TOP OF THE LINE - TATSUHIKO HIROSE 20 1978 - HEAVENLY CLASSICAL CONCERT GUITAR

Description: Tatsuhiko Hirose 20 1978 Classical Concert GuitarThis guitar was made in 1978 by Tatsuhiko Hirose, being his top-of-the-line model.According to some sources Hirohiko Hirose started his luthier’s career in late 1930s, most likely making violins and Japanese traditional string instruments. His oldest guitars are dated to early 1960s.Hirohiko was one of many less known Japanese luthier pioneers who along with more famous Sakazo & Rokutaro Nakade, Hiroshi & Mitsuru Tamura and Masaru Kohno were adopting Spanish blueprints and modernizing Japanese Luthiery. Hirohiko was highly regarded in Japan and had enough clients, yet never became well known outside Japan. He was running small traditional workshop located in Nagoya, being helped by just one apprentice at the time. At some point in time his only apprentice was his own son Tatsuhiko and both names were printed on the labels. Tatsuhiko started signing labels in mid 1970s and continued his father’s tradition through at least late 1990s, (perhaps even longer). Because of rather limited number of Hirose guitars popping up on second-hand markets and general scarcity of information describing these luthiers it is hard to learn their entire and true story.What is easy though, is to recognize true greatness of their guitars. Their guitars are the best certificate of Hirose’s luthier mastery. If compared with guitars made by most prominent Japanese luthiers of their era (Masaru Kohno and Sakazo Nakade) Hirose guitars were greatly underpriced. Strangely enough to me, Tatsuhiko Hirose guitars were even underpriced if compared with guitars made by leading Japanese Gakkis (workshops employing teams of highly skilled younger luthiers) like Yamaha, Ryoji Matsuoka, Asturias or Takamine. This guitar being priced 200 000 yen in 1978 was a quite expensive instrument. Made from similar grade materials, similar grade guitars made in 1978 by Masaru Kohno 30 or Sakazo Nakade 3000 were priced 300 000. This guitar can easily compete not only with higher priced Japanese made guitars, but also with much higher priced instruments currently made by leading Spanish makers. In fact, if Spanish luthier makes a guitar from 40 years old woods, it is priced at least $8000. If solid figured Brazilian Rosewood is used for back and sides, the price “has no limit”. Japanese makers charge minimum $12000 for such guitars. Yamaha charges $18000 yen for its flagship model GC70. Every experienced and honest player will agree with my statement soon after touching the strings of this amazing instrument. Describing its tonality as heavenly is the least I could propose. Somewhat metallic, yet ultra-rich with overtones, cello like basses are well balanced with sweet, yet crisp, piano like trebles. Its super volume is combined with very high level of note clarity & separation, and wonderful sustain. These are all characteristics of “fine guitars”. This guitar remains in “excellent for its age” overall condition. It doesn’t have any structural flaws and looks like it was barely used in the past. While its top bears just couple tiny marks, there are some very light scratches and rubbing on its back. What might be troublesome to some players, are hair like surface cracks within the finish located on the soundboard near the fingerboard on the E1 string side. Although frightened mind can see it differently, these are not cracks that penetrate the wood and they don’t require any repair (unless perfectionist decides otherwise). Very importantly everything else remains in excellent condition, while its straight neck allows for comfortable actionSpecifications:Top: High Grade Solid Spruce/shellacBack & Sides: Solid Brazilian Rosewood/ ShellacNeck: MahoganyFingerboard: EbonyScale: 650 mmNut width: 51.5 mmThe current action is set to 3.5 mm under E6 and 3.00 mm, while the second (original) saddle sets the action to 4.50mm under E6 and 4.00mm under E1. The guitar will be shipped in used original hard shell case in very good condition. THE ONLY PURPOSE OF THIS CASE IS TO PROTECT THE GUITAR DURING SHIPMENT. I WILL NOT PROVIDE ITS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OR MAKE ADDITIONAL PICTURES, NOR I WILL ACCEPT ANY COMPLAINTS. IF YOU DON’T LIKE THIS CASE YOU WILL NEED TO BUY A DIFFERENT ONE. WHEN YOU BUY ANY GUITAR, YOU MUST ANTICIPATE TAKING IT TO YOUR LOCAL GUITAR SHOP FOR FINAL ADJUSTMENTS CALLED “SETUP”. DEPENIDNG ON YOUR PLAYING TECHNIQUE, THIS SETUP ON USED GUITARS MAY INCLUDE NEW CUSTOM-MADE NUT AND SADDLE. IF YOU HEAR STRING BUZZ IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT GUITAR IS DEFECTIVE. IF YOU PLAY HARD ENOUGH ALL BASS STRINGS WILL BUZZ OVER THE FRETS, UNLESS THEY ARE SUSPENDED VERY FAR FROM THE FINGERBOARD. UNLESS YOU PLAY QUITE GENTLY, YOU CAN’T HAVE LOW ACTION AND NO BUZZES. KEEP IN MIND THAT CELLO-LIKE BASSES ON HIGH GRADE CLASSICAL GUITARS HAVE THEIR NATURAL “BUZZ”. When contemporary Japanese luthiers are using 40+ years old soundboards to make “all solid woods” guitar it is priced at least $5000USD. Guitars with artificially aged (“baked”) soundboards are priced at least $4500USD. Solid top models with 40+ years old soundboards are priced at least $3500USD. American, Australian and European luthiers usually charge 50% more.It is a matter of basic education (not beliefs) to realize that 40+ years old soundboard of this guitar alone is worth $2500USD. Real Value of Japanese Vintage GuitarsThe key to understand value of vintage Japanese guitars is to acknowledge galloping price inflation (devaluation of Japanese yen) during 1960s & 1970s. This inflation slowed down in 1980s.During 1960s and most of 1970s model numbers of Japanese guitars were strictly interconnected with their prices in Japanese yen. By early 1980s and during following decades model numbers were no longer strictly associated with their prices. Some Japanese guitar makers introduced model names instead of model numbers. Others were still using model numbers with addition of letters and/or other symbols. It is then important to understand that two Yamaha GC10 guitars made 10 years apart are two instruments of totally different class. The same applies to any other Japanese maker/brand. The logical way to estimate the true class of any given Japanese made instrument is to compare its price with the average annual salary of wage workers in Japanese private sectors. This salary was: 450 600 yen in 1965 - 825 900 yen in 1970 - 1 868 300 yen in 1975 - 2 689 000 yen in 1980 - 3 163 000 yen in 1985 - 3 761 000 yen in 1990 - 4 107 000 yen in 1995 - 4 082 000 yen in 2000. Any guitar priced 100 000 yen in 1970 (labelled as No10 or No100) would be priced 200 000 yen in 1975 (relabeled to No20, No200 or 2000), 300 000 yen in 1977 (labelled as No3, No30 or 3000) and 500 000 yen by 1985 (labelled as No50 or 5000). Starting in 1977 Masaru Kohno introduced his new models No40 priced 400 000 yen and No50 priced 500 000 yen. By early 1980s Kohno started using model names instead of numbers and was steadily raising their prices without changing model labeling. His very top model 50 became model “Special”, and a decade later it became model “Maestro”. Naturally, all other Japanese guitar makers were doing similar pricing (labelling) upgrades.Knowing all of that, you can bet on that Masaru Kohno No50 made in 1982 is practically the same grade instrument as Kohno No20 made in 1972, or Kohno no 30 made in 1975.In early 1970s the lowest Ryoji Matsuoka (all plywood) model was 10, followed by (solid top) models 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 and (all solid woods) models 100 and 150. Models 50, 60 and 80 were made with non-solid figured Brazilian Rosewood (double) back and sides and top model 150 was the only one made with solid figured Brazilian Rosewood b/s.In 1980 the lowest Matsuoka model was (all plywood) 20, followed by (solid top) models 30,40,50, 60 and all solid woods models 80,100,150 and 200. By 1990 the lowest Matsuoka model was M40 and the highest was M300. By 2010 the lowest Matsuoka model was M50 and the top model was M270. You can bet that Ryoji Matsuoka model 50 from 1980 is of the same grade as model M100 from 2000, model 100 from 1980 is of the same grade as model M150 from 2000, model 150 from 1980 is of the same grade as M200 from 2000 and model 200 from 1980 is of the same grade as model M300 from 2000.It is important to mention that if modern era luthiers are using 40+ years old woods to make an “all solid” wood classical guitar, its price is minimum $8000.All vintage guitars made with Brazilian Rosewood are especially precious, including those made straight grain varieties and those with non-solid b/s.Because response and tonal properties of Spruce soundboards are improving over time, long seasoned Spruces are far more precious than long seasoned Cedars. It is not very difficult to find out what are current prices of such guitars made by world’s leading luthiers.Return Policy Buyer has the right to return purchased guitar within 2 days from receipt. General TermsItems must be returned in original, as-shipped condition with all original packaging and no signs of use. Buyer assumes responsibility for all return shipping costs unless the item was not received as described.Fees and ChargesBuyer receives full refund in their original payment method, less any shipping costs.Special conditionsYou have 48 hours of trial after receiving the guitar. 48 hours is enough time to inspect the guitar. 1 hour is usually enough to evaluate the guitar’s tonality and if you don’t like it right away you won’t like it a week later. If you realize that you don’t like the guitar enough to keep it, you have the right to return it. If you find a real problem not disclosed in my description, you are covered by eBay’s Money Back Guarantee. If that problem is damage that likely occurred during the shipment I will file an insurance claim with eBay’s Ship Cover Program. If you decide to return the guitar you must notify me within 48 hours after delivery, pack it and ship it back within 24 hours after "return notification". If you expect to receive a full refund, the guitar must be returned in the same condition as I have shipped it to you. If it arrives back to me damaged, I will not issue any refund but cooperate with you on your insurance claim. It is therefore very important that you ship the guitar fully insured. Victor K.

Price: 3500 USD

Location: Alpharetta, Georgia

End Time: 2024-12-30T13:10:43.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD