The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Q&A, discussion, and information for the labels covered by The Guitar Gallery (Specifically and exclusively guitars made by Matsumoku up to 1987)
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PostPosted: Sun 08 Sep 2019 11:32 AM 
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Virtuoso

Joined: Tue 19 Feb 2008 04:58 AM
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Location: That "cultural nerve center", Mid-Atlantic U.S.
Hello all.

I came across this one on Reverb. It's at Beyer's Music in Cologne, Germany.

https://reverb.com/item/20253685-aria-p ... or-nt-1982

It's listed as a 1982 "The Warrior."

The headstock is labelled "The Warrior"--which I would think makes it an RS Warrior 1 or 2, but I think it's a 1986.

Look at the fourth pic in the listing (you have to right click and "view image" to get the full resolution pic). Zoom all the way in, and there's a stamped serial # on the bottom of the headstock--to me it looks like "60006?...", which would make it a 1986 "Latecomer." Seems to have some aspects in common with the nicer Korean Samick models (body carve, non-standard fingerboard extension, neck dot position markers aren't like the tiny dots on the Samicks).

NOTE: Some of the serial # is obscured by the guitar stand, and I don't remember seeing a stamped serial # on an 80s AP2. I guess it's just as likely it's a post-MAT model.

I REALLY want this one for myself (it wouldn't bother me if it is post-MAT), but I can't afford it--and if I could, the last time I tried to have a guitar imported US regulations blocked it in spite of there being no CITES issues--so I'd be reticent to try it again.

I thought if some of the European members liked it (Super Str@s from this era are my favorites), they might be able to negotiate better terms (and not have to deal with restrictive customs).

Cheers.


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PostPosted: Sun 08 Sep 2019 08:03 PM 
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Joined: Sat 25 Mar 2006 09:25 PM
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Location: Grand Absurdity, TX
Definitely NOT Mat.
I'd guess early 90's.

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PostPosted: Mon 23 Sep 2019 08:15 AM 
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This is a WR-CST from 1988... a serious expensive guitar at that time.


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PostPosted: Fri 27 Sep 2019 07:57 PM 
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Virtuoso

Joined: Tue 19 Feb 2008 04:58 AM
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Location: That "cultural nerve center", Mid-Atlantic U.S.
Thanks, Wutz. Now I know what to look for should GAS overtake me. Maybe that could be a neo-blues tune; "The GAS overtook me..."

Thanks Jorg. I had absolutely no doubt it WASN'T a 1982.

There was a local (to me) music store that bought a lot of very late MAT production (possibly close-outs). Most of them were either Knight Warrior or The Cat models in non-catalog finishes like (I'm joking, but not by much) "raspberry bubblegum ice metallic pearl" or "flip-flop metallic pearl white." One of them had a medium-figured top with stringers, but it was a bolt-on. This guitar has a lot in common with several of those guitars (the main difference being the neck-through). They were the only ones I can remember seeing with that particular Kahler licensed Floyd on it (Charvel used them in the 80s along with a few other two-point Kahlers--along with the original). Additionally, the dot markers from that batch were the same as the ones on this one--the Samick post MATs I can remember had tiny dots by comparison.

I remember some other really nice Arias from 1987-1988 that seemed really high-end; they were touted as late 1987 MIJ, but they were just too different from standard production MAT. I always wondered if possibly there were some high-end materials left over and the MAT craftsmen decided to blow away management with what they were capable of producing if it wasn't for the suits.

If any of you got a chance to check it out, I'd like to know what it was like. If none of you liked it as much as I do (or it was too far away), that's cool, too.

Cheers to all.

MODERATOR(S): If this thread is stale/too off topic, go ahead and delete it. No point in wasting bandwidth.


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PostPosted: Sat 28 Sep 2019 10:31 AM 
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Virtuoso
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Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Hi Slo!
Good to see you again. :D

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PostPosted: Sat 12 Oct 2019 08:14 AM 
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I don't think that guitar has any business with left over parts from Matsumoku.

Aria shifted most of the production orders to Korea when Matsumoku closed. However, from a certain price point the guitars were still sourced from Japanese factories or even the own workshop.

At a list price of 280000 Yen, this is definitely Japan made.


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