iMarcosa -> RE: Takamine flamenco guitars (Mar. 19 2014 23:36:00)
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In the 60's -70's while serving in Vietnam, on my last trip home I had 30day R&R in Japan and traveled all over by train. I went to the Takamine shop in Nakatsugawa, Gifu, Japan. Where I saw a custom Flamenco Guitar on display in the showroom. It had been built by a Japanese craftsman who had been to Spain to study in the tradition of Classical Flamenco guitar making. No metal but silver or nickel silver alloy allowed under flamenco traditions. With silver inserted wooden pegs and craftsmanship I have not seen since. Other than some name brand flamenco guitars from Spain itself. Although this may have been a guitar made or with materials brought back from Spain, I don't know. In those days you could get a very good guitar in Japan for under $60-$100 US there. The best guitars in US were Martins maybe a few hundred more dollars. So this would have been in a similar price range as a new Martin back then. I was so taken by this guitar, the sound, the lightness, those superb looking wooden pegs and angled neck and the inlaid designs throughout the body, neck and peg head. So I asked if I could play it. They allowed me and I found that by using some of my then forgotten flamenco technique brought it to life. I asked how much it would cost. At first they said it wasn't for sale. But then the craftsman who built it came in and heard me playing. After some debate, he decided he'd sell it to me for around a $1000 US (seem like he was joking to turn me away) and I don't think he really wanted to sell it at any price. That was way too much for me and he knew it, as he laughed at my poor Japanese. So seemed he knew I wanted it and I told him some sob stories about coming close to death so many times in Vietnam I couldn't count them (it was all true). So he then dropped it down to equivalent of $366 (w/ exchange rate applied) and I jumped at the chance to buy it. Even though that represented almost 2 months pay w/combat action pay. I had just bought a motorcycle for around $1000, that I sold for $2000 8months after getting home (transport was free). I was stoked even getting that guitar at that price, even though it showed some use. After just having paid a lot more for that motorcycle. I can't describe what it was like to play, or how it sounded, other than it seemed to hold some magical qualities to me. Almost like it was possessed by some legendary guitar maker's spirit, as if that's even possible and could play itself. Yeah... sounds nuts to me now too. Can't remember his hand signed signature name now, but this would have been around 1970. People who didn't really care for classical or flamenco music were mesmerized by my playing though. I was actually only barely a good guitarist, but this guitar made me sound like a great guitarist. Everywhere I would go, if I played that guitar, people stopped whatever they were doing to hear me playing. For around 3 yrs I just got better, worked to perfect my skills and grow n keep my r/h finger nails at the perfect length. He threw in two tap boards, but explained traditionally that using these were just wrong, because it changes the sound! It was hand signed in the traditional way w/o a stamped number. So along with those silver inserted wooden pegs for easy tuning, perfect neck action and sound, I was the proud owner of some kind of unusual custom made Flamenco guitar by Takamine. Strange as they may seem now. Well until it got stolen..... and then I never played again. I often wondered what happened to it, searched pawn shops the whole bit to try and recover it. Did the thieve even realize what they had? I loved that guitar and I hope who ever ended up with it loved it too and didn't just break it! I still wondered if the fool... no mater the other things that were stolen from me, just took it to a hock shop and got $20 or $30 for it. Makes me sad. I finally did see few more of these custom guitars for sale selling for as much as $2000 to $3000 said to be very rare, I haven't seen one since the 80's to 90's though! btw..... can't find any pics with silver inserted wooden pegs. But here is an old Martin with metal inserted Ivory pegs. Some say pegs were harder to keep tuned. I had no such problems and tuning was simple and fast anyway. When they are designed right! http://www.acousticmasters.com/1840PegsSide.jpg
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