Great background here on Matsumoku, thanks for providing your insight. I feel so incredibly fortunate that my first electric was a second-hand Matsumoku Les Paul (no brand name on the headstock) that my dad bought from my guitar teacher for about $150 back in the late 80s. I could have wound up with some crummy Squier or much worse, but instead I got a guitar that outplays pretty much every other electric I've ever owned. What a diamond in the rough!
Great channel set up,great stuff......I'm one of the first 15 plus subscribers......gonna go back to this comment when this channel reaches 15k plus subscribers...great job sir
I have a Skylark Deluxe (your blue one) that I bought in a pawn shop for 150 bucks back in 1990...still play it, the varitone, phase switch and coil splits along with the built in boost makes this the most versatile guitar in my collection.
Nice video, thanks. I have two Westones (Thunder 1A, Rainbow) and some Arias (LC-440, PE-1000, SB700 fretless bass and SB600 bass). They all are superbly built. The through necks on the basses are just wonderful to look at, let alone play. The PE-1000 was one of the 'Masterpiece' range that were the flagship models that came out around the time, as pointed out here, they moved away from creating copies and started putting out their own designs. What a guitar, 42 years old and not a crackle or pop any where on the electrics. I hit the low E string on that thing a few days ago, still waiting for it to stop ringing...
Hi Frankie you are so right about the quality of these guitars, I've had a Westone Rainbow since new from the early 80s and it still plays great and looks beautiful, a testament of how well they were made.
I owned a Westone Thunder IIa electric guitar... Beautiful heavy and lovely to play. I've always regretted selling it (for next to nothing for the sound), because I was short on cash. The active pickups, the wonderful humbuckers, the great build quality all made it superb! Nothing in my price-bracket now has any of these features!
Absolutely agree with this! I've recently acquired an '84 Avenger-325; and it has a NUMBER of features that make it very playable (even when compared to modern builds)...and some of them are unfortunately NOT easily reproduced today (like the 3-Pc solid Walnut Body, for instance). It's going in for a modest "Resto-Mod" soon (slightly larger frets, a pickup swap from my Vola Luna, and a Floyd "Rail-Tail" bridge)...because...WHY NOT??! 🎸🔉🎶
Totally with you Franky. I own some myself. Vantage Ghost, Phantom, Mystic, Aria Pro2 YS500 and a CS400. Beautiful woodwork, sound and just love the feel of the necks.
Lovely collection there. I was working in a guitar shop in Liverpool around 2001 and bought a Westone Thunder I-A guitar for £100 from a punter who came in. He'd have taken £50 for it but the shop owners took their commission! I love that guitar, it plays and sounds great.
Frankie, this was EXCELLENT!! I've been an Aria Pro II fan (Matsumoku era) since purchasing my first TSB400 bass in 1981. Always love to see/hear people who are fans of this incredibly great manufacturer. This video was very well presented and extremely informative. Thank you so much for this, sir!
Hi Frankie. Your video brought tears to my eyes. Back in the mid 1980s a friend offered to sell me her near new Vantage 696-12 for a bargain price. She had purchased a Fender XII and didn't need two 12 string Electrics. I passed on the deal as I already had a 12 string acoustic. Nearly 40 years on and letting that one go is one of my few guitar regrets. They are virtually impossible to find these days. And being here in Australia doesn't make it any easier. Anyway, great collection, great video. Cheers from the Land Down Under.
Thank You So Much For Your Comments. I looked for years to find mine. There are rare and pricey, but out there. They play great but there are really a guitar that you won't play that often, and 12 string take forever to tune. I rarely play mine but I would never sell it.
I really dig my 78 pre lawsuit orange sunburst Matsumoku Memphis Strat..big Fender style headstock,sturdy baseball bat neck for my big hands,great player, nice,rich,solid tone spectrum, sounds awesome...good for any genre of guitar music...MXR distortion +,Radio Shack Electronic Reverb box into clean Fender 15 watter..🎸
Brilliant video Frankie. I managed to grab myself a Westone Thunder 1-A yesterday for free of Facebook. (Can you believe it?) I've owned Fenders, Gibsons, Yamaha's etc and I would sincerely say that this Westone is one of the best guitars I've ever laid my fingers on.
I just bought a 24-fret neck-through Vantage Phantom VA-810 from '81 or '82... I'm a professional (bass) violin maker and my standard for instrument build-quality is very high. I'm impressed with the woodwork. I love that it's not a direct copy of something; it's kind of like an SG with a longer neck (and 25.5" scale). It sounds and switches like one... and it was 20% the cost. I couldn't come anywhere close to the quality for the money. There's nothing quirky about it either -- except maybe its original brass nut. The nut is Gibson 1 11/16" (43mm) and the neck feels very modern Strat. I love the pickups... they have a ton of character. There is nothing cheap about it except for maybe the thin gold plating. It's wired really nicely too.
I used to have a Westone Paduak 1, a single p/u active guitar. I think it was just over 100 quid brand new. I used to record with it direct into my Tascam 244 Portastudio and it sounded great. I sold it in the 90s and am still suffering from seller's remorse!
Hola,tengo una Shiro de los 80 que salió de aquella factoría, me sorprende lo firme que es,jamás hubo que ajustar el mastil,no se mueve,y es muy bonita réplica de una Gibson Les Paul custom, después de tantos años se mantiene explendida, se nota la calidad de construcción, saludos
I have a VA-912 just like the one in the middle. Bought it three years ago from New Brunswick .Really beautiful instrument for only $ 900 CDN. Not a copy but influenced by Alembic. I love to show it to my woodworker friends, they all love the build quality and it sounds great!
WOW, you got this guitar way below market value. In the USA these sold for over $1000.00 back then. The VA 912 is a very rare and beautiful guitar. With a 5 piece neck and 3 layered body these are works of art. The build quality of these guitars was superb. They are almost too pretty to play. With coil taps and phase they offer tons of tonal abilities. The use of 2 different types/shapes of Tuners (Bell & Round) is a very spiffy feature. Ever other tuner feels different. This makes tuning the right string much more full proof. I have never seen this done before. All 12 strings guitars should do this. Anything that can make tuning a 12 string faster is appreciated. FYI: Rik Emmett of Triumph played a Vantage VA 912 on "Magic Power" in all of their '80's live shows. He's a great guitarist.
I had a vantage VP something bought second hand some time in the 1980’s. I remember it was heavy, but very playable and it had a killer coil split switch. I was a clueless 20 year old in a punk band with no guitar savvy friends to teach me anything though. I kept it for years, stopped playing until a few years ago when I decided I needed a new guitar and I sold ithe vantage for peanuts to a local music store. But I haven’t found anything as easily playable as the vantage since….
We all have those guitars that slipped away. You can find them on eBay and Reverb if you keep looking. I just bought a Schecter C-1 FR S SLS Elite with Sustainiac System with active Fishman humbuckers that plays great. I picked it up used for under $1000 on eBay. Schecter's are great guitars, have many models and are very affordable. in my opinion, they are the best bang for the buck in the guitar market. They also have the Sustainiac System on many neck-thru models.😊
My first electric (Prestige brand) was possibly a Matsumoku. It was a strat form sunburst with weird white plastic rectangle pickups w/ ferrous magnet shaped like so many triangles side by side (6). The tremolo bar was two springs under a stamped steel cache. The neck was thick maple strat form head Brazilian rosewood (cut off the round part through). Bought it at Romar Gleason w/ 2 watt tube amp. No brand.
I have a Pro Martin Custom which is almost identical to the one in the middle between the blue and semi back there. The darn thing is so perfect that it's incredible.
I got a Vision guitar some long years ago made in Japan I assume Matsumoku, great quality for the times, heavy solid construction. I still have the bastard thank god it wasn't stolen by the corruption of time and default demise.
Nice collection you have there! I got the Matsumoku bug a few years back when I purchased a Hondo II Professional for £30 here in England. It had MMK45 pickups that I quite liked, so I looked them up and saw that they were used on Westone guitars. My first Westone was a Thunder 1A bass, leading shortly after that to a Westone Thunder 1A six string. I now have the bass, two Thunder 1A's, three Thunder 1's, a Paduak 1 and I'm awaiting delivery of a Thunder 1T (basically a Thunder 1 with vibrato) project rebuild. Prices secondhand are creeping up but they are awesome guitars, very well built. Love 'em! 😀
I have my dad's Japanese EB-3 copy, bought in 1971 at a shop in Bellingham, WA so some sailor likely brought it over. It's not branded other than "made in Japan", so I assume it's a Matsumoku. It has the proprietary Greco muffle bridge and violin-style headstock also.
Picked up a 700VP from a thrift store for $80 just a few days ago! I had no prior knowledge of maintaining or even playing a guitar, but I was able to replace the tuning pegs and the missing saddles and it plays very well! Now I just need to learn how to play it properly
Nice collection,nice historical hosting,nice channel sir....I will subscribe...good job sir....I'm looking to buy my first guitar...still saving for it hehe
@@frankiecasper2903 yes sir thank you....im still coming up with the money...I'm looking for vintage guitars....nice channel sir......nice guitar collection you have.....done subscribing to your channel....thank you
@@frankiecasper2903 do you have Facebook account sir?you have a really great channel.....I'll share it....I'll help you get more subscribers.....you are really good sir
Around 1982 i tried an Aria Pro2 TS-800, it was almost double the price of a used 74 USA Strat. I liked it a lot but ended up with the 74 Strat. I'm still looking for a clean TS-800 that is not too expensive ;-) Also a PE-R80 in tobacco sunburst would be nice.
I have a Vantage Avenger from the early 1980’s. Great build quality and the stock pickups are great. I swapped them out for Duncan’s then put them back in and love them.
Wow, that's impressive. The pickups and a lot of those old Matsumoku Guitars were similar to DiMarzio pickups. I read that they copieDiMarzio's. I agree those pickups are hot and sound great. Thanks for the comment.
Great Video! I own a Vantage VS 40CEM-12 Acoustic Electric 12 string. It has a maple top and body and a maple neck. It's one of the best guitars I own. I bought it new around 1994 maybe? and I don't think I've ever seen another one.
i have a westbury deluxe, and a skylark. both of them are great guitars. in fact, i'd put them up against anything else you could buy right now, at any price.
Didn‘t pull the trigger on ebay Germany tree years ago for a 1980 Westone thunder 1 that went on auction for 320€. It was surely a prototype because of the year and the last numbers 003 (or 005, I forgot), production was starting in 1981…and the slight difference of knob placements and logo types.
I had a Westone Thunder IIIA, 6 string electric, in like pearlescent cream colour, very very shiny and 80's looking. I bought it when I started playing again in my late 20's, I knew very little about guitars at that time, I mean I knew a bit, like the big brands and which models they made, but I had never played an American made Fender or Gibson at that point. That being said, I was pretty sure that my Westone was a really well made guitar with great hardware on it, I just didn't realise at that point how good it was, this was early 90's pre-internet, and I didn't really know anyone who had experience with decent guitars. Unfortunately in the early 2000's I ended up selling all my equipment, the Westone a really sweet Tanglewood acoustic, and a couple of Laney amps, crappy solid state ones so no loss, but I don't know which I regret more, selling the Tanglewood or the Westone, but when you have that monkey on your back you do things you end up regretting. Thanks for the video anyway.
Bought a westone guitar in 1981 from my guitar teacher serial no is 000109 was fitted with fender stratocaster pickups and was played through a fender prinston 40watt bass amp. has only been played about 5 times to date still in original case . timber finish with gold felt case as close to new as you can get . Any information would bw appreciated.
I have an aria ts 400, great guitar! I’d love to know more , mines an 83 according to the serial number But pot position seems different to most I’ve seen and one pot seems to have been blocked Off, seems weird Thor sound aria pro 2 with 3 aside headstock
Hello sir frankie....i wanna know your opinion on the Vantage vp795.......I saw you got a few....I'm getting it tommorow...I found a used vantage 795.....thank you
The VP-795 is a 22 fret set (glued) neck, coil taps, phase with humbuckers. This is the next step down model of the VA-900 that is 24 fret neck-thru which was their most expensive model. It also shares the same electronics as the VA-900 and VA-912 which feature a coil taps and phase. Many Vantage guitars were sold in Canada. Most Matsumoku guitars offered 3 neck configurations and price points that ranged from bolt-on, set necks (glued) and a 5 pcs neck-thru that was on the flagship models. The set neck models are thicker where the heel and body meet and are normally 22 fret guitars. These guitars have great sustain. The humbuckers are kind of mid-range. They cover a really good tone range from A-Z. They lack the blasting, in your face sound of DiMarzios or EMG’s but they’re still comfortable in a heavy metal environment, although they are far more at home in the folk to hard rock range. I have a VP-912 Twelve String that shares the same electronics. I find the pickups to be a bit on the warm sound similar to a Gibson 335, but a high-end distortion pedal will change that in a second. And Amps make a big difference as well. The coil taps and phase give you lots of sound choices. These guitars are tone magnets, but i'm bias, I think all guitars should have humbuckers, coil taps and out of phase. This is a great 1st guitar. Let me know what you think when you get it.
@@frankiecasper2903 wow.....sir......you are the best.....I'm blown away by....your knowledge.....thank you so much......I will comment again when I get the guitar.....I'm not really an expert....I just love playing and singing.....I play and sing way worst than I fight in kickboxing hehe......thank you sir.....more blessings to you.....you have a great channel,great hosting and knowledge imparting skills.....subscribing to your channel...is like getting my very own personal guitar historian and instructor without paying salary hehe.....pretty much saving money for other guitars....I found a few Gibsons and fender....being sold for 2nd hand price...I'll see if I can afford them....thank you sir keep on building your channel...you are helping and entertaining most of us....I know you will have more audience soon....you are so good at it....more blessings to you sir and to anyone who is reading this
Too bad sir Frankie....I didnt get the vantage guitar yesterday.....the owner was having 2nd thoughts of selling it at the price we agreed.....anyways I'd probably save more...and try to look for other used vintage guitars....I saw a Gibson lp....the price I can't afford hehe....anyways will see......I know I'll get my guitar soon....
Good luck my friend. FYI. Sometimes the Skylark 2588 neck-thru come up for sale from $600-$800 range. The 2588 is he blue model only, not red ones. This is the same guitar as the Aria Pro II TS-600 (Thor) which sells for quite a bit more money. The neck-thru model are the better quality guitars and the appreciate in value ever year. .@@louiecorpuz
@@frankiecasper2903 wow thank you sir....you are really good,very knowledgeable...upload more videos sir....you a great help to people like me looking for their first guitar....the vantage,I didn't get it......I found another used Gibson .....it's like45,000 pesos or 900 dollars.....but I can't afford it yet...anyways....thank you sir....I am big fan of your channel now...can't wait for you new videos....always remember I'm one of your first 15like fans on UA-cam...thank you sir❤️🥊🙏
I have a high-end Crestwood Sunburst Jazz Bass with mother of pearl block inlay in the neck and the Crestwood name is inlayed into the head stock with mother of pearl. This bass is a case queen in incredible condition and has the number 404 etched on the 6 bolt rear neck plate. Anybody know about this?
Thanks for your videos/demos Frankie, they have been very informative. Ive been interested in matsumoku made guitars for a while, thinking of finally biting the bullet and upgrading from playing bottom end squiers for years and have been researching these guitars for something that will play well. I was wondering if you have any opinions on the Electra matsumoku guitars? Ive also heard good things about some of their guitars, even their lower end models like the workingman, but not sure if they really match up to the value of the neck-thru models that you have. Also was wondering if there was any difference of quality of these guitar between the earlier and later models? I feel like ive seen some later Thor sounds going for more than the Tri Sounds
The Electra Les Paul clones are very collectable. They have a peace sign on the headstock. There are different models and price ranges. The set necks cost more than the bolt on necks. I don't think Electra ever made a neck-thru model. The X330 had coil taps and a set neck. These are pricey. As for the Thor vs Tri sound, for the most part, they are the same guitar. The later Thor models had 3 on a side tuning heads vs 6 on a side for older models. All Tri-sound were 6 on a side Fender style. Many people either love or hate 6 on a side. Aria Pro II switched to 3 on a side in the last few years of the Thor TS- 600. As far as any difference of quality of these guitar between the earlier and later models I would say no. All of the neck-thrus were built on tape drill machines (early CNC) and the quality is superb and very consistence in all models. The TS-600 are becoming nearly as pricey as the RS-X70 & X80's witch was the more expensive that replaced the TS-600. Look for a "Skylark 2588". Its the neck-thru model in Blue. It has the same guitar parts as the TS-600 Thor. They are prettier and often much cheaper. They are very rare so you will have to ceep checking ebay and reverb.
Love my Aria CS250. Mine has coil split and phase switch. However I’ve seen several that only have one switch which I presume is for coil split. Any idea why some have two switches and just a single but are cs250 models?
I just got my first Matsumoku build -- one of the last to be made (an 1986 Aria Pro II RSB IIM, and they switched manufacturing of Pro II to Samick in June 1986. Is my best understanding. I know mine is from Matsumoku because "Made in Japan" is still stamped on the neck plate. Korean builds, of course, don't say anything like that anywhere. Sorry for geeking out, but vintage Japanese basses (all Fujigen's until the Aria a few days ago) are kind of my thing. Thanks for the additional info, and did I spot some Aria guitars back there? Those neck-thrus, maybe are?
Thank you. Yes I have five neck-thru Aria Pro II guitars. They all play better than my Gibson's. Aria made some of the best bases that's ever been made. They have become real collectors items over the years. Thanks again for watching my video.
Nice collection Frankie. Got a bunch of them Mats also. But, the guitar on the far left, that's an Ibanez Artist, isn't it? Makes it a Fujigen. Also a great factory, which survived.
I know this is a3 year old video but Frankie do you have any insights on Matsumoku Acoustics from the 70's? I found a private labeled Sears by Matsumoku and am wondering about it's playability
I have never seen a Sears Matsumoku made Guitar. Sears sold Silvertone guitars (mostly electrics) that were made by Harmony Guitars. You may have a very rare find. Many of the Matsumoku Acoustics played great.
Hello I was wondering if you can give me some insight. I recently was given a Vantage Artist 800 it has 4 knobs and two switches down by the knobs. I can't seem to find any information about this guitar online?
Hi, Frankie. I've just acquired an Artist Custom guitar 1970s/80s by nippon. The previous owner thinks it was made in either the Matsumoko or Tokai factory. It's very similar to the early Aria pro II tri sound, but has a tree of life pearl inlays on the fret board and Zebra wood wings on the body. The saddles are a scooped spoon shape and the nut is brass. I'm really having trouble trying to find some more information on this guitar as it's a fantastically well made guitar and plays just a good as my Westone thunder 1. Hoping you may know something about it, seeing as you're the authority on these types of guitars. Quite happy to exchange emails if you want to see some pictures of it. Thanks in advance.
Dealers didn't carry them in the US because it wasn't legal to do so. I have 8 Japanese guitars that i bought amd had imported all from yahoo japan auctions.
I had a red version of the blue Skylark you have back there. Great guitar.
Yes there are. Thanks for commenting.
Great background here on Matsumoku, thanks for providing your insight. I feel so incredibly fortunate that my first electric was a second-hand Matsumoku Les Paul (no brand name on the headstock) that my dad bought from my guitar teacher for about $150 back in the late 80s. I could have wound up with some crummy Squier or much worse, but instead I got a guitar that outplays pretty much every other electric I've ever owned. What a diamond in the rough!
I have a couple 70s Matsumoku P Basses, an Aria Pro II and a Univox. I love them as much as my Fenders! Great instruments!
I love my MC-300 Ibanez and been seaching for Kawai F-series for a while
Great channel set up,great stuff......I'm one of the first 15 plus subscribers......gonna go back to this comment when this channel reaches 15k plus subscribers...great job sir
Thank you for your kind words.
I have a Skylark Deluxe (your blue one) that I bought in a pawn shop for 150 bucks back in 1990...still play it, the varitone, phase switch and coil splits along with the built in boost makes this the most versatile guitar in my collection.
They are a hidden gem. Most people have never heard of them. There are becoming more collectable every day. Thanks for commenting.
Nice video, thanks. I have two Westones (Thunder 1A, Rainbow) and some Arias (LC-440, PE-1000, SB700 fretless bass and SB600 bass). They all are superbly built. The through necks on the basses are just wonderful to look at, let alone play. The PE-1000 was one of the 'Masterpiece' range that were the flagship models that came out around the time, as pointed out here, they moved away from creating copies and started putting out their own designs. What a guitar, 42 years old and not a crackle or pop any where on the electrics. I hit the low E string on that thing a few days ago, still waiting for it to stop ringing...
Thank, you have nice collection. Those PE-1000 are sweet.
Hi Frankie you are so right about the quality of these guitars, I've had a Westone Rainbow since new from the early 80s and it still plays great and looks beautiful, a testament of how well they were made.
I have several. Guitars and basses... the sell for next to nothing here in Montreal. Amazing craftsmanship.
I bought my MC300 for 1400$ 3 years ago from a guy in a parking lot off St, Laurent north of Cremazie!
I owned a Westone Thunder IIa electric guitar... Beautiful heavy and lovely to play.
I've always regretted selling it (for next to nothing for the sound), because I was short on cash.
The active pickups, the wonderful humbuckers, the great build quality all made it superb! Nothing in my price-bracket now has any of these features!
I had a Westone Thunder I bass back in the 1980s and traded it for another bass, still kicking myself for that.
Love this video, love the background!
really true... I own some of them ..Wonderful JYA
Absolutely agree with this! I've recently acquired an '84 Avenger-325; and it has a NUMBER of features that make it very playable (even when compared to modern builds)...and some of them are unfortunately NOT easily reproduced today (like the 3-Pc solid Walnut Body, for instance). It's going in for a modest "Resto-Mod" soon (slightly larger frets, a pickup swap from my Vola Luna, and a Floyd "Rail-Tail" bridge)...because...WHY NOT??! 🎸🔉🎶
Wow great set up
Thank you very much
Totally with you Franky. I own some myself. Vantage Ghost, Phantom, Mystic, Aria Pro2 YS500 and a CS400. Beautiful woodwork, sound and just love the feel of the necks.
Lovely collection there. I was working in a guitar shop in Liverpool around 2001 and bought a Westone Thunder I-A guitar for £100 from a punter who came in. He'd have taken £50 for it but the shop owners took their commission! I love that guitar, it plays and sounds great.
Those Westone's are great guitars and very collectable. Thanks for the comment.
Very interesting and informative.
Yes. Excellent guitars. Too many to list. 👍
Thank You
I own a 1980 Aria Pro II RS-600H (rev-sound), a 9-piece neck-through alembic-influenced superstrat. It's definitely my go-to guitar!
I have always liked those. They have the MH-I Humbucker. That is a wonderful sounding pick-up. Let me know if you ever want to sell it.
Frankie, this was EXCELLENT!! I've been an Aria Pro II fan (Matsumoku era) since purchasing my first TSB400 bass in 1981. Always love to see/hear people who are fans of this incredibly great manufacturer. This video was very well presented and extremely informative. Thank you so much for this, sir!
Aria pro ii sb-1000 is one my dream guitars
I still have my first bass- a 1984 vantage X-77 avenger. It’s MIJ and built like a tank and has a beautiful neck- never needs adjustment. $315 CAN new
I own the vantage ..the sound great and that is my 1st guitar ..
That's a nice 1st guitar.
@@frankiecasper2903 vantage vie10
Hi Frankie. Your video brought tears to my eyes. Back in the mid 1980s a friend offered to sell me her near new Vantage 696-12 for a bargain price. She had purchased a Fender XII and didn't need two 12 string Electrics. I passed on the deal as I already had a 12 string acoustic. Nearly 40 years on and letting that one go is one of my few guitar regrets. They are virtually impossible to find these days. And being here in Australia doesn't make it any easier. Anyway, great collection, great video. Cheers from the Land Down Under.
Thank You So Much For Your Comments. I looked for years to find mine. There are rare and pricey, but out there. They play great but there are really a guitar that you won't play that often, and 12 string take forever to tune. I rarely play mine but I would never sell it.
Tears????? Jeez 😮
I really dig my 78 pre lawsuit orange sunburst Matsumoku Memphis Strat..big Fender style headstock,sturdy baseball bat neck for my big hands,great player, nice,rich,solid tone spectrum, sounds awesome...good for any genre of guitar music...MXR distortion +,Radio Shack Electronic Reverb box into clean Fender 15 watter..🎸
WOW, Thanks for commenting.
I have a Vantage les Paul in the shop rite now i bout brand new when i was 13 (im 56 now) gettin some luv! gtreat guitar!
The Vantage LP are sweet. Unlike the Gibson's they stay in tune and the necks don't break. Thank you for commenting.
Brilliant video Frankie. I managed to grab myself a Westone Thunder 1-A yesterday for free of Facebook. (Can you believe it?) I've owned Fenders, Gibsons, Yamaha's etc and I would sincerely say that this Westone is one of the best guitars I've ever laid my fingers on.
These guitars are well kept secret's. They are very well constructed.
Guitar collectors should watch this
I just bought a 24-fret neck-through Vantage Phantom VA-810 from '81 or '82... I'm a professional (bass) violin maker and my standard for instrument build-quality is very high. I'm impressed with the woodwork. I love that it's not a direct copy of something; it's kind of like an SG with a longer neck (and 25.5" scale). It sounds and switches like one... and it was 20% the cost. I couldn't come anywhere close to the quality for the money. There's nothing quirky about it either -- except maybe its original brass nut. The nut is Gibson 1 11/16" (43mm) and the neck feels very modern Strat. I love the pickups... they have a ton of character. There is nothing cheap about it except for maybe the thin gold plating. It's wired really nicely too.
such a DOPE collection!!! I've almost bought all of those guitars at one point or another lol and i'm sad I didn't!
I used to have a Westone Paduak 1, a single p/u active guitar. I think it was just over 100 quid brand new. I used to record with it direct into my Tascam 244 Portastudio and it sounded great. I sold it in the 90s and am still suffering from seller's remorse!
Hola,tengo una Shiro de los 80 que salió de aquella factoría, me sorprende lo firme que es,jamás hubo que ajustar el mastil,no se mueve,y es muy bonita réplica de una Gibson Les Paul custom, después de tantos años se mantiene explendida, se nota la calidad de construcción, saludos
I have a VA-912 just like the one in the middle. Bought it three years ago from New Brunswick .Really beautiful instrument for only $ 900 CDN. Not a copy but influenced by Alembic. I love to show it to my woodworker friends, they all love the build quality and it sounds great!
WOW, you got this guitar way below market value. In the USA these sold for over $1000.00 back then. The VA 912 is a very rare and beautiful guitar. With a 5 piece neck and 3 layered body these are works of art. The build quality of these guitars was superb. They are almost too pretty to play. With coil taps and phase they offer tons of tonal abilities. The use of 2 different types/shapes of Tuners (Bell & Round) is a very spiffy feature. Ever other tuner feels different. This makes tuning the right string much more full proof. I have never seen this done before. All 12 strings guitars should do this. Anything that can make tuning a 12 string faster is appreciated. FYI: Rik Emmett of Triumph played a Vantage VA 912 on "Magic Power" in all of their '80's live shows. He's a great guitarist.
I had a vantage VP something bought second hand some time in the 1980’s. I remember it was heavy, but very playable and it had a killer coil split switch. I was a clueless 20 year old in a punk band with no guitar savvy friends to teach me anything though. I kept it for years, stopped playing until a few years ago when I decided I needed a new guitar and I sold ithe vantage for peanuts to a local music store. But I haven’t found anything as easily playable as the vantage since….
We all have those guitars that slipped away. You can find them on eBay and Reverb if you keep looking. I just bought a Schecter C-1 FR S SLS Elite with Sustainiac System with active Fishman humbuckers that plays great. I picked it up used for under $1000 on eBay. Schecter's are great guitars, have many models and are very affordable. in my opinion, they are the best bang for the buck in the guitar market. They also have the Sustainiac System on many neck-thru models.😊
My first electric (Prestige brand) was possibly a Matsumoku. It was a strat form sunburst with weird white plastic rectangle pickups w/ ferrous magnet shaped like so many triangles side by side (6).
The tremolo bar was two springs under a stamped steel cache. The neck was thick maple strat form head Brazilian rosewood (cut off the round part through). Bought it at Romar Gleason w/ 2 watt tube amp. No brand.
I have a Pro Martin Custom which is almost identical to the one in the middle between the blue and semi back there. The darn thing is so perfect that it's incredible.
Man that is a FABULOUS collection you have!
Also, I dig the psychedelic painting on the wall of your "kitchen!"
Thank you kindly! My Daughter did the Artwork.
I got a Vision guitar some long years ago made in Japan I assume Matsumoku, great quality for the times, heavy solid construction. I still have the bastard thank god it wasn't stolen by the corruption of time and default demise.
Thanks for commenting.
I have a westone dynasty and a strat type built in 1984. Both very well quality. Better than the new crap that gets pumped out.
Thanks, Westone's are great guitars
Nice collection you have there! I got the Matsumoku bug a few years back when I purchased a Hondo II Professional for £30 here in England. It had MMK45 pickups that I quite liked, so I looked them up and saw that they were used on Westone guitars. My first Westone was a Thunder 1A bass, leading shortly after that to a Westone Thunder 1A six string. I now have the bass, two Thunder 1A's, three Thunder 1's, a Paduak 1 and I'm awaiting delivery of a Thunder 1T (basically a Thunder 1 with vibrato) project rebuild. Prices secondhand are creeping up but they are awesome guitars, very well built. Love 'em! 😀
You have a nice collection. The prices of these guitars continues to climb.
I have my dad's Japanese EB-3 copy, bought in 1971 at a shop in Bellingham, WA so some sailor likely brought it over. It's not branded other than "made in Japan", so I assume it's a Matsumoku. It has the proprietary Greco muffle bridge and violin-style headstock also.
Thank for Sharing
Thanks for that. I have the VS 695 built in 1982.
Picked up a 700VP from a thrift store for $80 just a few days ago! I had no prior knowledge of maintaining or even playing a guitar, but I was able to replace the tuning pegs and the missing saddles and it plays very well! Now I just need to learn how to play it properly
I own a TN-2000 and its my favorite guitar Ive played.
WOW Those are rare and beautiful guitars.
Nice collection,nice historical hosting,nice channel sir....I will subscribe...good job sir....I'm looking to buy my first guitar...still saving for it hehe
Thank You. If you buy a used guitar you can often get a better guitar for the money. Good luck in your search.
@@frankiecasper2903 yes sir thank you....im still coming up with the money...I'm looking for vintage guitars....nice channel sir......nice guitar collection you have.....done subscribing to your channel....thank you
@@frankiecasper2903 do you have Facebook account sir?you have a really great channel.....I'll share it....I'll help you get more subscribers.....you are really good sir
Please show off your collection in detail…people will want to see this…subscribed in hopes of more:)
Nice....really nice
Thank you so much
I have a 1979 Vantage VA-900. All the original electronics are long gone. But it’s a nice wall hanger.
Great guitar
Around 1982 i tried an Aria Pro2 TS-800, it was almost double the price of a used 74 USA Strat. I liked it a lot but ended up with the 74 Strat. I'm still looking for a clean TS-800 that is not too expensive ;-) Also a PE-R80 in tobacco sunburst would be nice.
I have a Vantage Avenger from the early 1980’s. Great build quality and the stock pickups are great. I swapped them out for Duncan’s then put them back in and love them.
Wow, that's impressive. The pickups and a lot of those old Matsumoku Guitars were similar to DiMarzio pickups. I read that they copieDiMarzio's. I agree those pickups are hot and sound great. Thanks for the comment.
@@frankiecasper2903 I just researched it and it’s an AV 325 in dark flamed blue.
Great Video! I own a Vantage VS 40CEM-12 Acoustic Electric 12 string. It has a maple top and body and a maple neck. It's one of the best guitars I own. I bought it new around 1994 maybe? and I don't think I've ever seen another one.
They are great guitars. Thanks.
i have a westbury deluxe, and a skylark. both of them are great guitars. in fact, i'd put them up against anything else you could buy right now, at any price.
You are so right. These guitars play great. The build quality is amazing.
Nice guitars. I’ve got a epiphone Sheraton matsumoko made. The build quality is top notch Up there with Gibson 335
Didn‘t pull the trigger on ebay Germany tree years ago for a 1980 Westone thunder 1 that went on auction for 320€. It was surely a prototype because of the year and the last numbers 003 (or 005, I forgot), production was starting in 1981…and the slight difference of knob placements and logo types.
I had a Westone Thunder IIIA, 6 string electric, in like pearlescent cream colour, very very shiny and 80's looking. I bought it when I started playing again in my late 20's, I knew very little about guitars at that time, I mean I knew a bit, like the big brands and which models they made, but I had never played an American made Fender or Gibson at that point. That being said, I was pretty sure that my Westone was a really well made guitar with great hardware on it, I just didn't realise at that point how good it was, this was early 90's pre-internet, and I didn't really know anyone who had experience with decent guitars. Unfortunately in the early 2000's I ended up selling all my equipment, the Westone a really sweet Tanglewood acoustic, and a couple of Laney amps, crappy solid state ones so no loss, but I don't know which I regret more, selling the Tanglewood or the Westone, but when you have that monkey on your back you do things you end up regretting. Thanks for the video anyway.
Bought a westone guitar in 1981 from my guitar teacher serial no is 000109 was fitted with fender stratocaster pickups and was played through a fender prinston 40watt bass amp. has only been played about 5 times to date still in original case . timber finish with gold felt case as close to new as you can get . Any information would bw appreciated.
Sweet. Thanks for replying.
Got a 79 Ghost put the pickups from a Heritage H150 in it. Monster.
I have a Vantage Avenger x77 and a Vox Custom 24 - super awesome guitars!!!!
There are that!
@@frankiecasper2903 a friend of mine is jonesing for that Blue Skylark 2588 - let me know if you're selling it!
@@dannyo6769 I don't ever plan on selling it. It's will to my son. I'll keep my eyes open if I see one for sale I'll shoot you an email thanks
@@frankiecasper2903 HA! understandable!!! Thanks sir!
ive got a 1978 st-100 ibanez guitar !! i absolutely love it .. i play it more than my gibsons ha ha ha
Nice collection. How do they sound?
Great, I will demo each one of them in the coming months. Thanks
Thanks, They sound great. I am going to do some demos of all of them soon.
Guitar Demos are on my UA-cam Cahnnel: ua-cam.com/channels/dUOlAX69uWyEqh-mVz1zEg.htmlvideos?view_as=subscriber
I have an aria ts 400, great guitar!
I’d love to know more , mines an 83 according to the serial number
But pot position seems different to most I’ve seen and one pot seems to have been blocked
Off, seems weird
Thor sound aria pro 2 with 3 aside headstock
Hello sir frankie....i wanna know your opinion on the Vantage vp795.......I saw you got a few....I'm getting it tommorow...I found a used vantage 795.....thank you
The VP-795 is a 22 fret set (glued) neck, coil taps, phase with humbuckers. This is the next step down model of the VA-900 that is 24 fret neck-thru which was their most expensive model. It also shares the same electronics as the VA-900 and VA-912 which feature a coil taps and phase. Many Vantage guitars were sold in Canada. Most Matsumoku guitars offered 3 neck configurations and price points that ranged from bolt-on, set necks (glued) and a 5 pcs neck-thru that was on the flagship models. The set neck models are thicker where the heel and body meet and are normally 22 fret guitars. These guitars have great sustain. The humbuckers are kind of mid-range. They cover a really good tone range from A-Z. They lack the blasting, in your face sound of DiMarzios or EMG’s but they’re still comfortable in a heavy metal environment, although they are far more at home in the folk to hard rock range. I have a VP-912 Twelve String that shares the same electronics. I find the pickups to be a bit on the warm sound similar to a Gibson 335, but a high-end distortion pedal will change that in a second. And Amps make a big difference as well. The coil taps and phase give you lots of sound choices. These guitars are tone magnets, but i'm bias, I think all guitars should have humbuckers, coil taps and out of phase. This is a great 1st guitar. Let me know what you think when you get it.
@@frankiecasper2903 wow.....sir......you are the best.....I'm blown away by....your knowledge.....thank you so much......I will comment again when I get the guitar.....I'm not really an expert....I just love playing and singing.....I play and sing way worst than I fight in kickboxing hehe......thank you sir.....more blessings to you.....you have a great channel,great hosting and knowledge imparting skills.....subscribing to your channel...is like getting my very own personal guitar historian and instructor without paying salary hehe.....pretty much saving money for other guitars....I found a few Gibsons and fender....being sold for 2nd hand price...I'll see if I can afford them....thank you sir keep on building your channel...you are helping and entertaining most of us....I know you will have more audience soon....you are so good at it....more blessings to you sir and to anyone who is reading this
Too bad sir Frankie....I didnt get the vantage guitar yesterday.....the owner was having 2nd thoughts of selling it at the price we agreed.....anyways I'd probably save more...and try to look for other used vintage guitars....I saw a Gibson lp....the price I can't afford hehe....anyways will see......I know I'll get my guitar soon....
Good luck my friend. FYI. Sometimes the Skylark 2588 neck-thru come up for sale from $600-$800 range. The 2588 is he blue model only, not red ones. This is the same guitar as the Aria Pro II TS-600 (Thor) which sells for quite a bit more money. The neck-thru model are the better quality guitars and the appreciate in value ever year. .@@louiecorpuz
@@frankiecasper2903 wow thank you sir....you are really good,very knowledgeable...upload more videos sir....you a great help to people like me looking for their first guitar....the vantage,I didn't get it......I found another used Gibson .....it's like45,000 pesos or 900 dollars.....but I can't afford it yet...anyways....thank you sir....I am big fan of your channel now...can't wait for you new videos....always remember I'm one of your first 15like fans on UA-cam...thank you sir❤️🥊🙏
I have a high-end Crestwood Sunburst Jazz Bass with mother of pearl block inlay in the neck and the Crestwood name is inlayed into the head stock with mother of pearl. This bass is a case queen in incredible condition and has the number 404 etched on the 6 bolt rear neck plate. Anybody know about this?
Thanks for your videos/demos Frankie, they have been very informative. Ive been interested in matsumoku made guitars for a while, thinking of finally biting the bullet and upgrading from playing bottom end squiers for years and have been researching these guitars for something that will play well. I was wondering if you have any opinions on the Electra matsumoku guitars? Ive also heard good things about some of their guitars, even their lower end models like the workingman, but not sure if they really match up to the value of the neck-thru models that you have. Also was wondering if there was any difference of quality of these guitar between the earlier and later models? I feel like ive seen some later Thor sounds going for more than the Tri Sounds
The Electra Les Paul clones are very collectable. They have a peace sign on the headstock. There are different models and price ranges. The set necks cost more than the bolt on necks. I don't think Electra ever made a neck-thru model. The X330 had coil taps and a set neck. These are pricey.
As for the Thor vs Tri sound, for the most part, they are the same guitar. The later Thor models had 3 on a side tuning heads vs 6 on a side for older models. All Tri-sound were 6 on a side Fender style. Many people either love or hate 6 on a side. Aria Pro II switched to 3 on a side in the last few years of the Thor TS- 600.
As far as any difference of quality of these guitar between the earlier and later models I would say no. All of the neck-thrus were built on tape drill machines (early CNC) and the quality is superb and very consistence in all models.
The TS-600 are becoming nearly as pricey as the RS-X70 & X80's witch was the more expensive that replaced the TS-600. Look for a "Skylark 2588". Its the neck-thru model in Blue. It has the same guitar parts as the TS-600 Thor. They are prettier and often much cheaper. They are very rare so you will have to ceep checking ebay and reverb.
Love my Aria CS250. Mine has coil split and phase switch. However I’ve seen several that only have one switch which I presume is for coil split. Any idea why some have two switches and just a single but are cs250 models?
I am not sure. The CS 350 has split coils but I have also seen coil splits on CS 250's as well.
I just got my first Matsumoku build -- one of the last to be made (an 1986 Aria Pro II RSB IIM, and they switched manufacturing of Pro II to Samick in June 1986. Is my best understanding. I know mine is from Matsumoku because "Made in Japan" is still stamped on the neck plate. Korean builds, of course, don't say anything like that anywhere. Sorry for geeking out, but vintage Japanese basses (all Fujigen's until the Aria a few days ago) are kind of my thing. Thanks for the additional info, and did I spot some Aria guitars back there? Those neck-thrus, maybe are?
Thank you. Yes I have five neck-thru Aria Pro II guitars. They all play better than my Gibson's. Aria made some of the best bases that's ever been made. They have become real collectors items over the years. Thanks again for watching my video.
Nice collection Frankie. Got a bunch of them Mats also. But, the guitar on the far left, that's an Ibanez Artist, isn't it? Makes it a Fujigen. Also a great factory, which survived.
You are right the 2700 is a Fujigen.
I know this is a3 year old video but Frankie do you have any insights on Matsumoku Acoustics from the 70's? I found a private labeled Sears by Matsumoku and am wondering about it's playability
I have never seen a Sears Matsumoku made Guitar. Sears sold Silvertone guitars (mostly electrics) that were made by Harmony Guitars. You may have a very rare find. Many of the Matsumoku Acoustics played great.
Hello I was wondering if you can give me some insight. I recently was given a Vantage Artist 800 it has 4 knobs and two switches down by the knobs. I can't seem to find any information about this guitar online?
Did they make Arbor guitars? I have a Westone bass thats awesome
I don't know. I am not familiar with the Arbor brand The neck-thru Westones are awesome guitars.
My friend had 80s vox standard 24 that had similar look about it , I wonder if it was matsomoko
Hi, Frankie. I've just acquired an Artist Custom guitar 1970s/80s by nippon. The previous owner thinks it was made in either the Matsumoko or Tokai factory. It's very similar to the early Aria pro II tri sound, but has a tree of life pearl inlays on the fret board and Zebra wood wings on the body. The saddles are a scooped spoon shape and the nut is brass. I'm really having trouble trying to find some more information on this guitar as it's a fantastically well made guitar and plays just a good as my Westone thunder 1. Hoping you may know something about it, seeing as you're the authority on these types of guitars. Quite happy to exchange emails if you want to see some pictures of it.
Thanks in advance.
I think they were made it to Fujigen Factory
Post some pictures
F. Casper at twc.com
Ok will do thanks.
Hi Frankie, in relation to the previous message, I've sent you a picture of my Guitar via Facebook.
I have a Hondo II Professional Series H-1020. It’s a clone of The Paul, Walnut Wonder. I also have a Vantage VSH-455, 335 clone.
Great Guitars. Thanks.
Dealers didn't carry them in the US because it wasn't legal to do so. I have 8 Japanese guitars that i bought amd had imported all from yahoo japan auctions.
Ok ok but play something on them!
It's no good enough, I've only got 7
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