A couple of months back, we published a guide to the many '60s guitar brands that often get mislabeled under the general “Teisco” tag. As we learned then, there were all sorts of Japanese makers in that era engaging in a veritable arms race for who could market the wildest designs resulting in one of the most intriguing and confusing chapters in all of vintage guitar history.
Today, we're revisiting this realm with a look at ten of the most exceptional vintage Japanese guitars for sale on right now. From beginner models and high–quality alternatives to popular American designs to a Yamaha that looks ripped straight from a Salvador Dali painting, these ten guitars represent the tip of the iceberg of the always fascinating arena of Japanese vintage guitars.
Elk was one of the few guitar brands that was never built for export. The Elk guitars were considered top tier, manufactured by Miyuki Electronic Corporation to complement its line of professional amps.
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Indeed, some of these guitars can go toe to toe with the American counterparts they draw their inspiration from. Elk had its own factory in Tokyo until it burned down around 1968. Manufacturing switched to the famed Matsumoku plant, alongside such other brands as Ibanez and Greco.
The so–called monkey grip has been a key, defining feature of Steve Vai’s signature Ibanez since the late ‘80s, but Teisco beat Ibanez to the punch as early as the 1950s.
The 1960s TG–64 was a top tier model for Teisco, though it falls just a little short of the spectacular Spectrum 5s. The TG–64 can certainly be a player, with nice pickups, a great vibrato arm, and some very cool sound selections via the three rocker switches and tone cut control.
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These guitars feature an offset body shape that should appeal to Jazzmaster or Jaguar players looking to add something a little different to their arsenal.
Intermark was the house brand for a US importer who ordered these guitars from Shinko Gakki. You will sometimes see these same models branded with the Pleasant name. Pleasant guitars are definitely a cut above the ubiquitous lower–end Teiscos and Kawais that other importers were bringing in en masse.
Featuring some strong Burns–like pickups, some controls discreetly hidden under the pickguard, and a strong laminate neck, these can be go–to guitars for the home or studio.
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The Sharp 5 was one of the first artist models produced in Japan, crafted to the specifications of Nobuhiro Mine of the band Sharp 5. The rumor is that these were actually built by Yamaha for Guyatone.
These guitars feature some stunning craftsmanship, with two very Jaguar–esque pickups, a unique tremolo, and some Mosrite–inspired knobs. The guitar itself is gorgeous, with a lovely German carve sliding into its offset with binding around the body, neck, and headstock.
These guitars were exported to companies like Lindell. Lots of chrome, lots of rocker switches, all of your controls in the upper bout where you can accidentally thrash them — what’s not to love? A perfect staple for your new garage rock revival project.
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Norma imported guitars from various Japanese guitar manufacturers, but this guitar came from a manufacturer that was actually better known for its accordions. That explains the beautiful sparkle red wrap finish.
Tombo only manufactured guitars from 1965 to 1967 during the height of the first electric guitar boom in Japan. Today, the company continues to make harmonicas and accordions.
The Morales line was Zen–On’s high–end copy model brand. They did a ton of Mosrite knock–offs, as well as some Gibson and Gretsch knock–offs.
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The Morales guitars usually feature a two–piece mahogany sandwich body, giving them a bit of heft. The pickups on this one were manufactured by Nishin Onpa, the company that eventually became Maxon. These are some very playable guitars, and look cool to boot.
Manufactured by Teisco Gen Gakki, the Idol line of guitars arose from the split which occurred when the original Teisco company was bought by Kawai.
Promising to be a new line of high–quality guitars, Idol also manufactured amplifiers. However, a factory fire paired with the end of the electric guitar boom meant that the Idol brand disappeared after two and a half years.
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Right from the start of their guitar manufacturing, Yamaha did things their own way, with original parts, original shapes, and high–quality manufacturing.
The striking Yamaha SG–2A was the signature model of “The Blue Jeans” — a group fronted by legendary Japanese surf rock guitarist Terauchi Takeshi. This shape is more commonly known as “The Flying Samurai.”
Here’s another winner from Yamaha. The SG–45 has some of the classic elements of a more well–known American made guitar, but with a unique spin that’s all it’s own.
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Luthiers love these guitars for their easily accessible back control covers, but curse them for their parts that were only manufactured by Yamaha for about a year–and–a–half. Today, those parts are nearly irreplaceable if lost or broken.
We understand the importance of online privacy and are committed to complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. To reflect our commitment, we updated our terms and conditions. By continuing to use , you agree to these updates, and to our cookie policy. Learn MoreLike Kleenex for tissues or Dumpster for large garbage containers, the brand Teisco has become a kind of shorthand for “strange looking Japanese guitar from the 1960s.” When someone posts a picture on a forum of a vintage Japanese guitar that he’s trying to identify, five people will immediately shout out “Teisco!” Occasionally, they’re even right.
But the reality of the matter is that while Teisco did produce over a million guitars during the course of its history, there are also a few million more Japanese–made guitars that are decidedly not Teiscos.
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Before we jump in, it’s important to note that all of these companies we’re about to discuss were Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) producers for a variety of brands both in Japan and abroad.
This means that a company (for example, Strum and Drum of Wheeling, Illinois) could approach a Japanese manufacturer (in this case, Sakkai) and ask it to produce a guitar branded for that contracting company’s in–house brand name (Norma).
Often, these guitar brands would source guitars from multiple manufacturers to fit different price points in their catalogs. The Norma brand has guitars that were made by Teisco Gen Gakki, Sakkai, and Tombo, as well as several other manufacturers.
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This guide looks at all of the different guitar manufacturers working in Japan in the 1960s so that you can begin to differentiate between their products and get a better idea of what you're buying.
If we’re talking about guitars that are often mistaken for Teiscos, we need to start out talking about Teisco, which has a bit of a confusing history.
Teisco started making lap steels in the late 1940s, and by the ‘50s were making solid bodies and archtops. The company enjoyed increasing success right through the big Japanese guitar boom in 1965, but a 1967 downturn in fortunes resulted in the company and brand being sold to Kawai.
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Teisco’s subsidiary manufacturing plant Teisco Gen Gakki (Japanese for “Tesico Stringed Instruments”) was not included in the sale, as Kawai decided to transfer manufacturing to its own plant in Hamamatsu.
Original Teisco factory guitars from before the Kawai sale can be some great players, and many of them feature highly sought after gold foil pickups made famous by Ry Cooder. But beware, many Japanese manufacturers made gold foil pickups that share some characteristics with Teisco’s, yet are not the same.
How can you tell these gold foils apart? Look for the fake set–screw pole pieces. On a true Teisco gold foil pickup, these six screws are on top of the pickup. But with Zen-On’s (or several other manufacturers’) gold foil pickups, these set–screw pole pieces run through the middle.
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Originally the subsidiary manufacturing plant supplying bodies and necks to Teisco from 1963 to 1967, Teisco Gen Gakki continued as an independent company and continued to manufacture bodies and necks for a number of new companies (Honey, Idol, Firstman) emerging from the original Teisco ashes. All of these shortly went bust.
It also manufactured OEM guitars for domestic and overseas brands (most notably Norma) before going bankrupt sometime around 1970. Interestingly, guitars made at this factory never used plywood for bodies.
Kawais are probably most often mistaken for Teiscos because Kawai bought the Teisco brand name in 1967 and continued to make familiar Teisco guitars, while adding new models every year. Though sometimes sharing some similar looks, Kawai guitars tend to be a bit inferior to original Teisco guitars, especially when it comes to the wiring and pickups.
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There is one good way to distinguish a Kawai (or a Kawai–era Teisco) from an original Teisco: look for a string bar on the headstock. Kawai used this feature on a majority of its solid bodies, while original Teisco guitars never used string bars and instead favoured pitched headstocks.
Kawai continued to produce Teisco–branded guitars, amps, and even synthesizers in dwindling numbers up through the mid–‘70s. Occasionally, Kawai has periodically produced reissues of the most famous Teisco guitars: the K-series shark fins and the Spectrum 5.
Zen–Ons are
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