Members Spike Li Posted July 23, 2009 Members Share Posted July 23, 2009 Does anyone know anything about/have any experience with Kasuga guitars? Particularly this one: http://www.diskantforum.se/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=9823 I saw one for sale today and it really caught me eye- cool vine inlay, carved top, mini hums, bolt on neck...Didnt get a chance to play it but will be going back to shortly, just wondering if its any good? EDIT- oh yeah and it was made sometime in the 70s... i dont know much about 70s japanese guitars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Special J Posted July 23, 2009 Members Share Posted July 23, 2009 Bolt neck LP? Boo. Looks pretty, I'll give it that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members darkcheef Posted July 23, 2009 Members Share Posted July 23, 2009 Does anyone know anything about/have any experience with Kasuga guitars?Particularly this one: http://www.diskantforum.se/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=9823I saw one for sale today and it really caught me eye- cool vine inlay, carved top, mini hums, bolt on neck...Didnt get a chance to play it but will be going back to shortly, just wondering if its any good?EDIT- oh yeah and it was made sometime in the 70s... i dont know much about 70s japanese guitars Most of them have amazing quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenbu Posted July 24, 2009 Members Share Posted July 24, 2009 from what I gather, the ones that say "the" kasuga on the headstock are higher ends. Don`t own any but see them regularly on the web in Japan, mostly acoustics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Spike Li Posted July 26, 2009 Author Members Share Posted July 26, 2009 bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators The Eristic Posted July 26, 2009 Moderators Share Posted July 26, 2009 They're one of the lesser known Japanese factories/brands. Made all their own stuff (versus rebranding), which is fairly unique. As far as I know, they've been defunct for ages, but the quality is comparable to most of the other major players from the time, like Fuji-gen and company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Faber Posted July 26, 2009 Members Share Posted July 26, 2009 I only have hand-on experiece with one - a LP style with single coils that looked like those on a LP Recording. That was an absolute heap of donkey manure. Horribly noisy electronics, that didn't sound too good over the buzz anyway, a (set) neck that flexed if you even looked at it hard meant that it was impossible to keep in tune, bad bindings over a sandwich body. etc The one in the link looks a god deal more elaborately appinted than mine and who knows it might be a good instrument. personally I think 7500 SEK is high, Kasuga's to my knowledge never had the following of similar vintage Ibanez, Yamaha etc. It's not a bearing of their quality, I just oubt if there's a market at that price. In my very humble opinion I think the seller's been bitten by the "it's old so it must be worth something" bug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Spike Li Posted July 26, 2009 Author Members Share Posted July 26, 2009 I only have hand-on experiece with one - a LP style with single coils that looked like those on a LP Recording. That was an absolute heap of donkey manure. Horribly noisy electronics, that didn't sound too good over the buzz anyway, a (set) neck that flexed if you even looked at it hard meant that it was impossible to keep in tune, bad bindings over a sandwich body. etcThe one in the link looks a god deal more elaborately appinted than mine and who knows it might be a good instrument. personally I think 7500 SEK is high, Kasuga's to my knowledge never had the following of similar vintage Ibanez, Yamaha etc. It's not a bearing of their quality, I just oubt if there's a market at that price. In my very humble opinion I think the seller's been bitten by the "it's old so it must be worth something" bug. Thanks for the input, i should probably clear up that the link i added was just there because that was the only pic i could find- the guitar im looking at is in a store and they want $500AUD for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators The Eristic Posted July 26, 2009 Moderators Share Posted July 26, 2009 I only have hand-on experiece with one - a LP style with single coils that looked like those on a LP Recording. That was an absolute heap of donkey manure. Horribly noisy electronics, that didn't sound too good over the buzz anyway, a (set) neck that flexed if you even looked at it hard meant that it was impossible to keep in tune, bad bindings over a sandwich body. etc So they weren't kidding about cloning the real thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted July 26, 2009 Members Share Posted July 26, 2009 Must have been made in the early 70s, in the 76 catalog the gold top was closer to the real deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hb1969 Posted July 26, 2009 Members Share Posted July 26, 2009 I've seen the SG's get reasonable prices nowadays, simply because they're MIJ and technically "vintage". Wasn't that long ago you couldn't give the things away, although the same could be said about Tokai. My first electric was a "diplomat" strat that in fact, under the badge on the headstock, turned out to be made by Kasuga. Hardware and pickups nothing to write home about, but a very nice neck and body wood seemed to be light ash. Actually, I believe that particular model in your link was also made under the brand name "Emperador". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rkabelitz Posted September 4, 2013 Members Share Posted September 4, 2013 Hi, Wwould love to know more about this Kasuga Les Paul I recently purchased in Adelaide S Australia. Looks nicely made but very heavy and unlike pictures posted has Les Paul model on head stock. Pick ups; Rythm is a Seymore Duncan potted humbucker, Treble has "DDJ" sticker on it unpotted HB. Any info would be great. Mine has been played around with eg cheap plastic nut that I want change to bone or ebony, but other wise in top condition and stays in tune and sounds great thru valve ac30 amp. Reinie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted September 4, 2013 Moderators Share Posted September 4, 2013 Like all Japanese guitars the brand name itself is no indicator of quality, as like most companies they had a higher end a middle end and a budget end. They were all well made, but the materials varied widely, so they very often used what we call block board on the tops of LP types, as did Matsumoku, Fujigen and most other factories. I've just bought a 72 reissue Camel made by Kyowa Shokai ~74, 1 piece Sen and alnico greybottoms, big headstock, bullet truss in blonde, for $320 shipped from Japan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frets99 Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Ratae Coritanorum wrote: Like all Japanese guitars the brand name itself is no indicator of quality, as like most companies they had a higher end a middle end and a budget end. They were all well made, but the materials varied widely, so they very often used what we call block board on the tops of LP types, as did Matsumoku, Fujigen and most other factories. I've just bought a 72 reissue Camel made by Kyowa Shokai ~74, 1 piece Sen and alnico greybottoms, big headstock, bullet truss in blonde, for $320 shipped from Japan That is seriously sexy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rkabelitz Posted September 10, 2013 Members Share Posted September 10, 2013 Please explain block board on top of LP cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Unyum Posted December 12, 2020 Members Share Posted December 12, 2020 I own a SG model. Got it over 10 years back, it died on me probably 6 years ago. Finally, decided to get it fixed as a back up. Damn great guitar!!! How do I check the year it was made? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Old Rowley Posted January 13, 2021 Members Share Posted January 13, 2021 Have picked up a white early 70's Stratocaster only evidence of it being "Made in Japan" is on the alloy block on the tremlo mechanism.(sighted when plastic back plate removed)...It has a number stamped on the back of the pickguard..151186.. Also has the word "STRATOCASTER" stamped on the front of the headstock but no brand name or even evidence of glue residue where one may have been..The word Stratocaster is the same capital letter font and rounded shape as a USA Fender Strat.of 1969..It has an unusual half-moon shaped access "cave" to the truss rod adjustment allen key..it is NOT 6mm or 5mm...only allen key to fit is 7/32" imperial..It would appear to be in the original hard case going by the yellow aged interior padding which also emits that old "vintage" odour...The tuners have been replaced and the holes would indicate that it had original diamond trapezoid tuners...The replacement tuners are "Schaller" and marked...Made in West Germany..so the tuners are obviously pre.1989...Have been told it may have been the `first Jap. copies of a American Fender Stratocaster where on some to avoid too much of a fuss the manufacturer's name is omitted to perhaps test the copywrite laws..Kasuga was well known as one of the first to head down the track of copying USA electric guitars and I have heard of another Kasuga where on the work of "P" bass was on the headstock...It has the larger headstock shape and would appear to be in two pieces and joined though well done...Anyone seen this guitar before?..Rowley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.