie this guitar as a Shinko one..(I hope...).But also one Victor brand had a simular truss rod cover...At the other hand I never seen a neck plate from a Pleasant guitar,nor a Victor one...hélas...

_________________
lordbizarre's electric guitar and amp museum
Wange,belgium,€pe
electric guitar and amp repair & expertise
http://www.lordbizarre.com

Still investigating the mystery eh? I keep this one in mind but have not encountered anything quite like it.