Shop Policy Terms & Conditions This website is owned and operated by MATSUMOKU GUITAR AND BASS LTD (abbreviated MATSUMOKU). These Terms set forth the terms and conditions under which you may use our website and services as offered by us. This website offers visitors the services and goods provided by MATSUMOKU. By accessing or using the website of our service, you approve that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. In order to use our website and/or receive our services, you must be at least 18 years of age, or of the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction, and possess the legal authority, right and freedom to enter into these Terms as a binding agreement. You are not allowed to use this website and/or receive services if doing so is prohibited in your country or under any law or regulation applicable to you. When buying an item, you agree that: (i) you are responsible for reading the full item listing and our shop policy before making a commitment to buy it; (ii) you enter into a legally binding contract to purchase an item when you commit to buy an item and you complete the payment process. The prices we charge for using our services / for our products are listed on the website. We reserve the right to change our prices for products displayed at any time, and to correct pricing errors that may inadvertently occur. Additional information about pricing and sales tax is available on the payments page. Shipping Policy We're based in the UK. UK Buyers Shipping cost is automatically calculated at check-out if your shipping address is in the UK. International Buyers If your shipping address is located outside the UK, manual shipping calculation is required as international shipping rates fluctuate a lot. When choosing "Manual Shipping Calculation Required" at check-out, shipping cost will not be included in your order. Buyer is advised to contact us for precise shipping quotes and we will issue an invoice or payment link for the additional shipping cost accordingly. Your order will be shipped when payments for the product and shipping are both cleared. If your shipping address is located outside the UK, you may be subject to import duties and taxes required by your local government. These costs are not included in your order. To get a precise international shipping rate, please get in touch on the page or via tom@matsumoku.rocks. Return Policy Guitars All our guitars are pre-owned and sold As-Is unless otherwise specified. Items sold As-Is cannot be returned unless they arrive in a condition different from how they were described or photographed. New Items - 14 days New items can be returned within 14 days of the delivery date due to quality issues or damages. Return Items 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. Refund Buyer receives full refund in their original payment method less any shipping charges and/or restocking fees. To initiate a refund, please email tom@matsumoku.rocks. A restocking fee of 5% is applied when issuing refunds. When we confirm your refund, we will communicate any restocking fees that apply to your purchase and will confirm the refund amount owed to you, minus any restocking fees and shipping charges. Refund is issued after an item is returned to us. If upon inspection, an item is not returned in the same condition in which it was sent to you, additional fees may be deducted from the refund.

Never forget your first... < Back Framus Strato 6 10230 Free Consultation Book Now Recommissioning Unfairly ranked amongst the 1970s starter guitars such as Guyatone, Satellite and Teisco - the ones sold in department stores, the Framus models were a cut above. Like Kent, Avon and a few other cheap but good guitars from the era, they were eventually relegated to the attic when the Fender came along, or the adverts in the Guitarist magazine lured you into the world of Hohner Professional, or in this case, Washburn. Those that didn't get dumped at the charity shop eventually become victims of parents downscaling; attics cleared and reunions happen - usually, they just need mild recommissioning as Framus guitars were built to survive. Good quality electrics mean a forensic clean, a bit of joint reflowing and a gentle appointment with a can of Silvo will remove the tarnish. This Strato 6 simply needed a nut and bolt rebuild, a deep clean and some adjustments to join the collection of posh moderns on the wall - it joins them and stands proudly next to them. The pick-ups have such character, the mystery of the lower tone control solved and now it dials in and out the lower mid-range frequencies to suit. Take a listen to the video to see how these can and should live amongst the modern stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygLjmlZGzsg Since these photos were taken, the one and only weak-spot of these models has been addressed - the tuners are now replaced with Gotoh SG-381 - the only quality (affordable) products that fit the headstock design. Gallery ← Previous Next→

Reaching The Final 5% - The Ibanez Case < Back 2008 Ibanez J-Custom Free Consultation Book Now Reaching The Final 5% This is one of the first RG8470Zs off the Fujigen lines and it is in magnificent condition. A very prudent purchase by a keen talented young guitarist - a very good investment. This particular guitar was originally sold in Japan and arrived in UK needing a little work to get it back to playing as it should. It had been very well looked after, and had received a decent fret-dress that would have satisfied most shredders . This chap needed a little more - he flies around the fretboard faster then my eyes can keep up with, but also wishes to bend the strings quite aggressively. These flat boards should take this treatment, but as the frets get more worn, there is a delicate balance to find between micro-action and fret buzzing. This one choked out on the upper frets unless the action was raised by nearly 1mm - sacrilege on an instrument like this. This is not unusual on this style of guitar at this age. As professional grade instruments, they have mostly been used intensively and it is usual to forgive them for aging gracefully. Here at Matsumoku, we have an attitude that declares if something can theoretically be done, we will do it, even if it is extremely difficult and carries a level of risk. So we dared to hold a different view to everyone else and finally all reached agreement that there was theoretically enough meat left in the frets to get this guitar right for the owner for a few more years. Several hours in a quiet room, no disturbances and the finest touches achieved the improbable. Now re-united with a happy and relieved owner, this guitar will go another few years on its frets playing like the owner desires. Additional work included renewing some wiring on the selector switch to make the potentiometers more accessible to service and clean - these pots had never been serviced properly in their life as Fuji doesn't put enough wire in to get them out without breaking. We now have silent pots - no scratching and dead spots. The output socket didn't quite hold the cable sufficiently, so this was replaced. The tremolo arm insert had given up giving that annoying wobble. That's sorted now. This now looks and feels like a guitar a quarter of its age, and has taken the crown for the nicest Ibanez we have seen here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRU2u3XJVG8 Gallery ← Previous Next→

< Back Hohner B2A Free Consultation Book Now Pick-up Upgrade A very good friend and Matsumoku client has been spoilt by having Qtuner pick-ups in a spectacular 6 string bass - after Qtuner sounds, most other basses sound flat and soulless. Lugging that 6 stringer around everywhere isn't always appropriate and he presented us with a mid-80s Hohner headless that serves as the workaday instrument. B2A basses have that active boost which is great, but passively, the Select by EMG pick-ups are not great. They make a sound, but not a particularly pleasant and useful one if you don't need the presence and power of the active circuit. Qtuner have long gone unfortunately, so we drew up a shortlist of characterful appropriate sized pick-ups and discussed the implications with the owner. In the running was Lace Alumitone, the obvious EMG, and a left-field choice I had stumbled upon while down a few rabbit holes. Near the harbour in Coney Island, NYC, is a chap called David, and he will happily produce a set of neodymium guitar humbucker sized bass pick-ups when asked. No more discussion required! These are not the first units he has produced - many Steinberger owners have swapped out the EMGs for his products. He doesn't shout about it - maybe he ought to! We joined a small queue and waited with baited breath. At this point I would like extend my immense gratitude to and respect for David who delivered this order despite enduring the worst possible calamity imaginable at the start of the build. Thanks David. The results are outstanding - in passive mode there is power, clarity, dynamics - the lot. Boosting this with the active circuit is almost unnecessary, but adds a new dimension. Can all this sound be coming from this tiny box? No wonder EMGs got swapped out for these. This is phase one for this Hohner - we have even more plans for it: watch this space... Gallery ← Previous Next→

Guitar Photography We partner with Hippo Creation™ on photography and aesthetic presentations. Start Now Capture the moments. Explore Our Services Immerse yourself in our guitar photography gallery, showcasing the beauty of our instruments. Capture the essence of your music with our professional photography service, tailored for musicians. Customize Personalize your instrument with our customization service. From unique finishes to custom setups, we bring your vision to life, ensuring your guitar reflects your style and sound. Repair & Maintenance Trust our experts for top-notch repair and maintenance services. Whether it's a simple tune-up or a major repair, we handle your instrument with care, keeping it in perfect playing condition. Lessons Available Enhance your skills with our professional guitar lessons. Our experienced instructors cater to all levels, from beginners to advanced players, helping you master techniques and unleash your musical potential. Vases Tableware Furniture Glassware Guitar Portraits Learn More For every event Learn More Complete your space Learn More Sip in style Learn More ABOUT US I’m a paragraph. Use this space to tell people more about what you do and the services you offer. Double click here or click Edit Text to get started. READ MORE

A small Alembic for large double bass duty!! < Back Alembic Essence Bass Free Consultation Book Now Recommissioning Alembics need little introduction - they are phenomenal instruments and this early 90s Essence is a small body light weight active model with the expected build quality and quality feel. All this needed was a good recommissioning as it had been in storage for a while. A few hours on the bench took out a slight bow on the neck - the dual rods in these make that nice and easy. A really good clean and levelling of 2 frets get this neck as good as it is supposed to be, and a thorough clean of the electrics removed the scratchiness of the pots. The pre-amp and pick-ups were perfect. The brass hardware now shines again and a set of nylon wrap flats now have this Alembic looking to get that double bass vibe - a small adjustment to the saddles for these strings required, but now it is wonderful. A professional grade bass with an interesting set-up for a talented professional. Gallery ← Previous Next→

Family heirloom now perfect < Back 1959 Hofner President Free Consultation Book Now Restoration Many family photo albums have a few pictures of a relative playing a guitar, and then the guitar is discovered in an attic, or a storage facility following house clearances - more often than not the conditions of storage are devastating to instruments like this. This beautiful Hofner President had a gentler life following the owner's passing - it was a permanent reminder and hung on various walls - wherever life took it, it would be on a wall, finally ending up on a wall in France. Still with 5 of its 6 strings from the 1970s, the various temperatures and humidities had left their mark on this - the frets were almost 100% rust, the finish had lost all its lustre, and all other metal parts severely tarnished. But everything was original, everything functioned or was capable of functionning, so a gentle recommissioning started. Nothing complicated or particularly challenging here, just care, patience and determination to restore the original parts. A set of Thomastik-Infeld Plectrum 011-050 now on which make the guitar sound so characterful, and also keep the look of the guitar as the family remember. It will go back on the wall, but can now be taken down and played by visitors. Memories now truly brought to life. Gallery ← Previous Next→

Strattifying and unstratty Strat < Back Fender Custom Shop Free Consultation Book Now General recommissioning Many of our 'Friends of the Show' have a large fleet of guitars - always turning up with something different for me to marvel at. Many head next door for a quick fettle, but some need the third degree and consensus amongst a select few to plan a course of action. This Custom Shop Strat is a strange one. It's a glorious one, but not as Stratty as it appears. This fret gauge was probably specified to pacify a Gibson guy - the not-quite-stoptailed bridge doing its best to emulate a ToM. The challenge is to make this unstratty Strat more like a Strat, but without changing its underlying soul. Basically soften it a bit then. Some fret-work magic and bridge adjustment took place and as usual, we had a few nerves at the handover, but none were needed. The owner bonded with it as he originally expected to. A lovely guitar now made lovelier. Gallery ← Previous Next→

Maximizing a Tele < Back Pelicaster Free Consultation Book Now Full Electrics Upgrade A Tele with disappointing pick-ups won't stay in your rack for long - they need to be good, and occasionally you need to fill a gap in the tonal palette it offers. We usually wind a set of Tele pick-ups to suit - we can do any output and character, even add dual output on an S-1; but the simplest most useful upgrade is to add a bit of beef without reverting to the traditional reverse phase or series option. Neither of these options really keep the character and soul of a Tele so we have a solution. We have a 4-way switch in these - the neck tone and bridge tone where you want them to be on the switch sweep; and 2 middle positions. One is the traditional both together setting, the other is a tone that fills in the mids, and does a fairly good impression of a decent filtertron, but we really don't think we have heard this tone before on anything solid bodied before. Judge for yourself in the video. What's with the name? Because we developed it for Pelican Tom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u32H06mmEF8 If you come to us chasing a sound and we manage to achieve it, the chances are we will name it after you! Gallery ← Previous Next→

There is no remaining evidence to show that this guitar was ever sat on and crushed by its future owner < Back Hofner Club 40 1959 Free Consultation Book Now Neck repair and restoration to original specification What happens when the future inheritor of a rare piece of Bubenreuth history, identical to Lennon's starter guitar, accidentally sits on it? Valiant attempts to piece it together again. Looking right but doing a decent impression of a sitar. In our capable hands, it has now been re-built and restored to its original condition. The guitar received a full neck reset, a new original spec genuine Höfner pick-up and control panel, cosmetic repairs and a sensitive clean. A fresh set of Thomastik-Infeld JS111 flatwounds now have this old girl sounding like it did back in the day. A really lovely heirloom that hopefully won't be sat on again in 15 years time... Gallery ← Previous Next→

Underrated and rarely seen Tokai rescued from previous fretwork < Back Tokai LS70GT Free Consultation Book Now General recommissioning We are lucky enough to have some really talented guitarists pass through our rooms here - none more talented than Ron Sayer Jr. A proper gent too. His lovely LS70GT was suffering from a previous re-fret attempt - it played OK, but not as it should. Our job was to restore his trust in the instrument - allow him to unleash the P-90s live on stage without holding back. The key to succeeding here was to make sure the neck geometry was perfect before improving the frets and ensuring they were correctly shaped and finished to suit the player. A very comprehensive set-up perfected the intonation, and a subtle tidy up of the wiring ensured the earthing was correct, and that lovely but heavy Bareknuckle APO capacitor remained connected. Re-united with its owner, there were nerves, but the beaming smile on his face as he played it was reassuring. We take enormous pleasure in not only restoring lovely old guitars, but also owners' confidence in them. Check out Ron's music - https://www.deadbeatcats.co.uk/ and https://www.sayermusic.co.uk/ Gallery ← Previous Next→

Full rescue! < Back Aria Pro II LS600D VS Free Consultation Book Now Restoration Most folk only realise how great these guitars are after they have traded them in for Gibsons. Sure, the brand doesn't have the universal aspirational appeal of the Gibson, but the actual guitar itself punches well above its weight - back in the 1980s, these were actually obtainable; not a huge volume available, but at a price that could be saved up for. Functionally, this was the model with all the toys - massively powerful pick-ups that blow hot T-Tops into the weeds, 2 albums worth of tones, and that probably unnecessary booster, but always nce to have even more on tap. Silky smooth to play, a decent weight and materials that compare favourably with any high end contemporary Gibson - everyone that traded theirs in eventually regretted it. This one had undergone a very traumatic attempt to recommission - I think the technician probably came off worse than the guitar - these are complicated beasts. No reliable formal technical guides exist for them, and you either know how these go together or you don't. Luckily we do - it is what we exist for. With only the bridge pick-up making any noise, and the mini-toggles behaving like kill-switches, a valiant attempt had been made to re-install the original pick-ups. This really was a rip it up and start again full re-wire, and now we have the coil splits and the phase reversal doing their jobs, and that lovely creamy neck pick-up is back. The booster and Varitone are now configured correctly again, all the little details are right. This now feels like its a few years old - beautifully played in; but most importantly has all its functions again. They really don't make them like this any more. It's hard to believe, and easy to fall for all the super-slick marketing efforts of modern brands, but until you play one like this, you don't have the right benchmark. They were built to outlast us all, maybe provide a nervous breakdown for Gibson worshipping technicians, but look after them and they'll look after you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7df_5ijWDsg Gallery ← Previous Next→