Features
Discover deeper stories and unique perspectives on Japanese guitars.
These are the long-form pieces — model histories, artist associations, and the engineering decisions behind instruments that don’t get much coverage in English. Where the rest of the site tells you what something is, Features tries to explain why it exists.
The Matsumoku History of Japan’s Greatest Guitar Factory (1951-1987)
Tokai Guitars History: From Harmonicas to the Copies That Beat the Originals
BOSS History: 50 Years of Japan’s Most Iconic Effects
ESP History: The Founding Years, 1975 to 1989
James Hetfield’s ESP Guitars: The Complete Guide to Every Model
Tokai MAT: How Tokai Used Advanced Materials to Rethink the Guitar
Tokai Talbo: The Aluminum Guitar That Failed, Came Back, and Became Tokai’s Flagship
Yamaha SG2000: The Guitar Shaped by Santana’s Ideas
Ibanez RG vs JEM: Key Differences Explained
Ibanez RG Series Guide: Models, Lineup & Product Lines
Ibanez RG History: Origins, Evolution, and Modern RG Models
George Harrison’s All-Rosewood Telecaster and the Fender Japan TL69 Reissues
Burny Les Paul: Early 80s RLG Series
Greco Super Real Series: The Peak Years
Ibanez Rare Guitars: 3 Limited Runs
Yamaha SF-7000 Review: Specs, Value & SG Comparison
Fender Japan Guitars Used by 3 Legends
How These Articles Are Researched
Most English-language writing about Japanese guitars recycles the same handful of forum posts, and the errors in them have been repeated for twenty years. The research here starts from Japanese-language primary sources instead:
- Manufacturer catalogs — Annual Japanese catalogs are the most reliable record of what was actually offered, at what price, in which year. Model names, finishes, and specs frequently differ between the Japanese and export versions of the same guitar.
- Period advertising and magazines — Japanese guitar magazines documented model launches, artist endorsements, and factory changes in detail, and much of it has never been translated.
- Factory and distributor records — Serial number systems, production locations, and contract manufacturing relationships. This is where most attribution errors come from and where most of them get resolved.
- The instruments themselves — Specs on paper and specs in hand don’t always agree, especially for transitional years.
Where sources conflict or a date can’t be confirmed, the article says so rather than picking the more interesting version. If you have catalog scans, serial data, or a correction, get in touch — several articles on this site exist because a reader sent something in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Features and Tips? Features are about the instruments — history, models, design. Tips are about the transaction — how to find, evaluate, and buy Japanese gear. If you want to understand a guitar, start with Features. If you want to buy one, start with Tips.
Do you cover acoustic guitars and basses? Yes, though electric guitars make up most of the archive so far. Japanese acoustic production — particularly the 1970s Morris, Yamaha, and Takamine output — is significantly under-documented in English and is an area the site is expanding into.
Can I request an article? Requests are welcome. Whether a piece gets written depends mainly on whether enough source material exists to say anything reliable.