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Ryoji Matsuoka M150F
Since 1986 Matsuoka Co. was managed by Ryoji's son and also great luthier Toshiaki Matsuoka. Soon after Ryoji's death in September of 2014, his workshop's website disappeared from internet and production of "made in Japan" Matsuoka guitars ended. As of today all brand new Matsuoka guitars available on Japanese market are made in China. Available models are: M70(MH70) through M180(MH180). This lineup doesn't include flamenco guitars.
This guitar was handmade at Master Luthier Ryoji Matsuoka’s workshop. It was made in 2001. By the year 2009 the same guitar was labelled as M180F and priced 180 000 yen which translates to at least $2500 in US distribution.
Despite some super fine marks on tap plate overall condition of this guitar can’t be described other than mint(y).
Regarding the sound this guitar is very competitive to much more expensive instruments available on US market. You will be very surprised to find out that this guitar sounds better and plays easier than most of US distributed "hand made in Spain" $4000+ flamenco guitars.
Description
* High
Grade Solid Cedar Top with original Matsuoka bracing
* Solid Canadian Cypress for back and sides
* Mahogany neck
* Ebony
* Bone nut and saddles
* Nut width: 52mm
* Scale: 650 mm
* Gold hardware
Its action has been adjusted to 3.00mm under E6 and 2.2 mm under E1.It
already plays very easy and I don’t see any reason for lowering its action
further.
Depending on your playing
technique and individual taste you may need to have the string action adjusted
differently than it is right now. If you don’t know how to do it, then you need
to hire a professional. If you are not familiar with these guitar basics, you
shouldn’t be buying guitars on Internet.
This guitar will be shipped in almost new black Aria Hard Shell Case.
Ryoji Matsuoka was well known Japanese guitar maker who has been
producing guitars in Nagoya, Japan since the 1960s. Nagoya is Japan’s 4th
largest city and a major industrial port city located on the main island of
Honshu in Aichi prefecture.
The Nagoya/Aichi/Kani area (Kani is the prefecture next to Aichee) is one of
Japan’s major musical instrument making centers. The city and the outlying
areas have a long classical guitar making history with many small shops
producing guitars. Major guitar and violin makers include Matsumoku Industrial,
Suzuki, Takaharu, Sada Yairi, Kazuo Yairi (Kani), Daion, Yamaki,
Ibanez/Hoshino, and Ryoji Matsuoka. Additionally, there are numerous small
guitar shops and factories that contract to larger firms, such as Yamaha in
Hamamatsu.
The Ryoji Matsuoka guitar works was a small scale guitar manufacturer with less
than 15 employees. For a few years during the 1960s and early 1970s, Matsuoka produced
the higher end Aria guitar models for Shiro Arai, founder of Aria . These Aria
models either have Ryoji Matsuoka's name on the label or are marked RM with a
red stamp on the neck block. Matsuoka also made some models for Ibanez,
including a few steel string flatop and archtop models.
During the early 1970s, Matsuoka produced Fleta, Hauser, Kohno and Rubio. The
copies of Kohno guitars with 2 ebony strips in the necks and higher grade
spruce tops were made in much greater numbers than copies of other luthiers.
They were also sold at higher price.
From 1975 to 1980 the company produced their own line of
guitars: the concert, artist and artisan series.
The Concert series includes the M20 (laminated spruce top, nato neck), M30
(solid spruce top, mahogany neck), M40 (solid spruce top, mahogany neck). All 3
models have laminated rosewood back and sides and rosewood fingerboards.
The Artist Series includes the M50 and M60. These guitars have better quality
spruce tops and were made in several versions. Some of them, less expensive
versions, were made with laminated Indian Rosewood or laminated Jacaranda back
and sides, ebony fingerboards and plain neck. On the other end of the
spectrum there were also all solid versions with Solid Indian rosewood or solid
Jacaranda back and sides, with one or double Ebony reinforcement in the
neck.
The Old World Artisan Series includes the M70 and M80, made with all solid
woods and one-piece mahogany necks.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, Matsuoka models included the M50, M60, M70,
M80, M100, M150, M200, and M300 with Ramirez style headstock and models MH100,
MH150, MH200, MH300 with Hauzer style headstock. All of them were made with
solid Spruce tops. M50, M60, M70 were made either with laminated back and sides
or as all solid guitars. All other models were all solid wood guitars.
In the late 1990-ties models M65 and M75 with Cedar tops were
added to the production line mostly with laminated back and sides.
To make matters little more complicated, by the end of 1990-ties
some Spruce top models were also made with Cedar top without any change on the
label. So we can for example encounter model M60 with either Spruce or Cedar
top. Most likely each guitar was sold with attached precise specification.
Since early 1990-ties Matsuoka has also been making guitars for
Aranjuez label (launched by Juan Orozco) and lower priced cosmetic copies of a
Mathias Dammann classical guitars (they were not exact copies). The top
Aranjuez model M720 has been made in cooperation with Kohno/Sakurai workshop.
Masaru Kohno and later Masaki Sakurai were making tops with their superb
bracing, while Ryoji Matsuoka was responsible for all other parts and final
assembly. This cooperation continues until today between Toshiaki Matsuoka and
Masaki Sakurai. These M720 guitars with Matsuka and Sakurai labels offer
exceptional quality of sound at moderate price. They are sold at Guitar Salon
International in Santa Monica, CA for $2700.
Returns
If you are not happy with your purchase you may return the guitar for a full refund less any shipping charges.
All you need to do is to:
1. Notify me within 2 days after delivery
2. Pack guitar the same way I do it, using the same box and materials
3. Ship it back to me no later than on 3rd day after delivery
Another words I expect this “trail” period to occur within +/- 3 days. Naturally if you expect to receive a full refund, guitar has to be returned in the same condition as I ship it to you.
Victor
P.s. If you'd like to check my other posted on E-bay guitars click on the links below: