Matsumoku
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Matsumoku Industrial was established around 1900 as a woodworking manufacturer of various items but is best known as a manufacturer of high quality guitars and bass guitars.
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[edit] History
Matsumoku began in Nagoya, Japan, as a family owned woodworking business that specialized in building tansu and butsudan. Shortly after WWII, the Singer Corporation established the Singer Sewing Machine Company, Japan, and set up production facilities in Nagoya. Matsumoku Industrial was contracted to build its sewing machine cabinets, and in 1951, became a partially owned subsidiary of Singer, Japan. Matsumoku also built amplifier cabinets, speaker boxes and wooden cabinets for audio and television makers.
[edit] Production
By the mid 1950s, Matsumoku began to look into other woodworking markets and, as it had within its staff several skilled luthiers, ventured into guitar and violin production. Modest classical guitars, small steel stringed acoustic guitars, and violins were built and marketed. As other companies were producing similar instruments, Matsumoku set out to distinguished itself by producing high quality acoustic and electric archtop guitars. Several of Matsumoku's early archtop guitars survive, most owing their basic designs to Epiphone and Gibson. By the early 1960s, Matsumoku had acquired new mills, lathes and specialized presses and began to increase musical instrument production. Combined with its staff of skilled craftsmen, Matsumoku was able to mass produce guitars of high quality.
Because it mainly manufactured guitars under contract, the roll of Matsumoku was largely unknown outside of Japan's guitar making circles until its name began appearing on neck bolt plates, headstocks, and sound hole labels in the late 70s.
Matsumoku produced guitars, or parts of guitars, for Guyatone, Fujigen Gakki, Kanda Shokai, Hoshino, Nippon Gakki (Yamaha,) Arai, and Norlin (parent company of Gibson.) American owned Unicord contracted Matsumoku to build most of its Univox and Westbury guitars. St. Louis Music Company imported Matsumoku built Electra guitars. Matsumoku built many early Greco guitars as well as Vantage, Westminster, Skylark, Lyle, Fell, and no-name copies of Gibson and Fender guitars and basses.
In 1979, Matsumoku began to market its own guitars under the Westone name. Washburn Guitars contracted Matusmoku to build most of its electric guitars from 1979 through 1985.
By the early 1970s, Matsumoku had begun using CNC mills, routers, and lathes, one of the first guitar makers to do so. However, 60% of the guitar making process was still done by hand including plaining, fretting, joining, and assembly. This machine cut, yet hand worked process yeilded high quality instruments with unique character, comparable to American-made guitars and basses of the 1950s and 1960s.
[edit] Aria
Shiro Arai founded Arai and Company in 1953 as an importer of classical guitars. In 1960, Arai contracted Guyatone to manufacture guitars. At the time, Guyatone was one of Japan's leading musical instrument manufacturers. However, Guyatone could not meet Arai's production requirements, and in 1964, Arai and Company contracted musical instrument manufacturing with Matsumoku.
The relationship between the two companies was both amicable and symbiotic. Aria focused on sales in both domestic and export markets and provided design development. Matsumoku devoted its energies on engineering and building guitars and other stringed instruments. Throughout its 22 year business relationship, Aria remained Matsumoku’s principal client. Matsumoku often preferred using Aria as its business agent, and many of Matsumoku's contracts were written by Aria with Matsumoku stated or implied as sub-contracted manufacturer.
Design engineer Nobuaki Hayashi became part of Matsumoku's engineering team beginning in the mid 1970s. Hayashi's pseudonym, "H. Noble," appeared on many of the instruments he designed. He is best known as the designer of the Aria Pro II, SB-1000 bass.
Arai and Company guitars were briefly labeled Arai, and then switched to the familiar Aria around 1966. Aria Diamond was a name chosen for its early export guitars, and from 1975 onward, all guitars were labeled Aria Pro II. Matsumoku built all Aria guitars, banjos, and mandolins from 1964 through 1986.
[edit] Epiphone
Gibson decided to move Epiphone production to Japan in the early 70s, and chose Aria as its contractor. As a subcontractor to Aria, Matsumoku manufactured most electric Epiphones made in Japan from 1970 through 1986 (some solid body electrics were made by other Japanese manufacturers and at least one model was made in Taiwan.) Models include the solid body ET series (Crestwood) the SC series (Scroll) and the Model 1140 (Flying V) as well as Epiphone's archtop electric guitars; Sheraton, Riviera, Casino, and Emperor.
Very early Matsumoku made Epiphone archtops had bolt on necks. Set neck archtop guitars followed in 1972 or 1973. One carryover from the earlier bolt-on neck archtops was the use of a three piece maple neck instead of the traditional one-piece mahogany neck. The Matsumoku produced Sheraton has two ebony trim pieces layered between the three maple pieces making it a five piece neck. Specifications on Epiphone achtops changed throughout the Matsumoku era.
[edit] End of Production
Gibson restructured after being sold by Norlin, and began to move its Epiphone production to other Japanese manufacturers and to Korea. By 1986, the home sewing machine market was in heavy decline and Singer was nearly bankrupt. Matsumoku could not afford to buy itself out of Singer and in 1987, closed down.
After Matsumoku ceased operations, Aria continued production of Aria Pro II guitars and basses through other manufactures. Some top line and special edition guitars are still manufactured in Japan, however, most Aria guitars are now produced in Korea and China.
Information about Matsumoku's contribution to guitar making is better known now due in large part to the Internet. Matsumoku's products enjoy a strong following among devoted enthusiasts.
Players of Matsumoku guitars: John Taylor of Duran Duran (Arai Pro II, SB-1000 bass.) Cliff Burton of Metalica (Arai Pro II, SB-1000 bass.) Elvin Bishop (Electra Model 2281.)
Note: There is often confusion between Matsumoku and Matsumoto. Matsumoto is a town in Japan's Nagano Prefecture where Fujigen Gakki, Gotoh, and other musical instrument companies have manufacturing plants. Matsumoto Musical Instrument Manufacturers Association is also the name of musical instrument manufacturing cooperative headed by Gotoh.
