Search Results

Unwrap bygone craftsmanship of the 70s-80s by Matsumoku; Revive the vintage builds with a modern touch. Treasure Chamber Restoration The Experienc DreamBuilds Featured We're New Arrivals Our Story Latest WE'RE MATSUMOKU GUITAR AND BASS LTD. Unwrap bygone craftsmanship of the 70s-80s by Matsumoku Revive the vintage builds with a modern touch DreamBuilds Treasure Chamber Repair & Restore New Arrivals Shop our original DreamBuilds, vintage Matsumoku examples, rare collector guitars and more. Greco EG-480S (patina) Price £845.00 Aria Pro II TE-400 Price £795.00 Fernandes GM-85 Price £895.00 Matsumoku EG-59B Price £895.00 Greco SE-600N Order Made Price £875.00 Greco SE-600B Order Made Price £895.00 Greco SE-800N Price £1,495.00 Greco TE-280 Regular Price £725.00 Sale Price £500.00 Westminster TE-400 Regular Price £950.00 Sale Price £750.00 1978 Fujigen Greco SE-700 Early Sixties #2 Regular Price £1,195.00 Sale Price £899.00 Matsumoku Rising Sun Regular Price £1,395.00 Sale Price £895.00 1970 Fender Precision Regular Price £4,695.00 Sale Price £3,895.00 Greco SE-550 1974 Price £975.00 K-Line Truxton-SP Regular Price £2,895.00 Sale Price £2,500.00 Westminster Competition Colours Price £845.00 Taylor 150c 12-String Price £695.00 Shop Now Matsumoku Guitar and Bass Ltd was set up to celebrate the guitars, restore the guitars, create evolutions of the models , and try out configurations that open up their potential yet retain the soul that make these guitars so special, cherished and respected. Read More Our Story The journey of putting the name of Matsumoku legitimately and deservedly on a guitar headstock DreamBuilds These are vintage guitars that we have revived with a modern touch. We help you create THAT sound in your head. We are bold, imaginative and skilled in making YOUR DreamBuild come true. Find Out How It Works DreamBuilds Matsumoku JPJ-9 Matsumoku EG-59B Greco DB-600N Matsumoku Rising Sun Matsumoku DB-600 Matsumoku Paisley 1/1 Treasure Chamber Treasure Chamber Take a look beyond the main stream market offerings and explore our quality vintage guitars originating from the iconic Matsumoku plant (and a few of their neighbours) - we have some rare hidden gems to be discovered and celebrated. Explore Our Collections Restoration Restoration Room Check your special instrument in for the love and attention it needs. Special instruments need a first class approach and will benefit from the huge experience and top level skills offered by our team of luthiers. Not technicians, luthiers. Project Showcase Schecter Omen Repair and Recommission Gibson SG Full Electrics Upgrade Alembic Essence Bass Recommissioning Gretsch G2622T Pick-up Upgrade Hohner B2A Pick-up Upgrade Hofner 5148 Verithin Bass Full repair & restoration to original specification 1995 American Standard Strat Full Electrics Upgrade Squier Vintage Stratocaster Re-fret 2008 Ibanez J-Custom Reaching The Final 5% Ibanez PCBE12-MH Acoustic Bass Repair and Recommissioning Hofner Club 40 1959 Neck repair and restoration to original specification Rickenbacker 1997 General restoration to original specification The Experienc The Experience We endeavour to create a unique Matsumoku experience: to celebrate the vintage legends, a touch of class yet relaxed and above all, fun. Whether you are local, or passing by, please drop by. Office hours are kept, but most fun is had here in the evenings and at weekends. Book A Visit

Greco EG-480S (patina), Affordable Vintage Soul < Back Greco EG-480S (patina) Pre Serial Number A timeless alternative to a new Epiphone - there is a lot of sense in affordable vintage guitars over brand new ones; and yes this is bolt on neck and therefore a much smaller appeal to a traditional set neck Les Paul. If this isn't a complete turn-off, this guitar is a wonderful example of how well Fujigen were producing guitars in the mid-1970s. This one has been busy - we have refurbished it appropriately. As with many guitars of this era and from warm climates, the finish has a proper relic look, except this is all natural. Just the lacquer that is cracked - the top beneath it is fine. The 480 was the top of the range for the bolt-ons, and has superior hardware to the lower order 360s and 420s. The tuners are the the evolution of the well regarded and reliable "star-tuners" - these have an action and feel missing from all but the most expensive tuners today. The body is a chambered sycamore topped pancake mahogany construction, the weight is a medium 4.00kg (8lbs 15oz); and the acoustic resonance is very pleasing even before you plug it in - it does a decent impression of a National. The maple neck is capped with an ebony fretboard - the scale is faithful and the neck has a substantial 50s-style C-shaped profile carve, measuring .890” deep at the 1st fret and .975” at the 12th. It has the feel of a far more prestigious brand. The Maxon pick-ups are never a disappointment, and have a soul, a warmth and can be as smooth or growly as you wish with the controls. This is the type of guitar you can lose hours and hours with, and it defies its price tag, and hopes you'll give it a chance despite the presence of a neck plate. A 1974 Gibson will set you back many thousands of pounds or dollars - this one will be a tiny fraction of that and is a very viable alternative to a brand new Epiphone. 50 year old guitars built by the big manufacturers in Japan are a bit of well kept secret - nothing new of a comparable price will play like these, and while the top end Super Real and Mint Series Grecos now approach the astronomical price levels that rival the Gibsons themselves, make the most of this well kept secret while it lasts and bring an EG480B into your life before the market pulls these prices up too. If you like a bit of heft to your Les Paul, prefer the company of an older guitar that looks like its been around the block a few times, give this one some serious thought. They are getting rarer in this condition - this one is in excellent condition. Price £845 Availability 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation Play it forever Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1974 Pick-ups Maxon Selector 3-Way Toggle Bridge ToM Board Ebony Weight 4.00kg; 8lbs 15oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 02:27 Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13 Play Video Play Video 04:44 Play Video Play Video 03:07 Play Video Play Video 06:19 Play Video Play Video 05:16

There’s Nothing Here... We can’t find the page you’re looking for. Check the URL, or head back home. Go Home

Aria TE-400 Backaroo, Basic Tele with tricks up its sleeve < Back Aria TE-400 Backaroo E780363 This butterscotch entry-level beauty is the sweet-spot of MIJ teles for many as it retains the slightly more substantial neck profile of the early 70s Harayama models whereas TE-5 and 600s, and the TL series Grecos were getting skinnier and skinnier. This entry level model retained the early style pick-ups which is ideal at the neck - these short fat Tele pick-ups are the secret sauce for blues solos. The bridge units were always a little weedy in comparison - very brittle and icy. Usually I replace these bridge units by putting a suitable modern version into a Gotoh semi-cutaway bridge, and get the best of both worlds, but add a chunk of cost. Not everyone has that budget, so this one has a rewound bridge pick-up meaning we can retain the bridge plate, just add rewinding cost, but most importantly, rewind it to an inductance that delivers a traditional Tele output. Take a listen to the demo to hear how plucky and eager this one is. It can sit alongside a refined gentrified modern MIA Tele and be there for when things need to get a bit nuts, or more fun. This one kind of makes you venture out the comfort zone a little. Arias, even the entry level models, were strung through the back, not top loaded like the early Grecos. This feels like an "old pal" Tele, sounds better than a regular Tele when a modern just isn't raucous enough. We could use this as a basis to extend further into modernization - a set of Gibson (yes really) frets would be a great idea; and a set of modern SD-91 tuners would cure all the little foibles that mark this out as an entry level Backaroo; but before we do any of that and increase the price, just make sure these characteristics don't give it the "mojo" you'll adore. All of that stuff can be done later. Price £795 Availability 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1978 Pick-ups Maxon Selector 3-way Bridge Original Aria Board Maple Weight 3.95kg; 8lbs 11oz Modifications Rewound bridge pick-up ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 02:27 Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13 Play Video Play Video 04:44 Play Video Play Video 03:07 Play Video Play Video 06:19 Play Video Play Video 05:16

Take a look beyond the main stream market offerings and explore our quality vintage guitars originating from the iconic Matsumoku plant (and a few of their neighbours) - we have some rare hidden gems to be discovered and celebrated.  Treasure Chamber Whilst many of our amazing instruments are destined to be DreamBuilds, some of them are too rare, too unrepeatable or just too incredible as they are. They stay as they are and are waiting for you to explore them and put them through their paces. Come and try them out! Book Now 1000 Page 3 Filter By Year 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 ... 1000

Our excellent and rare examples of vintage Japanese guitars are available for "Buy as Described" or "Buy to Upgrade". The latter gives you a golden opportunity to create a dream build which is blessed with Janpanese craftsmanship and exciting modern functionality. Give us your upgrade ideas here, and we will work out the best price and programme together. Buy to Upgrade Our excellent and rare examples of vintage Japanese guitars are available for "Buy as Is" or "Buy to Upgrade". The latter gives you a golden opportunity to create a dream build which is blessed with Janpanese craftsmanship and exciting modern functionality. Give us your upgrade ideas here, and we will work out the best price and programme together. Ketteringham Hall, Church Road, Wymondham NR18 9RS tom@matsumoku.rocks +44(0)1953 686 861 Buy to Upgrade First Name Last Name Email Phone Your Idea to Upgrade I'd like to buy to upgrade: (copy name of your chosen guitar from the dropdown list) Send Thanks for submitting! Opening Hours Whether you are local, or passing by, please drop by. Office hours are kept, but most fun is had here in the evenings and at weekends.

Fernandes GM-85, Maximum stage presence < Back Fernandes GM-85 Signature model This rather subtle shy and retiring guitar was a signature model for Kenichi Ito, lead guitarist for the Japanese electro-pop outfit Iceman. He had a proper rock sound and if only he'd come to me I could have given him extra crazy sounds for his solos. This may look ungainly, but actually is very comfortable to play, and has a mighty fine quality spec as did many signature model Fernandes guitars. This one arrived with a refusal to make any sound at all, but a malfunctioning mini-switch and a confused Japanese guitar technician who somehow managed to make a simple problem very complex allowed this to come to us having been given up on. Never give up on guitars. The original spec for these was a single volume, a 3 way pick-up selector, a kill switch enabler and a kill switch. As both of these Fernandes pick-ups are 2 conductor units, don't believe any claims of coil-splitting. This other switch was a standby / on / on with killswitch. But it was damaged anyway so in went a chicken head over a rotary to enable the craziness Kenichi needed a floor pedal for. Now we have a 3 way pick-up selector, a kill switch on that arcade button which is active at all times, and the crazy-chicken which when rotated, provides that thin (yet still powerful) cutting icey raspy tone that Kenichi wanted for his solos. Should have come to me! No batteries, just a little wizardry on how the pick-ups talk to each-other. The tremolo is divine - very slick and accurate - the guitar plays surprisingly comfortably and is genuinely more than just a gimmicky weird shape. You could take this one a little more seriously than you perhaps thought. If you need stage presence; if you do the occasional Prince cover, if you glam-rock seriously, if you just want to get noticed, then this is a great useful guitar that will deliver on those fronts too. Price £895 Availability 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation go crazy Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 2000 Pick-ups Fernandes VH-7 and VH-1 Selector 3-way Bridge Wilkinson Gotoh Board Rosewood Weight 3.6kg; 8lbs 1oz Modifications Chickenhead craziness ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 02:27 Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13 Play Video Play Video 04:44 Play Video Play Video 03:07 Play Video Play Video 06:19 Play Video Play Video 05:16

Epiphone Emperor Jo Pass, Great value < Back Epiphone Emperor Jo Pass S6124920 This is a Korean made JP, a Samick produced version, so assured of a very solid construction unlike some Indonesian and Chinese versions. This one has a delightful Bigsby tremolo which is rarely seen on an Emperor, and this plays wonderfully with it; tuning is stable and it doesn't slide around the top like a few Gretsches we have wrestled with. The Epiphone humbuckers are perfect for this application - the original Alnico 2 units really don't need upgrading if the warm jazzy sound is what you want. The bridge humbucker can get dirty and aggressive so it is fine to cover a bit of Joe Pass and Billy Duffy in the same set. This was a busy guitar about 10 years ago - anyone who has stayed at any North Norfolk holiday parks may have seen this guitar with its late owner entertaining heartedly. We have just recommissioned it after a few years storage, and its good to go again. There is a little scar you can see on the upper cutaway - this is lacquer deep and not in any way structural. Comes with a hard case and original Epiphone parts to convert this to a non-Bigsby if that is preferred. Price £££ Availability Sold Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1996 Pick-ups Alnico 2 Humbuckers Selector 3-Way Bridge Bigsby Board Rosewood Weight 3.4kg; 7lbs 8oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13 Play Video Play Video 04:44 Play Video Play Video 03:07 Play Video Play Video 06:19 Play Video Play Video 05:16 Play Video Play Video 03:19

There’s Nothing Here... We can’t find the page you’re looking for. Check the URL, or head back home. Go Home

Greco JB-600N, Hardy vintage bass ready for another 50 years < Back Greco JB-600N Pre-Serial Number These were the basses that were traded in for Fenders when funds allowed, and then bitterly regretted as they realized paying double for a name on the headstock was a lousy decision. There are subtle differences between the Fenders and this Greco - notably the pancake construction style that MIJ guitars and basses had until 1976 and the super strong engineered laminate neck that they had until late 1975 . Brochure geeks may question why this is a 600 and not a 500. The specifications were almost identical, but the 600 and 720 models were built at Matsumoku; the 420 and 500 were Fuji - the neck plate giving those details. This proudly has Matsumoku on it. Vital stats then: the nut is 40mm and the 12th fret is 55mm; the weight is 4.46kg (9lbs 13oz). A very nice comfortable and balanced bass, and the wider nut making it a little easier to play than the 36mm nuts on the earlier models from Fujigen. This bass now has new frets so ready for another 15 years at least - the original Maxon pick-ups are in rude health, the bridge is also original; a little pitted and showing its 50 years of service, but still thoroughly functional so we have elected to keep it. We can easily upgrade it to a current Gotoh unit which will be shinier, and could even install a High Mass version if huge sustain and Grand Piano tones are required. The previous owner decided to swap the old white scratch plate to a black one - this was and remains a popular decision - again we can get it back to catalogue spec, or even apply a fancy such as those you see in our DreamBuild section. But, this is good to go as it is - perfectly aged great quality dependable Jazz Bass, a fraction of the price of the equivalent Fender and likely to be built to a superior standard. Price £995 Availability Sold Recommendation Press into service Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1974 Pick-ups Maxon J6/J8 Selector Jazz Bass blend Bridge original Gotoh Board Maple Weight 4.47kg; 9lbs 13oz Modifications New Frets; Black scratchplate ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 06:20 Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13 Play Video Play Video 04:44 Play Video Play Video 03:07 Play Video Play Video 06:19 Play Video Play Video 05:16 Play Video Play Video 03:19

Tokai Cat's Eyes CE-400, A sensible D-28 < Back Tokai Cat's Eyes CE-400 179779 As Fujigen was troubling Fender with the quality of Strats and Teles, Hamamatsu was doing something similar to CF Martin. This lovely old Terawaki made CE-400 is of the era where the Japanese manufacturers were flexing their muscles and going all-out to prove they could match and even exceed the American quality levels. An inconvenient truth maybe, but in the 1970s Japanese quality was regularly exceeding American quality. This is wannabe D-28; a very classy imitation, and differs only in that this Tokai is soft and cuddly to play. Most D-28s (most Martins) like to fight you a bit but this is a characteristic Tokai left out. This is an absolute delight to play - no silly high action, no choking and buzzing, just slick and rewarding regardless of the level that you play at. You will see in the photos that this has been a busy guitar and that's always a good sign. Like most Terawaki guitars, the belly has a slight hump, but this is no cause for concern - the bracing is all good, the action is very playable all the way up the neck, and there is plenty of saddle left if you need an even lower action. We think we have this one set up just right. It won't be the loudest guitar you've ever heard, but it resonates and projects in the same way as our favourite J-45s do - a lovely balance and no boomy bottom end to discourage you from mic'ing it up. This is just prime value for money territory - mildly fashionable name on the headstock, but not a 47 year old Martin so you'll feel happier about taking it places and playing it without the stress. I reckon this one will be a keeper. Price £525 Availability Sold Recommendation Enjoy it as it is Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1977 Pick-ups n/a Selector n/a Bridge Pin Board Ebony Weight Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13 Play Video Play Video 06:19 Play Video Play Video 04:44 Play Video Play Video 03:07 Play Video Play Video 06:19 Play Video Play Video 05:16 Play Video Play Video 03:19

Greco SE-500N (Excel Pick-ups), Best pal spec upgraded timeless classic < Back Greco SE-500N (Excel Pick-ups) G772357 For many, the SE-500 is the sweet-spot of the range - it may miss out on the little details that emulate the iconic Fenders from various eras, but it is essentially an evolution of the original 430 range which was what Matsumoku suggested a Stratocaster ought to be. By 1977, the range of Grecos was very well defined - Fujigen was producing a complete range of Strats to appeal all budgets and styles - the 500 was still the mainstream offer to folk who were not too focussed on era details, and just wanted a great quality comfortable guitar. These are ideal donors to create a really perfect spec - combining a lightweight body with some higher specification pick-ups and interesting wiring options. Some colour schemes just work without trying - a beaten up old black plate on natural body rarely fails to get the head nodding in approval. The original faded knobs and purposeful uncovered pick-ups make for an iconic stage guitar, or the one you hold for the album cover shot. The pick-ups in this guitar are a set of PU-119 Excels from a 1979 SE-600J and have that powerful definition they are so well known for. 5-way switches were about to become the default for Strats - getting the in-between sounds either involved fishing for the precise position with a 3-way and hoping it stayed there, or repurposing one of the tone controls to fade in the middle pick-up, sacrificing its presence in the sound palette for a tele-esque bridge and neck sound for the middle position. The lower tone control makes it very convenient to fade in the middle into each of the 3 positions and tailor the degree of blend. Rolling the control all the way on and off is the work of a split second so it can resemble a switch, but has the very useful function of finding the precise amount of middle inclusion you need. You may know this as the Hendrix, or the Wild Bill wiring (Bill Lawrence). It is a relatively straight forward modification and allows the majority of the guitars original wiring to be used and existing original components can remain with the guitar. What that ultimately means to the player is that the wonderful action of the original DM-30 switch remains - modern switches, even Fender branded CRL switches do not feel as precise. The degree and quality of engineering of these old Japanese components is sadly missing in today's market. If we can keep them, we do; and this one does. Beyond the timelessly appealing aesthetic of this guitar, the performance it offers is phenomenal. PU-119 tones, the Hendrix circuit, the perfect balanced lightweight comfort (3.43kg 7lbs 9oz), and the comfort of the early 70s style neck profile will not disappoint. The cheque will not bounce - it's all there. You may appreciate the soul of this guitar before plugging it in - the acoustic ring and snap means this is the guitar you pick up and play even when the amp can't be switched on. Vintage guitars of this era tend to be many thousands of pounds - not so this one. No headstock tax, just a phenomenally great guitar from an era and country that understood quality. Price £1,195 Availability Sold Recommendation a proper keeper Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1977 Pick-ups Maxon PU-119 Excel Selector 3-way Bridge Original Vintage Board Maple Weight 3.43kg (7lbs 9oz) Modifications Hendrix wiring, PU-119 pick-ups on black plate ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 02:28 Play Video Play Video 04:13 Play Video Play Video 06:19 Play Video Play Video 04:44 Play Video Play Video 03:07 Play Video Play Video 06:19 Play Video Play Video 05:16 Play Video Play Video 03:19