Talk:Matsumoku

Sources for this Matsumoku article are as current as I could find. The interview with Shiro Arai in the November 2006 edition of Guitar Buyer magazine (England) cleared several long held misconceptions about the relationship between Matsumoku Industrial and Arai and Company. According to Aria founder Shiro Arai, Matsumoku was always a subcontractor to Aria and one never owned the other. Also verified in this article was Singer's ownership of Matsumoku.

I've also translated several articles from Japanese guitar magazines including Vintage Guitar Japan and Japan Vintage. Both collaborate Singer's ownership of Matsumoku from 1952 until it dissolved in 1987. Vintage Guitar Japan stated Matsumoku's preference for allowing Arai and Company to contract orders with Matsumoku specified or implied as subcontractor. Matsumoku simply found it easier to focus on building guitars when they didn't have to worry about contracting orders and Arai and Company had an existing business network in place.

I would like to post a photo of a Vantage or an Electra guitar, so if anyone has one, feel free to place it in this article. PioGraphica 12:31, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

Update
Finally got around to performing a long overdue update to my initial article. I added the Distinguishing Characteristics section and updated info throughout. I have been generally pleased with the lack of wild editing - something that makes me feel that the article is acurate and informative. I do plan to edit what I just added today, simply to add a few days to look at my syntax. PioGraphica 05:34, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

A little more info
(translated from Japanese guitar magazines)

When Shiro Arai approached Matsumoku about making complete guitars in the early 60s, they were at the time making guitar necks for Guyatone. Matsukoku explained to Arai that they had made complete guitars and violins for several years in the 50s, but had trouble selling them. Arai's idea was to do everything by contract, which greatly appealed to Matsumoku. Matsumoku made its first guitars for Arai in 1964 and production continued until early 1987. According to one former worker, the original guitars made by Matsumoku in the 1950s were labeled Ruby, or Gemstone, or possibly Redstone (he can't remember.) Most were steel stringed folk style guitars of average quality, however, some were acoustic and electric archtops.

Matsumoku made Yamaha's first line of Strat copy guitars. They are called Super R'nRoller, SR-400 & SR-500, and are almost exact copies of Fender's guitars including the large CBS headstock shape. Production was moved to Yamaha's new factory. The headstock changed to Fender's older, pre CBS style, and the maple necks had a maple fretboard laminated onto them. (Matsumoku made Super R'nRollers have one piece maple necks.) Prior to this, Matsumoku made necks and bodies for various other Yamaha electric guitars.

Before WWII, Matsumoku was primarily a cabinet maker specializing in Butsudan. At some point around 1937, the factory came under the control of the Imperial Army (or Navy.) Production was directed by the Army. Many workers were conscripted, and therefore, do not know what was made there. When a few of the workers returned after the war, they said that the factory was still standing, however, the machines were completely worn out due to over use. But because it was operational, Matsumoku received work as soon as the war ended. A post war reconstruction program granted them a loan for new saws and mills (from the US) which they had in place around 1951. When the Singer contract was granted, it too provided expansion capitol through another reconstruction program. PioGraphica 00:54, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

Matsumoku factory fire 1988 ......fact or fiction?
After extensive Internet search for information on Univox guitars, there is the perception/rumor/statements made that the Matsumoku musical instrument manufacturing facility/factory was destroyed by fire in 1988. No mention of this was made in this article as to whether this really happened or not. I have no first-hand knowledge regarding if this diaster really occurred, I just am attempting to find answers, however there must be someone credible alive who could address this topic. I thought, if true, there must be some online news articles covering this, but I haven't found any as yet. Perhaps a resident of Japan (maybe a former Matsumoku company worker) would be a good place to start. Can anyone shed some light on this question?

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.88.18.9 (talk) 02:23, 7 March 2013 (UTC)

An excellent point!! I've heard that there was some sort of massive fire in Matsumoto, Nagano, where Matsumoku had been located. As the article now says, Matsumoku received two crippling blows, first losing its Epiphone contract, then dragged down when Singer ceased production in 1987. It was economics, not conflagration. Weeb Dingle (talk) 23:03, 7 August 2017 (UTC)

"notable players"
Unless a reference can be provided that specifically states that a given guitarist plays a Matsumoku-made guitar, then any such claim is nothing but fanboy OR and deserves to be immediately removed.

Furthermore, any claims that "he once touched one" doesn't mean a guitarist "played Matsumoku guitars" (much less still plays them). Billy Gibbons has doubtless played hundreds of brands and thousand of models, and Jack White likely isn't far back, but that certainly doesn't make either "a notable player" of all those guitars. Weeb Dingle (talk) 15:14, 29 April 2018 (UTC)

Hon "Kuro"
黒 (kuro) literally means "black". Sure, this could be a "Mr. Black" who does inspections, but it also could simply be a marking, which bodies or necks are designated for a run of instruments to be painted black. I don't know one way or the other, I'm just noting this. Because the pictured instrument is black, I would need more evidence to support the statement in the article. --BjKa (talk) 11:55, 10 November 2020 (UTC)