The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Greetings and hello from B.C. I was encouraged to drop by and say hello on another forum and I have to say there are some beauty guitars here! My Mann was purchased by my wife many years ago with the case, she says she played it 4 times, and it sat until I decided to clean it up and see exactly what it was. I've played acoustic for many years and know little to nothing until I started posted on other forums inquiring about the year; looks like from the response that it's mid-70's. here's a few pics.
shot of the SN
*sorry, my links are too big to post directly*

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/JohnnyCanuck62/neckplate.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/JohnnyCanuck62/Picture002.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/JohnnyCanuck62/Picture005.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/JohnnyCanuck62/Picture001.jpg

I grew up in Cranbrook BC, and as budding young rock n rollers those Mann guitars were everywhere. The interior of British Columbia has no real major metro city, but the Mom and Pop music shops were full of the Mann Les Pauls. Within my close circle of friends/bandmates, at one time there were three Mann LPs in the mix - two cherry bursts with a black and white guard respectively, and a tobacco burst.

I've heard two versions - the experts here will certainly help you out as to their origins. The story I have heard is they are of Ibanez bloodlines. The other, which is speculation, is Matsumoku.

Experts?

Nice guitar.
cheers

Don't happen to remember a girl called Mindy do you. She now lives in Australia
Her parents still live there, Cranbrook that is (just love the view of the mountain from town).
Cheers

Mann is the house brand name for Great West Imports (B.C. and New York), most offerings that I have seen from the 70's are the exact offerings that Ibanez had... that being said, I also have some Mann that were made by Cort in the 80's... The Mann brand could have had been contracted out to several Japan Co. and a Mat connection is very likely... Several Mann catalogues exist for the 70's offerings... Mann was very big in West Canada and Garnet Tube amps also made Tube Amps under the Mann brand...

Hope this helps...

P.

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MAA Member since June 29th 2009, taking one baby step at a time..... and failing miserably!

Cranbrook is beautiful, one of the places/areas we've considered moving too. I'm in Fort St. John, we both want to live somewhere that we can do more of what we like year round. As for the Mann I believe they are ibanez bloodlines, and I've been looking for a Mann catalogue, like Frenchy mentioned - can't find one so far. I've seem virtually identical lp copies in the Ibanez catalogues but be nice to have a Mann one to put up in my room. thanks for the help!

http://www.vintaxe.com/catalogs_japanese_mann.htm

P.

_________________
MAA Member since June 29th 2009, taking one baby step at a time..... and failing miserably!

Thanks Frenchy, I saw that earlier but I just thought it was one of those sites where you need to have a visa to look at it, has pw's and user permission for me when I try to look at it.
*edit* before I pay the $10 for a month, has anyone tried it and speak to the quality of the catalogs, the sample ones actually look really good.