Joseph333

I have two Nagoya guitars from the 70's. N-30 and N12-23. They both have slight belly bulges but sound really nice. I play them quite often. The N-30 has a very warm sound, not bright like my Taylor. Both were purchased in online auctions and I would say I paid full price (or slightly more). $510 for the N-30 six string and $285 for the 12 string. Here is an article I found that solves the mystery of the origin of these guitars. For those with no time to read it, the owner of Veneman's Music went to Japan and enlisted guitar makers in the Japanese city of Nagoya to make Martin knock offs when Martin could not meet demand (and to supply the market with a less expensive alternative) in the early 70's. It appears there was never a factory floor, but the luthiers made them wherever they could (including in an alley, as noted in the article). I have a screen shot of a price list and catalog cover. Apparently the N-30 sides and back was made of Brazilian rosewood. It certainly sounds like it and the catalog cover confirms this. https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/514008/nagoya-guitars-a-piece-of-dc-music-history/