Do you recognize this guitar/manufacturer?

[Mark Hammer]

I'm in the process of preparing some of the dingier portons of a deceased friend's collection for sale. He was pretty good about entering everything in his collection into a spreadsaheet. But this is one instrument I have no information on. It is clearly Japanese, and most likely from the same empire that gave us Teisco and Norma. I've looked around on-line and seen elements of what's on this guitar , but never the whole package.

If you could either identify it, or direct me to a resource that would eventually help identify it, even vaguely (e.g., "late 1960's Norma"), I'd be much obliged.

As you can see here, the headstock is pretty distinctive, but there are no identifying things on it. The one rather distinctive thing, though, is the presence of what appears to be a switch like on the Fender Jaguar, that cuts the bass via a series cap. A rather uncommon touch. You will also note the presence of a flip-up mute on the bridge (although the foam has disappeared).

[The Dude]

The headstock looks similar in shape to this old Norma from '68:



Though, the square pole pieces make me think Teisco.

I know,...... I'm not much help, but I think you're in the right ballpark. It's quite possible your friend didn't know what it was either- hence not making it onto the spreadsheet.

BTW- Condolences. The loss of a friend is never good.

[The Dude]

After a bit more searching, I think it may be a Kawai built Kingston. Check out the similarities to the guitar on this page (tailpiece, headstock, truss rod cover, body,...)

Kawai | Drowning in Guitars!

[Mark Hammer]

I think you nailed it. Same headstock, pickups, body, body route, neck inlay and volute, vibrato system. Still don't have a model name/number, but the is close enough. Many many thanks!

Funny thing is that I went to that site yesterday. Guess I must a just missed this one, while "drowning". :-)

[Mark Hammer]

Incidentally, it's hard to tell from the photo, but the pickguard is a gorgeous woodgrain finish, kind of maple, with a 5-layer edge. Not sure how they did it, but when it's cleaned up and polished, it's really lovely, and an aesthetic step up from the chrome+plastic 2-piecers I see on a lot of the Kawais. I think I like it even more than faux tortoiseshell. Still haven't seen another like it, though, no matter how far I dig.

These Japanese companies sure made a lot of different models in a very short period of time, though, didn't they? Browsing through Google image searches of Kawai/Kingston/Teisco/Norma/Zim-Gar guitars, I have to have seen at least 500 models from within maybe a 5-year slice of production history. At times, it feels like somebody went out for lunch, came back with an idea, and they made that model for the rest of the day, switching to another model the next day.

[52 Bill]

These Japanese companies sure made a lot of different models in a very short period of time, though, didn't they? Browsing through Google image searches of Kawai/Kingston/Teisco/Norma/Zim-Gar guitars, I have to have seen at least 500 models from within maybe a 5-year slice of production history. At times, it feels like somebody went out for lunch, came back with an idea, and they made that model for the rest of the day, switching to another model the next day.

I think that there were so many models because there were so many different companies importing them, each with a different name and each with a different set of features making them unique to that importer or retailer.

In the beginning Norma, Kingston, Teisco were all imported by single companies that then distributed the guitars to multiple retail outlets. Later the retail outlets were going directly to the factories or to one of the bigger importers and ordering their own brands, so the factory would change the tailpiece or modify the headstock to make it a "different" model from the one that they sold at Sears Roebuck, and of course at a different price as well.

Blue Star Auto, Allied Electronics, Olsen Electronics, almost every department store chain and even drug store chains sold guitars back during the guitar boom days.

[Mark Hammer]

Which is partly why, I suppose, some folks will advertise some guitars as being a "Matsumoko-factory" instrument. That is, the instrument came from the same place, but some little detail was changed to provide brand differentiation. You may not recognize the name on the headstock, but it was made in the same place, and to the same standards, as the others.

I think when I finish restoring this, and putting it up for sale, I'll probably need to give it a rather generic brand description like "Kawait/Kingston/Teisco", just to cover all my bases.

[The Dude]

I'd like to see a pic of it all cleaned up and ready to play. As you probably guessed, I'm really into these old things. Some of them are junk, of course, but many of them are pretty well built guitars. I rather enjoy turning them back into playable instruments. If you do clean and string it up, please post a pic.

Edit: FYI, a "quick fix" for the edge chips is a plain old black Sharpie. Not much of a fix up close, but at any distance at least not bare wood showing.

[Mark Hammer]

I polished it up nice, and fabricated a replacement for the missing low E saddle. Cut and glued on a piece of black foam for the mute unit, and managed to find a 6-inline tuner unit to replace the original that only had 5 tuners.

The pick guard not only looks like wood. It appears to be an all-wood laminate.

I'm cleaning up and restoring the pots and switches, and need to tweak the truss rod, and maybe adjust the neck angle. This could be a player when I'm done, or maybe just a looker. But it's fun, and I'm honoured to be finishing my late friend's projects. I'll be sure to post pics.