BLUEBELL F-300 – Natural, Lawsuit era, 1978

BlueBell F-300 is a Japanese acoustic guitar, manufactured in 1978 at the FujiGen Gakki factory for the Kanda Shokai distributor. The instrument is based on a Folk-style body shape. The guitar features a solid spruce top plate and rosewood back and sides. After our service work, which included fingerboard leveling, refretting, crafting bone nuts, and installing a passive K&K pickup, the instrument is ready to play.

Technical specification

• Manufacturer: BlueBell
• Model: F-300
• Year of production: 1978
• Body: Solid Spruce (Top) / Rosewood (Back & Sides)
• Neck: Mahogany
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Frets: Medium (Condition: 100% – new)
• Pickups: K&K
• Electronics: Passive
• Visual condition: Very good (details in description)
• Finish: Natural
• Weight: 1.71 kg / 3.77 lbs

Body and construction The Folk-shaped soundbox features a top plate made of solid spruce, with the back and sides made of rosewood. The instrument is finished with a clear lacquer (Natural). Inside the soundbox, a traditional bracing system is used. A standard glued neck construction (Set-Neck) is applied. In our workshop, the lacquer coating went through a cleaning and waxing process.

Neck and ergonomics The mahogany neck features a profile similar to a "V" (Soft V). The neck is paired with a rosewood fingerboard. The scale length is 642 mm, and the nut width is 43 mm. As part of the service work, the old frets were removed, the fingerboard was leveled, and brand new Medium size frets (Blacksmith 2.1 mm) were installed. A new nut made of natural bone was also fitted. The fingerboard surface was cleaned and conditioned.

Sound The instrument is enriched with a passive K&K acoustic pickup.

• Characteristics: The use of a solid spruce top and a rosewood body in a Folk shape generates a frequency response with clear mids and distinct highs.
• Dynamics: The guitar responds appropriately to varied articulation strength, maintaining clarity during fingerstyle playing. The installed passive pickup allows for the direct transfer of acoustic vibrations to sound equipment.

Additional information

The BlueBell brand was a line of instruments commissioned by the Japanese distributor Kanda Shokai (known for the Greco and Fender Japan brands) and intended for the domestic market.

The F-300 model was a higher series in the lineup at that time, which involved the use of a solid top plate (as opposed to fully laminated base models).

Crafting components from natural bone (nut and saddle) physically improves the transfer of vibrations from the strings to the soundbox compared to standard synthetic materials.

The service work we performed included: fingerboard leveling, complete refretting, crafting bone nuts, installing the K&K pickup, and setting the string action.

Hardware

• Bridge: Rosewood – the bridge features a custom-made saddle crafted from natural bone in our workshop.
• Tuners: Closed-gear Gotoh mechanisms with the original BlueBell logo. The chrome hardware went through a cleaning process and retains its mechanical efficiency.

Instrument condition

• Technical condition: The instrument is mechanically and electronically functional after a luthier verification. The truss rod works properly, and the frets are brand new.
• Visual condition: The guitar is preserved in very good visual condition. Minor, age-standard signs of use (shallow scratches) are visible on the lacquer coating. The instrument has no structural wood cracks.
• Setup and Modifications: A passive K&K pickup was installed. Complete refretting (Blacksmith), fingerboard leveling, crafting of bone nuts, and a setup of the string action for a new set of strings (12-53) were performed.

Why choose this instrument

• Solid top: The use of solid spruce on the top plate contributes to a richer acoustic resonance compared to fully laminated designs.
• Compact body: The Folk shape offers higher ergonomics in a seated position than standard Dreadnought guitars.
• New frets and leveling: The complete fret replacement and fingerboard leveling eliminate the wear resulting from use and ensure proper intonation.
• Ready to play: After our service work and the installation of the K&K system, the guitar is fully prepared for stage and studio playing without the need for luthier visits.