Members Ace5150 Posted October 25, 2008 Members Share Posted October 25, 2008 I have a Suzuki built acoustic guitar that is a replica of the Gibson Hummingbird. Got it in 1977 and its pristine in looks and condition.I see Suzuki has some excellent reviews, my question is, why did they stop making guitars, and what is mine valued at and the rarity of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aclarke Posted October 25, 2008 Members Share Posted October 25, 2008 As always - pics would help. Suzuki guitars are extremely undervalued, IMO. This one: http://page16.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u30003770 with jacaranda back and sides is going for 30,000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ElviraG Posted October 25, 2008 Members Share Posted October 25, 2008 I used to have one of those Hummingbird guitars and they date from the same period as the original plywood Yamaha FG's with the orange labels. The Suzuki Hummingbird was made from solid timber which in my experience wasn't a good thing; the soundboard on mine warped very badly. I'm fairly sure that Suzuki was originally a violin maker that branched out into pianos and then other instruments. Suzuki is still a very well respected piano maker; at least the equal of Yamaha. My daughters have Suzuki branded violins which were bought less than two years ago. They're still made in Japan and very high quality for instruments intended for students. http://www.suzukimusic.co.uk/GUITAR/acoustic-guitars.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenbu Posted October 25, 2008 Members Share Posted October 25, 2008 right, they`ve been building violins for ages. the first Yairi left Suzuki in 1935 to branch out on his own...which begat Sadao Yairi...dead now... and Kazuo Yairi...still making guitars...I just got a 1950 Kiso-Suzuki this month at a local antique shop, guess youse missed my thread on it here...a real beauty, so I`ll post another pic just for shitsandgiggles and because I just love the guitar. I now own 3 Suzukis...a 1948 nylon string thats all solid wood, even the binding...and another classical type that I think is all solid wood...all 3 of mine have different labels, and I`ve seen MANY other Suzuki labels on line here...it appears they made solid wood guitars and laminates too so one has to be careful, but anyways, they just don`t seem to fetch as much as say older K.Yairis do though mine are beauties and I wouldn`t dream of selling them. If you`re referring to the Yamaha red labels, I think those first went on sale mid/late 60`s after the two original FG light green label models, the FG-150 and FG-180 in October 1966. The laminates were Yamaha`s answer to the cracked tops they were getting complaints of on their export models, which go as far back as the 50s...the #s 30, 50 and 70. I own a #30 and a #50 with no cracked top problems not neck issues at all, in fact all my Yamaha Dynamics are outstanding...but regular members here have heard me say that many times before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ace5150 Posted October 29, 2008 Author Members Share Posted October 29, 2008 Thanks for the replies. Here is a pic of it, but I'll get some better ones later including the Suzuki documentation in the guitar body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ElviraG Posted October 29, 2008 Members Share Posted October 29, 2008 Thanks for the replies. Here is a pic of it, but I'll get some better ones later including the Suzuki documentation in the guitar body. I think yours is a later model than the one I owned. It's got a deeper wider bridge that looks like it's made of rosewood and was probably intended to spread the stress from the string tension more. Mine had a narrow ebony bridge exactly the same size as a Gibson one and eventually pulled the soundboard up into a hump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldGuitarPlayer Posted October 29, 2008 Members Share Posted October 29, 2008 Thanks for the replies. Here is a pic of it, but I'll get some better ones later including the Suzuki documentation in the guitar body. That's sweet! I bet it sounds pretty good too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members T.B. Posted October 29, 2008 Members Share Posted October 29, 2008 QUOTE] Another beautiful guitar from the Zenbu museum collection. I hope you have a special place/room in your home to show off your wondrous collection of gits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenbu Posted October 29, 2008 Members Share Posted October 29, 2008 nope...it`s too small. They all stay snuggled in their cases until I take em out. Do plan on bringing some home with me though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ace5150 Posted November 7, 2008 Author Members Share Posted November 7, 2008 Here are some pics of my treasured acoustic, and thanks for the replies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members asatnutz Posted November 8, 2008 Members Share Posted November 8, 2008 I recently purcased a few 70's made in Japan acoustids. All were disappointments. Of course todays guitar are much better. Although all that I read stated the 70 acoustics made in Japan were oh so good. Not in my opinion. I bought a gibson Today. I will have it in about 2 weeks. I need to finish paying for it before it comes home with me. Good luck and congrats on the Suzuki's. I have never seen one. Didn't know Suzuki made anything but motorcycles and cars... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted November 8, 2008 Members Share Posted November 8, 2008 That git is drop-dead gorgeous!! :love::love: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guildfire Posted November 8, 2008 Members Share Posted November 8, 2008 Here are some pics of my treasured acoustic, and thanks for the replies Nice looking Hummingbird! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members asatnutz Posted November 8, 2008 Members Share Posted November 8, 2008 They are both sweet guitars. I should have mentioned the MIJ guitars I bought were not higher end models like these. They were lower end solid wood guitars by Epipiphone and Takamine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tbry Posted November 8, 2008 Members Share Posted November 8, 2008 I bought in 1971 a Hummingbird knockoff from Lyle...They were an Oregon importer and put their name on them...mine didn't get played much after I bought it...then it got passed on to one of my daughters...then some of her friends learned to play on it...then it got passed to another daughter and recently it has come back to me...the sound board now has some surface cracks in the finish and the bridge area of the top is lifted up...it has one of those adjustable bridges that I am having a tech work on to get it back in better condition...paid like 89.00 for that git in 71...still sounds good and is kind of a showy guitar with the red colors and pick guard with the art work...have no idea if it has any real value today but it doesn't matter...it is kind of a family piece now...if I figure out how to add pics here I will put one up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenbu Posted November 8, 2008 Members Share Posted November 8, 2008 That git is drop-dead gorgeous!! see...I`ve heard the...drop dead... part before, but it`s usually followed by asshole, not gorgeous...so thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members daklander Posted November 8, 2008 Members Share Posted November 8, 2008 see...I`ve heard the...drop dead... part before, but it`s usually followed by asshole, not gorgeous..... ROTFLMAO....Ain't that the truth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted November 9, 2008 Members Share Posted November 9, 2008 ROTFLMAO....Ain't that the truth? LOL Interestingly, I did indeed say that to some pesky asshole the other night. All I wanted was a quiet pint at my fav watering hole and the stupid sh**head couldn't figure out what the word "no" meant. So, I finally told him to drop dead...... .....and now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guildfire Posted November 9, 2008 Members Share Posted November 9, 2008 I bought in 1971 a Hummingbird knockoff from Lyle...They were an Oregon importer and put their name on them...mine didn't get played much after I bought it...then it got passed on to one of my daughters...then some of her friends learned to play on it...then it got passed to another daughter and recently it has come back to me...the sound board now has some surface cracks in the finish and the bridge area of the top is lifted up...it has one of those adjustable bridges that I am having a tech work on to get it back in better condition...paid like 89.00 for that git in 71...still sounds good and is kind of a showy guitar with the red colors and pick guard with the art work...have no idea if it has any real value today but it doesn't matter...it is kind of a family piece now...if I figure out how to add pics here I will put one up... Had a Lyle in the '70s, good beater/starter guitar. Adjustable bridge was cool. Glad you're keeping yours. Mine is long gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenbu Posted November 9, 2008 Members Share Posted November 9, 2008 sometimes in Japan we gaijins can be acting asshole-ish without even realizing we are. As one Canadian carpenter told me a few years ago, the reason why he wasn`t returning after Christmas was because there was..." too much bull{censored} " here. It`s taken me a LOT longer to figure that out than he. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ron Little Posted February 8, 2021 Members Share Posted February 8, 2021 I have a beautiful Suzuki “hummingbird” acoustic. My dad bought it for me in 1973, I was 10. I have played it for 47 years now and although it’s worn and dented and dinged, it sounds great. I just added a pickup to it because I play a one man show. I am truly proud of it. I just had it adjusted recently for the first time. I have no problem or fault in this guitar. I think it’s a beautiful piece of work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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