Shiraki, anyone?

[Lester B. Flat]

I'm looking for owners of Shiraki guitars. It seems there were very few of them made in the early 80's. They were made in Japan but so far my search has only turned up a few owners in Canada and The Netherlands. None of these guitars have serial numbers and they have a "mystery history". Three or four different models have turned up but the one thing they have in common is the uniquely carved(?) sound holes. They are all beautifully finished and constructed and mine sounds like no other guitar ever produced. Small, lightweight, arched top and back, with a pickup under the bridge and those unique "f-holes".

I know of perhaps two or three others like mine and they were all sold in either Ontario or the Maritimes. Anyone in the west ever see something like this or any other Shiraki guitar?


Besides the mystery of who made them there is also a question of how the grille work was done. A luthier told me he though it was laser carved. The width of the slits seems to vary in width according to to the grain in the wood. Maybe some of you luthiers can tell me how that may have been done.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f377/ralphoto/27_RT8.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f377/ralphoto/30_RT8.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f377/ralphoto/shiraki-5.jpg

[shad]

Hi Lester,
I to own a Shirak (i) guitar and I am from the west (B.C.). I don't know much about it but I have heard twice that Paul McCartney plays one. One just sold on ebay for 510 pounds (in England I think). Mine is a flat top with similar laser carvings for the sond hole. The neck is very nice and the sound is excellent but lacks a little on the bass end. I have met one other owner out here and his is similar to mine but with some differences in the carvings. There is no serial number and I would love to find out more about this guitar. Have you had any other replies to your post?

[Lester B. Flat]

Hi Shad,

Well, you're the first responder to this post but I have been in e-mail contact with some leads I got from Harmony Central. I'd like to see a photo of your guitar. It sounds similar to one owned by a guy in The Netherlands. Does it have an under-the-bridge pickup?

I don't know of any these guitars in the U.S., just Canada, France and The Netherlands so far. Nobody knows any more than I do about who actually made them. No serial numbers on any of them unless you have to crack them open to find it. Maybe it's time to start a Shiraki website.

Do you know Paul McCartney's e-mail address? :D

[hardcorelogo]

Hi Lester,

I remember these guitars...I've never owned one, but always liked them. They are extremely hard to come by. The Shirakis were produced in the late 70s and early 80s under the supervision of the Matsumoko factory, although it it's not certain that they were actually produced on that site. I hope you're not offended that the guitar was produced by Matsumoko and in a factory setting, Matsumoko has an awesome reputation in that era for building the best Japanese guitars of the time. (Aria, Vantage, Electra etc.) They were known for really high quality neck-thru electrics, usally characterized by different exotic wood used for the necks than for the wings of the body, resuling in a stripe down the center kind of a look.

those guitars are of very high quality and workmanship, even for Matsumoko, and all the carvings and decoration is indeed hand done. The technology for laser carving of that nature and intricacy (especially on thin spruce or cedar) undoubtedly didn't exist in 1979. I seem to remember (as you have said) the spacing and consistency of the carved sections is slightly different throughout the guitar.

I remember my local guitar store in belleville ontario having one back in the early 80's. I wanted it bad, but was ridiculously poor :)

I think they are beautiful, and definitely rare. you're lucky to have one, thanks for the pics!

[Lester B. Flat]

Wow! After 24 years of searching I finally have an answer. I knew there had to be a factory behind the production and distribution and I'm certainly not offended. It's a gorgeous guitar. The "master Japanese luthier" theory sounded too much like an urban myth, although if those soundholes are indeed hand-carved, they were definitely done by a master wood carver. It still boggles my mind since there is no stain or poly on the sides of the slats, like it was done after the finish was applied. I even wondered if it had been sandblasted through a template removing only the softer wood, as the darker denser part of the grain aligns with the slats.

Anyway, thanks for the answers to most of my questions on this.:thanks5qx:

[sneakypete]

why wouldn`t the Japanese have master wood workers?...we were at a shrine today that been standing, well they aren`t sure but the first record of it is 820 A.D. and most of it is wood. Seems natural to me that they would have taken to guitar building quite naturally. Most of the best guitars the Japanese make today are unknown outside the country and many acoustic builder are pushing the envelope in terms of design. Thats a lovely guitar in the pics cherish it, and I`d wager there would be plenty of Japanese collectors who`d pay a lot of money for it should it ever come up for sale.

[Lester B. Flat]

You're right, the Japanese are known for their carvers of all sorts of material. I wasn't questioning their ability. It's just that "Shiraki was a master luthier from Japan" sounded like a convenient explanation from someone who didn't really know. I've simply never found any evidence to back it up or refute it. Even knowing they were connected with the Matsumoko factory doesn't rule out or confirm whether the Shiraki name refers to a specific person or not.

What I'd like to know now is how many were made. What I have seen or heard about accounts for less than 20. Most are full size flat tops with varying decoration, one electric 335 style, and 3 or 4 like mine. I guess my next step is to contact the Matsumoko factory if they're still around. Japanese collectors would need a lot of yen to pry this out of my fingers. :D

Shad: The one sold on e-bay was one of the guitars from the Netherlands.

[shad]

Hi Lester,
I look forward to hearing about your research on the Matsumoko factory, it would be nice to know how many Shiraki's were made. My Shiraki is very much like the one from the Netherlands that sold on ebay. I will post pics soon. On another subject, I recently picked up a guitar at an auction, it appears to be a Samick (Greg Bennett model) but the label inside reads Samich, with an "h". Is this a knockoff of the real thing or what?

[Lester B. Flat]

Hi Lester,
I look forward to hearing about your research on the Matsumoko factory, it would be nice to know how many Shiraki's were made. My Shiraki is very much like the one from the Netherlands that sold on ebay. I will post pics soon. On another subject, I recently picked up a guitar at an auction, it appears to be a Samick (Greg Bennett model) but the label inside reads Samich, with an "h". Is this a knockoff of the real thing or what?

Well, I've hit somewhat of a dead end. In my reasearch of the Matsumoko factory I discovered they went out of business in the mid 80's. In one account, the factory was destroyed by fire in 1985, another has it being burned in 1988, after which many of the brands being produced (Aria, Univox, Westbury, Westone) were moved to the Samick factory in Korea. Chances are any records of production may have been lost.
In another account, the Matsumoko factory, which also produced sewing machines, was bought by Singer in 1987 after which all guitar production was stopped. Either way, the trail has been dusted over for the last 20 years.

It's funny you asked about Samick considering what I discovered. I don't know if Samich is a knockoff of Samick, which are likely knockoffs of something else. I don't know if any Samick is the "real thing".

[shad]

Hi Lester,
I have been trying unsuccessfully to post the pics of my Shiraki, I am now told that it can't be done with attachments anymore. The site people told me of another way to do it, but as I am a wee bit computer challenged it was all Greek to me. I do know how to send a jpg by email so if you are interested, send me a private message with your email address and I'll send them to you. I have been sending out some inquiries to some so-called guitar experts that I found on the internet, and guess what? they've never heard of a Shiraki! I'm thinking these guitars are very rare. Have you had any other responses?
Shad.

[zao_89]

Wow, thats a really good looking guitar you have there.

[Lester B. Flat]

Hi Lester,
I have been trying unsuccessfully to post the pics of my Shiraki, I am now told that it can't be done with attachments anymore. The site people told me of another way to do it, but as I am a wee bit computer challenged it was all Greek to me. I do know how to send a jpg by email so if you are interested, send me a private message with your email address and I'll send them to you. I have been sending out some inquiries to some so-called guitar experts that I found on the internet, and guess what? they've never heard of a Shiraki! I'm thinking these guitars are very rare. Have you had any other responses?
Shad.

The owners seem to know the most and that ain't much! Sent you a message. I'll post your pics.

[Lester B. Flat]

Hi Lester,
I have been trying unsuccessfully to post the pics of my Shiraki, I am now told that it can't be done with attachments anymore. The site people told me of another way to do it, but as I am a wee bit computer challenged it was all Greek to me. I do know how to send a jpg by email so if you are interested, send me a private message with your email address and I'll send them to you. I have been sending out some inquiries to some so-called guitar experts that I found on the internet, and guess what? they've never heard of a Shiraki! I'm thinking these guitars are very rare. Have you had any other responses?
Shad.

Here ya go , Shad. Nice looking guitar! The Dutch dude's guitar is similar to this. I'll see if I can find the pics and get his permission to post them or at least send them to you.


Shad's Shiraki

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f377/ralphoto/shad4.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f377/ralphoto/shad3.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f377/ralphoto/shad2.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f377/ralphoto/shad1.jpg

[stefan]

this is mine :

http://users.telenet.be/zaskar/shirak1.jpg

[Lester B. Flat]

Hi Stefan,

That's the most intricate carving I've seen yet! Tell me more. Where are you located? How long have you had it? More pics would be nice. :smilie_flagge17:

[stefan]

i have this guitar since 1994, i think. (i live in belgium).
bought it second hand; the bridge was repaired by a luthier before i bought it.
i will post some other pics tonight.
nice guitar to look at, but i don't like the sound,
'sounds like playing in the toilet', a guitarist told me once.

[stefan]

these are my other pics :

http://users.telenet.be/zaskar/shirak3.jpg
http://users.telenet.be/zaskar/shirak5.jpg

[shad]

Hi Stefan,
Nice looking guitar, is it acoustic only or electric as well? I can't tell from the pics. I like the sound of my Shiraki, but I wish it had a little more bass. Have you seen other Shiraki's in Belgium?
Shad

[stefan]

hello,

no, it is strictly acoustic, and i have never seen these guitars before.
the guitars on this site are the first i've seen.
i tried to sell it once, on ebay, but the auction did'nt go higher than 80 euros so i just kept it.

grtz

[delshardware]

I'm glad to see that Shiraki or Shirak instruments are so rare because I just inherited a Shiraki Mandolin from my father.He has had this Mandolin since the mid 80's and it is the same exotic wood and intricate details as the guitars you have posted.I've been looking on the net for any info about these Mandolins and I wouldn't be surprised if I've got one of one ! I live in Nova scotia. If anyone has seen one of these please let me know! I'll send a pic if I can figure out how to post a pic on this site .

[Lester B. Flat]

A mandolin? Cool! I'd love to see a pic. Send me a PM and I'll help you post it.

Welcome to the forum!:smilie_flagge17:

[Chi_Masta_G]

I bought mine used in Kingston Ontario for $800 CAD in 1988. Mine looks like one that's for sale on ebay from the uk (the netherlands?--i can't find it anymore). The roses and dove motif. I was told it was laser cut after the finish by a factory in Japan. Unfortunately the action starting going and the bridge was coming up, warping the top. I had to have a lutier cut a soundhole so that it would be fixable. It still sounds great but I miss the unique aspect of having no soundhole.

[bRian]

I think my wife must be right.....my mind does seem to be in the gutter much of the time. I first looked at this thread and was expecting to see pics of Shakira. Nice looking guitars.

[shad]

Is there any info visible through the new sound hole, like a serial number or the manufacturers name?
shad

[Lester B. Flat]

I bought mine used in Kingston Ontario for $800 CAD in 1988. Mine looks like one that's for sale on ebay from the uk (the netherlands?--i can't find it anymore). The roses and dove motif. I was told it was laser cut after the finish by a factory in Japan. Unfortunately the action starting going and the bridge was coming up, warping the top. I had to have a lutier cut a soundhole so that it would be fixable. It still sounds great but I miss the unique aspect of having no soundhole.

Thanks for checking in Chi Masta. Love to see a photo of your modded Shiraki.:rolleyes:

[Pacem]

My Shiraki is the exact same as Stefans. Which reminds me to ask, is there any engraving on the back of the head, like numbers for example Stefan? It's in horrible shape, its been around the block. I'm from the Vancouver area. I've spent alot of time looking it up and thought I'd try again today, low and behold this thread was new.... Great stuff. I'm trying to sell it. And its hella hard to sell something when you don't anything about it, lol.

They few i've found online have seemed to come from Canada. I phoned a guy in Florida who had one for sale on his website. He explained to me he bought it in Calgary in the early 80's. It was a small shop that had 3 of them, all different.

I'm glad to find out the myth of the famous "Japanese Luthier" has been dissmissed.

Take it easy, i'll keep checking this place out, I run across some cool stuff alot.

[Stephen W.]

I have just tracked down the truth about another make. It's funny how these two stories sounded so similar. I thought there had to be a connection.
While at the Guitar World (http://www.theguitarworld.com)stores a couple of weeks ago I was offered and played two acoustics labelled:
Landscape, Designed by Soundport Technologies in the U.S.A.
The story I was told was that they were hand built in Japan by a little known but highly skilled luthier in very small quantities. The interesting thing is that on the base side of both the upper and lower bouts there are intricately carved patterns. I'm sure these where laser cut into the blanks prior to bending them for the sides.
I've been phoning, emailing and surfing off and on ever since. Tonight, I struck paydirt. Woody Mann (http://www.woodymann.com/index.html)plays Landscapes. From the LINKS page on his site I found HOOK UP Inc. in Japan.
Now load up your favourite translation site, (I used AltaVista's Babel Fish. (http://babelfish.altavista.com/)Translation) Then paste in this URL and go from Japanese to English.
http://www.hookup.co.jp/guitar/landscape/spt.html
(Translations are a hoot.)

[Lester B. Flat]

Thanks Pacem, for adding to what now is perhaps the largest database of Shiraki guitars (and one mandolin!) anywhere on the web, as modest as it is.

There's more of these out there than I originally thought, but that's still only about twenty known to me. I expect a few more will turn up.

A reminder to all: If you've got photos, post 'em! Thanks to everyone who has responded to this thread and keep them coming.:cool:

[mdegraef]

Hi Lester,

I'm originally from Antwerp, Belgium, and now I live in Pittsburgh. In
1978 I bought a Shiraki classical guitar in a small store in Antwerp. Instead
of a sound hole it has a carved profile, similar to the ones that were shown
in various pictures; the difference is that the carving is located where the sound hole normally is, under the strings.
It is my absolute favorite guitar ever. The sound is
very warm, with good base tones and a relatively long sustain (for a
classical guitar). It also has an under-the-bridge pick-up, but unfortunately
that doesn't work anymore; maybe a loose wire somehere...the lack of a
sound hole makes it pretty tough to get inside the guitar. I've had the
frets reseated recently, since several of them came loose; I've played
it nearly every day for the past nearly 30 years.

In 1986 I spent some time in Tokyo, and there was a store there that
had several of the Shiraki models, including the one you showed in your
pictures. I've never seen them anywhere else. I can't remember the name
or location of the store (Tokyo is a pretty big city and my knowledge of
Japanese is non-existent....).

Anyway, I'm glad to find out that there are a few of these guitars around!

I'll try to post a picture soon.

Regards,
Marc.

[Lester B. Flat]

Good to hear from you Marc. A classical, eh? I'm beginning to think they tried a little bit of everything. You're also the first guy I know of who has seen one in Japan. Photos would be great!:food-smiley-015:

[delshardware]

A mandolin? Cool! I'd love to see a pic. Send me a PM and I'll help you post it.

Welcome to the forum!:smilie_flagge17:
Hello Lester ! I hope that the pics insertion works!
I would love to know if anyone out there has one of these or if anyone has even seen one!http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k96/delshardware/shiraki2.jpghttp://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k96/delshardware/shiraki1.jpghttp://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k96/delshardware/shiraki3.jpg

[mdegraef]

Lester,

I found two links on French chat forums (or is it fora?):

http://www.delcamp.net/forum/fr/viewtopic.php?t=561&highlight=shiraki

and

http://www.delcamp.net/forum/fr/viewtopic.php?t=4301&highlight=shiraki

I don't know how good your French is, but my classical guitar is very similar
to the first picture in the second link. You can see the name "shiraki" at
the top op the "sound hole". I'll try to get a better picture later this week.

From what I could understand from some of the entries, it appears that the
cutaway patterns were made with a high pressure water jet; the pressure
on such jets can be finely controlled so that it would be possible to remove
the softer wood, but leave the harder veins (or whatever they are called).

More later,
Marc.

[bert]

hello lester,

my name is bert and i am from the netherlands.
i also own a shirak, and ofcourse i would like to know more about its
orrigin. so i'm very pleased that i discovered this side today.
my shirak is a classic guitar (nylon stringed) with no electrics.
the soundhole is in the normal place and the carving shows flowers and leaves, and in the top of the soundhole the name shirak is carved.
i bought this guitar myself, brand new, in 1979 or 1980 here in holland.
used woods are dificult to say, judging by looks and sound the top must be ceder. sides and back i think are mahogeny, but i'm not sure.
the sound is great, very warm with good expression.
will send foto's as soon as possible.

greatings,
bert

[Lester B. Flat]

Hi Bert,

Thanks for checking in with us. Another classical, eh? No serial number I expect? I'm starting to lose mental track of all these instruments and it's time to start compiling a list of some sort. Love to see some photos!

:food-smiley-004:

[Lester B. Flat]

Lester,

I found two links on French chat forums (or is it fora?):

http://www.delcamp.net/forum/fr/viewtopic.php?t=561&highlight=shiraki

and

http://www.delcamp.net/forum/fr/viewtopic.php?t=4301&highlight=shiraki

I don't know how good your French is, but my classical guitar is very similar
to the first picture in the second link. You can see the name "shiraki" at
the top op the "sound hole". I'll try to get a better picture later this week.

From what I could understand from some of the entries, it appears that the
cutaway patterns were made with a high pressure water jet; the pressure
on such jets can be finely controlled so that it would be possible to remove
the softer wood, but leave the harder veins (or whatever they are called).

More later,
Marc.


Thanks for the links, Marc. At least I understand the pictures! The watersaw idea is best explanation yet.

[bert]

hi lester,
here are the pics. i think if you compare my shiraki with the one on the french site it looks very similar! maybe marc can compare his guitar with the pictures of my guitar, and if they are similer we have 3 identical.
on the turkish tv i saw a guitarplayer with exact the same shiraki as mine,
that would make 4. so maybe some serial production afterall!
at least for the classical type.
best thing to do lester, is to find a tv station that will sponsor your trip to japan to find shiraki's historie.It could be a great documentary!
anyway, good luck with your search.
bert
images of my guitar:
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7568/pict0001zy2.jpg


http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/6364/pict0002az4.jpg


http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/5499/pict0003km7.jpg


http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/9626/pict0011rq3.jpg

[Lester B. Flat]

best thing to do lester, is to find a tv station that will sponsor your trip to japan to find shiraki's historie.It could be a great documentary!


Hmm. I don't know if I'm ready for primetime!

Cool soundhole!

[Gplayer]

Hi Lester, it's great to see this info on the shiraki guitar as I've tried for a long time to find something. I also have the Les Paul style body Shiraki as in your picture ( cutaway electric acoustic ). All I know is that I purchased it in a small music shop in Parksville BC called Len's Music back in 1979 and it was only a year old at that time supposedly. I've had many good years of playing it for many styles of music. The store mentioned actually had a number of them for sale at that time but they were all the flat top style acoustics with percussion hole in the normal position, all but mine anyway. The fellow informed me then that they were made in Japan by a very reputable guitar company and that the carvings were done by laser. I've had many shops and Luthiers offer to purchase it but of course would never even think of it as I'm very happy with it. I've also had it appraised by an expert in Vancouver for insurance purposes back in 1995 and they suggested no less than $1500 US as it would be near impossible to replace if not impossible. I receive huge compliments on it every time I take it to a jam or gig. Again this is sure great. Gplayer:food-smiley-004:

[Lester B. Flat]

Welcome aboard, Gplayer! So you've got one like mine eh? Throw a photo up when you get a chance, I'd love to see it. I had mine appraised around the same time for the same amount. I also consider mine irreplaceable. Have you made any mods or is it still original? No serial number I assume?

[Gplayer]

:food-smiley-004: :food-smiley-004: Hi Lester,
I'll get some pics loaded as soon as I can. As far as I can tell from your pics it's identical model. I've never done any mods at all and as everyone knows that owns one there's no serial # that can be found. I'm thinking of taking off the control knob plate and having a look around inside to see if there might be a label anywhere. I'll have to think about it though as I've never had to go inside and am a little hesitant, some food for thought though. I just took my baby over to a local music shop where the owner and I do some jamming, he's an older fella, probably late 60's and has an extensive history of playing and studio recording with some very well known players over the years and also a Luthier, and boy was he impressed with it. He had'nt ever seen one and loved the action, look and sound and this fella's an amazing guitar picker who's opinion I respect. I'm also going to see if I can track down the fella that I originally bought it from as he may still remember some things or have literature kicking around. Hopefully more info coming soon.
Gplayer

[shad]

Hi Gplayer, nice to have another Shiraki owner on the site. I think you are the ninth one since Lester started this thread. If possible I'd like to get the name of the expert in Vancouver who did your appraisal, I'd like to get mine done too. I look forward to seeing your pics.
Shad.:food-smiley-004:

[Gplayer]

Hey Shad,
It's been a few years but I'll try and dig up the paperwork on the appraisal.
I do remember this much, it was a Vintage guitar dealer / appraiser in the downtown core of Vancouver located on Granville St. just over the bridge on the right side, sorry but I can't remeber the name of the bridge or shop. Hope this helps for now. I have made some calls to some people that hopefully will be able to track down the dealer that I purchased it from and maybe something will come of it.
Great to be on board,
Gplayer:food-smiley-004:

[Lester B. Flat]

Hey Shad,
It's been a few years but I'll try and dig up the paperwork on the appraisal.
I do remember this much, it was a Vintage guitar dealer / appraiser in the downtown core of Vancouver located on Granville St. just over the bridge on the right side, sorry but I can't remeber the name of the bridge or shop. Hope this helps for now. I have made some calls to some people that hopefully will be able to track down the dealer that I purchased it from and maybe something will come of it.
Great to be on board,
Gplayer:food-smiley-004:

Hey Gplayer, if you do happen to track down the dealer, ask him if he remembers who the distributor/importer was. It just occured to me that the Canadian distributor may have been on the west coast since there are quite a few guitars coming to light from there. It only makes sense since they came from Japan.

[Gplayer]

Hi Lester / Shad,
I've managed to locate the fellow I purchased the guitar from and he gave me some names that he thought were the distributors at the time.

I'm attempting to locate these people and get more info if possible. Hopefully I will be posting answers to all of our questions very soon !!!

What's really amazing though is the fellow that sold me the guitar whom I have'nt seen in 28 years remembers the specific guitar I purchased and this store sold alot of guitars over the years. Tells us something about the uniqueness would'nt you say ?

Gplayer:food-smiley-004:

[Lester B. Flat]

Good luck sleuthing and keep us posted!:food-smiley-004:

[Gplayer]

Hello Lester,
The company Kief Music remembers the guitars but unfortunatley were'nt the distributors. They tell me they think it was a company from Mississauga
( Toronto ) called B & J. This company if still in existance may have some info. Perhaps they can be found or owners tracked down if no longer operating. I'll keep trying !
Gplayer:food-smiley-004:

[Cyar]

Hey lester. I too have a Shiraki guitar and have never seen one like mine. I live in Port Colborne Ontario.
I don't have a pickup in mine and would love to put one in but am so afraid that it might damage the guitar, that I don't want to try it. I love the sound and the action and everything about it. I bought it new about 25 years ago at Central Music in Welland for approx. $500 Canadian. I have played it in all kinds of weather - heat of the summer to the cold of winter on a bus - even walked from the building to the bus, playing it. I love it and was hoping to find somewhere to buy another when I came upon your message.
I have some pics I took today and I'll post them as soon as I can.
It is great to find other Shiraki owners.

[Lester B. Flat]

Hi Cyar, welcome to the forum. Let's see those photos!

[Cyar]

Here are the photos.
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rlcnetworx/photos/Shiraki1.jpg
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rlcnetworx/photos/Shiraki2.jpg
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rlcnetworx/photos/Shiraki3.jpg
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rlcnetworx/photos/Shiraki4.jpg

Pics are a bit big sorry!

[shad]

Hi Cyar,
Welcome to the forum from a fellow Shiraki owner. That is a beauty for sure, I don't think I'd try putting in a pickup though. What gauge strings are you using there? :food-smiley-004:

[Cyar]

Hey Shad

Thanks. You have a great looking guitar as well. I really like the etched out design around the outside edge of yours. Looks great. How is the lower tones on yours. Mine is pretty good. I actually get a pretty full sound.
I use .011 gauge. I like Elixir custom lights.
I don't know if this is part of the urban legend, but I thought that someone told me (a friend of a friend who had a cousin who was married to a girl who's husband knew a guy that...:smile:) that they calculate the diameter of a regular hole and use that space in the design. So the lasered out or etched out part equals what you woud get in a regular hole. (I guess the theory isn't the same for the electric accoustics). Like I said, probably another myth.
I really wish I would have bought an electric as well back then. Hind sight, don't you know.
The water jet technology seems plausible. I was told, when I bought it, that it was lasered out.
As you can see on the right side of the design, the finish has been chipped away from using a pick but it still sounds, looks and plays great.

[shad]

Hey Cyar,

Thanks for the comments, the carvings on mine more simple and less artistic looking than yours and Lester's and others I've seen, maybe it was one of the earlier models.

When I'm playing it as an acoustic the low tones are not as full as I would like, but when it's plugged in the low tones seem fuller, I'm not sure why.

The theory about the area of the carvings equalling that of a sound hole seem's logical to me, I have an engineering background and that is probably how I would approach it, but having said that I have no clue if there is a formula for the sizing of a sound hole, or if it is all that critical, maybe a luthier will clue us in on that.

I'd love to know the actual history of these unique guitars but my attempts to track it down on the internet have been fruitless, hopefully someday someone who knows will see this site and enlighten us!

String gauge? I just put on some 10's and was disappointed, kind of weak and tinny acoustically but quite good amplified, anyway I'm going back to the 11's because I play it unamplified most of the time.

Interesting that you paid $500 new 25 years ago, I wonder what that translates into in todays dollars?

[GregM]

I am delighted to have found this thread. I bought my Shiraki, second-hand, in 1987 and I was beginning to think I was the only Shiraki owner in the world. :wave:

I live in Brisbane, Australia and play guitar and oud. The Shiraki is an (almost) solid body classical, with an under-bridge pickup. The tone is exceptional. Amongst my other treasures, I have a Godin Multiac SA guitar and it has a better neck and, of course, synth access. But the tone of the Shiraki is superior with a very true acoustic sound when amplified. I use it with a Roland jazz Chorus 55 amp of a similar vintage.

Photos of the Shiraki at http://www.worldmusiccafe.info/files/Shiraki/

Regards,

Greg

[shad]

Hi GregM,

Nice guitar Greg, quite similar looking sound hole to one other that was posted here, but I think it was a full size hollow body. I believe your's is the only solid body I've heard of.

I assume your's doesn't have any manufacturers information on it either? You may not be the "only Shiraki owner in the world", but you're one of only a dozen or so that have posted to this site so far, and I think that all of us would like to know more about these unique guitars.

Anyway, welcome to the site. :food-smiley-004:

[GregM]

Hi Shad,

You're right, there is no manufacturer's information on the guitar, other than the word Shiraki worked into the sound-hole design. Considerng the build quality, it is strange that they didn't even put a serial number on them.

Regards,

Greg

[coolp50]

Hi guys,

My names Clay. I scanned a booklet my guitar teacher gave me about a year ago, the booklet is about shiraki guitars but doesn't give a whole lot of info on them... just mostly what their made of, they don't mention anything about how the soundholes are carved or etched out of the tops of them or even where they where made, but apparently these designs where the shiraki "Filigrana" models. My grandpa also has the XW71 model which I'll get a picture of next time I'm at his house.It seems weird that they made this catalogue without any way of telling us how to contact them for ordering guitars. I especially like the look of the mandolins on page 9.

anyways here are the pictures links:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/frontcoversmaller.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page1small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page2small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page3small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page4small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page5small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page6small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page7small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page8small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page9small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page10small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/backcoversmall.jpg

sry some of the pics got some corners cropped and that the front cover is messed up, I spilled pop on it and it got put away with other papers and it got ripped:(

If some of the images don't work email me at coolp50@hotmail.com or fullclay@gmail.com and I'll fix it whenever I get your email ;)

[shad]

Hi guys,

My names Clay. I scanned a booklet my guitar teacher gave me about a year ago, the booklet is about shiraki guitars but doesn't give a whole lot of info on them... just mostly what their made of, they don't mention anything about how the soundholes are carved or etched out of the tops of them or even where they where made, but apparently these designs where the shiraki "Filigrana" models. My grandpa also has the XW71 model which I'll get a picture of next time I'm at his house.It seems weird that they made this catalogue without any way of telling us how to contact them for ordering guitars. I especially like the look of the mandolins on page 9.

anyways here are the pictures links:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/frontcoversmaller.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page1small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page2small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page3small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page4small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page5small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page6small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page7small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page8small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page9small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page10small.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/backcoversmall.jpg

sry some of the pics got some corners cropped and that the front cover is messed up, I spilled pop on it and it got put away with other papers and it got ripped:(

If some of the images don't work email me at coolp50@hotmail.com or fullclay@gmail.com and I'll fix it whenever I get your email ;)

Thanks Clay, for this amazing information, you have made my day for sure!! My Shiraki is identical to the XW70, except it is an electric/acoustic. Is there any chance that your teacher might be able to provide more information on these unusual guitars?

Cheers :food-smiley-004:

[Lester B. Flat]

Greg, thanks for posting your pics on this thread! You've got a model I've not seen before. It also doesn't seem to be in that brochure that Clay posted.

Clay, you are the man! I've been looking for catalogue on these guitars for years. I'm amazed to know the model number of my guitar, finally. (XEI20)

[coolp50]

sry Shad, I moved a couple months ago and haven't talked tohim and forgot his #... When I did ask him about the guitars tho he said all he knew about them was what he'd read in the catologue :(

[shad]

sry Shad, I moved a couple months ago and haven't talked tohim and forgot his #... When I did ask him about the guitars tho he said all he knew about them was what he'd read in the catologue :(

Okay thanks anyway Clay, and thanks again for posting that info.

[Cyar]

Clay, You are the man!!!!!

This is a great piece of info. I have the XW60 model. This is probably the most relevant info I've found yet.

Thanks again

[sneakypete]

it`s actually not that unusual for a Japanese maker to not have serials or very precise records of their work in the 50s, 60s and maybe even the early 70s...theres a very long list of brands from those days...even Yamaha has very little data available on their Dynamic acoustics, the Japanese guys who write books on old MIJs have a very hard time finding good info...all the folks who were involved in building them are dead or long since retired. I guess when they were building these gems they had no idea how collectable they`d become or that players would still be playing them decades later.
I did see this thread linked on a Shiraki that was for sale on the Japanese web, so even the natives have very little info on them.

[shad]

it`s actually not that unusual for a Japanese maker to not have serials or very precise records of their work in the 50s, 60s and maybe even the early 70s...theres a very long list of brands from those days...even Yamaha has very little data available on their Dynamic acoustics, the Japanese guys who write books on old MIJs have a very hard time finding good info...all the folks who were involved in building them are dead or long since retired. I guess when they were building these gems they had no idea how collectable they`d become or that players would still be playing them decades later.
I did see this thread linked on a Shiraki that was for sale on the Japanese web, so even the natives have very little info on them.

Hey Sneakypete, interesting comments. Regarding "the Japanese guys who write about MIJs" that you referred to, would it be worth our while to contact any of them for information? If so, any names, contact info, etc. that you could pass on to us would be muchly appreciated.

Cheers, :food-smiley-004:

[sneakypete]

I have the 8 volume series of books called Japan Vintage by Shinko.
You can try to contact them but don`t be surprised if they don`t answer...happens to me a lot...and I`m in the country. You might have better luck if you can find someone to write a mail in Japanese, not sure but I`d say over 80% of mails I send don`t get answered.
I`ll do a search on the name Shiraki and see what happens.

www.shinko-music.co.jp

[shad]

I have the 8 volume series of books called Japan Vintage by Shinko.
You can try to contact them but don`t be surprised if they don`t answer...happens to me a lot...and I`m in the country. You might have better luck if you can find someone to write a mail in Japanese, not sure but I`d say over 80% of mails I send don`t get answered.
I`ll do a search on the name Shiraki and see what happens.

www.shinko-music.co.jp

Thanks for the Shinko link, I'll send them an email and see what happens.

[jamhandy]

Hi folks,

It looks like this discussion hasn't been added to in a while, but it is still floating out in cyberspace.

I had (I sold it like a dummy...) a Shiraki classical guitar just like what this fellow is describing. Inside the sound hole was a very intricate carving, which left the wood grain in the piece for shading. The one I had had flowers and leaves in the carving, and the carving encompassed the entire sound hole.

I got the guitar from a fellow who was from Victoria, BC. The story he told me is a bit different from what I am hearing here, so I'll repeat it, and go from there. This fellow studied classical guitar at a conservatory of music in Victoria. He told me he had special ordered the guitar from Japan, and (now he may have stretched this, I have never doubted him until today...) he said he (well his parents) paid around $5,000 for this particular guitar.

Because of the very intricate sound hole carvings I never doubted his price, but he traded it to me for about $500 worth of stuff when I moved out of an apartment we shared in Huntington Beach, California in 1989.

I do remember the tuning pegs were of a redish tint, and he claimed they were some kind of special stuff. Not sure if they were pearl, or red pearl, or who knows what. The guitar was absolutely gorgeous.

And as far as carving versus laser etching... the guitar I had was hand carved. There would be absolutely no way for a laser to digitize the exact grain of the wood, and then burn a pattern like that... for one thing, the laser BURNS the wood, and this wood was not burnt on the inside of the carving. To offer more on this, I was formerly employed in the trade of steel rule die making for 13 years. We used lasers to burn maple plywood that created our die boards. I have quite a bit of experience pertaining to the burning of wood with lasers, and in this professional opinion, these guitars are NOT laser etched...

So, when will we see Gibson or Fender attempt this, I wonder...? Never, probably... I have never seen another guitar at all with this type of carvings. Finding this thread tonight is the second time I have ever seen one of these guitars in my life. I had the classical guitar, then I saw one at a Guitar Center store one time in Phoenix, Arizona. I sold mine outright to a music store in Greensboro, North Carolina. The one in Phoenix was not as intricate as the one I had owned. In my sound hole there were leaves, and flower pedals, and stems of the plant, and the grain of the wood was used as shading.

The story the guy gave me was another one of the "master guitar maker" stories, even though some folks who have posted above have cl;aimed there is a factory involved. This guy seemed to think this guitar was extremely rare, and he claimed his folks dropped $5,000 on it brand new. He had the financial backing to afford it, and it could be true. Maybe they did a "custom shop" thing????

He said the man's name "Shiraki"... or on my guitar, it was actually spelled "S-H-I-R-A-K-S" ... there was no "i" at the end... and there was indeed an "s" at the end... the guy I bought my guitar from claimed that was the name of the luthier who actually did the hand carving. I don't recall there ever being a serial number on the guitar... He also inferred that it was a special luthier that had made the guitar, and that it was ordered from him direct. He did not mention the factory, nor did he seem to ever say anything other than it was made by one individual and that the individual's name was also carved into the sound hole with the decorative carvings.

The tone of this particular classical guitar was to die for. I should be shot at a firing squad for ever selling it... but back then as is the case now, I am and have always been an electric guitar type of guy, and I rarely ever played the very beautiful Shiraks classical.

Since there is a second name...

"Shiraki"

versus

"Shiraks" (on my guitar)

... then could there be a factory, AND a cutom shop type thing?

Meaning... are the "Shiraki" guitars the factory versions... and would that mean the "Shiraks" version (with an "s" at the end) would be a higher-dollar guitar, possibly a custom made or custom shop ordered guitar?

The sound hole of the one I had was much more intricately carved than any of the guitars pictured here... I wish I had taken at least one picture of it when I owned it... that was before digital cameras were all the rage... I have a huge box of photos... it may very well be that I do have a picture somewhere... I can't believe I would own it and not take a few pics, come to think of it...

If I do come up with some photos, I will scan them, and post them here...

This seems to be one of the only places on the web where I have even seen these guitars mentioned...



Jam

[jamhandy]

I am delighted to have found this thread. I bought my Shiraki, second-hand, in 1987 and I was beginning to think I was the only Shiraki owner in the world. :wave:

I live in Brisbane, Australia and play guitar and oud. The Shiraki is an (almost) solid body classical, with an under-bridge pickup. The tone is exceptional. Amongst my other treasures, I have a Godin Multiac SA guitar and it has a better neck and, of course, synth access. But the tone of the Shiraki is superior with a very true acoustic sound when amplified. I use it with a Roland jazz Chorus 55 amp of a similar vintage.

Photos of the Shiraki at http://www.worldmusiccafe.info/files/Shiraki/

Regards,

Greg

Greg, this is EXACTLY the same guitar I had...

Same soundhole, and I always thought the signature in the sound hole was "Shiraks" with an "s"....



JH

[jamhandy]

Oops... a couple small details (in my zealous ambition to post, I missed...)... Mine was not a cutaway... it also did not have any electronics... other than that, it was identical to your pictures...

Thanks you, Greg, for posting these pistures... If you only knew how many times I have told people about this guitar... because I sold it... and it has always been a memory...

So... has anyone seen one of these for sale anywhere?

:-)


JH

[sneakypete]

-ki is a common name ending in Japan...there is no plural for in our sense and for a possessive they use -no...Shiraki-no.
Is it possible the Japanese guy who built the guitar made a mistake with English letters? yes...and I see it here everyday. He may have had trouble with the English possessive...I correct that mistake frequently in class here. I`d wager there is no name of Shiraks, but I`ll ask my wife tonight. Not unusual for builders of the day to make customs and /or one offs for customers...still happens and on one of my Sadao Yairis, he crossed off a kanji he wrote and corrected it so my guess is...just a writing error. One of the old MIJ classicals I have has a name on the label that, so far, nobody can read...none of the Japanese I`ve shown it to anyways.

[jamhandy]

-ki is a common name ending in Japan...there is no plural for in our sense and for a possessive they use -no...Shiraki-no.
Is it possible the Japanese guy who built the guitar made a mistake with English letters? yes...and I see it here everyday. He may have had trouble with the English possessive...I correct that mistake frequently in class here. I`d wager there is no name of Shiraks, but I`ll ask my wife tonight. Not unusual for builders of the day to make customs and /or one offs for customers...still happens and on one of my Sadao Yairis, he crossed off a kanji he wrote and corrected it so my guess is...just a writing error. One of the old MIJ classicals I have has a name on the label that, so far, nobody can read...none of the Japanese I`ve shown it to anyways.



Check out the "003" picture that Greg posted:
http://www.worldmusiccafe.info/files/Shiraki/Shiraki%20003_sm.jpg

The last letter "looks" like an " s "... but maybe it could be an " i "...

That is the exact sound hole my classical guitar had, too... which is amazing, because it shows they can duplicate this killer carving stuff...

If you follow the spruce grain through the design, it continues all the way through the carving... because the grain varies ever so lightly, there would be no way fro a laser to digitize this exact grain, and blast out only the material in between the grains... the material was taken out by hand... totally amazing...

[jamhandy]

There are some reviews of Shiraki guitars on Harmony Central:
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Shirak/Unknown/10/1


JH

[jamhandy]

Here is another Shiraki classical on another forum, this one is like the one I had... no cut-away... no electronics... same cool sound hole again...

http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=69120&p=2&tmode=1&smode=1



JH
.

[sneakypete]

I thought we were talking about a hand written label for some reason. So I`m gonna say it`s an "i".
there was a Shiraki for sale on the Japanese web last year and the seller had this thread linked to his sale so it looks like not everybody knows about em here either. There may be some info in books in Japan but not in any I own and I don`t own all the books on MIJs...plus there was a time when there were literally dozens of brands of both electic and acoustic Japanese guitars many of which are shrouded in mystery...nobody knows where they were made, when, for how long or how many were made and honestly it`d be impossible to know. Maybe Shiraki is one of those.

[PaPa Dave]

I've owned my Shiraki since 1984. I purchased it in Budengin West Germany while stationed there in the army. Of all of my guitars the Shiraki out plays them no problem.

[rollingdam]

here is a link to a Mandolin for sale

http://www.coolguitars.ca/kgs_inv_detail.asp?InvID=2973

[PaPa Dave]

can you tell me what model this instrument is? The one I have is practically a corbon copy. I purchased mine while overseas in 1984

[Lester B. Flat]

can you tell me what model this instrument is? The one I have is practically a corbon copy. I purchased mine while overseas in 1984

Looks like this one. The XM25. Do you have both a guitar and a mandolin?

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g251/coolp50/page9small.jpg

[PaPa Dave]

Clay Thanks for posting that booklet. I was able to find out that I have an XW70 model.
Do you know of anyone that would know the values of these Shiraki s? I really need to get mine insured.

[C. Brayland]

hey guys, i am so excited to have found this forum.

i too have a shiraki. your thread has allowed me to figure out that its an xw70

hey, and my name is also clay!

i love the sound of this guitar, and of course the look, and i'm thinking of having a serious custom guitar specialist put electronics in it.

there are unfortunately, two large cracks running from the bridge to the butt of the guitar. whoever had sold it to me had not stored it properly. the unfortunate thing is that with no sound hole there's no easy way to go about repairing it...

i also own a high end taylor, 914ce, but i often brush it aside to play my shiraki. it's bright, phenomenally loud, and bell like. it doesn't have much of a bass end, but it lets the mids come through much stronger, and i like that.

i wonder if the guys at talyor would be up to the task of repairing an old shiraki...

[Lester B. Flat]

Welcome aboard, Clay!

Post a pic when you get a chance. Is the top cracked or is it just the finish?

[C. Brayland]

the top is definately cracked, twice. i'll take some pics soon.
it sounds great in an open tuning by the way

[eriko]

Hello everyone,

I am truly glad I found this site. I own a Shiraki XW51. (Thanks to Clay for posting those pictures.) Mine needs some work. The bridge is gone, and apparently someone tried to reglue the bridge without much success as evidenced by the layers and clumps of glue on the bridge area. Other than that, it appears to be in sound condition. I just bought this unique guitar last month.

I plan to do the repairs myself. I know that it would be a formidable task to glue a bridge, because there is no soundhole to position a bridge clamp. But, I found a new innovative tool that was made for installing bridge, without using C clamps. The tool is called vacuum clamp. It costs about $100.00, just for the clamp. Then of course the vacuum pump will be another cost.

I guess when tools are too pricey, one will tend to make the tools themselves. So I designed my own vacuum clamp! It is still in the works, but my cost will be only about $15.00 at the most.

Anyway, these Shiraki guitars are really special. One can only wonder how much time each craftman took to finish carving those intricate "soundholes." let alone the design themselves.

Let us keep in touch, and I know that each one of us, proud Shiraki owners, have a unique story to tell about our pride posession.

By the way, I am from San Diego, California.

Thanks,
Eriko

[Lester B. Flat]

Welcome Eriko!

Glad you found us and glad you found a wayward Shiraki. It would be interesting to see some pics of your bridge repair process.

[greco]

Hello Lester,
The company Kief Music remembers the guitars but unfortunatley were'nt the distributors. They tell me they think it was a company from Mississauga
( Toronto ) called B & J. This company if still in existance may have some info. Perhaps they can be found or owners tracked down if no longer operating. I'll keep trying !
Gplayer:food-smiley-004:

Hello to all..fantastic thread. Wonderful guitars.

Nice that you can compare your instruments (and storeis behind them) and learn more about them.


I bought an MIJ 335 copy by SEGA (IIRC) and it was brought into Canada by B & J in Toronto. The case that came with the guitar had some of the original info in it. I tried to track down B & J but got nowhere..other than finding out that they did import a variety of brands of guitars from Japan. The guitar was unfortunately taken from my house during a B&E in 2004 :mad:

Dave

[Sneaky]

Here's another mando on Calgary CL.... :smile:

http://calgary.en.craigslist.ca/msg/660053592.html

[Jampy]

For all those that felt cheated..LOL

http://merasapna.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/shakira.jpg


I heard her hips don't lie

[Cybergy]

I own a Shiraki that I bought new in Toronto back in the early 80's. I am planning on selling it in the next little while because I'm out of work and I need the money. I have never seen another one - frankly, I'm surprised to find this thread! I didn't realize there was much interest in the brand. It truly is a beautiful guitar.

Looking at Clay's links - it appears I have the XW70 Dreadnought!

http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l84/Cybergy/?action=view&current=IMG_0755.jpg

[shad]

I own a Shiraki that I bought new in Toronto back in the early 80's. I am planning on selling it in the next little while because I'm out of work and I need the money. I have never seen another one - frankly, I'm surprised to find this thread! I didn't realize there was much interest in the brand. It truly is a beautiful guitar.

Looking at Clay's links - it appears I have the XW70 Dreadnought!

http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l84/Cybergy/?action=view&current=IMG_0755.jpg

Hey Cybergy, I have an XW70 too, is yours electric/acoustic? Hope you get a good price for it!!
Cheers,

[Cybergy]

Hi Shad,

No it's a straight-up acoustic - yours is too, right? The pics you posted appear to be identical to my guitar.

[shad]

Hi Shad,

No it's a straight-up acoustic - yours is too, right? The pics you posted appear to be identical to my guitar.

No, mine is acoustic/electric, I think you can just barely see the tuners in one of the pictures, on the top left side near the base of the neck.

[GregM]

Hey guys,

I am sorry, I just noticed that sometime in the past I must have removed the Shiraki pictures from my site.
They are back up at http://www.worldmusiccafe.info/files/Shiraki/
(same link as before)

Regards,

Greg

[The Ainsworths]

Hi Lester,

My husband and I 8 years ago near a trash dumpster found this beautiful giutar. Until this morning, we never noticed the name Shiraki in the intricate detail around the sound hole. So I googled Shiraki and came across this site. Neither my husband or myself play the guitar but it's just such a beautiful giutar we have kept it around. Any idea on where we can get more info. on the value? It's definitly one of a kind. I guess we will no longer allow our 18 month old practice on it... :)

Oh by the way, we found the guitar in WA state, USA and currently live in San Diego CA.

thanks

[violagran]

This might not be the best place for doing this but I would hate to go through EBay. A friend in dire need of cash just left me with her Shirak guitar a couple of hours ago.She said she did´nt know where to sell it or what it was worth. She bought it in the late 80s in France for 2000francs. It is a classic body shape with the same amazing carving in the sound hole that everyone was talking about in this thread. Would anyone know what it´s value might be (ballpark) if I were to send pictures. I live in Granada,Spain and the shops here don´t know the make and would´nt give much money for it even if they were interested even though they liked the work.I´m a violist so the guitar world is a little foreign to me but I´d like to get this into some caring hands and make sure that my friend dons´nt get too little money.

[Cybergy]

I thought mine was just in need of a good cleaning but it appears that the finish was damaged, likely by sweat. Does anybody know what the finish is made of?

Standard guitar polish does not appear to do anything at all - I suspect it's the actual lacquer that's been damaged. It's pretty minor, but I'd like to fix it before selling if possible.

Any ideas?

[Lester B. Flat]

Hi Lester,

My husband and I 8 years ago near a trash dumpster found this beautiful giutar. Until this morning, we never noticed the name Shiraki in the intricate detail around the sound hole. So I googled Shiraki and came across this site. Neither my husband or myself play the guitar but it's just such a beautiful giutar we have kept it around. Any idea on where we can get more info. on the value? It's definitly one of a kind. I guess we will no longer allow our 18 month old practice on it... :)

Oh by the way, we found the guitar in WA state, USA and currently live in San Diego CA.

thanks

Sorry for taking so long to respond, but I've been absent from the board for a while. It's hard to put a value on these guitars because they come up for sale so rarely. It seems that most people that have them don't ever sell them. I think most of them sold new in the $500 range. I'd use that as a starting point. They may be rare but since they are obscure there is no demand to drive up the price. Like anything else, it's worth what someone will pay for it.

Since you aren't a player (and you found it in a dumpster!) you're looking good at any price. In the case of my guitar, someone might only offer $500 and that may be its value, but I wouldn't sell for 5 times that amount.

[Cybergy]

As with any good guitar, it's the value to you that's most important.