Yamaki YW-35

Finally, another entry on one my favourite brands; Yamaki. Away back in October last year i wrote about the YW-50-12 model, where i discussed the back story of the Yamaki brand, so please revisit that entry for the company history. Here, we will look at the Yamaki YW-35 model.

Like the YW-50-12 before, this YW-35 (originally sold at 35,000 Yen), sees the Yamaki Western design body. This YW model ran along side the YM and the YD models at the same time (mid 1970s to early 1980s), with each model having a slightly different bracing design and features. This is also the case with Tokai around the same time in their Cat's Eyes series of guitars, seen with their CE, CE-CF, and CE-D models, with each suffix defining what era of Martin design the guitars bracing was based on (CE = pre-war, CE-CF = post-war, CE-D = modern). Whether in the Yamaki case, these work around the same concept and eras, i really amn't sure, but their is no escaping the Martin-basis in all their models.

Looking at the features of this YW-35, we find the soundboard is solid red-cedar. Yamaki were one of very few brands to use cedar soundboards on their dreadnought guitars, thought its use was common-place in the quality nylon strung guitars crafted in Japan at the same time. Re-known for being a warmer, softer tonewood, the use of cedar here gives this guitar a slightly different tonal character to that of some of the spruce-topped Martin based designs; highly responsive, and slightly darker, this does work wonders when matched to some pure bronze strings; their natural brightness counter-acts the overly dark and muddy realms cedar can be subject to, giving a complex and lively voice, particularly when fingerpicking. Cedar is known to open up alot quicker than spruce as well, though on a 40 year old guitar, i think plenty time has passed for both to have become more complex with age. Simple cream and black rings form the soundhole rosette, with a similarly simple purfling around the edge of the cream binding to the sides. The sides are made of Indian rosewood, whilst the back has the Martin D-35 style 3-piece back of Indian rosewood, darker cuts used on the outer flanks, with a more red-rich cut used in the centre. Wood mosaic purfling is used down each seam. A rosewood bridge and bone saddle are also found. The neck is 3-piece mahogany, with quite an antique stain that shows the grain nicely. The rosewood fingerboard features snow-flake mother-of-pearl inlays and cream binding. The headstalk is Martin shaped, faced with a rosewood veneer and Yamaki written in gold script across the top. Tuners are Yamaki-branded quality Gotoh models. Internally is the usual case for Yamaki, with the model branded on the neck block, whilst Yamaki Co. Ltd, Since 1954, Made in Japan is embossed into the wood of one back seam braces.

Yamaki do make some of the best sounded guitars from the era in Japan. Richer, fuller, more complex than a good deal of its cohorts at the same price bracket from the time, they really are worth searching out.

Here are some photos of this YW-35:














Not the best set of photographs i have taken with this guitar due to lower light conditions. I'll need to retake them on a better day.

Next up is another Yamaki model: a YD35.

Bluebell BW400

Bluebell are a new brand to discuss on this blog. Branded very much in the vain of Cowboy and Westerns, with original Japanese adverts showing the Bluebell brand in SALOON style italics, and some plaid shirt luthier hand sculpting the neck of a mandolin, whilst some old moustached fellow in a Stetson strummed some country chords, they aimed to capture squarely the country and bluegrass flatpickers in native Japan. Interestingly with Bluebell, the brand used a large variety of guitar factories to construct their models over the period of the early to late 70s; which factory dependant on the model type and price bracket. Some top end Bluebells were made at the wonderful Tama factory, varying between Martin-based designs to Gallagher-based models (the only brand to have Tama-made guitars in this style i believe), though given the small number of luthiers at the Tama plant, i imagine some of the other top end models were made at a selection of these others; Fuji-Gen, Blue Bell factory, or by Suzuki Violin Co. Ltd. Usefully, each soundhole label indicates the factory of manufacture. They also made a fine line of flat mandolins and banjos.

In this entry, we look at a Bluebell BW400, made at the Suzuki Violin Company guitar plant. The Suzuki Violin company have quite a history all by themselves, which i will save for either a Suzuki or ThreeS branded guitar to regale, but they are one of these brands slightly better known in Western markets, with quite a following of collectors, with a strong reputation for quality instruments. This Bluebell BW400 is a delight, tonally amongst the best in the collection, whilst its materials and construction are excellent.

Featuring a very nicely grained quarter-sawn solid spruce soundboard, with some bearclaw figuring and cross-grain silk (the general belief is that these features are a sign of very mature wood, grown in a natural forest rather than a farmed forest), this is high high quality. Unlike quite a few others, this doesn't have an abalone rosette around the soundhole, but just simple tri-line rings that adds some understatement to this model. The purfling around the edge of the binding is likewise. The sides are Indian rosewood, whilst the back is a 3-piece design, again in Indian rosewood, with the outer flanks bookmatched, each seam with the same simple purfling as seen elsewhere on this model. It is quite suprising to see this modesty, where use of Mexican shell and abalone and wood mosaics are much more common, though i feel it reinstates the simple bluegrass theme this brand was based around. The neck is a quite beautifully figured mahogany 3-piece, in a chunky C profile, with a bound rosewood fretboard with simple mother-of-pearl dot position markers, and an ivory-coloured heel cap. The headstalk is again a simple Martin-style design, with a rosewood veneer and cream binding, and Bluebell in the aforementioned SALOON style script in gold. The tuners as usual at this level, are high quality nickel Gotoh models, all engraved with the Bluebell brand script. Back to the body, and we find the bridge is rosewood, with a bone saddle. I should state that plastic saddles are much more the norm on most of these guitars, and that i always install a new bone one it is place if one hasn't been installed already. Such a simple upgrade you wonder why its not the norm anyway! Internally this is clean, with Martin X-style bracing and cedar kurfling. The soundhole label is in place, stating the model number BW400, the factory of construction as Suzuki, the handwritten model number, with the last two digits indicating that this is made in 1979, and that it has passed their quality control tests of tone and construction. Always so thorough.

As i mentioned at the top of this entry, this is amongst the best sounding of the Martin-designed guitars in the collection. Loud and rich, excellent base response and note sustain, it really is wonderfully suited to flatpicking bluegrass; a convincing idol of a Martin D28.

Here are some photographs to enjoy:


















The full album can be viewed here.

Jagard JD400

As mentioned, here is the follow up the JD300 post, by its big brother, the JD400. Another lovely guitar, but the real interesting question is: what does an extra 10,000 Yen get you back in 1975? That's a considerable amount at the time!

So, again crafted at Terada, the main change is as you expect - better quality tonewoods and some visual enhancements, such as the vertical headstalk logo. In some ways this vertical logo indicates that this JD400 is more a copy of the Martin D41 rather than the D35. This is further supported by the JD400 featuring a 2-piece rosewood back rather than the 3-piece seen on the JD300. Honestly, i prefer the 3-piece backs, but that's a personal thing really. The solid spruce soundboard is a lovely even-grained example, again featuring abalone inlayed rosette and edged binding. The Indian rosewood used on the sides and back are just as attractively grained as seen on the JD300, with again an intricate wood mosaic inlay separating the 2-piece back. The neck again is mahogany, this time with an ebony fingerboard with abalone hexagonal inlay position markers and cream binding. The headstalk is faced with a rosewood veneer and features a quintessential 70s Martin-style vertical logo of JAGARD inlayed in mother-of-pearl, though i am yet to discover what the N and K either side of the J represent. I imagine they are the initials of someone involved with the Jagard brand, maybe time will tell. One of the really pleasing features of looking at these two guitars, is noting that the same QC luthier signed off both guitars on the soundhole label.

Sometimes visual differences really are subtle. Tonally this is a richer sounding guitar to the JD300 though. That soundboard really is worth the extra 10,000 Yen by itself.

Here are some photos to spot-the-differences with:




















As ever you can find the full collection of photos here

Jagard JD300

Time of the season to resume blogging again now that summer feels like it is well past and autumn arrive. So i might as well pick up from where i left off, and discuss another Jagard model. This time, the JD300 model, which is a Martin D35 based model from them. Again a mid 70s made model, and again out of the Terada guitar factory, this is amongst the nicest looking Martin based models i have collected, and in wonderful condition considering its age. As the model number suggests, this was 30,000 Yen back in the day in native Japan, and D signifying it is using Martin based brace design.

Looking at its specification, if features a lovely aged spruce soundboard, with a light tortoiseshell pickgauard, and the usual simple abalone rosette and edging to the binding. The sides are Indian rosewood, joining at the base with a cream wedge, whilst the back is a 3-piece of different cuts of Indian rosewood, the two out flanks bookmatched. Each seam features lovely mosaic wood inlays which are quite beautiful and detailed. The neck is a 3-piece mahogany in a full C shape, with a rosewood fingerboard with abalone inlaid hexagonal shaped position markers, and cream binding. The headstalk is the expected Martin shape, with quality Gotoh tuners and Jagard & Co. Est. 1951 in gold italic script just like the Martin & Co snakescript logo. Very cheeky. Internally it is tidy and clean, with well sanded braces and tidy kurfling. The soundhole label is handsigned by the QC luthier and details the model number.

Overall, this is another fine example out of the Terada factory. Please find the usual photos below:















Next up i will be looking at the model up from this, the JD400. Thanks for reading.