MADE IN JAPAN IN 1972 - "ROKKOMANN TG008J" - TERRIFIC CLASSICAL CONCERT GUITAR

Brand: Yamaha
;Country/Region of Manufacture: Japan

MADE IN JAPAN IN 1972 - "ROKKOMANN TG008J" - TERRIFIC CLASSICAL CONCERT GUITAR

Please read my 7 days return policy at the bottom of the page.

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If you are thinking about a purchase of a used vintage guitar you need to accept the fact that such guitars may have cosmetic flaws solely associated with their age, but not related to any particular damage. For example their finishes change their look over the years and are not glossy and crystal clear like on brand new guitar. In addition, such guitars may require fret dressing, new tuners, string action adjustment or a simple repair before they can be fully enjoyed. I see guitars as musical instruments, not as furniture. When I describe guitar as being in excellent condition I don't talk only about its cosmetics but mostly about its structural & functional condition, sound and playability. If you are seeking a perfect looking, low maintenance guitar you should abandon a thought about buying used vintage one, especially from me.  

I don't offer "sound samples" because they never reflect true sound of a guitar as we hear it playing in our own room. You can greatly change tonality of any guitar by using different strings.

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Rokkomann TG008J a.d.1972

This guitar was made in 1972 by unspecified on the label luthier for Rokkomann Co. Rokkomann has been and still is one of the largest Japanese lumber importer and distributor. Guitar sales are their secondary business. This company in 1980 took over famous Asturias workshop and is responsible for sales of these guitars all over the world. In addition they collect and sell many other high end guitars.

This particular guitar is very high grade concert guitar that by sound traits resembles guitars made by far better known member of Japanese Elite of Luthiers: Masaru Kohno, Hiroshi Tamura, Sumio Kurosawa, Kazuo Ichyanagi, Yakinobu Chai, Hideo Idas, Sakazo Nakade & sons, and others.

It was priced 80 000 yen in 1972, while average yearly salary of Japanese college graduate was 62 300 yen. This comparison should help you to understand what grade this guitar really represents. By the same year 1972 the top models made the greatest Japanese luthiers were priced no higher than 200 000 yen. In order to sell less known brand guitar for 80 000 yen it had to be at least somewhat better than Masaru Kohno model 8. By that time many less popular luthiers were selling their “all solid woods” guitars for 50 000 yen. Some of guitars with solid Brazilian Rosewood b/s were also available for less than 100 000.

What is also important to emphasize is that due to total lack of material guitars with colorful beautiful grain pattern of Jacaranda de Brasil are no longer made in Japan. Matsuoka workshop stopped making them by the end of XX century. Kazuo Yairi's factory kept making CY140 until year 2012. Right now such guitars might be available only by special order and priced no less than $5000. Guitars with solid Brazilian Rosewood made in Japan are priced no less than $10,000. 

This guitar produces crystal clear and ringing trebles, very rich and resonating basses, all well balance with great sustain and at high volume. It is very responsive and offers really exceptional note separation, which is only matched by 2 other guitars from my current selection of posted for sale guitars (Masaru Kohno #20 & Yamaha GC20S). Briefly saying it is hard to find a better sounding guitar among those made with all solid woods, that I can price much higher just for that (and no other) reason.

Very often “solid price” for “all solid woods” guitars is the only “higher quality” these guitars really offer.

Brand new & truly hand-made Spanish guitars that offer similar musical feasts are priced at $5000-$6000 level.

This guitar remains in “less than perfect” cosmetic and perfect working condition. It has several very light scratches, dents & abrasions on its body, but mostly located on its top. Top of this guitar is finished with Cashew lacquer, which looks similar to shellac coat, but is far denser & stickier, hence more resistant to any chipping. As the result all mentioned above flaws stay within the finish and don’t reach the wood. Several super shallow & very minor rubbing marks located on the back can easily be removed by polishing. End pin hole can be easily plugged or covered. Guitar doesn’t have any cracks or structural flaws. It has straight neck and plays very easy.

Specifications:

Top: High Grade Solid Spruce/dark brown Cashew Lacquer

When looking at the edge of the soundboard through the sound hole what you see is "a sandwich of 2 layers of wood". I bet that to all "self-proclaimed experts" it would mean that soundboard is laminated. In fact it high grade solid wood with a reinforcing ring of wood glued underneath the sound hole. It is very unfortunate that after such "inspection" so many "geniuses" would disregard this great guitar.  

Back & Sides: Figured Brazilian Rosewood Doubleplate /Cashew Lacquer

Calling this construction "laminates" would actually be very incorrect and quite misleading. This genuine Japanese invention has really nothing in common with modern era cheap particle-board laminates. This construction is nothing but 2 solid wood plates glued together, hence in fact nothing but reinforced solid woods. Such plates perform no different from solid woods, while don't crack as easily, are much easier to work with, and allow for much lower prices of these instruments. Such guitars have always been and still are a true blessing for all guitar enthusiasts with limited funds. 

Neck: Mahogany

Fingerboard: Brazilian Rosewood

Scale: 650 mm

Nut width: 52 mm

Old defective tuners were replaced with new ones.

The action, set by its previous owner is 3.00 mm under E6 and 2.50 mm under E1. Naturally it can be raised higher. However I don’t hear any buzzes even if guitar is played harder.

It will be shipped in new hard polyfoam case. 

Real Value of Japanese Vintage Guitars

The key to understand value of vintage Japanese guitars is to acknowledge galloping devaluation of Japanese yen in 1960s & 1970s. This devaluation was somewhat slower in 1980s. The best measure of this devaluation is Starting Yearly Salary of Japanese College Graduate (SYSJCG).

SYSJCG in 1965 was 19 600 yen, in 1969 – 34 600 yen, in 1970 39 200 yen, in 1972 – 62 300 yen, in 1975 79 200 yen, in 1977 121 200 and in 1980 - 163 000 yen.

During 1960s and most of 1970s model numbers of Japanese guitars were strictly interconnected with their prices in Japanese yen. In late 1970s and during following decades model numbers were no longer strictly associated with their prices. Many Japanese guitar makers introduced model names instead of model numbers. Others were still using model numbers with addition of letter abbreviations or other symbols.  

The best and only logical approach while evaluating real value (real grade) of vintage Japanese guitar is to compare its price in Japanese yen with SYSJCG during the year guitar was made.

Any guitar priced 100 000 in 1970 (labelled usually as No10) would be priced 200 000 yen in 1975 (relabeled to No20 or 2000), 300 000 yen in 1977 (labelled as No3, No30 or 3000). Starting in 1977 Masaru Kohno introduced his model No50 priced at 500 000 (skipping theoretical model 40). Soon other famous Japanese luthiers did the same. By 1983 Kohno started using model names instead numbers and was raising their prices as he was pleased. Naturally soon other Master luthiers did the same.

Knowing all of that, you can bet on that Masaru Kohno No50 made in 1982 is practically the same quality as Kohno No15 made in 1972, or Kohno no20 made in 1975 or Kohno No30 made in 1977. I know it for a fact.

The lowest grade models currently made by Matsuoka workshop are M75 and MH75. They are commonly considered as “beginner guitars”. Matsuoka model M30 made in 1973 is simply far, far better instrument. It is naturally better than model M50 made in 1977, model 80 made in 1982 or model M100 made in 1990. At present, the highest grade Matsuoka models are M300 and MH300. They absolutely stand no chance in competition with model M150 made in 1975… or model M200 made in 1977.

It is very important to mention that if modern era luthiers are using 40 years old woods to make a classical guitar, its price is at least $8000.

Returns

If you are not happy with your purchase you may return the guitar for a refund of a purchase price of a guitar.  The cost of shipping both ways will not be refunded.

All you need to do is to:

1.    Notify me within 5 days after delivery   

2.    Pack guitar the same way I do it, using the same box and materials

3.    Ship it back to me within next 2 days

Another words I expect this “trail” period to occur within +/- 7 days. Naturally guitar has to be returned in the same condition as I ship it to you. This is simply honest offer for honest buyers. My goal is to make your purchase as risk free as possible. I know very well that spending $1000 of hard earned money is not emotionally easy undertaking for majority of guitar lovers. I am sure that reading my feedback can ease a bit your “purchase anxiety” but it still will be there no matter how hard I try.

Victor                                                              

P.s. If you'd like to check my other posted on E-bay guitars click on the links below:

http://youtu.be/T8bkPi4jhss

http://youtu.be/W1FaCjodgZM

http://youtu.be/_3tJW9ljjdM

http://youtu.be/ExVwfhLy1gQ

http://youtu.be/XNdeSWxb2nU

http://youtu.be/mecVgriaKJ0

http://youtu.be/O9ErnhZhDxw

http://youtu.be/ceVTybPnq7c

http://youtu.be/Zyz8eZeTSRQ

MADE IN JAPAN IN 1972 - "ROKKOMANN TG008J" - TERRIFIC CLASSICAL CONCERT GUITAR

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