| Current Industry News, Updates, Coffee Talk... |
March 19, 2008
Welcome fellow guitar players, collectors and enthusiasts,
First, I want to thank you for stopping by my website. It is nice to hear from old friends as
well as new friends, so of course feel free to email me, and I will try my best to get back to
you in a timely manner. If you have any constructive criticism for my site, in the way that it
looks or navigates, please let me know. I strive to make my site easy and fun for you, and
am always looking for ways to improve.
One very important change that has happened to GuitarsJapan is that I now have partnered
up with two fantastic people, John and Kim Hornbacher, who now share some of the duties
that come with running a site like mine. We will be systematically adding new guitars for sale
and for show on the site's home page, so be sure to check back often to see what's coming
in and what we have and what we've sold recently.
One news update that is worth mentioning is that Navigator (of ESP) has recently raised their
prices (and model numbers) dramatically. For example, the N-ST-300 Stratocaster, which sold
for about $3,000 new is NOW the N-ST-380 Stratocaster, selling for a whopping price hike
to $3,800 or so. As I said before, good wood is harder to get, apparently.
One area of my site that is in need of improvement is in the sections of information and
histrory about various Japanese guitar brands. I wrote this information years ago, which
has been copied and rewritten in many different forms on many sites now dedicated to
Japanese guitars as well. While this information is accurate, I have uncovered a wealth of
knowledge and new information along the way that I just haven't had time to sit down
and put to text. This new information includes photo documentation and interviews with
Japanese luthiers who worked and some that still work within the industry in Japan. I hope
to bring this new information to my site for you in the coming months.
The purpose of my site is to enlighten the public about the quality of Japanese guitars in
general, and also to explain the differences between the myriad of brands and models that
dictate quality, value and rarity. One of the most rewarding things about collecting Japanese
vintage and new guitars is that no matter how much one knows or how many guitars one
has, you always stumble across rare instruments that you never knew were out there. It's
an exciting and refreshing break from the usual corporate offerings of the US.
On another note, I recently decided to try and find the real pulse of the guitar market, and
of course, started by going to George Gruhn's website. I like the idea of his newsletters which
include an Alan Greenspan-esque "state of the market address." Recently, he has been talking
about the popularity of guitars in general and lamented that, while the guitar is still a popular
instrument, it may be losing its importance in the scheme of music today and in the future.
He pointed out that a very small percentage of the top hits on the charts even have a guitar
played in the song, most being rap and r&b songs.
So, I worried... what will become of this market? Will collecting electric guitars prove to be a
good move for future investment planning?
Well, I worried until going to this year's Super Bowl party at a friend's home. One other person
present was a musician, and there were a lot of people there. Before the game started, most
people retired to the basement to play this new game "Guitar Hero" which I was introduced
to for the first time. It's so much fun, although it has little to do with actually playing a real
guitar, other than learning to exercise your 1-4 fingers. Everyone chose their rock guitarists
and guitar styles and went to town pressing the buttons on the plastic mini Les Paul, playing
the game.
It was apparent to me that the game itself, which has become so popular recently, is bringing
new enthusiasts to come to appreciate and love the instrument again. And I am sure that
they creative bunch at PS2 are already working on a way to incorporate a real electric guitar
into the game, to make it authentic.
So, then the game starts and the halftime show comes and there's Tom Petty and his band,
showing off all their cool Rickenbacker and Dusenberg guitars. AND before that I think was
Alicia Keys, and r&b singer, and there's this big biker-looking guy backing her playing a huge
black Gibson Thunderbird bass. Big bass shakes big booty. That could have been the
headline for that show.
So, I am not worried in the least about the popularity of the guitar. It's the sexiest
instrument other than the human voice, in my opinion. And the instrument was showcased
on the second most-watched Television program in history (the first was the last episode of
M*A*S*H, surprisingly. Artists come and go and though there will be times when the guitar
isn't in the limelight as much as other times, it is here to stay, and will prove to be money
well-invested in the future. ESPECIALLY the vintage reissues and old lawsuits of high
quality. Why? Because, already, the original 50s and 60s guitars are out of reach of most
musicians and collectors alike, with their astronomical prices, and so we have to shuffle on
to the next best thing. Which is... an old, well-crafted reissue or replica with good wood.
As we know, wood used for guitars now isn't what it used to be and is getting more
expensive and harder to get every day. Relic guitars became popular to try and capture the
essence of the originals, but usually fall short, as you can't fool a guitarist that dragging a
guitar behind a truck and slamming it will look and feel the same as a well-played 40-year-old
guitar. There's nothing like the real thing, but now that those old Japanese lawsuit replicas
and some of the early American vintage reissues are over 20 years old now, THEY are becoming
the next generation of collectibles, the 2nd generation of many to come. And some of the
mid-1980s USA vintage Fender replicas are the best they ever made, in my opinion, because the
fit and finish and tone and overall mojo and appeal are the same. The problem is that
out of 10 of them, only about 2 of them will be put together correctly, in a way that makes
it a good instrument. 8 of the 10 will need modifications and resetting to make them right.
But the Japanese guitars are the opposite... 8 of 10 will be superb and maybe only 2 will have
problems. Which makes the USA models more collectible, if you have a good one. But if you're
wanting a good guitar, your best bet is to get a Japanese-made model.
The Japanese deserve to be recognized in this industry. They may not have invented the
guitar, but they did and do what they do best... perfect an idea or product, and in this case,
they perfected the process of building a quality and inspiring instrument. And as we know,
for one to make great music, you must be inspired. The Japanese are helping guitarists the
world over to find their voices and are offering them some of the coolest instruments the
world has ever seen (or not seen).
So, if you have a Japanese guitar you feel is a quality instrument, show it off and spread the
word. Still, too many people scoff at anything not American-made. While I support the idea
of buying American, and do buy/own American guitars, it is blatantly obvious that most of
the major US guitar manufacturers are not producing instruments of any noteworthy quality
for a fair price.
Think about this... up until 1987, Fender USA vintage reissues were pretty good, but as I
mentioned, many were not made properly, so... they created a Custom Shop, with the idea of
making better guitars. So now you have the cheap Squiers and the entry-level Fenders, and
now the good ones are more expensive ($2500+) for no apparent reason except that it
must cost more to have quality control. Now, you have added to that the "Master Grade"
series ($4,500+), which is here because Custom Shop quality is not good enough. So what's
next? Maybe there will be a "Holy Series" or something that is higher than these ; )
Oh, I digress... at least the Japanese just make different models (ST65, ST85, ST115) that
correspond to price, so you know what you're getting and know you're paying a fair,
reasonable price for an instrument.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One last thing here... I have recently partnered up with a friend, who has a unique position in
(and perspective on) the music scene, and who also has a formidable guitar collection. John
and I, together, will be collectively showcasing our Japanese guitars on my home page, of
which many will be for sale. The home page will be updated weekly to offer new guitars for
sale and to document the triumphs of the Japanese guitar industry.
We hope you enjoy the site. It is a labor of love and appreciation, and at times, obsession.
We salute those of you who rock, both on the stage or from your rocking chair ; )
Andrew Mechling
andrew@guitarsjapan.com
(206) 390-6724 (9am-4pm PST only please)
Welcome fellow guitar players, collectors and enthusiasts,
First, I want to thank you for stopping by my website. It is nice to hear from old friends as
well as new friends, so of course feel free to email me, and I will try my best to get back to
you in a timely manner. If you have any constructive criticism for my site, in the way that it
looks or navigates, please let me know. I strive to make my site easy and fun for you, and
am always looking for ways to improve.
One very important change that has happened to GuitarsJapan is that I now have partnered
up with two fantastic people, John and Kim Hornbacher, who now share some of the duties
that come with running a site like mine. We will be systematically adding new guitars for sale
and for show on the site's home page, so be sure to check back often to see what's coming
in and what we have and what we've sold recently.
One news update that is worth mentioning is that Navigator (of ESP) has recently raised their
prices (and model numbers) dramatically. For example, the N-ST-300 Stratocaster, which sold
for about $3,000 new is NOW the N-ST-380 Stratocaster, selling for a whopping price hike
to $3,800 or so. As I said before, good wood is harder to get, apparently.
One area of my site that is in need of improvement is in the sections of information and
histrory about various Japanese guitar brands. I wrote this information years ago, which
has been copied and rewritten in many different forms on many sites now dedicated to
Japanese guitars as well. While this information is accurate, I have uncovered a wealth of
knowledge and new information along the way that I just haven't had time to sit down
and put to text. This new information includes photo documentation and interviews with
Japanese luthiers who worked and some that still work within the industry in Japan. I hope
to bring this new information to my site for you in the coming months.
The purpose of my site is to enlighten the public about the quality of Japanese guitars in
general, and also to explain the differences between the myriad of brands and models that
dictate quality, value and rarity. One of the most rewarding things about collecting Japanese
vintage and new guitars is that no matter how much one knows or how many guitars one
has, you always stumble across rare instruments that you never knew were out there. It's
an exciting and refreshing break from the usual corporate offerings of the US.
On another note, I recently decided to try and find the real pulse of the guitar market, and
of course, started by going to George Gruhn's website. I like the idea of his newsletters which
include an Alan Greenspan-esque "state of the market address." Recently, he has been talking
about the popularity of guitars in general and lamented that, while the guitar is still a popular
instrument, it may be losing its importance in the scheme of music today and in the future.
He pointed out that a very small percentage of the top hits on the charts even have a guitar
played in the song, most being rap and r&b songs.
So, I worried... what will become of this market? Will collecting electric guitars prove to be a
good move for future investment planning?
Well, I worried until going to this year's Super Bowl party at a friend's home. One other person
present was a musician, and there were a lot of people there. Before the game started, most
people retired to the basement to play this new game "Guitar Hero" which I was introduced
to for the first time. It's so much fun, although it has little to do with actually playing a real
guitar, other than learning to exercise your 1-4 fingers. Everyone chose their rock guitarists
and guitar styles and went to town pressing the buttons on the plastic mini Les Paul, playing
the game.
It was apparent to me that the game itself, which has become so popular recently, is bringing
new enthusiasts to come to appreciate and love the instrument again. And I am sure that
they creative bunch at PS2 are already working on a way to incorporate a real electric guitar
into the game, to make it authentic.
So, then the game starts and the halftime show comes and there's Tom Petty and his band,
showing off all their cool Rickenbacker and Dusenberg guitars. AND before that I think was
Alicia Keys, and r&b singer, and there's this big biker-looking guy backing her playing a huge
black Gibson Thunderbird bass. Big bass shakes big booty. That could have been the
headline for that show.
So, I am not worried in the least about the popularity of the guitar. It's the sexiest
instrument other than the human voice, in my opinion. And the instrument was showcased
on the second most-watched Television program in history (the first was the last episode of
M*A*S*H, surprisingly. Artists come and go and though there will be times when the guitar
isn't in the limelight as much as other times, it is here to stay, and will prove to be money
well-invested in the future. ESPECIALLY the vintage reissues and old lawsuits of high
quality. Why? Because, already, the original 50s and 60s guitars are out of reach of most
musicians and collectors alike, with their astronomical prices, and so we have to shuffle on
to the next best thing. Which is... an old, well-crafted reissue or replica with good wood.
As we know, wood used for guitars now isn't what it used to be and is getting more
expensive and harder to get every day. Relic guitars became popular to try and capture the
essence of the originals, but usually fall short, as you can't fool a guitarist that dragging a
guitar behind a truck and slamming it will look and feel the same as a well-played 40-year-old
guitar. There's nothing like the real thing, but now that those old Japanese lawsuit replicas
and some of the early American vintage reissues are over 20 years old now, THEY are becoming
the next generation of collectibles, the 2nd generation of many to come. And some of the
mid-1980s USA vintage Fender replicas are the best they ever made, in my opinion, because the
fit and finish and tone and overall mojo and appeal are the same. The problem is that
out of 10 of them, only about 2 of them will be put together correctly, in a way that makes
it a good instrument. 8 of the 10 will need modifications and resetting to make them right.
But the Japanese guitars are the opposite... 8 of 10 will be superb and maybe only 2 will have
problems. Which makes the USA models more collectible, if you have a good one. But if you're
wanting a good guitar, your best bet is to get a Japanese-made model.
The Japanese deserve to be recognized in this industry. They may not have invented the
guitar, but they did and do what they do best... perfect an idea or product, and in this case,
they perfected the process of building a quality and inspiring instrument. And as we know,
for one to make great music, you must be inspired. The Japanese are helping guitarists the
world over to find their voices and are offering them some of the coolest instruments the
world has ever seen (or not seen).
So, if you have a Japanese guitar you feel is a quality instrument, show it off and spread the
word. Still, too many people scoff at anything not American-made. While I support the idea
of buying American, and do buy/own American guitars, it is blatantly obvious that most of
the major US guitar manufacturers are not producing instruments of any noteworthy quality
for a fair price.
Think about this... up until 1987, Fender USA vintage reissues were pretty good, but as I
mentioned, many were not made properly, so... they created a Custom Shop, with the idea of
making better guitars. So now you have the cheap Squiers and the entry-level Fenders, and
now the good ones are more expensive ($2500+) for no apparent reason except that it
must cost more to have quality control. Now, you have added to that the "Master Grade"
series ($4,500+), which is here because Custom Shop quality is not good enough. So what's
next? Maybe there will be a "Holy Series" or something that is higher than these ; )
Oh, I digress... at least the Japanese just make different models (ST65, ST85, ST115) that
correspond to price, so you know what you're getting and know you're paying a fair,
reasonable price for an instrument.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One last thing here... I have recently partnered up with a friend, who has a unique position in
(and perspective on) the music scene, and who also has a formidable guitar collection. John
and I, together, will be collectively showcasing our Japanese guitars on my home page, of
which many will be for sale. The home page will be updated weekly to offer new guitars for
sale and to document the triumphs of the Japanese guitar industry.
We hope you enjoy the site. It is a labor of love and appreciation, and at times, obsession.
We salute those of you who rock, both on the stage or from your rocking chair ; )
Andrew Mechling
andrew@guitarsjapan.com
(206) 390-6724 (9am-4pm PST only please)
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