Anyone ever heard of sakura guitars?

[Chris Cowen]

Hi

Just got my old strat copy back off my brother after he's had it for a
few years and decided he wants some space for his new daughter. It says
"Sakura" on the headstock and "made in japan" on the neck plate. No
serial number. It's pretty solid, clear finish, and the tone is good.
The only thing that lets it down is the tuners are a bit poor. It's
pretty solid, and has taken a fair bit of punishment over the years. I
got it from a junk shop and I think it must be of late 70's early 80's
vintage. It's pretty much like a late 70's era strat, and would be a
pretty good clone, except it has a four-bolt neck.

Can't find anything about them with google or any of the usual places
(harmony central etc). Anybody else ever seen one? I intend to keep it,
but would be interested to know where it was made - i.e. is it a
rebadged Greco for example.......

Cheers

Chris

[Angof]

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Sakura/S__W_77-1.html

Post by Chris Cowen
Hi
Just got my old strat copy back off my brother after he's had it for a
few years and decided he wants some space for his new daughter. It says
"Sakura" on the headstock and "made in japan" on the neck plate. No
serial number. It's pretty solid, clear finish, and the tone is good.
The only thing that lets it down is the tuners are a bit poor. It's
pretty solid, and has taken a fair bit of punishment over the years. I
got it from a junk shop and I think it must be of late 70's early 80's
vintage. It's pretty much like a late 70's era strat, and would be a
pretty good clone, except it has a four-bolt neck.
Can't find anything about them with google or any of the usual places
(harmony central etc). Anybody else ever seen one? I intend to keep it,
but would be interested to know where it was made - i.e. is it a
rebadged Greco for example.......
Cheers
Chris

[JNugent]

Post by Angof

Post by Chris Cowen
Just got my old strat copy back off my brother after he's had it for a
few years and decided he wants some space for his new daughter. It says
"Sakura" on the headstock and "made in japan" on the neck plate. No
serial number. It's pretty solid, clear finish, and the tone is good.
The only thing that lets it down is the tuners are a bit poor. It's
pretty solid, and has taken a fair bit of punishment over the years. I
got it from a junk shop and I think it must be of late 70's early 80's
vintage. It's pretty much like a late 70's era strat, and would be a
pretty good clone, except it has a four-bolt neck.
Can't find anything about them with google or any of the usual places
(harmony central etc). Anybody else ever seen one? I intend to keep it,
but would be interested to know where it was made - i.e. is it a
rebadged Greco for example.......

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Sakura/S__W_77-1.html

:-)

I know Harmony Central has a reputation for owners never giving their own
guitars a bad rep, but this one (for a *Kasuga* guitar, mind) takes the biscuit>

"The "Construccion de Artistica Guitarras," I believe roughly translates into
"made by hand," and it most certainly feels that way".

Er... not quite, old chap. Whoever you are, don't ever buy a PRS, a Suhr or even
a Custom Shop Fender... you'll die of ecstasy.

[Jose de las Heras]

Post by JNugent

Post by Angof

Post by Chris Cowen
Just got my old strat copy back off my brother after he's had it for a
few years and decided he wants some space for his new daughter. It says
"Sakura" on the headstock and "made in japan" on the neck plate. No
serial number. It's pretty solid, clear finish, and the tone is good.
The only thing that lets it down is the tuners are a bit poor. It's
pretty solid, and has taken a fair bit of punishment over the years. I
got it from a junk shop and I think it must be of late 70's early 80's
vintage. It's pretty much like a late 70's era strat, and would be a
pretty good clone, except it has a four-bolt neck.
Can't find anything about them with google or any of the usual places
(harmony central etc). Anybody else ever seen one? I intend to keep it,
but would be interested to know where it was made - i.e. is it a
rebadged Greco for example.......

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Sakura/S__W_77-1.html

:-)
I know Harmony Central has a reputation for owners never giving their own
guitars a bad rep, but this one (for a *Kasuga* guitar, mind) takes the biscuit>
"The "Construccion de Artistica Guitarras," I believe roughly translates
into "made by hand," and it most certainly feels that way".
Er... not quite, old chap. Whoever you are, don't ever buy a PRS, a Suhr
or even a Custom Shop Fender... you'll die of ecstasy.

the first review made me smile:

"This is an acoustic guitar with a label inside that reads, "Sakura" and
"Construccion de Artistica Guitarras". An obvious attempt at Italian."

Italian with Spanish accent ;-)

Jose

[Ivar Arnesen]

Post by Jose de las Heras
"This is an acoustic guitar with a label inside that reads, "Sakura" and
"Construccion de Artistica Guitarras". An obvious attempt at Italian."
Italian with Spanish accent ;-)

Locally, Ibanez guitars back in the 70s and early 80s used to have the
inscrpition:

"Specially crafted for Scandinavia"

Usually it meant they the wood was thicker, could cope with Viking
nachspiels,
and wouldn't explode when left by the fireplace during the winter.

It meant the guitars sounded like shit when the guitarist and his/hers
audience were sober,
but they lasted 10 years longer than any Martin.

So now we have lots of heavy, dull-sounding Ibanez acoustics in Scandinavia,
and about 5 surviving Martins from the same period.

Beer-mode on:

My new eBay-scheme is to offer these "vintage" Ibanez guitars to
unsuspecting Canadians and Alaskians (?),
claiming they are custom made for The Artic.

In a couple of months I'll buy the UKMGN-PU concept,
and move it to the Carribean.

"The UKMG Cruise,
Royal Carriberan Cruise Lines proudly presents a weekend filled with
guitars,
"The Famous Octopus Drummer", and loads of guitarists who really need a
tan."

Ivar ,
"Bill Gates of Babylon"

[Chris Bolus]

On Thu, 4 May 2006 21:58:31 +0200, "Ivar Arnesen"

Post by Ivar Arnesen
In a couple of months I'll buy the UKMGN-PU concept,
and move it to the Carribean.
"The UKMG Cruise,
Royal Carriberan Cruise Lines proudly presents a weekend filled with
guitars,
"The Famous Octopus Drummer", and loads of guitarists who really need a
tan."

Now this sounds like a fun concept... book it Ivar!

(oodly enough my interests lie at the other end of the temperature
range and I'm currently investigating a skiing holiday...)

[Steve Dix]

On Thu, 4 May 2006 21:58:31 +0200, "Ivar Arnesen"

Post by Ivar Arnesen
, and loads of guitarists who really need a
tan."
Ivar ,
"Bill Gates of Babylon"

Oi, I resemble that remark.

[Nick Mason]

Post by Chris Cowen
Hi
Just got my old strat copy back off my brother after he's had it for a
few years and decided he wants some space for his new daughter. It says
"Sakura" on the headstock and "made in japan" on the neck plate. No
serial number. It's pretty solid, clear finish, and the tone is good.
The only thing that lets it down is the tuners are a bit poor. It's
pretty solid, and has taken a fair bit of punishment over the years. I
got it from a junk shop and I think it must be of late 70's early 80's
vintage. It's pretty much like a late 70's era strat, and would be a
pretty good clone, except it has a four-bolt neck.
Can't find anything about them with google or any of the usual places
(harmony central etc). Anybody else ever seen one? I intend to keep it,
but would be interested to know where it was made - i.e. is it a
rebadged Greco for example.......
Cheers
Chris

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Sakura/

[JNugent]

Post by Chris Cowen
Hi
Just got my old strat copy back off my brother after he's had it for a
few years and decided he wants some space for his new daughter. It says
"Sakura" on the headstock and "made in japan" on the neck plate. No
serial number. It's pretty solid, clear finish, and the tone is good.
The only thing that lets it down is the tuners are a bit poor. It's
pretty solid, and has taken a fair bit of punishment over the years. I
got it from a junk shop and I think it must be of late 70's early 80's
vintage. It's pretty much like a late 70's era strat, and would be a
pretty good clone, except it has a four-bolt neck.
Can't find anything about them with google or any of the usual places
(harmony central etc). Anybody else ever seen one? I intend to keep it,
but would be interested to know where it was made - i.e. is it a
rebadged Greco for example.......

It might be.

They date from the mid-to-late seventies, when Ibanez (ie, Fuji Gen Gakki) was
just another reasonably-built copy series and Yamaha was only just stablishing
itself as an accepted quality builder. Think "Antoria", "Columbus", "Kimbara", etc.

It's almost certainly almost as good as a USA Fender of the same period.

[Chris Cowen]

Post by JNugent

Post by Chris Cowen
Hi
Just got my old strat copy back off my brother after he's had it for a
few years and decided he wants some space for his new daughter. It says
"Sakura" on the headstock and "made in japan" on the neck plate. No
serial number. It's pretty solid, clear finish, and the tone is good.
The only thing that lets it down is the tuners are a bit poor. It's
pretty solid, and has taken a fair bit of punishment over the years. I
got it from a junk shop and I think it must be of late 70's early 80's
vintage. It's pretty much like a late 70's era strat, and would be a
pretty good clone, except it has a four-bolt neck.
Can't find anything about them with google or any of the usual places
(harmony central etc). Anybody else ever seen one? I intend to keep it,
but would be interested to know where it was made - i.e. is it a
rebadged Greco for example.......

It might be.
They date from the mid-to-late seventies, when Ibanez (ie, Fuji Gen
Gakki) was just another reasonably-built copy series and Yamaha was only
just stablishing itself as an accepted quality builder. Think "Antoria",
"Columbus", "Kimbara", etc.
It's almost certainly almost as good as a USA Fender of the same period.

I know this is going off topic a bit now - but several people have said
that one should avoid late 1970's (and early 80's) strats as in the
later years of CBS, the quality control was very poor.

Anybody got one of the 1983 strats with the two control knobs, jack on
the scratch plate and no spring cavity? I remember seeing them when they
came out - around that time I bought a Tokai Goldstar strat, which was
very good, but I never really got the chance to compare it directly to
one of its fender contemporaries.

[JNugent]

Post by Chris Cowen

Post by JNugent

Post by Chris Cowen
Just got my old strat copy back off my brother after he's had it for a
few years and decided he wants some space for his new daughter. It says
"Sakura" on the headstock and "made in japan" on the neck plate. No
serial number. It's pretty solid, clear finish, and the tone is good.
The only thing that lets it down is the tuners are a bit poor. It's
pretty solid, and has taken a fair bit of punishment over the years. I
got it from a junk shop and I think it must be of late 70's early 80's
vintage. It's pretty much like a late 70's era strat, and would be a
pretty good clone, except it has a four-bolt neck.
Can't find anything about them with google or any of the usual places
(harmony central etc). Anybody else ever seen one? I intend to keep it,
but would be interested to know where it was made - i.e. is it a
rebadged Greco for example.......

It might be.
They date from the mid-to-late seventies, when Ibanez (ie, Fuji Gen
Gakki) was just another reasonably-built copy series and Yamaha was only
just stablishing itself as an accepted quality builder. Think "Antoria",
"Columbus", "Kimbara", etc.
It's almost certainly almost as good as a USA Fender of the same period.

I know this is going off topic a bit now - but several people have said
that one should avoid late 1970's (and early 80's) strats as in the
later years of CBS, the quality control was very poor.

You can say that again.

Amazingly, CBS Fenders are now fetching unfeasibly-large sums, despite being....
crap (IMHO, of course).

Post by Chris Cowen
Anybody got one of the 1983 strats with the two control knobs, jack on
the scratch plate and no spring cavity? I remember seeing them when they
came out - around that time I bought a Tokai Goldstar strat, which was
very good, but I never really got the chance to compare it directly to
one of its fender contemporaries.

Those two control guitars were preceded by the "Standard Strat" of 1982/83
(introduced at the same time as the first crop of USA Vintage Reissues). It had
the smaller headstock (reintroduced for it and the VRs). Many people refer to
them as "Dan Smith Stratocasters", after the then-current boss of the Company
(this whilst CBS still owned Fender). They go for a lot of money.

The later two-knob Strats of 1983/84 (and the related "Elite" series) are
usually regarded as only a little better than a mid-seventies guitar - or
perhaps no better at all. I think it's something to do with the changed
trem/bridge design and the general cheapening of the whole instrument's design.