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Description

Ryoji Matsuoka was known as one of the great Japanese guitar-makers and entrepreneurs of the twentieth century. He brilliantly modified techniques and designs by Ramirez, Hauser, Kohno, and others to produce wonderful guitars under his own name as well as doing occasional work with Aria and other companies. From 1975 to 1980 the company produced their own lines of guitars: the Concert, Artist, and Artisan series.

The Concert series includes the M20 (laminated spruce top, nato neck), M30 (solid spruce top, mahogany neck), and M40 (solid spruce top, mahogany neck). All three models have laminated rosewood back and sides and rosewood fingerboards. The Artist Series includes the M50 and M60. These guitars have better quality spruce tops and were made in several versions. Some of the less expensive versions were made with laminated Indian Rosewood or laminated Jacaranda or Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboards, and a plain neck. On the other end of the spectrum there are also all solid versions with solid Indian rosewood or solid Jacaranda back and sides, with one or double Ebony reinforcement in the neck. The Old World Artisan Series includes the M70 and M80, made with all solid woods and one-piece mahogany necks. In the late 1990s models M65 and M75 with Cedar tops were added to the production line, mostly with laminated back and sides. Please note that there have been frequent changes in specs and model numbers, especially after the mid-1980s.

Since 1986, the Matsuoka Company was managed by Ryoji's son and also great luthier Toshiaki Matsuoka. Soon after Ryoji's death in September of 2014, his workshop's website disappeared from the internet and production of "made in Japan" Matsuoka guitars ended. As of today all brand new Matsuoka guitars available on the Japanese market are made in China.

As far as I can determine, this RYOJI MATSUOKA M60 was made in 1980 with a spruce top and layered Brazilian or Jacaranda Rosewood back and sides. The label is not of the style used in the early 70s—“Ryoji Matsuoka, Luthier, Construccion Artistica De Guitarras, Nagoya, Japon”—but is the style of the mid to late 70s, when they became a bit more flamboyant and dropped the “Nagoya.” This guitar’s label has the model number “M60” and what is evidently a stamp of Master Luthier “R. Matsuoka’s” signature, but no serial number. However, there is a serial number clearly stamped on the neck foot—800914—which I understand designates 1980 as the date of this guitar’s creation.

Matsuoka's high end guitars with solid back and sides are made using the Spanish method of classical guitar construction, with a Spanish slipper foot—as on this guitar--and not a dovetailed neck joint. But in addition, models with solid back and sides have the traditional small 1/2 brace or foot for the ribs of the guitar, three sets of these braces on each rib: above and below the waist and at the lower bout. I see no such rib braces in this guitar, and I therefore assume that the back and sides of this particular M60 are “layered” rather than solid wood; I frankly am not sure as to whether they are Brazilian or Jacaranda Rosewood.

As a very informed seller of Japanese guitars has pointed out, “Calling this construction ‘laminates’ would actually be very incorrect and quite misleading. This genuine Japanese invention has really nothing in common with modern era cheap particle-board laminates. This construction is nothing but two solid wood plates glued together, hence in fact nothing but reinforced solid woods. Such plates perform no different from solid woods, don't crack as easily, are much easier to work with, and allow for much lower prices of these instruments….[In fact,] guitars with backs and sides made from high grade Brazilian Rosewood laminates sound very close to guitars with solid Brazilian Rosewood.” And of course they cost thousands of dollars less.

This guitar is made based on a Ramirez blueprint with some modifications designed by Ryoji Matsuoka. The most important part of Matsuoka guitars is his original bracing of the soundboard, which greatly enhances the volume and the sound quality. This guitar has a very unique and rich sound, with clear trebles and deep basses, with excellent sustain and decent volume. It is definitely comparable with many guitar models available on the US market for prices ranging up to $5000.

The neck is apparently solid mahogany and the fingerboard appears to be Brazilian Rosewood (please see the photos). The neck is straight, and the action at the 12th fret low E is the classical standard 4/32.” Cosmetically, this guitar is in excellent players’ condition, but it is not perfect. There is a professionally levelled and cleated ½” H-shaped dent in the top upper bout, and a small scratch in the top bass lower bout; please check these out in the pictures. The guitar is structurally perfect, and will be an excellent performer for decades to come, whether in the studio or in performance.

The included vintage hard shell case is not original; in fact, it is a bit too large. However, it is in good shape, inside and out, the hardware all works perfectly, and there are no significant tears in the exterior—just some loose binding on the interior edges. It offers excellent protection to this fine guitar.

Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 for insurance and shipping to the lower forty-eight states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashier’s checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.

I have tried to be perfectly clear and accurate in describing this unique instrument and its case, so its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy it.

Thank you for your interest in this fine guitar.

ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS

ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS

1980
Matsuoka
Very Good
Hard
9 Years
ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS
ARTHUR H LUMPKIN
803-731-0515
Online Only
3:32 AM
24/7 by e-mail: akmgj@bellsouth.net. I'm old; I don't sleep much.

Payments by Paypal, cashier’s checks, money orders, or personal checks are acceptable, but all payments must clear my bank before the guitar will be shipped. I will CONSIDER reasonable offers, even including installment payments and trade-ins, but generally since I already attempt to price my guitars very competitively, unusual deals must be unusually sweet.

From henceforth [that's how retired English teachers talk], insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states is $55 due to constantly rising shipping costs unless a specific listing says otherwise; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. I have sold guitars to Russia, Japan, Australia, and over 50 other countries, as well as almost every state in the USA. Since some of my guitars travel thousands of miles, I take care to use lots of packing materials, protect the neck inside the case, and of course de-tune the strings.

I make every effort to describe and illustrate each guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. However, many of my instruments are well-played vintage items which are many years old, and I am not a luthier. One should assume that any guitar will require some set-up to satisfy your personal requirements, and that not every flaw or ding will be seen/recognized/described in the listing. Thus the return of an instrument will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy.